MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — It’s time for Neal Brown to find out what the big-time is all about.
Coaching for the first time in front of a national network television audience as well as the only living college football coach with more than 375 career wins, Brown will most certainly have his close-up as West Virginia (3-1, 1-0 Big 12) hosts No. 11 Texas (3-1, 1-0) at Milan Puskar Stadium for a 3:30 p.m. kickoff.
The game has been sold out for months, and among those in attendance will be former Mountaineers coach Bobby Bowden. Bowden, who was WVU’s head coach from 1970-75, is being celebrated alongside members of the 1969 team that won the Peach Bowl.
Given the circumstances, the fact that it’s also homecoming seems like a footnote.
ABC executives are no doubt hoping for a reprise of last year’s game, a thrilling 42-41 West Virginia win that was decided when Will Grier hit Gary Jennings Jr. for a 33-yard touchdown with 16 seconds left, then carried in the go-ahead two-point conversion. But Grier and Jennings are in the NFL now, and the young roster they left behind is facing a ranked opponent for the first time.
That opponent can score at will. The Longhorns are 13th in the country in scoring with 40.8 points per game, 11th in passing yardage and fourth in red zone touchdown percentage.
Texas expects to have 6-foot-5 wide receiver Collin Johnson back in the mix after he missed the Oklahoma State game with a hamstring injury two weeks ago. With or without the big target in the lineup, fellow senior Devin Duvernay keeps moving the chains, averaging 9.8 receptions and 94.3 yards per game.
“They’re the best offense we’ve played,” Brown said. “We’re not going to shut Texas out.”
The Mountaineers are 10.5-point underdogs on their own home field. Don’t look for Brown to use “they’re disrespecting us” as a cheap motivational ploy, though.
“Any time you’re coming off a bye week there’s excitement,” Brown said. “We have a lot of guys who played Texas, but not a lot in valuable roles. Once you get into Big 12 play, I’ll treat them all the same.”
The fanbase certainly isn’t treating it like any other Big 12 game, wrapped up in a Horns Down-flashing fervor since the conclusion of last year’s game. West Virginia was penalized twice for players showing “Horns Down” despite then-head coach Dana Holgorsen being reassured it would not be flagged.
Brown, who was still at Troy a year ago, doesn’t know what to make of all that even though he knows the game matters a great deal to his constituency.
“I think the whole thing is silly. I don’t know why we’re flagging something like that,” Brown said. “But I’d rather build our brand – we’re promoting them by doing that.”
WVU-Texas Gameday video
THREE KEYS
Turn 7 into 3: Texas is going to move the ball. There’s no escaping that. But West Virginia has a chance if it turns touchdown drives into field goal drives, particularly with the Mountaineers’ penchant for blocking kicks. This won’t be an easy task. The Longhorns have scored touchdowns on 12 of their 14 red zone trips this year.
Win third down: Texas has converted an astounding 56.9 percent of its third downs. Only Air Force, which runs the triple-option, is doing better across the country. If the Mountaineers can keep the Horns under 40 percent, it will give them a fighting chance.
Tykee Smith: Program sources indicate the true freshman is getting the start at spear with JoVanni Stewart sitting out and potentially transferring from the program. Duvernay primarily plays from the slot, so Smith may frequently be tasked with that assignment. Texas will undoubtedly attack the freshman in a variety of ways, but if he steps up they could live to regret it.
PREDICTION: Texas 34, West Virginia 28