Texas Longhorns vs West Virginia Mountaineers

Texas Basketball: How to watch and BetMGM odds for West Virginia

Texas’ undefeated Big 12 record is on the line with another tough road test against WVU. Here is how you can watch it plus the BetMGM odds.

Texas’ undefeated Big 12 record is on the line with another tough road test against West Virginia. The Mountaineers have stumbled to a 1-2 record so far in conference play. Saturday’s matchup will be their first Big 12 action at home this season.

Last season in Morgantown, it was an embarrassing defeat for Shaka Smart and company. West Virginia outplayed Texas in every facet of the game, winning by 38. Revenge will be on the mind of every Longhorn player.

A top 15 matchup is in store as well. Texas is currently ranked the No. 4 team in the AP poll, while West Virginia is at No. 14. Beating two of the top two Big 12 teams on the road would set the Longhorns up nicely for a regular-season championship opportunity.

How to watch, listen, and stream

Time: 12:00 p.m. CST

Location: WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia

TV: ESPN

Stream: Watch ESPN

Radio: 104.9 FM The Horn

Texas Longhorns Radio Network

Game Odds per BetMGM

Line: Texas (+1.5)

O/U: 140.5

Money Line: West Virginia (-125) / Texas (+105)

Looking for some action on this game or others? Place your legal sports wagers online at BetMGM in CO, IN, NJ, TN, and WV. New Customer Offer: Risk-free first bet up to $500! Terms and conditions apply. Visit BetMGM and bet now!

Gannett may earn revenue from audience referrals to betting services. Newsrooms are independent of this relationship and there is no influence on news coverage.

Contact/Follow us @LonghornsWire on Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Texas news, notes and opinions.

Download the USA TODAY SportsWire app to follow Longhorns Wire and your other favorite teams in the Apple Store for iPhones and Google Play for Android devices.

Texas Longhorns vs West Virginia: The ultimate preview

The ultimate game preview for the Texas Longhorns-West Virginia Mountaineers matchup that kicks off Saturday at 11:00 CST.

[After losing two games in a row, the Texas Longhorns followed that up with a win over Baylor and the upset win over Oklahoma State. After jumping back into the Big 12 Conference race, the Longhorns face off with West Virginia at home. This game will feature The top scoring offense in the Big 12 against the No. 2 scoring defense in the conference.

Texas head coach Tom Herman is trying to follow up a huge win with another win as they try to march back to the Big 12 Championship. They are currently tied with the Oklahoma Sooners and WVU for fourth in the conference. Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Kansas State all ahead of them. Which could all change this weekend.

As far as the West Virginia Mountaineers are concerned, we break down the full matchup in the ultimate game preview.

[listicle id=26437]

[listicle id=26172]

Why Texas wins, why Texas loses on Saturday against West Virginia

On Saturday two 4-2 teams will meet in Austin for a Big 12 showdown. Texas and West Virginia hope to keep their title hopes alive.

There’s a showdown scheduled to take place at high noon, (well eastern time that is) in Austin, Texas. The Longhorns and Mountaineers will put their Big 12 Championship aspirations on the line as they try to stay within striking distance of the leaders.

Both of these teams are coming off wins over top 20 teams. Texas did it on the road while West Virginia defended the home turf. This time around it is the Longhorns turn to defend the home turf against the Mountaineers. The last time Texas played a home game as a ranked team against an unranked opponent it didn’t go well. Is there a different outcome on the way?

Sam Ehlinger lost by one point to WVU the last time they came into Austin. Can he get a level of retribution at 11:00 am on Saturday? We break down three reasons they win and three reasons they lose.

[listicle id=26172]

Three defensive key players for the Texas Longhorns on Saturday

For the Texas Longhorns to stay on track to challenge for a Big 12 Championship, they will need these defenders to guide them Saturday.

A week ago in a hostile environment, the Longhorns defense rose to the occasion. They faced one of the top teams in the country with a three-headed monster on the offensive side of the ball. Chuba Hubbard, Spencer Sanders and Tylan Wallace were ready for their biggest challenge on the year with Texas coming to town. It didn’t go their way.

Wallace was able to do what he wanted against the Longhorns secondary, every one of his 11 catches went for either a first down or touchdown. Texas and Chris Ash didn’t provide much help on the backend as they focused on slowing down Hubbard and the rushing attack. It worked as they allowed only 2.5 yards per rushing attempt with zero rushing touchdowns.

They need to be geared up for this game against West Virginia and Leddie Brown. He is another Big 12 running back that can fill out a stat sheet. Last week against Kansas State they rushed for over 200 yards between their two explosive backs. If the Longhorns are able to slow them down, it will likely be due to three players on defense as the keys.

