Tag: J.T. Daniels

Former USC Trojan J.T. Daniels leads Rice over Houston in double OT

J.T. Daniels defeated a Big 12 opponent, one year after quarterbacking West Virginia. What a wild ride.

J.T. Daniels had an enjoyable day on the gridiron this past weekend. He threw for 401 yards and three scores, leading Rice over Houston 43-41 in double overtime in the 42nd Bayou Bucket game.

Daniels finished 28-for-42 passing. He registered his second career 400-yard game. His only other came against Mississippi State in 2020 with the Georgia Bulldogs.

The victory for Rice snapped a seven-game win streak for Houston in the series. The last win for the Owls over Houston came on October 16, 2010, when they beat the Cougars 34-31. This is only the second time a game in the Bayou Bucket series has gone to overtime.

Up next for J.T. Daniels is Texas Southern. The Owls will try to improve to 2-1 after losing to Texas and beating Houston.

Keep an eye on Mr. Daniels, who could have a big year in the American Athletic Conference this season. Rice’s win gave the Owls a victory over a Big 12 opponent. It had to make Daniels feel great about his decision to transfer to Rice.

Check out our Pac-12 football predictions roundtable for the 2023 season.

2023 Season Preview: Sooners look for revenge versus the Mountaineers

The 2022 season saw a lot of lows but it may have not been lower than the Sooners losing in Morgantown. Can they get it back in 2023?

The 2022 season saw a lot of lows but it may have not been lower than Oklahoma’s loss in Morgantown.

The West Virginia Mountaineers finished 5-7 and 3-6 in the conference. They were ninth in the standings after the tie-breakers and were picked last in the expanded 14-team Big 12 this year by the media.

The Mountaineers return a decent amount from last season, ranking 66th in the nation in returning production, per ESPN (ESPN+). They bring back 60% of their offense, which ranked 57th a year ago, and 68% of their defense, which ranked 98th.

The offense loses starting quarterback J.T. Daniels who transferred out after the season after losing his job to Garrett Greene. Greene provided a spark in the Mountaineers’ win over Oklahoma with his athletic ability.

Greene threw for 493 yards, five touchdowns, and three interceptions while rushing for 276 yards and four touchdowns. He’s someone who struggled with accuracy issues completing only 55% of his passes. But he made enough plays with his legs to give West Virginia a chance down the stretch.

They had three running backs run for more than 400 yards a year ago, and they return two of them, Justin Johnson Jr. and C.J. Donaldson.

They had three receivers go over 500 yards, but none will return for WVU in 2023. They did add N.C. State Wolfpack transfer Devin Carter caught 25 passes for 406 yards and two scores in 2022.

Defensively they return their top three leaders in tackles Lee Kpogba, Aubrey Burks, and Marcis Floyd, in addition to three of the top five players in sacks for West Virginia. The big loss is the big man in the middle who lead them in sacks in Dante Stills. Stills was also second in tackles for loss with nine. He was a leader for that defense the last several years for West Virginia. His absence leaves a hole in the middle of the defense.

This is a make-or-break season for Neil Brown and Co. He was ranked last by CBS Sports in their head coaching rankings and is in win-or-else mode despite wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State last year. If there are not major improvements, this could be his last season in Morgantown.

Score Prediction: 45-10 Oklahoma

Predicted Record: 9-1

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Oklahoma Sooners fall to the West Virginia Mountaineers in Morgantown 23-20

Oklahoma Sooners struggle in the fourth quarter and fall 23-20 to the West Virginia Mountaineers on Casey Legg’s last-second field goal. From @bendackiw

Brent Venables’ defense appeared to have finally turned the corner. The West Virginia Mountaineers’ running game had nowhere to go, and J.T. Daniels wasn’t hitting his receivers. For once, it was the defense keeping the Sooners in the game.

Then Daniels was benched in favor of Garrett Greene. Though Oklahoma contained him early, Greene and the West Virginia offense found their footing late in the third quarter and took control of the game. The Mountaineers won the game 23-20 on a game-winning field goal as time expired off the foot of Casey Legg.

Daniels isn’t very mobile, while Greene is a legit dual-threat quarterback. That’s something the Sooners have struggled with all season. All of a sudden, the Mountaineer rushing attack was gaining ground, and the Sooners struggled to make stops consistently.

Greene gashed the Sooners on the ground. He led the Mountaineers with 119 rushing yards and 138 passing yards. Prior to his exit, Daniels had 65 total yards.

