After losses to Top 4 teams Alabama and Oklahoma, West Virginia has this week off to find a belief the real Mountaineers were the ones that beat Towson and Maryland.

The record is 2-2. A early overview of what has happened shows that quarterback Clint Trickett has been a viable leader for Dana Holgorsen’s quick-paced offense, (2) this team is in many ways more competitive than last year’s because of its useful depth and (3) special teams blunders that have plagued the Mountaineers for years are still present in the forms of a kickoff returned for a touchdown and a punt returned for a score in the last two games.

In the loss to Alabama, the Mountaineers showed fatigue in the fourth quarter of a 10-point loss. In the loss to Oklahoma, the Mountaineers again showed fatigue in the late going. Oklahoma outscored WVU, 23-9, in the second half after the teams were tied at 24-24 at halftime.

The Sooners had Samaje Perine, a first-time starter, rush 34 times for 242 yards.

Trickett threw 41 times and completed 25 passes for 376 yards. He had two touchdown passes and was intercepted two times.

Wide receiver Kevin White is second in the nation in catches per game and receiving yards per game behind only Alabama’s Amari Cooper.

In losing to the opportunistic Sooners, West Virginia suffered three turnovers and Oklahoma had only one.

Oklahoma and West Virginia have staged several scoring shootouts in recent years, including a 50-49 Oklahoma win in Morgantown in 2012.

Even in losing to the Sooners, West Virginia had 513 yards of total offense and Oklahoma had 510 yards.

On Oct. 4, the Mountaineers greet Kansas in another Big 12 game. Kansas handed Holgorsen and company an inglorious loss last season in Lawrence, a loss that made WVU ineligible to make a bowl trip because its record then read 4-7 and the team awaited only a season-ending loss in Morgantown to Iowa State.

This season, the Jayhawks of Coach Charlie Weis are 2-1 going into tomorrow’s Homecoming game in Lawrence against Texas. The two Kansas wins were against underlings Southeast Missouri and Central Michigan. In its only game against a team in its own NCAA division, the Jayhawks were crushed by Duke, 41-3, in Durham at Wallace Wade Stadium.

As of September 22, no starting time had been set for the Kansas at West Virginia game.

Beginning with the Kansas match, every remaining West Virginia game will be against Big 12 brothers.

There seems to be enough offense, but is there going to be enough late-game energy and will the special teams continue to be a downfall?