WVU-Kansas State Pregame Analysis

(Photo Courtesy of wvusports.com) The Mountaineers return home after a disappointing trip to West Texas last week.  They’ll look to turn the page on the loss to the Red Raiders, welcoming nationally ranked Kansas State to Morgantown.  The Mountaineers currently hold a 4 game win streak against the Wildcats including a 24-20 win in Manhattan last season.  That game marked the first start for Jarret Doege as a West Virginia Mountaineer and saw him engineer a 10 point 4th quarter run after trailing 17-14.   Kansas State will be entering this game off a 55-14 win against Kansas.  The Wildcats returned two punts for touchdowns and almost had a third in the blowout.  Kansas obviously won’t be the best barometer on which to judge the Wildcats team.  It was an early loss against Arkansas State in a week that saw three Big 12 teams downed by Sun Belt opponents and has kept Kansas State from a perfect record.  Aside from that defeat, the Wildcats pulled out victories at Oklahoma and TCU and at home against Texas Tech and Kansas.   While still ranked #16, Kansas State enters Milan Puskar Stadium a bit of a different team than we are used to seeing. The offense is the same short yardage pound game, but the defense doesn’t seem to be as tough as years past.  The Wildcats are giving up 428 yards a game, ranked 68th nationally, putting them in the bottom half in total defense.  Uncharacteristically, this unit is giving up 159 yards a game on the ground.  Still this team knows how to win close games with 3 of their last 4 games being decided by 10 points or less; something this year’s WVU team is still struggling with.   Kansas State sits atop the Big 12 standings tied with Oklahoma State as the only two unbeaten teams in league play.  This hasn’t been easy with senior quarterback Skylar Thompson going down in the Texas Tech game.  The passing game has taken a slight step back with freshman Will Howard taking over the reins but the offense still looks much the same.  Winning on Saturday will go a long way in the Wildcats’ quest for a Big 12 championship.  Looking at the history of the matchup between these teams will suggest a close game.  5 of the last 6 matchups have been decided by 7 points or less and of the teams’ 10 meetings, they have split wins 5 and 5.   This year has a similar feeling of last year’s game with a ranked Kansas State already knocking off Oklahoma and a WVU team struggling to find their footing.  The two teams traded early blows with the Mountaineers ending the first quarter up 14-10 on Doege’s second touchdown pass to George Campbell.  Both defenses would settle in for the next 30 minutes with Kansas State able to add a touchdown and field goal each to take a 17-14 lead into the 4th quarter.  TWVU's offense then found a spark early in the 4th quarter with a 51 yard field goal by Casey Legg and Doege hitting Bryce Ford-Wheaton on a 50 yard touchdown pass to seal a 24-20 win in Manhattan.     Kansas State Offense Will Howard now has two starts under his belt, both wins, against Texas Tech and Kansas.  Howard brings more dynamic to the running attack than Thompson did with 116 yards on 25 carries.  WVU has often had trouble with mobile quarterbacks in the past.  There isn’t much drop off in the pass game with Howard versus Thompson but there is an obvious difference in accuracy with Howard completing only 58% of his passes.  This offense has never been a deep threat type of offense, using a ton of 11 personnel, establishing the run early and often.  They will never light up the scoreboard but will find enough creative ways to keep up with opponents. Tossing it over to the run game, Deuce Vaughn is the Wildcats’ largest offensive threat.  The freshman leads the team in rushing (319) and receiving (360) yards.  Vaughn and Howard both average 4 yards a carry and the tandem will be a test for this WVU defense on early downs.  The entire Kansas State offense hinges on the success of these two kids in the backfield.  The only other Wildcat with double digit carries is Harry Trotter gaining only 2.9 yards a carry.  Kansas State will use a lot of read option and jet motion to window dress simple run plays.  Howard's elusiveness will be key in keeping the ball rolling. Since Vaughn leads the team in receiving yardage you can probably guess how big of a threat this pass game is.  Kansas State has one wide receiver with double digit catches.  Of the top 6 players in receiving yardage on the team, only 2 are wide receivers.  Howard and company like to use the run to setup the pass, if they pass at all.  When they do throw the ball, it is normally seam pop shots to tight ends.  Briley Moore leads the team in receptions with 17 from the tight end spot. The inaccuracy of Howard coupled with the lack of receiving threats will allow this WVU defense to collapse down and help in the run game.  A small disguise in coverage could force the freshman into a few mistakes and easy turnovers for the Mountaineers to capitalize on.  No matter what, Kansas State will always come to fight, and you should expect this offense to do enough to keep this game close.  They are a grind it out, ugly offense.   Kansas State Defense Defensively Kansas State plays a traditional style.  Keyed on stopping the run and playing smash mouth football has be the MO of this program for decades.  Evolving with the Big 12 offenses, the 4 man front has tuned into more of a 4-2-5 look for the spread types of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas, and WVU.  The front 4 play a one gap style with the backers responsible for their own gaps, making this a game of one on one matchups. This...