Greene and the Mountaineers started to turn a corner on a drive that spanned the end of the fourth until around the 11-minute mark of the fourth quarter. The Sooners had few answers for the Mountaineers’ offensive attack who were beginning to hit plays in the passing game. Late in the drive, the Sooners looked to have West Virginia right where they wanted them on fourth and long.

With the Mountaineers facing 4th and 15, they decided to go for it, they got Oklahoma to jump offsides providing Garrett Greene a free play. He took a shot to the end zone and badly overthrew his receiver. Cornerback C.J. Coldon took advantage and tracked the ball well, picking it off in the back corner of the end zone. That deep in the end zone, Coldon did the only thing he knew to do, and that was kneeling on the ball. As he had given himself up, a West Virginia wide receiver came in and delivered a shot to the head, which was immediately flagged for a personal foul. After a conference among the officials, they picked up the flag and gave West Virginia the five yards on the offsides call.

The Mountaineers were able to pick up the 4th and 10 and ultimately scored on the drive to tie it up.

The Sooners and Mountaineers traded three and outs, and then Oklahoma looked to be getting somewhere offensively on four-straight runs to Eric Gray. But after a pair of Jovantae Barnes carries set up 3rd and 3, Gray was stuffed for no gain, and Oklahoma elected to kick a field goal. Zach Schmit missed his second field goal of the day, and West Virginia took over at their own 29-yard line.

The Mountaineers proceeded to kill the clock to set up their game-winning field goal on a 15-play drive that spanned the final 6:25 of the game. After a solid first three quarters, the Oklahoma defense struggled in the fourth quarter and the offense was shutout down the stretch.

Speaking of the offense, it was the same story different day. The Sooners once again lost the time of possession battle. West Virginia controlled the ball for just over 37 minutes of game time. The Sooners were just 1 of 11 on third down and failed on both fourth down attempts.

Dillon Gabriel and the passing attack couldn’t take advantage of the 118th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers’ pass defense as he struggled with downfield accuracy and, when he was on target, didn’t get much help from his receivers. Marvin Mims had another drop on what would have been a walk-in touchdown for the Sooners.

Eric Gray, once again, was the best player on offense for Oklahoma. He was asked to carry the workload, and he did just that with 211 yards on 25 carries. Gray found the end zone twice and was the only Sooner on offense to find the end zone all day.

Once again, undisciplined play plagued the Sooners. Untimely presnap penalties were a cause of their ultimate demise.

The Sooners fall to 5-5 on the season and are 2-5 in the Big 12 as they get set to take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in Norman.

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5 keys to an Oklahoma Sooners win vs. the West Virginia Mountaineers

When Oklahoma kicks off against West Virginia, the Sooners need to make it “Dime Time” to pick up a win on the road. From @john9williams

Game time is less than 24 hours away, and the Oklahoma Sooners take on an intriguing West Virginia team that could cause some problems Saturday in Morgantown.

The Mountaineers have had some success on offense this year, averaging 32.1 points per game and 161.3 rushing yards per game on the season. About a month ago, they ran for more than 200 yards and scored 43 points against Baylor.

Despite their last-place position in the Big 12 and coming off of three-straight losses to Texas Tech, TCU, and Iowa State, the West Virginia Mountaineers can pose problems for the Oklahoma Sooners.

Here’s what Oklahoma will need to do to pick up a win.

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Oklahoma Sooners at West Virginia Mountaineers: Stream, injury report, broadcast info

Trying to figure out where to find the Sooners game on Saturday? Here’s how to watch, stream or listen to Oklahoma at West Virginia. From @john9williams

Oklahoma (5-4, 2-4 Big 12) will face West Virginia (3-6, 1-5) on Saturday, and if you’re wondering how you can watch the action live, you’ve come to the right place.

Heading into the Sooners’ week 11 contest with the West Virginia Mountaineers, Oklahoma finds itself once again in bounce-back mode. It’s unfamiliar territory, as Oklahoma hasn’t lost more than two games in a season since 2014. The Sooners have won fewer than 10 games just five times since 1999, one season being the COVID-shortened 2020 season in which they went 9-2.

With three games remaining, the Sooners are fighting for bowl eligibility. It’s a low bar by Oklahoma standards, but winning out and playing in and winning a bowl game are the last accomplishable goals for this team this season.

The Sooners need to finish strong to build positive momentum heading into the offseason and to close out their top 10 recruiting class. It all starts Saturday against last-place in the Big 12 West Virginia.

