MAILBAG: Portal Talk, Big 12 Swap, Play-Calling, Odds vs. Oklahoma State + More

Answering this week's questions from WVU fans.

Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The West Virginia Mountaineers dug deep late in the fourth quarter on Saturday to scrap and claw their way to a 32-28 victory over the Kansas Jayhawks in the Big 12 opener. Now, it's time to dip back into our weekly fan mailbag.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: What do you think the team needs to work on in practice for us to have a chance to beat Oklahoma State in a couple of weeks?

A: Offensively, it's taking care of the football. They've handed it over to the opposing team way too often throughout the first month of the season and you're not going to win many Big 12 games doing so, especially on the road against an opponent of Oklahoma State's caliber. Defensively, it's still defending the pass. I know they gave up a bunch of rushing yards against Kansas, but that is the best rushing attack they'll see all year. Running the ball is Kansas' bread and butter. Now, it is a little concerning considering you have to find a way to contain Ollie Gordon, but getting carved up through the air is still a concern moving forward.

From @RonaldNatale:

Q: How many of these players are going to leave once the Brown staff moves on?
I’m done with this and this is the first year I am feeling this way. I like everything, the players they recruit, the way they represent the state and the university but at this point, it’s not enough.

A: Well, I'm not entirely sure this staff is going anywhere. Had they lost to Kansas it would have really turned up the temperature. There's still a lot of season left, so they can still right the ship, but I'm with you. I don't see this team turning it around and being in the mix for a Big 12 title which they absolutely should be coming off a nine-win season. Winning less than eight games this year is unacceptable, in my opinion. Now, if they do leave, I think you'll see normal levels of attrition when a coaching staff exits. The high-end players are what you need to worry about. If they bounce, it makes it a challenging start to the transition. But that being said, the portal taketh and the portal giveth.

From @rhazardb:

Q: If you could replace one remaining B12 opponent, who would you swap and why?

A: Oooh, this is a really good question. I'd have to say Oklahoma State for Houston. Iowa State, Kansas State, and UCF will be challenging, but all three of those games are at home, and I actually their chances in two of the three. I don't really want to give away my prediction for next week's game, but Oklahoma State has had WVU's number throughout the years. That's a tough venue to play in. Houston, on the other hand, is in a world of trouble. They may win one league game all year.

From @Mountaineers80:

Q: Can we let someone draw up some plays for once? That post-delay 3 and out was miserable and as predictable as it comes.

A: It was pretty miserable. I don't know how you have two hours to script out a drive and look that bad in three plays. The offensive play-calling hasn't been an issue, in my opinion. I don't necessarily agree with every call made, but that doesn't mean what I would have done in certain situations would have worked.

From @GenoRome11:

Q: Brown clearly sees they can move the ball through the air when they play fast, everyone can. Does he refuse to play that way more often to shorten the games and keep his defense off the field as much as possible?

A: It's definitely part of it. I wouldn't want to see that unit on the field more than I have to either. He has a lot of trust in his offense to score every time they touch it, as he should. The other half of it is that's just not typically the way they operate. Even during last year's nine-win season, they didn't go uptempo very often. They like to pound the ball on the ground, really wear on people, and keep the opposing defense on the field.

From @Shadow19912003:

Q: What do you think about WVU and...... wait, did you see that JMU/UNC score? Holy.....

A: While I do give the Mountaineers credit for not folding down eleven and overcoming some adversity, I don't take it as a positive sign for things to come. This, to me, still looks like an average football team. They have plenty to fix before they can be talked about seriously in the Big 12 title talk. And yes, I did. I told the wife (UNC fan born and raised) the score on her way home from the beach and she thought I was pranking her. What a weird, whacky game. It's one thing to lose to an FCS team, but to give up 70? Ay caramba!

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