Pages: 1234

Texas Longhorns vs West Virginia: How do the stats matchup?

Breaking down the offense vs defense matchups in the Texas Longhorns-West Virginia game on Saturday. Who has the edge in this game?

Diving into the key stats for both sides of the ball. The calling card for West Virginia has been the Mountaineers defense. That is their best unit. For Texas, they counter with the Longhorns offense. It has been inconsistent this year at times but when backs are against the wall, Sam Ehlinger rises to the occasion.

When Texas has the ball

Offensively is where the Longhorns are strongest. They have the 10th highest scoring offense in the country. They have cracked the 40-point threshold in four of their six games this year. Can they generate enough offense against a top 20 scoring defense?

The West Virginia defense is top 20 in every major category. They are also one of the four best defenses at forcing interceptions. Their nine interceptions through six games proves that they can create for their offense. Last week against Kansas State, WVU forced Will Howard into three interceptions.

Key Stat

Texas sacks given up- 30th worst

WVU sacks generated- 6th best

[lawrence-related id=26266]

Category	UT Stats	UT Rank	WVU Rank	WVU Stats
Scoring	44.3 PPG	10th	19th	19.8 PPG
Rushing	165.3 YPG	63rd	11th	97.8 YPG
Passing	284.2 YPG	27th	7th	157.8 YPG
Total	449.5 YPG	26th	4th	255.7 YPG

When West Virginia has the ball

The Longhorns defense has been their weakness this year aside from their special teams blunders. Last week was a much better performance despite the fact they gave up 400 yards in the air. Their focus was shutting down Chuba Hubbard which is where they succeeded. Plus four turnovers forced and that is how you walk away with a win on the road against a top six team in the nation.

West Virginia’s offense is not necessarily a weakness but their defense gets all the headlines. The big question is can they show up on the road? This year WVU is 0-2 on the road with losses at Oklahoma State and at Texas Tech. The Longhorns will provide their next test. However, WVU hasn’t lost in Austin since 2014. Does that streak continue?

Key Stat

WVU has six fumbles lost- Worst in the Big 12

Texas has six fumbles recovered- Best in the Big 12

Category	UT Stats	UT Rank	WVU Rank	WVU Stats
Scoring	32.5 PPG	77th	37th	33.0 PPG
Rushing	130.3 YPG	41st	51st	172.0 YPG
Passing	277.5 YPG	92nd	25th	292.8 YPG
Total	407.8 YPG	66th	22nd	464.8 YPG

[listicle id=26172]

Texas Longhorns vs West Virginia: WR Tale of the Tape

In the final leg of the offensive tale of the tape, we look at the Texas Longhorns and West Virginia Mountaineers WR groups.

The final leg of the offensive tale of the tape series features the wide receivers for the Texas Longhorns-West Virginia Mountaineers matchup. Both teams coming off wins over ranked opponents as they prepare for a must-win game. The WVU duo caught seven passes for 135 yards and one touchdown. The Longhorns duo accounted for four receptions, 70 yards and two touchdowns. One being the game winner.

[lawrence-related id=26350,26335]

This year without question Joshua Moore has been the Longhorns best wide out. Many expected the top guy to be Brennan Eagles or Jake Smith. Moore has been a solid outlet for quarterback Sam Ehlinger but in three games this year he has two receptions or less. He needs a better output against West Virginia than just one reception like Moore put out against Oklahoma State. This defense will test the entire WR group.

The West Virginia wideouts are more of the complimentary role. While yes they do have two receivers with over 300 yards receiving, this team likes to run the football and play defense. Last week Texas was able to limit Chuba Hubbard to just 2.5 yards per carry. Can Bryce Ford-Wheaton and Winston Wright take advantage of PFF’s 80th ranked pass defense in terms of coverage? If they do it could be another long day for Chris Ash’s unit.

[lawrence-related id=26384,26376]

Joshua Moore vs Bryce Ford-Wheaton

Joshua Moore	vs	Bryce Ford-Wheaton
6-1	Ht	6-3
169	Wt	218
Redshirt Sophomore	Class	Sophomore
22	Rec	16
343	Yards	301
15.6	Yards/Rec	18.8
7	TDs	3
23	Touches	16
342	Yards	301

Brennan Eagles vs Winston Wright

Brennan Eagles	vs	Winston Wright
6-4	Ht	5-10
229	Wt	180
Junior	Class	Sophomore
15	Rec	32
243	Yards	391
16.2	Yards/Rec	12.2
4	TDs	2
15	Touches	34
243	Yards	395

Edge: Texas

The wide receiver duo of Moore and Eagles gets the slight edge over Ford-Wheaton and Wright. With the lack of a consistent rushing attack the Longhorn have to rely on their passing game to do the bulk of the damage. Also factor in that Jake Smith is starting to come on after dealing with a hamstring injury that has lingered. How will they do against the number one pass defense in the league?

