It was a much-needed win over Kansas last week for West Virginia as they now take time to recoup and recover on their bye week.
WVU head coach Neal Brown was on SiriusXM’s College Sports Today this week to discuss the team’s future plans. He also gave insight into the bye week, Oklahoma State, and Big 12 play in general.
“I think you make a mistake if you take the long-term approach,” Brown said. “For me, it’s got to be week-to-week. And that’s the way we really approached it going into the Kansas week, and that’s going to be the way we approach it as we move through the season.”
West Virginia came into the game against Kansas 1-2, with nine conference games ahead of them, but focused solely on Kansas and ultimately got the job done. Now, they’re on a bye week that will benefit their recovery as they start looking toward Oklahoma State.
“This week we’re open and we needed it. We’re banged up a little. So, really, the focus is rest, recovery, and we’ll start a little bit of Oklahoma State. And as soon as Sunday hits, it’s all about Oklahoma State,” Brown said.
In preparing for Oklahoma State, that’s how Brown said he and his team will approach it every week. He mentioned the proximity of the Big 12 and how that plays into the team’s mentality.
“Our league is so evenly matched. There’s going to be so many close football games,” Brown said. “I don’t think you can look at it from an end-of-the-year perspective; it’s got to be the here and now. That’s the way we’re going to approach it.”
Brown looked directly at Oklahoma State, talking about the challenges of being on the road and how he perceives the Cowboys.
“Oklahoma State, it’s a tough trip. It’s one of the tougher venues to go play at in our league,” Brown said. “They’re loud, they’re right on top of you and they’ve got a really good football team. So, we’re going to have our hands full.”
The Mounatineers will travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Oct. 5 as they look to get back-to-back wins in the Big 12 and on their season. Kickoff will be at 4 p.m. EST and will be televised on ESPN2.
