MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Nothing, it seems, is going to keep quarterback Austin Kendall from finally starting a game at Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Kendall has recovered quickly from the muscle injury that knocked him out of the Iowa State game, and coach Neal Brown believes he will be good to go when West Virginia visits the Sooners Saturday morning.
“Barring any changes over the next 48 hours, he will line up behind center on Saturday,” Brown said on his Thursday night radio show.
Brown said that Kendall was able to take 50 percent of the reps in Tuesday’s practice, and upped that total on Wednesday.
As recently as Tuesday afternoon, West Virginia coaches were very unsure whether Kendall would be able to play, and Brown hinted at the possibility of using Trey Lowe either as a starter or in conjunction with Jack Allison.
“We have a plan with the quarterback position if Austin can’t go,” Brown said on Tuesday. “It’s not something I want to sit up here and talk about. If Austin can’t go, we’ll go through with that plan.”
Brown was again coy when asked about the possibility of using certain packages with a running quarterback even if Kendall were to start.
“We’re evaluating all things,” Brown said on Thursday night. “Our run game has been a struggle this year. You’re always looking for solutions.”
Kendall has started every game for the Mountaineers this season after arriving from Oklahoma as a graduate transfer in January. Kendall has competed 66 percent of his passes for 1,247 yards with nine touchdowns and seven interceptions.
Leddie Brown named starting RB
Sophomore running back Leddie Brown will get the starting nod for West Virginia at Oklahoma. Brown is averaging a team-high 4.5 yards per carry since returning from a foot injury that kept him out of WVU’s first two games.
“He’s been the most consistent running back since he came back from the injury,” Neal Brown said.
WVU’s coach said the team still needs senior Kennedy McKoy to produce. McKoy is averaging 3 yards per carry and 31.2 yards per game this season. His career averages are 5.1 yards per carry and 50.1 yards per game.
“We’ve got to get Kennedy going. We really need him,” Neal Brown said. “He’s shown flashes. He’s a guy we need to get a good performance out of on Saturday.”
Injury update
Brown said that senior cornerback Keith Washington will be a game-time decision. If Washington cannot play, the Mountaineers will be forced to start two true freshman corners against an offense averaging better than 50 points per game.
Fellow senior Hakeem Bailey has to sit out the first half after picking up a second-half targeting penalty against Iowa State. That leaves freshmen Nicktroy Fortune and Tae Mayo in line to start.
Recruiting update
When asked about the first-year surprises he has encountered, Brown mentioned the challenges of recruiting in the regions directly surrounding West Virginia.
“It’s taking us longer than I thought to make inroads in the DMV, the Pittsburgh area and Northeast Ohio,” Brown said. “We have not been as successful as I’d like. We’re starting to make progress for the ’21 class. I didn’t realize we hadn’t been in those areas.”
Uniform update
West Virginia will don a new look at Oklahoma, going with white helmets, white jerseys and gray pants.
Game 7️⃣
White. White. Gray#HailWV | #TrustTheClimb
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— West Virginia Football (@WVUfootball) October 17, 2019