West Virginia heads into a West Texas showdown that has all the ingredients for a Big 12 track meet, and Phil Steele isn’t ruling out the Mountaineers making things very interesting.
On this morning’s episode of In the Gun, Steele said he likes West Virginia to keep it close against Texas Tech, even if he stopped short of picking the outright upset.
“I think we’re going to have a really good game here. I definitely like West Virginia plus the points.
I’m not going to call for the upset, but I think the upset is a possibility - there’s no doubt about it. When you look at Texas Tech this year, remember last year’s Texas Tech team just demolished teams.
Their defense was outstanding, the offense put the points up, and every game was a blowout - that’s not happening this year. Looking at Texas Tech’s entire season this year, to me, the most impressive half they had was the first half against Arizona State.
That looked like Texas Tech of last year. It was 43-10; they had 404 yards of offense.
But since then, and before then, they were far from dominant. The Colorado game, they actually got outgained.
The Houston game, they won by two. You go back to even last week’s Arizona game, and Arizona missed an open 4th-and-2 pass late in the game when they were down by four, and that could have been even closer.
They have not been blowing teams out. That first half against Arizona State was great, but they’ve yet to do that for an entire game.
I think Texas Tech is the better team; I do like the move to (Thomas) Castellanos. I love their run game with (Cameron) Dickey, (J’Koby) Williams, and (Quinten) Joyner.
If I’m a West Virginia fan, that’s my main concern - stop the damn run! Because if Texas Tech is gaining five, six yards on every carry, they are going to put the ball in the end zone.
You need to stop the run, force Castellanos to beat you, and that’s the recipe for the upset. I like West Virginia plus the points, though, in this game.”
The matchup has the feel of a classic Big 12 shootout, with Texas Tech getting a boost offensively from Thomas Castellanos at quarterback and West Virginia bringing one of the most explosive offenses in college football into the mix.
Steele’s case for the Mountaineers is built on what Texas Tech has not done this season. He pointed to the Red Raiders’ first half against Arizona State as their best stretch, when they rolled to a 43-10 lead and piled up 404 yards of offense. But outside of that, he said, Texas Tech has not looked like a team steamrolling opponents.
He noted that Colorado outgained the Red Raiders, Houston lost by just two, and Arizona stayed within striking distance after missing an open 4th-and-2 pass late in the game while trailing by four.
For Steele, the path for West Virginia is clear: slow down Texas Tech’s ground game and make Castellanos carry the load. He singled out Cameron Dickey, J’Koby Williams, and Quinten Joyner as the key backs to watch, and said the Mountaineers’ biggest concern is preventing the Red Raiders from churning out easy yards on the ground.
If West Virginia can do that, Steele believes the upset is there for the taking. He just likes the Mountaineers better with the points.
In Other News...
WVU Brings Back A Fan Favorite Look For A Brutal Texas Tech Trip
West Virginia is reaching back into the closet for a familiar road look as it heads to Lubbock for a late-night test against No. 15 Texas Tech. The Mountaineers will go with their traditional away uniforms, pairing glossy blue helmets with white jerseys and gold pants for a matchup that already carries plenty of weight given the Red Raiders recent run at home.
It is the kind of trip where every small detail gets noticed, from the uniform combination to the kickoff time, which is set for about 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. West Virginia has history with Texas Tech to lean on, but the bigger challenge is walking into a place where the Red Raiders have been hard to beat lately and trying to make the old-school look translate into something more meaningful on the field. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Basketball Just Opened The Door For More West Virginia Families
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The tickets will be spread around for nonconference games and select Big 12 matchups, giving more families a chance to get into the building and see the Mountaineers in person. DAC Energy, led by Ken and Jennifer Mason, has long been involved in supporting WVU athletics and community efforts, and this latest partnership keeps that connection going in a very visible way. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Gets Encouraging Returns Before Texas Tech But Questions Remain
West Virginias availability picture is looking better heading into its matchup with Texas Tech, with the Mountaineers downgrading two players and clearing three others for the upcoming game. There has also been movement on the Red Raiders side, where one additional player has been ruled out and three more have been moved to probable, giving both staffs a little more clarity as kickoff approaches.
The report also notes that some players who had been listed as probable are now cleared to play, which is the kind of late-week development coaches and fans alike tend to watch closely. With the game set for 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN, the final injury updates could still shape how both teams approach the night in Lubbock. [Read more 🡒]