Game Capsule: #4 Oklahoma Sooners (3-0) at West Virginia Mountaineers (2-1)
By Joe Buettner
What will be the story of Oklahoma’s second trip to Morgantown? Well, Sooner fans hope OU can have the same result as its 2012 trip. However, I’m sure the Oklahoma faithful won’t want to see another “Tavon Austin”-type performance from any of the Mountaineers’ players.
Oklahoma’s defense was torched in that 2012 contest, but a late drive put the Sooners on top. West Virginia’s offense hasn’t dropped off that much, but Oklahoma’s defense has vastly improved.
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West Virginia won’t have Geno Smith, but they do boast Clint Trickett, one of the Big 12’s best passers, and an offense that gave the Alabama Crimson Tide fits week one.
This should be a fun, Saturday night match-up, which will feature a uniform battle only a high school recruit could love.
Why the Oklahoma Sooners will win: The Sooners defense is too dang good. They flexed their muscle last Saturday and they are playing like a team ready to compete for a championship. The offense is still a work-in-progress, but they’ve still been serviceable with moving the ball and putting points on the board. Without Keith Ford, Trevor Knight may feel the pressure of carrying this team if Samaje Perine and Alex Ross can’t provide balance. However, Oklahoma’s been great across the board on defense, and they should be the x-factor for OU.
Why the West Virginia Mountaineers will win: Clint Trickett. The former Florida State gunslinger has been great this season with the West Virginia offense. The Mountaineers will test OU’s defense, and if they can force Trevor Knight to make mistakes, WVU has a chance at a major upset. The Mountaineers should have a nice home crowd on hand, and if history repeats itself, Oklahoma’s alternate uniforms could be the Sooners’ demise.
Score Prediction: Oklahoma 28, West Virginia 20. Oklahoma hasn’t won by less than double-digits since they won the 2013 Bedlam game, but this is Oklahoma’s first true road test since they visited Stillwater. Trevor Knight won’t be perfect, but the defense will cool down WVU just enough to get the win and improve to 4-0 going in to the bye week.
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