MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Fresh off of its worst performance this season, West Virginia tries to respond at noon Saturday against an unbeaten TCU team that’s within one victory of entering November squarely in the discussion for a spot in the College Football Playoff.
The unbeaten and seventh-ranked Horned Frogs do battle with the Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium in a Big 12 Conference affair that’ll air on ESPN.
“That they’re seventh in the country and at the top of our league, if that doesn’t get your juices flowing, you’re in the wrong thing and probably need to do something else,” West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said.
There wasn’t much to like about how West Virginia battled a week ago when the Mountaineers were drubbed at Texas Tech, 48-10. In addition to being out-gained by better than 300 yards, WVU (3-4, 1-3) lost the turnover battle 4-0 and failed to score a touchdown in the first half — the first and only half this season in which the Mountaineers have not reached the end zone.
“To play like that and put that on video,” Brown said, “we’re not going to be about that.”
Brown has beaten TCU in each of his previous three tries at West Virginia, though the Horned Frogs are now under the guidance of first-year head coach Sonny Dykes after opting to part ways with Patterson midseason in 2021.
“He’s taken a lot of the same pieces and turned it around,” Brown said. “That’s a credit to he and his staff.”
Dykes and the presence of offensive coordinator Garrett Riley, the younger brother of former Oklahoma and current USC head coach Lincoln Riley, have been a big lift for a TCU offense that’s yet to be slowed.
The Horned Frogs (7-0, 4-0) have scored at least 38 points in every game, including last Saturday, when they battled back from a 28-10 first-half deficit to beat Kansas State, 38-28.
TCU enters averaging just south of 45 points and 522 yards. Balance has been the game of the game for Dykes’ team, which is rushing for 227 yards and passing for 295 on average.
Additionally, TCU’s turnover total of four equals how many West Virginia had against Texas Tech.
Quarterback Max Duggan has been near flawless. The senior has completed 133-of-193 passes for 1,871 yards with 19 touchdowns and one interception.
Dugan, a dual threat, is also a plenty capable runner and has 274 yards and four scores on the ground.
“He’s strong and he can run through tackles as well,” Brown said. “His accuracy has really improved. That’s a credit to Garrett Riley and Sonny.”
Duggan’s favorite target is one of college football’s top weapons in wideout Quentin Johnston, who has 574 yards on 38 catches. Over the last three games, Johnson has brought in all three of his touchdown receptions and hauled in 26 passes for 460 yards.
“Quentin Johnston is as talented as anybody in our league,” Brown said. “My assumption was he was probably a little banged up early, but the last four-game stretch, he’s been pretty special. We have to know where he’s at.”
Tailback Kendre Miller has 731 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns and is averaging better than 6 yards per carry in his role as featured back.
“Now that it’s kind of his show, he’s shown what he can do,” Brown said.
Miller has benefitted running behind what West Virginia’s staff believes is a much-improved offensive line.
“The offensive line is the biggest improvement I see,” defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley said. “It helps with Duggan running the ball and the running backs.”
TCU will look to continue its offensive production against a West Virginia defense that has endured its fair share of struggles.
The Mountaineers have yet to hold an opposing Big 12 team to fewer than 38 points and half of the six turnovers they forced came in a 43-40 win over Baylor on October 13.
Saturday is perhaps the defense’s stiffest challenge yet.
“I don’t ever look at one game and say ‘Oh, man.’ To me, we just need to play better,” Brown said.
On the other side, a West Virginia offense that was productive through the first half of the regular season is looking to right its wrongs from the trip to Texas Tech.
Quarterback JT Daniels was intercepted three times, which matched his season total ahead of that contest, as the Mountaineers’ wideouts struggled to win against press coverage.
WVU’s leading rusher Tony Mathis will miss the matchup with TCU after suffering an injury last week, while fellow tailback Justin Johnson was deemed questionable by Brown after also being hurt against the Red Raiders.
That leaves true freshman CJ Donaldson as the primary ball-carrier and elevates Jaylen Anderson to the role of either No. 2 or 3 tailback.
“They’re putting so much time and effort into it, so to get injured and not be able to reap those rewards of playing in games, you really feel that. But at the same time, it’s a great opportunity for whoever is behind them,” Brown said. “Jaylen Anderson has an opportunity.”
Up front, the Mountaineers will be without left guard James Gmiter for a second straight game, while the status of left tackle Wyatt Milum is up in the air after he, too, was injured last week.
A unit scoring nearly 35 points and producing better than 436 yards on average will be up against a TCU defense that at times has been vulnerable.
The Horned Frogs are allowing 26.7 points and nearly 399 yards per game. Linebackers Johnny Hodges (team-high 40 tackles) and Dee Winters (4.5 sacks) have been in on the action often, while cornerback Josh Newton and safety Bud Clark have two interceptions apiece to combine for half of the Horned Frogs’ eight picks.
“They’re playing a three-down front and you can tell the kids are playing really fast,” Brown said. “From an alignment and assignment defense, it’s simple for them, but it’s complicated to play against. They don’t get out of position.”