Oklahoma Schedule Preview: Meet the West Virginia Mountaineers

Trips to Morgantown are always hostile for the Sooners, but OU remains undefeated there since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12.

Ross Lovelace | Aug 25, 2022

As September creeps closer, AllSooners previews every game on the 2022 schedule.

Oklahoma’s 12-game regular season schedule features six home games, five away games and the annual neutral-site Red River Showdown.

After a home test against Baylor, the Sooners travel to Morgantown to take on the West Virginia Mountaineers.

West Virginia Mountaineers

Nov. 12, at Morgantown, WV
Head Coach: Neal Brown
2021 record: 6-7, 5-4 Big 12

Key Players

QB JT Daniels

Daniels was a highly touted quarterback recruit who has struggled to find his footing at the college level. After transferring from USC, he couldn’t seem to stay healthy at Georgia. A fresh start in Morgantown could be exactly what the signal caller needs.

Over the course of his career, Daniels has thrown for 4,840 yards, 32 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. With the offensive line returning intact and the talent surrounding him, Daniels could be in line for a breakout season.

The offense will look a lot different for West Virginia this fall, but Daniels brings plenty of interest and excitement. If the fresh start helps him live up to his recruiting hype, look out.

RB Tony Mathis Jr.

West Virginia seems to always have tough, fast running backs and it’s no different in 2022. Leddie Brown graduates, but Mathis will lead a very talented and well-rounded running back stable.

Mathis rushed for 312 yards last season in a limited role, and played strong towards the end of the year. He had a 100-yard performance against Kansas in late November.

WR Bryce Ford-Wheaton

Ford-Wheaton had multiple 100-yard games last season and looks to be one of the best receivers in the conference this fall. He’s recorded 1,192 yards and eight touchdowns over the course of his career and will be an easy target for his new quarterback to find.

At 6-foot-3, Ford-Wheaton has a wide catch radius and makes contested catches regularly. He should receive plenty of volume on the offensive end for the Mountaineers.

DL Dante Stills

Stills has had a phenomenal career at West Virginia and opted to return for another season. He has an impressive amount of experience and production, playing in 47 games, including 26 starts.

He has 19 sacks and 43.5 tackles for loss on his career. Stills should be one of the best defenders in the conference this season and will be a nightmare to game plan against. He’s seen it all over the course of his long career in Morgantown, and can help the Mountaineers chase new heights in 2022.

2022 Oklahoma Schedule

The rundown

The Mountaineers are one of 2022’s biggest wildcards in the Big 12. Not many people are sure what to expect. West Virginia had high expectations and won some big games under Dana Holgorsen, could this be the year that Neal Brown establishes himself in Morgantown?

West Virginia went 6-7 last season, and has been to bowl appearances in each of Brown's last two seasons. This could be the year the Mountaineers make that jump.

The offense has a chance to be electric with the addition of offensive coordinator Graham Harrell, who heads over from USC. The instant-impact transfer is Daniels, who also spent time at USC before transferring to Georgia.

"I'm excited what he can bring," Brown said about Harrell at Big 12 Media Days. "He's been a great staff member. I think we're going to see the benefits. The biggest thing for me is he's got a great feel on game day. So that's something that I think is going to be a huge positive, and it'll be not only for our players but for me, great feel on game day, so I'm looking forward to it."

The Mountaineers have a chance to be a pretty complete team if things go the right way. The defense was already relatively solid a season ago and added quite a bit of transfer portal talent. The playmakers are on the offense, and with Harrell calling plays, the Mountaineers can get back to electric offenses of years past.

“We think this defensive unit has the opportunity to be the best that we've fielded so far,” Brown said. “We're never going to lose what makes West Virginia special, and that's a toughness. We really try to mirror the mindset of our state, and West Virginia, it's a blue-collar group that goes to work, and it's really proud of their heritage.”

Published Aug 25, 2022

ROSS LOVELACE

Experience Ross is a young, up-and-coming sports reporter who has covered the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Oklahoma Sooners over the past six years. He's made guest appearances on various radio stations and has helped out with the All Sooners podcast whenever he gets the chance. Ross enjoys public speaking and has done so at multiple churches and high schools across the OKC metro area. In addition to writing, Ross has been the Play-by-Play announcer for Crossings’ basketball and football programs since 2020. In high school, Ross worked for self-starter blogs and latched onto Thunder Digest, where he discovered his passion for writing. From there, he worked for the OU Daily as a women's basketball reporter and was hired by All Sooners. Ross landed an internship with Sports Illustrated's Inside the Thunder and has since become a full-time contributor. One day, Ross hopes to work in the NBA. Work History Education Ross holds a bachelor's degree in Public Relations and a minor in Communication from the University of Oklahoma. Personal Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Ross played basketball and wrote for his own Thunder blog at Crossings High School in OKC, OK. He enjoys reading, New York Jets football and a week at the beach. Ross is engaged to be married at the end of the year. His Twitter handle is @Rosslovelace.