Texas at West Virginia NCAA Football Game Picks 10/5/2019

Saturday, October 5, 2019

Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium

Austin Kendall and the West Virginia Mountaineers play the Texas Longhorns at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday, October 5, 2019. West Virginia opens this game as 1.5-point favorites. The Longhorns are 2-2-0 ATS and 3-1-0 when betting on the total. The Mountaineers are 2-2-0 when wagering on the over/under and 2-1-1 against the spread.

Key Texas Longhorns Injuries

09/29/19 RB Jordan Whittington Hernia is upgraded to questionable Saturday vs West Virginia
09/29/19 WR Al'Vonte Woodard Ankle is questionable Saturday vs West Virginia
09/29/19 WR Collin Johnson Hamstring is questionable Saturday vs West Virginia
09/29/19 DB Demarvion Overshown Neck is questionable Saturday vs West Virginia
09/29/19 QB Sam Ehlinger Ribs is probable Saturday vs West Virginia
09/23/19 LB Marcus Tillman Jr. Knee is out for season
09/23/19 DB Cade Sterns Leg is out indefinitely
09/23/19 DB Jalen Green Shoulder is out indefinitely
09/23/19 DB Josh Thompson Foot is out indefinitely
09/12/19 DB B.J. Foster Hamstring is out indefinitely
08/29/19 TE Rob Cummins Knee is out indefinitely
08/27/19 WR Joshua Moore Suspension is out indefinitely
08/23/19 TE Cade Brewer Concussion is out indefinitely
08/23/19 RB Daniel Young Ankle is out indefinitely
08/10/19 RB Kirk Johnson Shoulder is out indefinitely

Key West Virginia Mountaineers Injuries

09/29/19 OL Michael Brown Illness is questionable Saturday vs Texas
09/29/19 WR Sean Ryan Undisclosed is questionable Saturday vs Texas
09/25/19 OL Josh Sills Shoulder is out for season
09/21/19 DL Taijh Alston Knee is out for season
08/21/19 LB Vandarius Cowan Suspension is out first 4 games of season

In their last outing, the Texas Longhorns took on the Oklahoma State Cowboys and ended up getting the win by a score of 36-30. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Longhorns was Sam Ehlinger who went 20/28 with 281 yards through the air and threw 4 TD's. He gave away 1 interception during the game. Keaontay Ingram paced the team on the ground for that contest. He tore off a long run of 16 yards but wasn't able to convert a rushing touchdown. He scurried for 114 yards by way of 21 carries which had him averaging 5.4 yards per tote. Devin Duvernay was the leader in receiving yardage with a total of 108 yards on 12 receptions. He had an average of 9.0 yards per reception for that contest. The Texas Longhorns ended up rushing 43 times and added 217 yards which gave them an average of 5.0 yards per carry. In all, they ran 71 plays which gave them a total of 498 yards. For the contest, the Longhorns had a total of 26 first downs and they had a total of 6 penalties for 65 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. In terms of defense, Texas allowed 19 completions on 33 throws for a total of 268 yards, and a completion percentage of 57.6%. On the ground, the Longhorns allowed 226 yards on 56 tries which means they allowed 4.0 yards per run allowed. Overall, they allowed 494 yards and forced 2 turnovers.

The Longhorns come into this game with a record of 3-1 this year. They are one of top scoring teams in the nation with an average of 41.8 points per contest, putting them 13th in college football. As a unit, they are averaging 165.5 rushing yards per contest which is 7th in the Big 12 Conference. For total yards, they rank 4th in the conference and 42nd in college football with 1,991 yards. The Longhorns have one of the middle tier defenses in Division 1, giving up 25.5 points per contest putting them 8th in the Big 12 Conference. When it comes to rushing yards, Texas is allowing 122 yards per contest putting them 4th in the Big 12 Conference and 43rd in Division 1. Opposing teams are running for an average of 3.4 yards per rush ranking them 4th in the conference and 38th in college football overall. Overall, they have allowed 488 rushing yards through 4 games. When it comes to yards through the air, the Longhorns have allowed 1,329 yards. Teams are completing 65.1% of the passes they throw against them and averaging 8.4 yards per try.

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In their last contest, the West Virginia Mountaineers went up against the Kansas Jayhawks and won by a score of 29-24. Taking the lead at quarterback for the Mountaineers was Austin Kendall who went 25/37 with 202 yards through the air but didn't get a passing TD in the game. He ended the game with no interceptions. Kennedy McKoy paced the team on the ground for the game. He tore off a long run of 15 yards and he added 1 touchdown for the game. He rushed for a total of 73 yards via 20 carries which had him averaging 3.7 yards per tote. T.J. Simmons led the team in receiving yardage by racking up 46 yards on 4 receptions. He averaged 11.5 yards per catch for the game. The West Virginia Mountaineers ran the ball 48 times and added 192 yards giving them an average of 4.0 yards per rush. On the day, they ran 85 plays for a total of 394 yards. Overall, the Mountaineers earned a total of 25 1st downs and they had 5 penalties for 41 yards which is telling of how their week of practice went. When discussing the defense, West Virginia gave up 19 catches on 25 attempts for a total of 275 yards, and a completion percentage of 76.0%. On the ground, the Mountaineers gave up 142 yards on 30 tries which means they allowed 4.7 yards per carry allowed. Overall, they allowed 417 yards and forced 2 takeaways.

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The Mountaineers step onto the field holding a record of 3-1. West Virginia hasn't done much to make teams fear their rushing game by averaging 107.3 yards on the ground per contest, ranking them 114th in college football. As a unit, they have compiled a total of 429 yards rushing through 4 games, so they'll need to look to improve on these numbers if they want to compete with the better teams in the nation. The Mountaineers average 326 yards per contest overall which has them at 112th in the country and 10th in the Big 12. The Mountaineers are allowing 25.5 points per game ranking them 9th in the Big 12 Conference and 63rd in D-1. Their passing defense is one of the middling units in the nation. They are giving up 201.5 passing yards per contest. For passing yards allowed per game, the Mountaineers are ranked 5th in the conference. In regard to points allowed, they have allowed 102 total points. In terms of rushing yards, they are allowing 172.5 yards per game which puts them at 94th in D-1 and 7th in the Big 12 Conference. For 2019, they have given up a total of 690 rushing yards and 3.2 rushing touchdowns.

Who will win tonight's Longhorns/Mountaineers college football game against the spread?

Josh's Pick: Take the Mountaineers -1.5

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