Storylines to Keep an Eye On for WVU-Kansas Big 12 Opener

After a 1-2 start to the season, WVU pivots to Big 12 play in desperate need of a win. But with Kansas in the same situation, ending the weekend at .500 and 1-0 in the conference won’t be easy for West Virginia.

Here are the key storylines to keep an eye on when the Mountaineers battle it out with the Jayhawks at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday afternoon.

Neal Brown still believes in his team

A tough loss in a rivalry game can do wonders for ruining any good vibes around a team. But WVU head coach Neal Brown believes the 2024 Mountaineers will be able to tune out the negativity and avoid letting the season unravel out of control.

After starting his weekly press conference by reiterating that there are no excuses to blow a 10-point lead late in a game, Brown made a point to say his team now has to get over the pain and move on.

“We’re not going to feel sorry for ourselves. We’re not going to sit around and be miserable. There are people in this world with real problems and that’s not us,” explained Brown, who also said the players will follow his lead in terms of how he handles adversity.

WVU and Kansas both in must-win situations

When WVU hosts Kansas on Saturday, both programs will be in a must-win situation. To preview a game very important for both sides, Mike Asti welcomed Katie Maher of WIBW on Mountaineer Report.

Maher explained what’s gone wrong for the Jayhawks and gave some insight on what might be causing Jalon Daniels’ struggles. They then talked the matchup and why this is a game bettors should smash the over.

Garrett Greene hasn’t looked better….

After an offseason full of a polarizing debate among fans and media, Garrett Greene hasn’t come close to living up to any kind of hype. In fact, he’s making those who argued he should be a dark horse Heisman candidate look foolish.

Putting aside a solid showing and a 49-14 win over FCS Albany, Greene’s completion percentage has been right around 53%, exactly where it was in 2023. This comes after Brown and quarterbacks coach Tyler Allen made it clear Greene needs to be closer to 60% in order for him and the team to get to another level.

Asti: Garrett Greene Hasn’t Looked Better, Still Has Plenty to Prove

Greene did look better and more composed (up until the last two possessions of the game) against Pitt compared to Penn State, granted that’s not saying all that much. But at the same time, he’s still either overthrowing or missing open receivers at times.

For the simplest analysis, it appears as if Greene is sticking to the initial play call no matter what happens far too often. He’s just not going through his reads and seeing the entire field as well as he should be at this point in his career. He missed Kole Taylor open underneath a couple times on plays that he was fixated on going deep.

Backup cornerbacks to see increased playing time

Brown and West Virginia fans agree on one thing – doing the same thing again and again and expecting different results is insane. And on Monday, Brown announced he’s going to stop the insanity when it comes to the Mountaineers’ defensive secondary.

During his weekly press conference on the heels of allowing another 300 plus-yard passer, Brown said backup cornerbacks Jacolby Spells and TJ Crandall “are going to play more” in an effort to find a fix.

To put it bluntly, Brown said he’s going to play new guys in the secondary and stop rewarding those who aren’t playing well with playing time.

WVU WR Preston Fox Game-Time Decision

Early on during his radio show Thursday night, Brown confirmed one of his key players may miss Saturday’s game against Kansas.

Brown reiterated what he said during his weekly press conference on Monday by saying wide receiver Preston Fox is “banged up” and is a game-time decision.

After emerging as a favorite target of quarterback Garrett Greene in 2023, Fox only has four catches for 58 yards through three games so far this season. He made only one reception for 12 yards in WVU’s 38-34 Backyard Brawl loss to Pitt.

If Fox can’t play, Rodney Gallagher will return punts in his place.

With pressure to rebound from a loss to Pitt in the Backyard Brawl, West Virginia (1-2, 0-0) hosts Kansas (1-2, 0-0) in both team’s Big 12 opener on Saturday afternoon. Kickoff from Milan Puskar Stadium is scheduled for noon ET. The Mountaineers started the week as a slight favorite over the Jayhawks.

WVU Football Slight Favorite Over Kansas Despite Struggles

The program will also induct the latest members of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame before the game. Class of 2024 inductee former Mountaineer tight end Anthony Becht won’t be able to be in attendance and will be honored when West Virginia plays Iowa State later in the season.

For a related story, WV Sports Now’s Mike Asti offered his takeaways from WVU’s loss to Pitt in the 2024 Backyard Brawl.