Former WVU QB Grier expect to get first career NFL start

Former West Virginia quarterback Will Grier is expected to get the start this week for the Carolina Panthers, according to NFL insider Ian Rapaport. Carolina plays at Indianapolis on Sunday. Grier, drafted by Carolina in the third round of the 2019 NFL Draft, has served as backup to Kyle Allen since week 3, when Allen took over for injured starter Cam Newton. Allen started well in relief of Newton but has struggled mightily since. The Panthers (5-9) have lost six straight and have been out of the playoff chase for weeks. The mid-to-late season swoon cost Carolina head coach Ron Rivera his job. Rivera was fired Dec. 3. Interim coach Perry Fawell stuck with Allen the past two games despite his – and the team’s – struggles. If Grier gets the start Sunday it will be his first action of his NFL career. Grier was the West Virginia starting quarterback in 2017 and 2018. Grier redshirted in 2016 after transferring to WVU from Florida, where he played six games as a freshman in 2015 before being suspended by the NCAA for testing positive for a performance enhancing substance.

West Virginia Center Enters the Transfer Portal

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- Moments ago, West Virginia starter  Jimmy Bell, Jr. announced that he is entering his name in the transfer portal. Bell, a 6'10 center from Saginaw, Michigan, averaged 4.8 points and 5.2 rebounds per game for the Mountaineers last season. Bell has been practicing with the West Virginia football team over the past couple of weeks and it's unclear what this means for his future with that sport. https://twitter.com/VerbalCommits/status/1651990381930721290?s=20

Expectations High for WVU in 2024, According to Major Outlet

MORGANTOWN, WV - For the first time in half a decade, the West Virginia Mountaineers have a plethora of momentum heading into an offseason. Coming off of a 9-4 campaign in 2023, Neal Brown and company have their eyes set on bigger and better things heading into 2024. According to Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports, the Mountaineers could be one of the 10 teams in College Football that are ready to make some noise next fall. Earlier today, Dodd ranked the Mountaineers as the 8th team most likely to make their presence known in 2024. Here is what he had to say about the Mountaineers: “Neal Brown hopped off the hot seat with an efficient nine-win season. Garrett Greene led an offense (434 yards per game) that was more productive than notable yard-gobblers Missouri and Oklahoma State last season. If momentum continues, the Mountaineers can dream about a CFP berth. In the wide-open Big 12, why not West Virginia?” In just a one-year span, WVU went from being considered one of the worst teams in all of College Football to a team uttered in the same sentence as the College Football Playoff. This not only puts the nation’s eyes on West Virginia, it also sets a standard that Neal Brown must reach in order for 2024 to be considered a success. Despite having a rough start to his tenure in Morgantown, Brown has the opportunity to prove that he can maintain success at the Power Five level. It is much harder to please a fanbase in the Big 12 as opposed to Troy in the Sun Belt. If he can build on what was easily one of WVU’s best seasons in the Big 12, expect Wren Baker to lock Brown down with yet another contract extension. Expectations have never been higher for Neal Brown at West Virginia University. (Photo by WVU Athletics)   

