Kansas heads to Morgantown on Saturday with its season hanging by a thread, and West Virginia is in a much more comfortable spot. The Jayhawks are 3-6 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 play, while the Mountaineers sit at 5-4 and need only one more win to lock up bowl eligibility.
Kickoff is set for 4:30 p.m. CT on ESPNU at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Both teams come in stinging from narrow losses, though West Virginia’s was anything but quiet. The Mountaineers dropped a 53-48 shootout to Texas Tech after piling up nearly 600 yards of offense, while Kansas let a late touchdown slip through its fingers in a 33-32 loss to UCF. That result left Lance Leipold’s team needing to win its final three games just to reach a bowl.
The matchup points straight at West Virginia’s ground game. The Mountaineers own the No. 1 rushing offense in the Big 12, and that means Kansas has to find a way to slow down Michael Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook. That’s easier said than done for a Jayhawks defense that ranks 12th in the league against the run, a weakness that has shown up more than its pass defense.
West Virginia’s offense has been one of the most dangerous units in the Big 12, but the defense has been a different story. The Mountaineers have one of the nation’s worst defenses, which keeps this game from feeling like a runaway on paper.
Still, Kansas has not given much reason to trust it in a spot like this. The Jayhawks have lost four of their last five and have dropped two straight in frustrating fashion against TCU and UCF.
The turnover battle also tilts toward the home side. Kansas enters the game ranked 116th in the country in turnover margin, while West Virginia sits 53rd.
Add in the numbers on offense and defense, and the picture gets clearer: Kansas ranks 76th nationally in yards allowed per play, while West Virginia brings a top-25 offense in that category. The Jayhawks have already allowed at least 35 points to K-State, Utah and Mizzou, and the expectation here is that trend continues.
The prediction leans West Virginia 35, Kansas 28. The Mountaineers are also 5-3-1 against the spread this season, while Kansas is 3-6 against the number.
The spread may not look large enough for a West Virginia team that keeps showing growth, especially at home. Kansas, meanwhile, keeps finding ways to come up short.
In Other News...
WVU Offense Is Earning Serious Buzz Ahead Of A Big Test
Kansas heads into Saturday evenings matchup with West Virginia still searching for traction, but the bigger conversation around this game has been the Mountaineers offense and the problems it can create. After a close loss to UCF left the Jayhawks at 3-6, Lance Leipold spent part of the buildup acknowledging just how difficult this trip could be, pointing to West Virginias quarterback and the other playmakers around him as the kind of group that can stress a defense in a hurry.
For West Virginia, the buzz is coming at a useful time, because this is the sort of test that can either validate the momentum or expose the gaps that still need cleaning up. Kansas will have to deal with the pace, the versatility and the overall explosiveness that has made the Mountaineers a tougher opponent to prepare for, and ESPNU will have a good one to follow when the teams kick off Saturday night. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginias Hot Start Just Set Up A Huge Reality Check
West Virginias early run has given the program a real boost, and the bracket buzz is starting to follow. ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi currently projects the Mountaineers as a No. 10 seed in the Midwest Region, a sign that the strong start has already put them on the national radar and given fans reason to think bigger about March.
The next stretch should tell a lot more about where this team actually stands. A tougher tournament in Las Vegas is coming up, along with a neutral-court meeting with North Carolina, and those games will offer a far sharper read on whether West Virginias opening success is the start of something lasting or just a fast start before the schedule tightens up. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Just Got A Key Secondary Boost For Its Defensive Rebuild
West Virginia got a meaningful piece of offseason news for its defensive rebuild when Andrew Powdrell let the coaching staff know he intends to return for his fifth and final year of eligibility. Powdrell has been one of the more versatile pieces in the secondary, moving between free safety and cornerback as the staff tried to find the best fit for both his skill set and the teams needs.
His return gives the Mountaineers another experienced option in a backfield that will likely keep evolving as the roster takes shape. Where Powdrell lines up next season could still hinge on incoming transfers, but his presence alone should give West Virginia some stability and flexibility as it tries to piece together the secondary for 2025. [Read more 🡒]