Oklahoma Schedule Preview: Meet the West Virginia Mountaineers
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
- Sept. 3 vs. UTEP
- Sept. 10 vs. Kent State
- Sept. 17 at Nebraska
- Sept. 24 vs. Kansas State
- Oct. 1 at TCU
- Oct. 8 vs. Texas
- Oct. 15 vs. Kansas
- Oct. 22 Idle
- Oct. 29 at Iowa State
- Nov. 5 vs. Baylor
- Nov. 12 at West Virginia
- Nov. 19 vs. Oklahoma State
- Nov. 26 at Texas Tech
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.”
