| Story of the Tape |  |
|
|---|---|---|
| Factors Per Sport | 35.2 | 28.5 |
| Factors In opposition to | 22.8 | 31.1 |
| Speeding Yards Per Sport | 173.6 | 192.7 |
| Speeding Yards Allowed Per Sport | 103.9 | 141.4 |
| Passing Yards Per Sport | 268.5 | 200.5 |
| Passing Yards Allowed Per Sport | 251.7 | 268.9 |
| Complete Yards Per Sport | 442.1 | 393.2 |
| Complete Yards Allowed Per Sport | 355.6 | 410.3 |
| First Downs For | 282 | 269 |
| First Downs In opposition to | 200 | 265 |
| Fumbles/Misplaced | 7/2 | 17/4 |
| Interceptions/Return Yards | 10/133 | 5/101 |
| Internet Punting | 41.4 | 40.9 |
| Area Aim/Makes an attempt | 15/23 | 12/13 |
| Time of Possession | 33:48 | 31:51 |
| third Down Conversions | 76/167 | 69/163 |
| third Down Conversion Protection | 62/164 | 71/145 |
| 4th Down Conversions | 12/23 | 23/37 |
| 4th Down Conversion Protection | 15/25 | 13/20 |
| Sacks By/Yards Misplaced | 25/177 | 20/155 |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia is making its 41st bowl look in class historical past tonight when it faces Memphis within the Scooter’s Espresso Frisco Bowl in Frisco, Texas.
The sport is being performed at 20,500-seat Frisco Stadium.
Tonight’s contest is the earliest date the Mountaineers have ever performed a bowl sport, the prior being Dec. 19, 1964, when WVU confronted Utah within the Liberty Bowl in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey.
It would even be the first-ever assembly in opposition to Memphis, members of the American Athletic Convention.
The ten-2 Tigers had been preseason favorites to win the American and ended the yr tied for third with Navy, one sport behind Tulane and two video games behind 19th-ranked Military.
Memphis, ranked 25th within the closing common season Related Press Prime 25 Ballot, has wins over North Alabama, Troy, Florida State, Center Tennessee State, South Florida, North Texas, Charlotte, Rice, Alabama-Birmingham and Tulane, and losses to Navy and UTSA.
Senior quarterback Seth Henigan turned the AAC’s all-time passing chief with 13,984 yards. He is thrown for greater than 3,000 yards every season he is performed for the Tigers, together with a 3,883-yard effort in 2023.
That traces up favorably in opposition to a West Virginia cross protection that ranks 124th within the nation, giving up 268.9 yards per sport and 124th in cross effectivity protection with a 158.13 score.
Henigan has thrown 102 profession landing passes and wishes simply three to interrupt Holton Ahlers’ AAC file of 104.
Henigan’s favourite goal is Roc Taylor, a 6-foot-3, 224-pound senior who exhibits 61 catches for 834 yards and two touchdowns.
DeMeer Blankumsee, a Toledo switch, has 412 catches for 557 yards and a team-best 5 touchdowns.
Working again Mario Anderson Jr., a South Carolina switch, is a twin menace who leads the workforce in speeding with 1,292 yards and 17 touchdowns, whereas rating second in receptions with 46 for 290 yards and two touchdowns.
He’s averaging 133 all-purpose yards per sport.
The Tigers are 19th in scoring averaging 35.2 factors per sport, 21st in complete offense averaging 442.1 yards and 24th in passing offense averaging 268.5 yards per contest.
Defensively, the Tigers have the tenth-best run protection within the nation permitting simply 103.9 yards per sport. Navy received 361 in opposition to Memphis and North Texas ran for 208, however everybody else has struggled to maneuver the ball on the bottom in opposition to the Tigers.
Florida State managed simply 37 yards speeding – one in all six occasions Memphis held its opponent to lower than 100 yards in a sport. In its final two outings, the Tigers surrendered simply 28 yards to UAB and 57 to Tulane, each Memphis victories.
Center linebacker Chandler Martin, an East Tennessee State switch, leads the Memphis protection in a number of classes. The 6-foot, 230-pound junior exhibits 94 tackles, 15 tackles for loss, 10 quarterback hurries, seven sacks, 4 cross breakups, 4 fumble recoveries, a pressured fumble and an interception.
