Texas-West Virginia preview: Longhorns look to avoid consecutive losses in big conference matchup

By John Hamilton

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You might remember the last time Texas played against a Heisman hopeful at quarterback; it resulted in a Red River Showdown for the ages. This week, instead of Kyler Murray and the Sooners, it’s No. 12 West Virginia and star quarterback Will Grier that are making the trip to Darrell K. Royal Stadium. Here’s what the Longhorns need to do in order to pick up a win against the Mountaineers.

Texas vs. West Virginia details

Date: Nov. 3, 2018

Location: Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin

What channel is Texas vs. West Virginia on?

Texas vs. West Virginia will be broadcast on FOX. It can also be streamed live on Fox Sports Go.

How can I buy tickets to Texas vs. West Virginia?

Click here to buy tickets to the Texas vs. West Virginia game at Darrell K. Royal Stadium in Austin.

Texas vs. West Virginia preview

Man-to-man success

West Virginia’s only loss came two weeks ago to a scrappy Iowa State team. Tom Herman mentioned in his press conference this week how well the Cyclone secondary covered receivers in one-on-one coverage, allowing them to blitz quarterback Will Grier and hold him to 100 yards passing.

The Longhorns have lived and died with the blitz this year. Last week, Oklahoma State receiver Tylan Wallace feasted on man-to-man coverage against Texas, catching 10 passes for 222 yards and two scores.

Until a week ago, the Longhorns had prided themselves on their ability to bring pressure and leave defensive backs on a island with receivers. Against Oklahoma State, not only was the pressure ineffective, but the coverage on the back end was not there either. Texas is going to have to bring blitz packages against Grier. Corners Devante Davis and Kris Boyd will have their hands full yet again, but this week, they must perform.

Feed Ingram

It was made clear that the game plan against Oklahoma State was to run the ball all over a defense that had struggled against the rushing attack. But when the Longhorns got behind 17 points early on, they had to abandon that strategy, as freshman Keaontay Ingram only carried the ball 11 times in his first start at running back.

One of the best ways to look for the formula for success against West Virginia is to see why Iowa State was able to shut them down. In that matchup, Cyclone running back David Montgomery carried the ball 29 times for 189 yards, exposing a flaw in the Mountaineer defense.

Ingram has clearly shown his game-breaking ability, proving that his is the best back on this Texas team. He has averaged nearly 6 yards per carry in his freshman year. Even if Texas falls behind, they cannot abandon the rushing attack against a defense that may be susceptible.

Response

Nothing will show the type of culture that Tom Herman is built more than how the Longhorns come out early on against West Virginia. They came out flat against Oklahoma State, and it cost them. Now, after being knocked out of playoff contention, Texas is still in the thick of the Big 12 Championship race.

Will this team respond to the loss by charging out of the gates against the Mountaineers in front of a sold out Darrell K. Royal Stadium? Or will they fold now that adversity has hit?

The importance of a response to last week could not be overstated, and it will be on full display in the first half on Saturday. The Longhorns have been a second half team this season, but in order to keep the season on track, a first half outburst would be massive.

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