Time to look ahead: WVU and Kansas have their backs to the wall in the Big 12 opener

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Both Kansas and West Virginia are looking to recharge their batteries as they head into Big 12 Conference play. On Saturday afternoon, two teams that finished the non-league portion of their schedule with 1-2 scores will meet at Mountaineer Field.

The game will be broadcast nationally by ESPN2.

“Two teams with their backs against the wall and identical records,” said West Virginia head coach Neal Brown.

The Mountaineers come into the game after a 38-34 loss at Pitt last Saturday. In that game, Brown's team led by 10 points with four minutes left but then allowed two long touchdown drives.

“We didn't get it done. It's a rivalry game and we had it in our hands and we didn't get it done,” Brown said. “We're not going to feel sorry for ourselves or sit around and be unhappy. There are people with real problems in this world and it's not us. We didn't play well enough. We have to fix that and we will. Go to work. The mentality has to be that we have a football game and the focus is on Kansas. Sometimes we've shown we're a good football team and sometimes we haven't. We have to be able to defend our home court.”

The Jayhawks, meanwhile, have lost two straight weeks of one-point losses to Illinois and UNLV after opening the season with a commanding win over Lindenwood.

WVU and KU have a combined record of 0-4 against FBS competition, with each having beaten only one program at the FCS level.

“It's all starting over now,” KU head coach Lance Leipold said. “In these moments, you learn about yourself in a lot of different ways. We still have a lot of football to play.”

Something will have to change on Saturday afternoon, as the Jayhawks, and especially quarterback Jalon Daniels, have struggled with turnovers in the first month of the season. Daniels' turnovers have occurred six times in the team's eight turnovers, five of which have come in two losses.

He faces a pass defense that has yet to prove it can slow down an opponent. West Virginia has allowed 842 yards and eight touchdowns through the air in three games.

The Mountaineers did not record a single interception in the first quarter of their season-opening loss to Penn State, and the fumble recovery is the only forced turnover by a defense that has failed to do so in the last 11 quarters.

“When you get a chance, they are game-winning plays,” said Brown. “We had two of them in the [Pitt] game and we didn’t do it.”

Daniels is working with a new offensive coordinator, Jeff Grimes, and has struggled thus far. He completed 39 of 71 passes for 442 yards, with twice as many interceptions as he has three touchdown passes. Daniels is a dual threat: He has 100 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and that aspect of his game could be on plenty of display against a Mountaineer defense that also has trouble with mobile signal-callers.

“Jalon has been outstanding with his attitude, his effort and his ability as a coach. We're definitely not going to attribute that to one guy,” Leipold said. “If you want to attribute it to one person, it's me. There are some good things and moments out there, but right now the biggest problem on offense is we haven't reacted well when something has gone wrong. Whether it's a turnover or three-and-out, we don't react to it. That's the biggest thing we have to try to fix.”

KU tailback Devin Neal (333 rushing yards, 2 TDs) and wideout Luke Grimm (18 receptions, 157 yards, 2 TDs) are outstanding playmakers who will look to keep the Mountaineers in check.

Mountaineer quarterback Garrett Greene, a dual threat like Daniels, has completed 48 of 81 passes for 607 yards and five touchdowns. Both of his interceptions came a week ago.

WVU relies on running backs CJ Donaldson (246 yards, 3 TDs) and Jahiem White (179 yards, 2 TDs), but has yet to have a wide receiver with 100 receiving yards. Tight end Kole Taylor leads the team with 115 yards on nine catches.

Defensively, the Mountaineers were much better in the run game while getting quality play from defensive lineman TJ Jackson and linebackers Trey Lathan and Josiah Trotter. Jackson's 2.5 sacks and seven tackles for loss are both team highs, while Trotter and Lathan are second and third on the team with 17 and 15 tackles, respectively. Lathan also has 4.5 TFLs.

However, if the Mountaineers don't show improvements in defending passes downfield and preventing quarterbacks from escaping the pocket and making plays, Daniels could very well be on the right track.

“Last week is last week. We can't dwell on the past,” Jackson said. “This week it's 1-0.”

Brown hinted that cornerbacks Jacolby Spells and TJ Crandall will be used more frequently against KU as the secondary looks for a potential spark to jumpstart their play.

“We haven't played as well as we should have in that position,” Brown said, “so we need to keep giving the guys opportunities in games.”

The KU defensive line is led by Tommy Dunn and Jereme Robinson, with the latter having 2.5 sacks and 4.5 TFLs. An all-senior secondary features productive cornerbacks Cobee Bryant and Mello Dotson, and reliable safeties OJ Burroughs and Marvin Grant.

The Jayhawks have allowed just 49 points in three games, including 23 in both losses.

“There's a lot of noise that can easily creep in and divide us. We need to stick together now more than ever,” said Brandon Yates, a sixth-year center at WVU. “It's nothing against Kansas, but we need to focus on ourselves and the things we need to get better at.”