Kansas loses Connor Stroh; West Virginia clears Matt Sieg

West Virginia received better news in its secondary. Freshman safety Matt Sieg was cleared to play after initially being listed as probable, giving the Mountaineers another option against a Kansas offense capable of producing big gains. That is welcome help, not a promise of substantial playing time—and certainly not a repair to the defense by itself.⁠1

The teams meet Saturday, November 14, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Eastern on ESPNU. West Virginia enters at 5–4, seeking its sixth victory; Kansas is 3–6. The personnel picture here reflects Thursday’s checkpoint, not a final game-day report.⁠3⁠13

Stroh, listed at 6 feet 7 inches and 350 pounds, has been among Kansas’s most consistent offensive linemen, particularly as a run blocker, according to Schuyler Callihan’s West Virginia On SI report. His absence matters to an offense averaging 201.2 rushing yards a game. Kansas needs the ground game to remain productive even as it changes the personnel responsible for opening space.⁠1⁠13

Herring is the anticipated replacement, not a starter confirmed by the availability list. The junior has played 292 offensive snaps this season, including 200 at left guard—roughly two-thirds of his workload. Kansas would be turning to someone who has already done considerable work at that exact position, rather than asking a player to learn it on Saturday.⁠1

The encouraging part of Herring’s record is his pass protection: two pressures allowed and no sacks across 149 pass plays, as reported by Callihan. His run blocking received a less favorable assessment. Those numbers and evaluations make the central uncertainty more specific: whether Kansas can maintain its rushing production without Stroh, not whether Herring is automatically a downgrade in every part of the job.⁠1

That distinction matters because Kansas’s protection problems predate this absence. The On SI report puts the Jayhawks at 101 pressures allowed and 130th in Pro Football Focus’s pass-blocking grades. WVU’s official preview separately lists 12 sacks taken by Kansas quarterbacks. A pressure can disrupt or threaten a passer without bringing him down; the totals measure different outcomes, not conflicting versions of the same statistic.⁠1⁠13

Herring’s individual protection record gives Kansas some reason for confidence within that struggling unit. It does not guarantee that a larger assignment will go smoothly, just as the team’s poor grade does not establish that he will make matters worse.

West Virginia also has a replacement assignment up front. Josh Aisosa is slated to enter the starting lineup for Amare “Bubba” Grayson, who remains out. Callihan’s report gives Aisosa 61 pass-protection plays this season and two pressures allowed: one quarterback hurry and one sack. It cites a PFF pass-blocking grade of 42.0 and a stronger run-blocking grade of 71.4. These are scouting evaluations within a limited workload, not percentages or predictions.⁠1

The more encouraging run-blocking assessment fits West Virginia’s needs. The Mountaineers average 263.6 rushing yards a game, sixth nationally. Quarterback Michael Hawkins Jr. can use his mobility when trouble arrives, but escaping pressure is no substitute for reliable blocking. Aisosa is stepping into an assignment that supports the offense’s central strength.⁠1⁠13

Sieg’s clearance addresses the other side of West Virginia’s imbalance. The Mountaineers have a productive offense and a defense that has repeatedly conceded large gains. Their November 11 team preview ranks them 138th in passing yards allowed and 137th in pass-efficiency defense, with opponents averaging 322.8 passing yards and 34.6 points a game.⁠13

West Virginia’s totals in both categories are the highest in the country; Kansas ranks ninth in producing gains of at least 20 yards. These are scrimmage plays, including runs and passes, and the longer gains are included in the shorter threshold—not an additional total. The matchup threatens more than one part of the Mountaineers’ defense.⁠13

Kansas quarterback Isaiah Marshall can challenge a defense with his legs as well as his arm. Committing more defenders to contain the run can leave less protection behind them. Keeping enough help deep, in turn, asks the front to handle more without it. An additional available safety gives the coaches an option, but the work still has to hold together across the defense.⁠13

Rodriguez’s assessment captures why Sieg’s status should be kept in proportion. Clearance changes who can contribute. It does not establish his role, his snap count or whether West Virginia will finally contain the explosive plays that have undermined it.

West Virginia’s six listed absences are running back Andre Devine, tight end Cam Ball, offensive linemen Grayson and Lamarcus Dillard, defensive lineman Darius Wiley, and nickel/safety Emory Snyder. Safety Da’Mare Williams remains probable. With two offensive linemen listed out, Aisosa’s promotion comes amid more than one absence in his position group.⁠3

Kansas lists running back Jalen Dupree, tight end Jack Utz, offensive linemen Kasen Carpenter and Stroh, and defensive lineman Grady Seyfert as out. Quarterback Cole Ballard and safety Mason Ellis remain questionable; wide receiver Bryson Hayes and safety Jaden Harris are probable. Ballard’s designation is an unresolved availability decision, not an announcement of a starting-quarterback change.⁠3

The lists also have limits. Under Big 12 policy, “out” can cover medical and nonmedical reasons, so a designation alone does not establish a diagnosis. Season-long absences can disappear from later reports after an initial listing, meaning these names are not necessarily a complete inventory of unavailable players. Sieg’s reported progression from probable to cleared is the evidence of improvement in his particular case.⁠12⁠1

Daily reporting continues Friday. For Saturday’s scheduled kickoff, the final pregame report is due no later than 4 p.m. Eastern, 90 minutes before the game. Game-day categories become available, game time decision and out. Available means a player will dress and can play, not that he is guaranteed a role; a game-time decision requires evaluation during warm-ups.⁠12⁠3

Until those decisions are settled, the clearest tests are already visible. Kansas must replace proven run blocking without losing the balance of its offense. West Virginia must support its own powerful ground game with a revised line—and turn another available defensive player into useful help against an opponent equipped to punish its biggest weakness.