Oklahoma State notebook: Mike Gundy expects Wes Lunt to practice

He'll continue to be monitored, yet OSU coach Mike Gundy said Monday that he expects Lunt to return and work on preparations for West Virginia.

“I would expect that Wes would practice this week and that we'd split the reps,” Gundy said of a likely practice time share between Lunt and Clint Chelf. “That's what we did last week. I'm guessing that's what we're going to have to do again this week.”

If Chelf starts, it would mean three different Cowboys will have taken a turn opening games this season. J.W. Walsh started three games before being lost for the season with a knee injury.

KICKING GAME COSTLY

OSU's kickoff coverage has been in the focus of two of the team's three losses this season: Texas and Kansas State.

The Longhorns used D.J. Monroe's 100-yard return in the second quarter to seize a 21-14 lead en route to a 41-36 victory. The Wildcats returned four kickoffs for 199 yards, with Tyler Lockett taking one 100 yards for a TD.

Now to Stillwater comes another superb kick returner — West Virginia's Tavon Austin.

Austin has 16 kickoff returns this season, for a 32.9-yard average, which ranks second in the Big 12, just behind Lockett.

So OSU's Quinn Sharp is on alert — again.

“They're just as dangerous as Kansas State's Tyler Lockett and Tramaine Thompson,” Sharp said. “They have Tavon Austin back there and he's just as fast as those guys, so we have to come prepared and take care of business.”

Sharp has kicked off 59 times this season and produced 47 touchbacks. But two of his 12 non-touchbacks have been returned for touchdowns. Overall, OSU is giving up 33.5 yards per kickoff return, putting them at No. 9 in the league in kickoff coverage.