West Virginia Mountaineers (3-6) vs Oklahoma Sooners (5-4)
Game Info: Saturday, November 12, 2022 at 12:00 pm (Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium)
Betting Odds: West Virginia Mountaineers +8 -- Over/Under: 66 Click Here for the Latest Odds
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The Oklahoma Sooners will travel to Morgantown and take on the West Virginia Mountaineers from Milan Puskar Stadium on FS1. West Virginia defeated Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl, but the Sooners have dominated series the since the Mountaineers joined the Big 12, carrying a 11-2 all-time series lead.
Oklahoma dropped to 5-4 after losing to Baylor at home in Week 10. The Sooners traded blows with the Bears in traditional Big 12 fashion, but it just wasn’t enough in the end and they lost, 38-35. OU scores 33.2 points per game, while passing for 239.6 yards per game (118th), and rushing for 219.9 ypg (26th). The OU defense is allowing 29.7 points per game.
Dillon Gabriel has found life in Norman a bit tougher than the freshwaters of Orlando. The junior quarterback performed well in his first two games after missing the assault handed out by Texas, even throwing a season-high 403 yards in his return versus Kansas, but he did not show up last weekend. Gabriel tossed three costly interceptions, and the Bears turned each of those into points. He’ll face a stiff crowd in Morgantown this weekend, so he’ll have to shake that outing off to get OU back in the win column, with questions of bowl eligibility looming. Gabriel has thrown for 2,027 passing yards with 16 touchdowns to four interceptions, and he’s ran for 250 rushing yards with four scores.
Eric Gray has really picked things up since Gabriel returned to the lineup. The former Tennessee back rushed for a season-high 176 yards and scored twice in the win over KU, and followed it up with 101 yards in the victory over ISU. Gray scored twice again last weekend, and he leads OU with 902 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Marvin Mims continues to improve here in year 3 and he’s on pace to lead the Sooners in receptions (38) and receiving yards (678) and four touchdowns.
West Virginia fell to 3-6 after losing to Iowa State in Ames in Week 10. The Mountaineers stuck with the Cyclones for three quarters, but things got out of hand late, as they were outscored 21-7. West Virginia scores 32.1 points per game, while passing for 248.2 yards per game (118th), and rushing for 161.3 ypg (119th). The WVU defense allows 34.2 points per game.
J.T. Daniels may have been better off hanging around with Stetson Bennett in Georgia. It’s been a rough transition for one of college football’s most traveled quarterbacks, and things hit rock bottom last weekend versus Iowa State, as he went for a career-low 81 yards on 8/22 passing. How well he bounces back from this remains to be seen, but OU has to be licking their chops.
The absences of CJ Donaldson and Tony Mathis were noticeable last weekend, as the run game was non-existent versus the Cyclones. Donaldson is extremely dynamic, and he leads WVU with 526 rushing yards and eight touchdowns. Bryce Ford-Wheaton leads a productive group of pass catchers with 51 catches for 605 receiving yards and six touchdowns.
Oklahoma is 3-6 against the spread this season, with a 2-1 record on the road. West Virginia is 4-5 against the spread this season, with a 2-2 record at home. The Sooners are 7-3 ATS versus teams with losing records in their last ten.
Two struggling programs will collide in the mountains for what should be a traditional Big 12 battle. High pace, high scoring, with a splash of blowout potential. There are issues at the quarterback in Morgantown, and they may continue with a hungry OU team coming into town.
The Brent Venables era was building a bit of steam prior to the letdown versus Baylor, and this is the perfect team to get back on task with. The cross country trip has been vaunted by Big 12 schools, but OU’s final trip to the mountains has a good chance of ending well. The eight-point margin could be tricky, but with the Sooners looking to become bowl-eligible, trust them group and take their spread Saturday afternoon.
Corey’s Pick Oklahoma +8
AUTHOR: Corey Ghee
Mitch's Take...