Senior cornerback Davion Ross leads the workforce with three interceptions.
West Virginia (6-6) misplaced its common season finale at Texas Tech, 52-15, prompting a change in management when coach Neal Brown was relieved of his duties on Sunday, Dec. 1.
Chad Scott has been appointed interim coach for the sport whereas taking over Brown’s play-calling duties.
“We will probably be easy with what we do,” Scott stated final Thursday earlier than the workforce departed for Texas. “We’ll go down there with a superb angle and a easy sport plan. Our guys are enthusiastic about enjoying on this bowl sport.”
Interim defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz has been on this position for the reason that Cincinnati sport after Jordan Lesley was let go in late October.
Koonz’s protection has allowed 24 factors in a win at Cincinnati, 49 in a loss to Baylor, 21 in a win in opposition to UCF and 52 most not too long ago at Texas Tech.
“No one needs to exit like that efficiency in opposition to Texas Tech,” Koonz stated. “I am unable to communicate for the gamers, however that has been a motivating issue for me, personally.”
The Mountaineers rank within the 100s in 11 completely different defensive classes and have struggled all season lengthy stopping the passing sport and developing with turnovers.
West Virginia will even be with out its second-leading tackler, Josiah Trotter, who has put his title into the switch portal.
Senior quarterback Garrett Greene has accomplished 58.2% of his passes for 1,972 yards and 13 touchdowns, whereas working 126 occasions for 638 yards and 5 touchdowns.
Greene ranks 11th in class historical past in passing yards (5,042), touchdowns (34) and completions (369) and is nineteenth in speeding yards (2,041).
He’s ninth with 27 profession speeding touchdowns.
Solely two WVU quarterbacks, Pat White (4,480) and Main Harris (2,161), have rushed for extra yards than Greene.
Sophomore Jahiem White is the workforce’s high rusher with 817 yards, together with a season-high 158 in opposition to Oklahoma State.
White has topped 100 yards in a sport 3 times this yr, Greene as soon as and CJ Donaldson Jr. as soon as.
Sophomore Hudson Clement is the workforce’s main receiver with 40 catches for 575 yards and three touchdowns. He’s the one participant to eclipse 100 yards in a sport in opposition to Kansas when he caught seven passes for 150 yards.
Tight finish Kole Taylor is one catch behind Clement on the squad with 39 catches for 404 yards and three touchdowns.
Senior security Anthony Wilson Jr. leads the protection 94 tackles and has two of the workforce’s 5 interceptions.
“I need to win this final sport for the gamers,” Scott stated.
Right here is tonight’s Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – The Mountaineers have scored TEN touchdowns on third down this season – three speeding and 7 passing.
9 – Quarterback Garrett Greene is tied for NINTH with Leddie Brown in class historical past with 27 profession speeding touchdowns.
8 – West Virginia ranks EIGHTH nationally in fewest penalties with simply 52 by way of 12 video games.
7 – Working again CJ Donaldson Jr. caught a career-high SEVEN passes within the common season finale in opposition to Texas Tech.
6 – The Mountaineer protection has recorded a number of sacks in all however SIX of their final 17 video games relationship again to final season.
5 – Senior security Anthony Wilson Jr. ranks FIFTH within the Massive 12, averaging 7.9 tackles per sport.
4 – Tonight’s sport in opposition to 25th-ranked Memphis would be the FOURTH Prime 25 opponent West Virginia has confronted this yr, becoming a member of No. 8 Penn State, No. 11 Iowa State and No. 17 Kansas State.
3 – WVU is one in all two FBS groups to have THREE gamers rush for greater than 600 yards this yr – Jahiem White (817), CJ Donaldson Jr. (651) and Garrett Greene (638).
2 – West Virginia has received 11 Massive 12 Convention video games over the past TWO seasons.
1 – The Frisco Bowl represents the FIRST-ever assembly between West Virginia and Memphis on the gridiron.
Tonight’s sport will kick off at 9 p.m. ET and will probably be televised nationally on ESPN (Mike Monaco, Kirk Morrison and Daybreak Davenport).
Mountaineer Sports activities Community radio protection with Tony Caridi, Dwight Wallace and Jed Drenning will get issues underway at 8 p.m. on stations all through West Virginia, on-line by way of WVUsports.com and the Varsity Community and WVU Gameday apps.