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Here’s when you should tune in to see the game:

  • Date: Saturday, Nov. 12, 2022
  • Time: 11 a.m. CT
  • TV Channel: Fox Sports 1
  • Live Stream: fuboTV (watch here)
  • Listen: Streaming on the Varsity App

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Oklahoma vs. West Virginia injury report:

Oklahoma

[autotag]T.D. Roof[/autotag], LB: Out for season (Elbow)

[autotag]Shane Whitter[/autotag], LB: Out for season (Shoulder)

[autotag]Jovantae Barnes[/autotag], S: Questionable (Hamstring)

West Virginia

[autotag]C.J. Donaldson[/autotag], RB: Out for season (leg)

[autotag]Mike O’Laughlin[/autotag], TE: Out for season (leg)

[autotag]Tony Mathis Jr[/autotag]., RB: Questionable (Undisclosed)

Players to watch:

Oklahoma

[autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag], QB: 64.3% for 2,027 yards, 16 touchdowns and 4 interceptions. 53 carries, 250 yards and 4 touchdowns.

[autotag]Marvin Mims[/autotag] WR: 38 receptions for 678 yards and 4 touchdowns.

[autotag]Brayden Willis[/autotag], TE: 25 receptions for 347 yards and 5 touchdowns.

[autotag]Eric Gray[/autotag], RB: 140 carries for 902 yards, 8 touchdowns at 6.4 yards per carry. 24 receptions for 177 yards and 0 touchdowns.

[autotag]Jalil Farooq[/autotag], WR: 23 receptions for 308 yards and 2 touchdowns. 11 carries for 109 yards, 0 touchdowns at 9.9 yards per carry. 8 kickoff returns for 186 yards at 23.3 yards per return.

[autotag]Danny Stutsman[/autotag], LB: 77 total tackles, 9 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, 1 interception, 3 passes defended.

[autotag]David Ugwoegbu[/autotag], LB: 74 total tackles, 6 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

DaShaun White, LB: 57 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 1 sacks, 1 interception, 5 passes defended.

West Virginia

[autotag]J.T. Daniels[/autotag], QB: 61.3% for 2,042 yards, 13 touchdowns and 8 interceptions.

[autotag]Bryce Ford-Wheaton[/autotag], WR: 51 receptions for 605 yards and 6 touchdowns.

[autotag]Tony Mathis, Jr.[/autotag], RB: 99 carries for 492 yards, 5 touchdowns at 5 yards per carry.

[autotag]Dante Stills[/autotag], DT: 21 total tackles, 8 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks.

[autotag]Lee Kpogba[/autotag], LB: 58 total tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss, 2 sacks.

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Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. Let us know your thoughts, and comment on this story below. Join the conversation today. You can also follow John on Twitter @john9williams.

Big 12 quarterback power rankings after week 5

The Big 12 has seen some really good quarterback play in the 2022 season, but who stands atop this week’s QB power rankings?

When the transfer portal took Caleb Williams, Spencer Rattler, Gerry Bohanon and Casey Thompson out of the Big 12, an opportunity arose for new quarterbacks to assert themselves as the best in the league.

The transfer portal also brought in several new starters: Dillon Gabriel at Oklahoma, Adrian Martinez at Kansas State, and J.T. Daniels at West Virginia.

Opening weekend featured just two players returning as the starting quarterback for their squad; Spencer Sanders and Jalon Daniels. Hudson Card, Max Duggan and Donovan Smith started games for their teams last year but weren’t the Week 1 starter. Injuries provided opportunities, and they’ve taken advantage, coming up with big-time performances at times through the first five weeks of the season.

With more than a month of action in the books, it’s time to update the quarterback power rankings in the Big 12.

Kedon Slovis beats J.T. Daniels again on a weird, complicated night for USC fans

J.T. Daniels was luckless when he got hurt at USC and replaced by Kedon Slovis. On Thursday, Daniels was beaten by Slovis in a different way. It was a fascinating night.

USC fans wondered what would happen when two former Trojan quarterbacks, one of them guided by a former USC offensive coordinator who coached both men in 2019, faced each other on the gridiron.

What they saw on Thursday night in Pittsburgh’s 38-31 win over West Virginia looked awfully familiar.

Kedon Slovis was on the run. The Pitt quarterback got sacked several times due to his offensive line not blocking well for him. The team Slovis played for was soft and generally got shoved around, particularly in the second half. Kedon Slovis’s team didn’t make great third-quarter coaching adjustments.

Yes, it looked very familiar from that side of the field.

As for J.T. Daniels, he was beaten by Kedon Slovis again. In 2019, he was beaten by Slovis when he got hurt, and Slovis played well in place of him. Daniels lost his roster spot and transferred to Georgia. On Thursday, Daniels lost to Slovis on the scoreboard.

