Kansas @ West Virginia preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 16, 2013 ) West Virginia 19, Kansas 31

The Charlie Weis era in Kansas came to a premature end this past week following an embarrassing 23-0 loss to Texas, but the Jayhawks hope interim coach Clint Bowen can right the ship in Saturday's Big 12 showdown against host West Virginia. The Mountaineers still are reeling from the 31-19 defeat they suffered against Kansas on the road last season, which ended a 27-game skid in league play for the Jayhawks. West Virginia was without quarterback Clint Trickett in that 2013 encounter due to a concussion, but the nation's fourth-ranked passer will be ready on Saturday.

The Mountaineers are averaging a conference-best 401.8 passing yards under Trickett, who is completing his throws at a rate of 72 percent. The Jayhawks have stressed the ground game this season with the duo of De'Andre Mann and Corey Avery in the backfield, but Kansas has received just two scores from its rushing attack, forcing Montell Cozart to try and win games with his arm. Weis went 1-19 in conference games during his three-year run at Kansas, so a victory over West Virginia would put Bowen level with his former boss.

TV: 4 p.m. ET, Fox Sports Net. LINE: West Virginia -26

ABOUT KANSAS (2-2, 0-1 Big 12): Weis, who is credited for his work as an offensive guru from his time in the NFL, failed miserably to generate scoring for Kansas, which has ranked last in the Big 12 in points per game the past two seasons. When the Jayhawks have come out on top this year, it's been on the heels of a solid performance by Cozart, but the sophomore hasn't always been on point. In blowout losses to Duke and Texas, Cozart threw six interceptions and completed around 40 percent of his passes.

ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA (2-2, 0-1): Dana Holgorsen insists that his team still is preparing for Kansas the same way it would if Weis was still at the helm. In fact, Holgorsen told reporters he expects the Jayhawks to come out with a little extra incentive under Bowen, "I would anticipate a much more energetic, enthusiastic bunch to come to Morgantown to expect to win," he said. The Mountaineers are coming off a bye week after falling to fourth-ranked Oklahoma 45-33 despite being knotted at 24-24 at the half.

EXTRA POINTS

1. West Virginia has outscored its opponents 24-6 in the first quarter this season.

2. Bowen is only the second interim coach in program history at Kansas and the first assistant to be named to that position since 2001.

3. The Jayhawks own a 14-3 all-time record in games played on Oct. 4, but the Mountaineers have a 2-1 edge in the series.

PREDICTION: West Virginia 45, Kansas 19