3 Guys Before The Game

Saturday was memorable for the West Virginia football team — for all the wrong reasons.

The Mountaineers scored 42 points on the road and still came home without a victory.

Iowa State repeatedly overwhelmed the WVU defense on its way to a 45-42 win, handing West Virginia its second consecutive Big 12 loss and turning an early-season concern into an increasingly urgent question.

Can the Mountaineers stop anyone?

After opening the season with encouraging signs, WVU has reached a pivotal point. The offense produced enough points to win in Ames. The defense could not produce enough stops.

Now, with Arizona coming to Morgantown, solutions must come quickly.

In this episode, the “Guys” dissect what went wrong against Iowa State, examine the growing concerns defensively and dig into the numbers with Brad Howe’s Spreads on Stats.

Hoppy Kercheval delivers his Obvious Observations, while listener questions, frustrations and comments pour into Textual Healing.

The “Guys” return Thursday with their complete preview of West Virginia’s matchup against Arizona.

October has arrived, and with it comes West Virginia’s first Big 12 road test.

The leaves may still be on the trees, but Saturday’s trip to Iowa State could tell us plenty about where the Mountaineers fit in the conference landscape.

Was last week’s disappointing loss to Oklahoma State simply a bad night? Or did it expose problems that must be corrected before WVU can establish itself in the upper half of the Big 12?

Ames should provide some answers.In this episode, the “Guys” take a deep dive into the Cyclones under first-year head coach Jimmy Rogers. They examine the matchups, numbers and pressure points that could determine whether West Virginia can respond with an important road victory.

Hoppy Kercheval delivers his Obvious Observations, while Brad Howe opens the statistical fire hose with Spreads on Stats.

Listener questions and comments complete the episode with Textual Healing.

Well, that was painful.

One week after West Virginia energized Mountaineer Nation with an impressive victory over No. 25 Virginia, the momentum disappeared in a 41-24 loss to Oklahoma State.

The result was more than a disappointing start to Big 12 play. It exposed problems that must be addressed quickly and left the Mountaineers facing an unavoidable question:

Now what?

There’s little time to dwell on the answer. West Virginia must identify what went wrong, correct it and prepare for its first Big 12 road test Saturday at Iowa State.

In this episode, the “Guys” dissect the loss to the Cowboys, dig into the numbers behind the result and examine what must change for WVU to rebound in Ames.

Hoppy Kercheval delivers his Obvious Observations, while Brad Howe goes inside the numbers with Spreads on Stats.

And yes, there’s plenty to discuss. Listener questions, frustrations and observations pour into Textual Healing.

The “Guys” return Thursday with their complete preview of West Virginia’s matchup against Iowa State.

Things are about to get very interesting for the Mountaineer football team.

Saturday night’s Big 12 Conference opener against Oklahoma State gives WVU a chance to match last season’s win total before September is over.

It’s a clash of contrasting styles—and two teams that have recorded statement wins. WVU’s run-heavy attack blossomed in last week’s victory over No. 25 Virginia, while Oklahoma State arrives with a win over No. 8 Oregon on its résumé.

In this episode, the “Guys” break down the key matchups and what it will take for the Mountaineers to open conference play with a victory.

Hoppy delivers his Obvious Observations, Brad presents Spreads on Stats, and listener questions and comments round out the episode with Textual Healing.

Can you hear that?

Mountaineer Nation is still buzzing after West Virginia delivered its most complete performance of the young season, imposing its will on No. 25 Virginia in Saturday night’s 38-27 victory in Charlotte.

For a rebuilt WVU roster that had shown promise but lacked consistency in victories over Coastal Carolina and UT Martin, this felt different.

The Mountaineers were physical. They were productive. And, perhaps most importantly, they offered the clearest evidence yet of what this team could become.

Now comes the next test.

In this episode, the “Guys” break down the victory, dig inside the numbers and examine what Saturday’s performance revealed about West Virginia as it prepares for its Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State.

Hoppy Kercheval delivers his Obvious Observations, while Brad Howe goes inside the numbers with Spreads on Stats.

The crew returns Thursday with its complete preview of WVU versus Oklahoma State.

A big game deserves a big show.

With West Virginia preparing to face No. 25 Virginia on Saturday in Charlotte, the “Guys” explore the matchup and what it could reveal about the Mountaineers.

Starting offensive lineman Nick Krahe joins the program to assess WVU’s first two games and discuss the challenge ahead against the Cavaliers. WVU Athletics Director Wren Baker details contract extensions for three Mountaineer head coaches, shares the latest on the Protect College Sports Act and recounts a recent painful encounter with a copperhead snake.

Hoppy delivers his Obvious Observations, while Brad digs into the numbers behind the matchup with Spreads on Stats.

Mission accomplished. Now the stakes rise.

West Virginia improved to 2-0 Saturday with a commanding 52-7 victory over UT Martin. The Mountaineers scored on the third play of their opening drive and never looked back, giving Rich Rodriguez the opportunity to put his reserves to work throughout the second half.

It was the result WVU expected. Next comes a much tougher test: a Saturday night showdown with No. 25 Virginia in Charlotte. Both teams enter at 2-0, but how ready are the Mountaineers for the step up in competition?

In this episode, the “Guys” break down the win over the Skyhawks, dig into the numbers behind the lopsided score and discuss what the performance reveals about WVU heading into its biggest challenge yet.

One win. Two very different halves. Plenty to clean up.

The Mountaineers return to Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday with a clear objective: put together a complete game against the UT Martin Skyhawks.WVU’s season-opening victory over Coastal Carolina showcased an efficient, productive first half.

The second half raised more questions than answers. Now, the heavily favored Mountaineers have an opportunity to correct their mistakes and build consistency against their FCS visitors.

In this episode, Brad Howe (@bradhowe07) and the “Guys” break down the matchup with Spreads on Stats. Hoppy Kercheval (@HoppyKercheval) delivers Obvious Observations, including a proposal for a major rule change.

Listener questions and comments close out the show in Textual Healing.

3 Guys returns Sunday to recap Saturday’s game.

Rain and sunshine greeted the Mountaineers in Saturday’s season opener. Their performance followed a similar forecast.

WVU’s 31-24 victory over Coastal Carolina delivered the desired result, but the path to it revealed plenty that needs immediate correction.

In this episode, the “Guys” return to Sunday morning recaps to break down what worked in the first half, what went wrong in the second and what the Mountaineers must fix moving forward.

Hoppy delivers his Obvious Observations, Brad digs into the stats and analytics, and listener questions and comments close the show with Textual Healing.

FINALLY … it’s here.

At long last, West Virginia will open its 134th football season Saturday when the Mountaineers host Coastal Carolina.

Along with the traditional optimism surrounding a season opener, the game will feature the formal retirement of legendary quarterback Pat White’s No. 5.

In this episode, the “Guys” examine the biggest storylines surrounding Saturday’s matchup. Brad digs deep into the numbers with Spreads on Stats, Hoppy delivers his Obvious Observations, and listeners have their say in Textual Healing.

The crew returns Sunday with a complete Coastal Carolina recap.