Schedule breakdown: West Virginia

We are about three months away from the start of the college football season, and while there are still several questions that need to be answered before Missouri kicks off its 2019 campaign (such as clearing up whether the team will be allowed to play in the postseason this year), it’s never too early to start taking a look at the schedule. In this series, we are going game-by-game to break down the Tigers' slate. Today, we take a look at the team's second opponent of the season, West Virginia.

Record: 8-4

Key losses: QB Will Grier, WR David Sills V, WR Gary Jennings, TE Trevon Wesco, OT Yodny Cajuste, C Matt Jones, DT Kenny Bigelow Jr., LB David Long, DB Dravon Askew-Henry

Key returners: WR Marcus Simms, RB Kennedy McKoy, RB Martell Pettaway, CB Keith Washington, CB Joshua Norwood

When it comes to Columbia in Week Two of the 2019 season, West Virginia will likely look very different than it has the past couple seasons. After spending the past eight years at the school, head coach Dana Holgorsen left for Houston during the offseason. He was replaced by Troy’s Neal Brown. Plus, two-year starting quarterback Will Grier, who put up eye-popping numbers during his career in Morgantown, is gone to the NFL Draft.

Those two changes make the Mountaineers a bit of a mysterious commodity. It wouldn’t come as a shock if this season is a bit of a rebuild for Brown and his staff. The good news for Brown is that the team believes it has found a replacement for Grier under center in Oklahoma transfer Austin Kendall. Kendall backed up Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray the last three seasons and opted to leave Oklahoma when the Sooners landed Jalen Hurts from Alabama. The former four-star recruit completed 12 of 17 passes for 122 yards and a touchdown in limited action last year. Kendall will still have to beat out Jack Allison, who started in place of Grier in the Camping World Bowl last season and struggled, but he appears to be the favorite to land the starting job.

West Virginia will also have to replace uber-productive wide receiver David Sills V, whose 15 receiving touchdowns last season ranked second in the nation, and All-American offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste. As a result, an offense that ranked No. 4 nationally in passing yardage, No. 8 in total yardage and No. 10 in scoring a season ago probably won’t be quite as potent this season. That could be a problem for a Mountaineer team that ranked No. 74 in total defense, and No. 106 against the pass, a season ago. Brown’s Troy teams were solid defensively — the Trojans ranked No. 28 nationally in scoring defense and tied for third in turnovers last season — but it could be a challenge to bring that production to a new roster so quickly, especially one that lost its best defensive player in linebacker David Long.

1. Austin Kendall, QB

That is, assuming Kendall wins the starting job over Allison. Any time a team is forced to replace a multi-year starter like Grier, it bears watching, but the quarterback spot will be especially key in West Virginia’s success because Kendall and Allison are such unknown commodities. Kendall has thrown just 39 passes in his college career. If he is able to replicate some of Grier’s success, the team wouldn’t have to depart too drastically from the air-raid offensive style of Holgorsen. Plus, if last season is any indication, Missouri will likely be more vulnerable against the pass than the run this year. On the other hand, if Kendall struggles and West Virginia’s offense becomes one-dimensional, Missouri will have a big advantage.

2. Kennedy McVoy, RB

While the passing game was the focus of the Mountaineer offense a season ago, the running game figures to be a strength this season. West Virginia returns its three leading rushers from a season ago in McVoy, Martell Pettaway and Leddie Brown. Together, the trio combined to rush for more than 1,800 yards a season ago, with McVoy leading the way with 802. He presents a receiving threat, as well, having caught 17 passes for 224 yards last year. The best friend of a new starting quarterback is a strong rushing attack, so Missouri will likely focus on slowing down McVoy and company to make Kendall or Allison beat it.

3. Keith Washington and Joshua Norwood, CB

As stated above, the bad news for West Virginia’s defense is that it was very vulnerable to opposing passing attacks last season, allowing 259 yards per game through the air. The good news is that both starting cornerbacks, Washington and Norwood, are back this season, so there is hope for improvement. Norwood led the team with 10 passes defended a season ago and added 63 tackles. Washington broke up nine passes and had two interceptions. Brown’s defensive success at Troy last season was predicated largely on forcing turnovers, especially interceptions. The Trojans picked off 18 passes a season ago, tied for fifth-most in the country. If Washington or Norwood is able to force an interception or two from quarterback Kelly Bryant, the Mountaineers should still have enough offensive firepower to make Missouri pay.

It’s always difficult to project how a team with a new head coach and starting quarterback is going to perform, but Missouri should have a few things going for it in this matchup. For one, it seems unlikely Brown can improve the West Virginia defense much in one offseason. Plus, this will be the first road start for whoever ends up the Mountaineer starting quarterback, either Kendall or Allison, and it should be a raucous atmosphere. The game will present the first opportunity for Missouri fans to see Bryant in action at home and will be the first since the opening of the new south endzone complex at Faurot Field. Even though West Virginia is losing a lot of offensive weapons, the Tiger defense will likely still be tested, but just a handful of stops could prove enough to win this game.

8/31: at Wyoming (Read our preview here.)

9/7: West Virginia

9/14: Southeast Missouri State

9/21: South Carolina

10/5: Troy

10/12: Ole Miss

10/19: at Vanderbilt

10/26: at Kentucky

11/9: at Georgia

11/16: Florida

11/23: Tennessee

11/30: at Arkansas*

* Game will be played in Little Rock