PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Will Grier completed 25-of-35 passes for 356 yards and five touchdowns in the Mountaineers’ 35-6 win over Kansas State last week. He found seven different receivers in notching the 11th time in his 14 starts that he has finished with 300 or more yards passing. Grier threw three one-yard touchdown passes to Davis Sills V and added scoring tosses of 82 yards and 62 yards to balance his two interceptions in the game. Grier has thrown five touchdown passes a school-record five times. He’s on the short list of legitimate Heisman Trophy candidates for a reason.
–RB Kennedy McCoy saw his most action of the season against K-State, carrying 12 times for 73 yards in the win. McCoy has had his share of carries over his first two years, and now has 27 totes for 167 yards and a touchdown, and two catches for 25 more yards and a TD over West Virginia’s first three games. He’s recorded double-digit carries in 10 of his 25 career games, so he’s no stranger to being a workhorse. McKoy has enough speed to break off long runs, and his physicality on contact is unmatched. He’s not afraid to pass protect either, an absolute necessity for a running back who plays for coach Dana Holgorsen.
–WR Marcus Simms flashed his brilliance last season despite being the Mountaineers’ third receiving option and with an improved role should really flourish in 2018. Simms hauled in five throws for a team-high 136 yards in the win over K-State and now has 16 catches for 295 yards and a touchdown in the first three games. With a greater volume this year, expect Simms’ numbers to spike. He is an excellent special teams player for the Mountaineers as well, returning both punts and kickoffs and ripped off a 25-yard kickoff return as part of his 43 total return yards against Kansas State.
–DE Ezekiel Rose played two seasons at the junior college level before transferring to West Virginia in January 2017, but the wait was worth it. After competing for playing time and earning some snaps last year, Rose has battled for playing time this season. He led the squad in sacks last season with five, but the senior will need to improve on those numbers to be a real force. He recorded a quarterback hurry against Kansas State after having two tackles, including one for a loss, against Tennessee.
–S Kenny Robinson, who played in 11 games for West Virginia as a true freshman and was sixth on the team in tackles, picked right up where he left off in the season opener, recording four tackles against Kansas State after tying for the team-high with nine stops versus Tennessee; he now has 17 tackles on the season. Stats aren’t the best measure for a college defensive back, but Robinson shows up when you watch the tape, too routinely making decisive tackles with textbook technique. Robinson sets himself apart with his ability to make plays and is not afraid to mix it up in the run game as well.
SERIES HISTORY: West Virginia leads Texas Tech 5-2 and holds a 2-1 advantage in games played in Lubbock, Texas.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “The scary thing is you make a lot of mistakes but when you can still beat a team like Kansas State, 35-6, that might mean we are on the verge of some big things here.” — West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen on the win over Kansas State last week.
