The second half of the season kicks off tomorrow at West Virginia. And it’s a BIG challenge. Make no mistake. West Virginia is 5-0 and rolling. A win would huge for the Frogs.

The Mountaineers jumped from No. 20 in the polls to No. 12 in one week by virtue of the beat-down they put on Texas Tech last weekend in Lubbock, 48-17. WVU’s defense held Tech to a season-low 379 yards and just 17 points. Coach Dana Holgorsen‘s team is fast and physical, and they run a scheme that’s hard to unravel.

At times, WVU will play a 3-7-1 defense with seven defenders spread all across the field, five yards off the line of scrimmage. This makes reads tough for the quarterback and wide receiver. It also makes the offensive line’s job tough because delayed blitzes are coming from all angles, depending on a post-snap read by the linebackers. The system is a crafty invention from defensive coordinator Tony Gibson. It’s built to confuse and constrict … and it works. Ask Texas Tech. And Missouri. And BYU.

Holgersen’s offense has its most effective weapons since he had Geno Smith and Tavon Austin four years ago. Senior quarterback Skyler Howard is from Fort Worth, and his skills are only exceeded by his confidence to use them. He’s the kind of guy you want to run an offense. He has a great arm, and when he runs, he runs mean, stiff-arming and shoving people out of the way. West Virginia’s best running back is Rushel Shell, once the highest-rated running back in the state of Pennsylvania. He went to the same high school as Tony Dorsett, and at times he looks like T. D. Shelton Gibson is an explosive wideout who averaged 24 yards-per-catch last year (21 so far in 2016). The offensive line is big and nasty, led by center Tyler Orlovsky, who looks like every big, bad lineman to appear in your worst nightmare. The offense is a stout group that likes to run the ball and then surprise with speed here and there. Watch out for Jovon Durante, a speedy Tavon Austin-type the Mountaineers utilize on sweeps and end-arounds.

Morgantown is a tough place to play, and the weather forecast has worsened throughout the week. Plan on low 50s and rain.

Also plan on hearing WVU fans sing “Take Me Home, Country Roads” by John Denver. The song has become their anthem, and the more success the Mountaineers have, the more they sing it. With the hope that you don’t hear it often on Saturday, here’s the original version from 1971:

Kick ‘Em High!