8/20/2019 football Edit

Preview & Prediction: West Virginia

Matt Hall • EMAWOnline

Managing Editor

We continue to break down all of Kansas State's 2019 opponents with a look at a late-season match-up with West Virginia.

Kennedy McKoy and West Virginia blitzed K-State in Morgantown last season. (USA Today)

LAST YEAR

The Mountaineers were good in 2018, no doubt, but the season had to be seen as a bit of a disappointment.

WVU was loaded on offense with the likes of Will Grier, David Sills, Gary Jennings and an experienced offensive line, and there was reason for legitimate Big 12 Championship hope.

There were moments, but ultimately WVU finished just 8-4 overall, dropping its final three games to Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Syracuse. That 34-18 loss to the Orange in the Camping World Bowl would equal the end of the Dana Holgorsen era, who left to take over the program at Houston.

WHO ARE THEY?

Like the other three Big 12 teams with new head coaches (Kansas State, Kansas and Texas Tech), we still don't have a good idea.

We do know they're going to be different.

WVU lost all the previously mentioned skill position talent and has to rework its front line. Plus, of course, there's waiting to see exactly what kind of program new head coach Neal Brown wants to build.

There is depth at running back to work with and still some dangerous talent at quarterback and wide receiver, but there's no doubt WVU will be new look on both sides of the ball.

WHO TO WATCH?

Brown can possibly build around senior tailback Kennedy McKoy, who rushed for 805 yards and eight scores last season averaging a healthy 5.5 yards per carry.

McKoy split carries last year - and likely will this year - helping to limit him to just a single 100-yard game. He only carried the ball 20 or more times once (he actually only carried it more than 17 times once, to be specific), and that was against Oklahoma State.

McKoy carried 21 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns in a four-point road loss at Stillwater, perhaps a glimpse of the back he can be if truly featured within the offense.

K-STATE WINS BECAUSE...

CLICK THE PICTURE ABOVE TO GET 25% OFF A NEW SUB AND A $75 ADIDAS GIFT CARD.

Yes, West Virginia was significantly better than K-State last season and Brown is taking over what's been a healthier program in recent years than Chris Klieman has in Manhattan.

On paper, though, this WVU bunch does not frighten you like Holgorsen teams of recent years. I could see the K-State defense having one of its better outings of the season, and this is the type of home game toss-up where you always feel safer taking the home team.

K-STATE LOSES BECAUSE...

McKoy isn't the only dangerous back on the WVU roster, and - while depleted - this is still a program that has done a good job of stockpiling offensive weapons over the years. I could see a scenario where big plays are again the difference in favor of WVU, although the offensive line will have needed to develop in Morgantown for that to be possible.

PRESEASON PREDICTION: K-State 25, West Virginia 17

The Wildcats get to 5-5 late in the season - and well within bowl striking distance - with a key home win over Brown and WVU. If healthy, the Wildcat offense could be very physical for opponents to deal with by this point of the season and should be able to help control the tempo against evenly matched opponents.