[listicle id=26172]

Storylines in the Texas-West Virginia game to observe

The Texas Longhorns and West Virginia game has plenty of intrigue. Both are looking to stay the course in their pursuit of the Big 12 title.

This Saturday the Texas Longhorns and West Virginia Mountaineers will meet at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. The Longhorns and Mountaineers are both coming off wins over ranked opponents in completely different fashions. Texas needed overtime to defeat Oklahoma State. Meanwhile WVU throttled the Kansas State Wildcats 37-10.

Both teams are looking to take firm control of their Big 12 Championship hopes. Sitting at 4-2 and 3-2 in conference play, neither team can afford another loss at this point. Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Kansas State all have one loss apiece. The Cowboys and Wildcats will play in Manhattan, so one of those teams will drop in the standings. This game will have huge ramifications. Point blank they need a win.

Let’s take a look at the biggest storylines for this matchup.

Pages: 1234

Texas Longhorns vs West Virginia Mountaineers: Three areas of concern

No matter how hot UT is, there are always problems that can be fixed. Here are three areas of concern going into Texas vs West Virginia.

Coming off a win against Oklahoma State, Texas will return home to play host to West Virginia. The Mountaineers themselves had a massive win, defeating Kansas State by 27.

No matter how hot the Longhorns are, there are going to be areas of concern. West Virginia currently holds one of the best defenses in the country, holding opponents 19.8 points per game. In their four wins, Mountaineer opponents have only scored 14.5 points.

For Texas offensively, the numbers have been there but it has not always looked the best. Sam Ehligner does not look like his normal self throughout the course of the game. Offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich needs to do a better job spicing up his play calling.

Here are three areas of concern going into Saturday’s matchup with West Virginia for Texas:

Pages: 1234

Texas Longhorns vs West Virginia: RB Tale of the Tape

With no Keaontay Ingram in this game it will be left to Bijan Robinson and Roschon Johnson for the Texas Longhorns. How do they look vs WVU?

One of the areas that the Texas Longhorns want to be better at is the running game. They have used a running back stable that includes Keaontay Ingram, Roschon Johnson and Bijan Robinson. The West Virginia Mountaineers with Leddie Brown and Alec Sinkfield. Brown is the primary ball carrier for Neal Brown’s offense.

The Longhorns top running back Ingram will not be available for this game after suffering a high ankle sprain in the game against Oklahoma State. He played a total of three snaps, Robinson has been the starter the last couple of games. Texas head coach Tom Herman stated that Bijan and Roschon will split the load at running back.

[lawrence-related id=26335,26322]

The Mountaineers have the second-leading rusher in the conference with Brown. He averages 115.7 yards and 1.3 TDs per game. He will carry the load and he will be spelled by Alec Sinkfield. They are quite the 1-2 punch for a WVU offense that ranks third in yards rushing per game and rushing touchdowns. The Longhorns will need to slow down this rushing attack the way they did Chuba Hubbard last Saturday.

As mentioned Ingram won’t be available this week so the workload falls on Robinson and Johnson. The team hasn’t released a depth chart for this week but the last two, Bijan has been the starter. Safe to say that likely continues. Roschon will spell him as needed especially in the redzone. He and Ingram have taken most of those snaps this year. With no Ingram, Robinson could see some looks when they get close to the end zone.

Who wins the RB tale of the tape?

Robinson	vs	Brown
6-0	Ht	5-11
222	Wt	210
Freshman	Class	Junior
39	Carries	126
181	Yards	694
4.6	YPC	5.5
0	TDs	8
46	Touches	149
248	Yards	860
0	TDs	10

Backup Running Backs Tale of the Tape

Johnson	vs	Sinkfield
6-2	Ht	5-9
227	Wt	193
Sophomore	Class	Junior
42	Carries	62
192	Yards	301
4.6	YPC	4.9
2	TDs	3
44	Touches	69
206	Yards	350
3	TDs	3

Edge: West Virginia

The Mountaineers have the better duo of running backs from a production standpoint in this game. They also have the more experienced backs in this game. Also factor in that Roschon has carried the ball 13 times combined in the last three games. For Texas to win, Bijan and Roschon are going to have to do the heavy lifting while Keaontay recovers.

[lawrence-related id=26266,26272]