Should Houston Be on Upset Alert? West Virginia May Have the Recipe to Pull Off a Stunner

In virtually every facet of the game, No. 22 Houston has a clear and distinct advantage over West Virginia. But that doesn't mean something crazy can't unfold this afternoon when the two clash at TDECU Stadium.

For several weeks, the Mountaineers were spinning in mud. They couldn't move the ball, certainly couldn't score it, and had absolutely no passing game, which led to several blowout losses. A week ago, true freshman Scotty Fox Jr. gave the WVU faithful something to chew on, turning in a 301-yard performance in a 23-17 loss to TCU. Out of nowhere, West Virginia found some success in the passing game, and the defense returned to its pre-Big 12 form.

Could that have been the start of things turning for the Mountaineers? Here's why Houston should be on upset alert and how WVU can get the job done.

The situation is favorable

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Houston could let all of the success and the shiny new ranking next to their name get to their head. How many times have we seen a team that's been overlooked for the majority of the season finally get ranked, only to lose the first game as a ranked team? It's happened to WVU several times, just not in the last seven years, of course.

It's also an early kick (11 a.m. local time) and they're coming off a huge win over Arizona State and have to get up for a two-win team, which they could easily overlook.

Houston's offense shouldn't strike fear

If Zac Alley's unit can do exactly what they did a week ago against TCU, they'll have a chance to win this game. That was a much more explosive offensive attack than the one they'll see today. Houston runs the ball 61% of the time, and their leading rusher, Dean Connors, averages just a little over four yards per carry.

Houston quarterback Conner Weigman rarely takes shots down the field, throwing 56% of his passes within nine yards or behind the line of scrimmage. When he does throw it beyond the sticks, he completes just 43.5% of his passes.

Getting after the passer has been a chore for West Virginia since entering league play, but this could be a week where they get home. Houston's offensive line is extremely leaky, particularly on Weigman's blindside. Left tackle Alvin Ebosele has allowed 24 pressures (most in the Big 12), 15 QB hurries, and two sacks.

Easy completions

Scotty Fox did a great job last week of having conviction in his decisions and letting it rip. He got the ball out extremely quickly and let his playmakers do what they do. Houston's defense sort of plays right into that approach. They don't allow you to take many shots downfield, but they'll give up stuff underneath all day.

A couple of weeks ago, Arizona QB Noah Fifita was nearly perfect, going 24/26, all of which were under 20 yards, and 14 of them were beneath the sticks. The Wildcats struggled to run the ball that day, which has also been a problem for WVU, yet Arizona lost by just three. If Fox can take advantage of what they give him, he can have a similar performance to what he did last week. Anything they can get out of the running game will make life easier.