OSU football: 3-2-1 kickoff for No. 15 Cowboys vs. West Virginia

Here’s a look at some keys to keep an eye on when No. 15 Oklahoma State hosts West Virginia to open Big 12 play Saturday afternoon.

3 players to watch

Shane Illingworth: The freshman quarterback provided a spark in last week’s win over Tulsa. He sparked the team. He sparked the win. He sparked the fan base. Now, how does he follow that up with a full week of preparation knowing he’s likely the starter? There will be pressure on the big quarterback from California. How he responds could decide the game.

Amen Ogbongbemiga: The Canadian linebacker's presence is vital to a defense looking to contain the Mountaineers offense that featured two 100-yard rushers two weeks ago — Leddie Brown and Alec Sinkfield. Ogbongbemiga had four tackles against Tulsa, but he’s still the powerful and steady force he was last season.

Hunter Woodard: The redshirt freshman offensive lineman from Tuscola, Illinois, was inserted into the game after injuries last week and struggled at times. He is listed as OSU’s backup left guard but was forced to play right guard last week. Perhaps adjusting to a new side led to some struggles. But a week of preparation knowing he’s going to play more could help.

2 big questions

Can the OSU offensive line shuffling stop? OSU coach Mike Gundy called it musical chairs up front last week. The offensive line was hampered by injuries, including Cole Birmingham. That shifted things around a lot, leading the coaching staff searching for answers in the middle of the game. Solidifying the offensive line this week was a big focus.

Is the defense really this good? Tulsa’s offense got next to nothing last week. The Cowboys’ defense was stout, showing signs it could be a special season on that side of the ball. But the Mountaineers won’t make things easy. They piled up 624 total yards two weeks ago in a rout of Eastern Kentucky. Granted, EKU and OSU’s defense are completely different. But this will be a good test for a defense with huge expectations.

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1 wild prediction

LD Brown will out-rush Chuba Hubbard. This may sound loony, but it’s hard to overlook how impressive Brown was last week. He rushed for 63 yards on nine carries, while Hubbard rushed for 93 on 27. It’s not likely the gap between carries narrows, but West Virginia’s focus on Hubbard and Brown’s big-play ability could lead to a huge day.

Jacob Unruh, Staff writer