Sills and Seniors Look To Leave A Legacy
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MORGANTOWN -- Senior wide receiver David Sills V has a message he wants every Mountaineers fan to hear.
"It's been quite a journey for me," he said. "I just want to say thank you to the people of West Virginia. Coming here as a freshman, then leaving for junior college and then coming back to West Virginia, the fans have been great."
And, the Wilmington, Delaware native would like to thank them by handing No. 6 Oklahoma (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) only its second loss of the season and, in the process, earn the No. 13 Mountaineers (8-2, 6-2) its first berth in the Big 12 Championship game.
"Everyone wants to leave behind a legacy," Sills said. "Beating Oklahoma would be great and earning a spot in next week's game by doing so would leave something behind that no other class can lay claim to."
But, beating the Sooners is easier said than done. Especially for a receiving corps that has found the going tougher since opposing defensive backs have been more physical in recent weeks.
"It's frustrating," Sills said. "But, as a receiver, you can't let it stop you. It's a matter of going back to the techniques coach (Tyron) Carrier taught us during the spring and summer. Last week we didn't respond very well to the physical play.
"We allowed ourselves to be pushed around and grabbed. We have techniques to counter those things and we didn't use them. Sure, it would be great to get the flag once in a while, but you can't play for the flag. You have to keep playing through it."
And, the Sooners' secondary will be just as physical.
Sophomores Tre Norwood (5-11, 179) and Tre Brown (5-10, 182) will man the corners with redshirt sophomore Jordan Parker (5-11, 182) and sophomore Robert Barnes lined up at the safeties.
Freshman Brendan Radley-Hiles (5-9, 186) plays the nickel back.
But don't look at their youth and expect West Virginia's receivers to have a field day.
"Oklahoma recruits at a high level," Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen said. "They lose a player and they go to the sidelines and plug in another five-star recruit to take his place. They (OU's secondary) are all talented players and they will make us work for what we get."
West Virginia will look to counter the Sooners' athleticism in the secondary by establishing the run early. Especially, the running of junior Kennedy McKoy.
"If we can make them have to come up in run support early that will allow our receivers to make some plays as the game goes on," offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said. "Of course, we go into every game wanting to establish the run, but against these guys it will be pivotal."
McKoy, who ran for a career-best 148 yards in WVU's 45-41 loss at OSU, had a big day against the Sooners' defense a year ago, rushing for 137 yards and three touchdowns in a 59-31 loss in Norman (Okla.). The Mountaineers, who were playing without start quarterback Will Grier, rushed 51 times for 250 yards -- most coming from McKoy in the wildcat formation -- in that game.
"It (the wildcat) is still there," McKoy said, who has 648 yards and six touchdowns on 112 attempts this season. "But we have Will (Grier) this year so I'm not sure how much, or if, we will use it."
In other game notes:
∫ Oklahoma's 19-game true road game winning streak is the longest in the nation.
∫ OU is the only program West Virginia has not defeated since joining the Big 12 prior to the 2012 season.
"You didn't need to remind me of that," Holgorsen said when asked about OU's dominance. "We've played some great games against them. Some high scoring, some low scoring, but they have always seemed to find a way to win."