West Virginia Football: Predicting the Mountaineers vs. Kansas

The time has come once again for the staff at The Smoking Musket to dust off our crystal ball and look ahead to today’s matchup between the West Virginia Mountaineers and the Kansas Jayhawks in Morgantown.

Pinto

WVU ML ● WVU -2.5 ● Over 56 Total Points

A sicko crowd of 45000 for back-against-the-wall Neal Brown feels like a recipe for success. Kansas needs this one as badly as we do, but the revenge factor should factor in here.

Concerns that Kansas has actually played pretty good defense this year are potentially mitigated by the fact that we don’t have much left to lose, which is historically when we stop being conservative and start being fun. Look for Garrett to continue to get more involved on the ground and hopefully have some simplified reads that involve him vacating the pocket if his first two reads aren’t there.

On the other side of the ball, something has to give - Daniels has been almost as bad as a passer this year as we have been in the secondary. I look forward to one or more of the new guys in the secondary making plays this week followed by Neal and Co with the standard “we saw flashes, they had to improve their preparation, had their best week of practice this week, etc.”

The on-brand play here is definitely to win this one, possibly even convincingly, leading to us spending the next two weeks feeling like maybe we overreacted about Pitt before losing by 27 in Stillwater. We’re very back, love WVU football.

Final Score: West Virginia 38, Kansas 27

RH

WVU ML ● Kansas +2.5 ● Under 56 Total Points

Ugh. This is not any fun. I can’t see anything but angst and anxiety regarding the WVU football program right now. Neither team has done anything to write home about; both teams should be motivated. KU has been terrible turning the ball over, but WVU can’t create a turnover to save their jobs. WVU slides past KU in a manner that makes no one (other than maybe HCNB) feel any better about the state of the program.

Final Score: West Virginia 24, Kansas 23

John Radcliff

WVU ML ● Kansas +2.5 ● Under 56 Total Points

I want to say something thoughtful. I really do. I’m betting with my heart and taking WVU. But what I expect...

Final Score: West Virginia 21, Kansas 20

Michael

WVU ML ● WVU -2 ● Over 56 Total Points

The Mountaineers have an opportunity to bounce back against what appears to be a Kansas team looks like it has regressed to the mean with Kotelnicki leaving for Penn State, but it will require Neal Brown to get out of his own way. West Virginia gets a lead before Brown goes conservative in the fourth quarter and the Mountaineers let the Jayhawks back into the game. A late Michael Hayes field goal saves the day for WVU, but fan anxiety just gets worse.

Final Score: West Virginia 31, Kansas 28

Josh

WVU ML ● WVU -2 ● Under 56 Total Points

Will we be in fan hell or fan purgatory after this one? Signs point to purgatory.

Final Score: West Virginia 28, Kansas 24

Nick

WVU ML ● WVU -2 ● Over 56 Total Points

Both teams desperately need to get back on track, but I think both defenses will look bad in this game. I predict that WVU will get a big lead early, and then it will be a classic Neal Brown era “hold on for dear life” game, as the offense gets too conservative with its play calling and the defense is unable to get stops. But I’ll say WVU holds on to win a close one.

Final Score: West Virginia 48, Kansas 42

WVUNite

WVU ML ● WVU -2.5 ● Over 56 Total Points

Neal Brown pulls out a win because why wouldn’t the coach who has gotten two extensions without any real need or reason do something like keep himself afloat just enough that he can’t be fired today. Kansas isn’t great and WVU is due

Final Score: West Virginia 30, Kansas 27