Today marks 27 days until kickoff for WVU’s 2020 season. In a year that has been filled with so much heartache for everyone throughout the Mountain State and this great land, it is finally time that we talk about some football.
Here is how we see the newly revised season playing out for the Mountaineers this fall:
Sept. 12: vs Eastern Kentucky
This will be an odd matchup considering the Colonels’ conference pushed fall sports back to the spring, but will allow schools to compete in non-conference matchups this fall. Expect a rusty start from the Mountaineers, and Jarret Doege to throw one interception in the first half. West Virginia will only lead 14-3 at half, but the offense will erupt in the third and fourth quarters. The running game gets going, and Leddie Brown finishes with two rushing touchdowns. Doege will throw three more touchdowns and West Virginia will cruise to a week one victory.
WVU 41, Eastern Kentucky 10
(1-0)
Sept. 26: at Oklahoma State:
WVU will open up conference play with Oklahoma State, the team we expect to play the Oklahoma Sooners in the conference championship game this season. It will be a tightly contested game throughout, but the Cowboys will pull away in the end. Chuba Hubbard will not have a Heisman-like day, but he will do enough to get the job done against the Mountaineers. Doege has another solid performance despite the loss.
Oklahoma State 27, WVU 13
(1-1)
Oct. 3: vs Baylor:
The Bears come into 2020 losing a plethora of talent on the defensive side, and will be breaking in a new head coach in Dave Aranda. The several months off due to the COVID-19 pandemic will have the Bears rusty early on in the season, and West Virginia will be able to capitalize. The Mountaineers play a turnover-free game in front of a limited capacity crowd in Morgantown, and Charlie Brewer will once again struggle inside of the confines of Mountaineer Field.
WVU 38, Baylor 24
(2-1)
Oct. 17: vs Kansas Jayhawks
After a bye week, WVU will welcome the Les Miles led Jayhawks to town. The Mountaineers struggled with Kansas in 2019, winning 29-24. However, the 2020 edition of the series will be a different story. Expect the Mountaineers to jump out to a double-digit halftime lead against a depleted Jayhawks team. Austin Kendall will even get to see action in the fourth quarter of this lopsided win.
WVU 48, Kansas 17
(3-1)
Oct. 24: at Texas Tech
This will be a tricky matchup for WVU. The Red Raiders went to town on the Mountaineer defense in 2019, and that unit will be looking to avoid a repeat this season. Given that he will be healthy, Tech quarterback Alan Bowman will be lights out, but Doege will be better. WVU will squeeze out a win in a high-scoring Big 12 classic.
WVU 45, Texas Tech 35
(4-1)
Oct. 31: vs Kansas State
The Mountaineers have had the number of the Wildcats as of late, and that will continue this season. Chris Klieman’s bunch will take a step back this season, and this matchup will resemble more of the 2018 edition of the series in Morgantown and less the 2016. WVU blows out Kansas State in front of a rocking limited capacity crowd.
WVU 31, Kansas State 10
(5-1)
Nov. 7: at Texas
West Virginia has had success in Austin since joining the Big 12, but this will not be one of those years. Sam Ehlinger will be on a mission this year, and unfortunately WVU will just be another casualty on his way to gunning for the Big 12 crown. The game will be close throughout, but a late game touchdown will propel the Longhorns to victory. Will Grier is not present for any late game heroics this time.
Texas 37, WVU 30
(5-2)
Nov. 14: vs TCU
This matchup against the Horned Frogs will be another close game as it was in 2019, but the Mountaineers will get it done again. Evan Staley hits his first walk-off field goal of his career, and Neal Brown and his squad rush the field after a “sweat-it-out” game in Morgantown.
WVU 24, TCU 21
(6-2)
Nov. 21: vs Oklahoma
WVU has had zero success against the Sooners since joining the Big 12, and that will not change this season. What fans are in attendance will begin to file out before a couple of late-game garbage touchdowns by West Virginia. Spencer Rattler puts his name into the Heisman conversation with a huge performance, and the Mountaineers lose on Senior Day for the fourth year in a row.
Oklahoma 55, WVU 21
(6-3)
Nov. 28: at Iowa State
The Cyclones have been a thorn in the side of the Mountaineers over the last two years, but Neal Brown and his Mountaineers finally get that monkey off of their back in heart-stopping fashion. Jarret Doege and Brock Purdy have a quarterback-duel for the ages. A last drive interception by Tykee Smith will seal the fate for the Cyclones, and give West Virginia the close win in Ames — snapping their two-game losing streak to Iowa State.
WVU 31, Iowa State 24
(7-3)
WVU’s Final Record: 7-3 overall, 6-3 in Big 12 play