How Daniels lost was beyond belief. He threw a perfect pass to his receiver, and it turned into a winning touchdown for Pittsburgh and Slovis:

J.T. Daniels remains a luckless quarterback.

Kedon Slovis scored a victory which recalled the 2020 USC season.

Slovis had to scramble to win a few games in the shortened 2020 pandemic season. He led USC to multiple fourth-quarter comebacks in 2020, including against the two Arizona schools. This game felt like the Arizona and Arizona State games from USC’s 2020 season on several levels. The coaching certainly wasn’t very good; that’s a clear connection with Clay Helton.

USC fans watching this game certainly recognized the parallels with the Helton era. The good part for Trojan fans: This wasn’t an actual USC game, so the blood pressure levels and personally invested emotions were not part of this particular football-watching experience.

It’s likely to be a very different year of watching USC football in 2022.

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JT Daniels, Graham Harrell prepare for huge season-opening game with West Virginia

The former USC QB and former Trojan offensive coordinator will face the Pitt Panthers on Sept. 1. The clear concern for West Virginia is on the offensive line.

Before Lincoln Riley coaches his first regular-season game with the USC Trojans on Sept. 3, a different USC-flavored drama will unfold.

On Sept. 1, a Thursday night game filled with high-profile ex-Trojans will unfold on national television. West Virginia, with former USC offensive coordinator Graham Harrell and former Trojan quarterback J.T. Daniels, will go up against the Pittsburgh Panthers and former USC signal-caller Kedon Slovis. Two USC quarterbacks will face each other, one of them guided by an offensive coordinator who worked with him in Los Angeles.

Harrell coached both Daniels and Slovis in 2019 before Daniels got hurt and Slovis took over the position. It will be fascinating to see how Harrell uses Daniels in the West Virginia offense, and it will be interesting to see how well West Virginia scouts against Kedon Slovis, with Harrell knowing Slovis’s tendencies from his time at USC.

What should Harrell and Daniels be most concerned about for West Virginia heading into the showdown with Pitt in the game known as the Backyard Brawl?

West Virginia analysts made their views clear on a recent segment:

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How did Big 12 quarterbacks stack up in Athlon Sports 1-131 rankings for 2022?

Where did Dillon Gabriel and the rest of the Big 12 land on Athlon Sports’ 1-131 quarterback rankings for the 2022 season?

Football is the ultimate team sport. It takes 11 guys on offense and 11 on defense to make a team successful. All of that is true, yet, the quarterback position can be the biggest difference in a win or loss than any other position on the field.

A different pressure comes with playing the highest-profile position in sports. Over the last year, the Oklahoma Sooners have seen a lot of movement at quarterback and still remain in a great spot to have one of the best quarterbacks in the Big 12.

That’s why they continue to reign as “QBU,” according to ESPN. The commitment of Nick Evers quickly after Jeff Lebby arrived, the addition of Dillon Gabriel shortly after Caleb Williams entered the portal, and the commitment of Jackson Arnold back in January for 2023 all support the idea that Oklahoma will continue to recruit and produce high-level quarterback play.

Athlon Sports recently ranked the quarterback position 1-131. Notable former Sooners on the list were [autotag]Tanner Mordecai[/autotag] at No. 26, [autotag]Spencer Rattler[/autotag] at No. 14, and [autotag]Caleb Williams[/autotag] at No. 3.

Let’s take a look at how [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] stacked up with the rest of the Big 12.

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel named to Walter Camp Player of the Year award watch list

In addition to the Maxwell and Davey O’Brien, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Dillon Gabriel was named to the Walter Camp award watch list.

When you’re the quarterback at the [autotag]University of Oklahoma[/autotag], the expectations are high. In addition to being named to the Davey O’Brien and Maxwell award watch lists, Oklahoma Sooners quarterback [autotag]Dillon Gabriel[/autotag] was added to the Walter Camp Player of the Year award watch list.

Oklahoma is tied for second all-time in Walter Camp Player of the Year awards with four. USC is No. 1 in the country with six, including inaugural award winner O.J. Simpson.

Former Sooners who’ve won the award are [autotag]Baker Mayfield[/autotag] (2017), [autotag]Josh Heupel[/autotag] (2000), [autotag]Billy Sims[/autotag] (1978), and [autotag]Steve Owens[/autotag] (1969).

Garbiel is joined by eight other players from the Big 12 and a few familiar faces at quarterback on the Walter Camp Player of the Year watch list.