No. 18 West Virginia stays undefeated with convincing Texas Tech rout
LUBBOCK, Texas — Breaking down No. 18 West Virginia’s 48-17 win at Texas Tech:
THE BIG PICTURE: To beat Texas Tech and the Red Raiders’ powerful offense, West Virginia simply borrowed from the same script behind its undefeated start to the 2016 season. Big plays on offense? Check. An underrated running game? Check. A stingy defense? Absolutely. Physical play on offense, on defense? Yes and yes.
That formula, seen here on Saturday, is why the Mountaineers are unbeaten. It may also be why this spotless run may continue as the schedule turns to the meat of the Big 12 Conference. In its first road game of the season, WVU looked every part a team worthy of being inside the top 20 – if not a little higher – in this week’s Amway Coaches Poll.
WHAT WE’LL BE TALKING ABOUT: Each passing win provides more and more validation to the thought of West Virginia as a Big 12 contender, and in turn as a contender for the College Football Playoff. The league has just two unbeaten teams remaining: Baylor and the Mountaineers.
WVU still has its doubters, with those doubts likely to continue until the Mountaineers take down one of the league’s perceived top teams – such as Oklahoma, TCU or the Bears themselves. But this win, and the way it came about, absolutely proclaims WVU as worthy of being included among those Power Five teams capable of winning its league and reaching the Playoff.
KEY PLAY: There was no single key play; WVU dominated throughout. Maybe the key play – or key moment – was when the Mountaineers left the bus in the parking lot and stepped onto the field at Jones AT&T Stadium.
BREAKOUT PLAYER: WVU quarterback Skyler Howard might not put together the gaudy numbers of his predecessors under center, but his performance Saturday was likely the strongest of his career. Howard finished with 318 yards thrown the air and one touchdown, but his biggest impact was on the ground. He finished with 89 rushing yards and two scores on 12 carries.
ALL THE COLLEGE FOOTBALL ACTION IN WEEK 7