WVU Caught in a Cyclone – Post Game Notes

(Photo Courtesy of Iowa State Athletics) Rest versus rust has been a debate for a long time.  Rust showed early for WVU against Iowa State.  The Mountaineers struggles on the road continued, and an old headache reemerging with just 13 yards rushing in the first half.  Leddie Brown was gobbled up time after time at the line of scrimmage.  This isn’t a new trend for the junior running back.  A significant amount of Brown’s yards this season have come after contact.  Simply put, Iowa State owned the line of scrimmage in the first half.  Both defensively and offensively.   West Virginia made a little buzz on the first drive as usual moving the ball 43 yards.  Brown was churning out as many yards as he could with 3 or 4 yards a pop.  Jarret Doege hit Sean Ryan for a nice 26 yard chunk play pickup.  Ultimately the drive was done in by a Brown false start penalty on 4th and 2, forcing a Tyler Sumpter punt.  It was all Iowa State from that point on.  The Cyclones put together three straight touchdown drives, two of which went over 75 yards.  Brock Purdy was an efficient 10 for 12 with 127 yards.  Purdy took what the WVU defense gave him on a few scrambles for first downs and made no mistakes.  Breece Hall got his as well with 51 yards on 12 carries and an opening drive 23 yard touchdown run.   The Mountaineer defense didn’t play a terrible first half, but the big plays weren’t made that they’re accustomed to.  The first half showed a yards discrepancy of 236-101 in favor of the Cyclones.  WVU made Iowa State earn every one of those 236 yards playing solid coverage and tackling Hall in the backfield a few times.  Iowa State just refused to get off the field going 6 for 7 on third down conversions in the first 30 minutes.  Protecting Purdy was the key factor in the offensive success early for Iowa State.  The Mountaineers seemed to be socially distancing themselves from the opposing quarterback the entire half.  Trench play powered the Cylcones to a 21-0 halftime lead.   WVU went away from the run game trailing by three scores to start the second half.  Slowly but surely the offense was moving the ball, four yards at a time.  WVU didn’t have the firepower for splash plays but, methodically they marched their way into Iowa State territory on their first two possessions.  Both were stopped on 4th down mistakes by TJ Simmons.  On the first, Simmons ran a 5 yard route on a 4th and 6.  Simmons then dropped a wide open pass on 4th and 3 on the second opportunity.  Iowa State was able to take advantage of solid field position.  Five plays later, Purdy found Charlie Kolar for a 16 yard TD pass that crippled any thought of a comeback.   Entering the 4th quarter trailing 35-0, the goal became to just score points for West Virginia.  It took a field goal from the punter Tyler Sumpter before points were on the board with 12 minutes left in the game.  Sumpter added another field goal with 3 minutes left and might be the kicker going forward.  Good for that guy.  West Virginia’s ugliest performance in 2020 ended in a 42-6 loss to the favorite for the Big 12 title.     Position Grades: Offense Quarterback: B Doege just does what he is asked to do.  Nothing more, nothing less.  Everyone can call for his job all you want but this marks the 5th consecutive game without an interception.  He has absolutely zero help from his receiving corps.  His completion percentage could probably be 73% with half the drops he’s had this season.  Jarret Doege is not this offense’s issue and won’t be.  This is as solid of a quarterback as you can have in college football. Running back: C Leddie Brown laid a big ol’ goose egg today.  No, the offensive line doesn’t help him.  Not even a little bit.  But you’re starting to see the bad habits trickle in that were there last year.  The missed holes and lateral movement doesn’t bode well for an offense that has trouble getting its engine started anyway.  I know the offensive line isn’t great but there are holes somewhere.  Brown did a lot of lateral movement at the line of scrimmage today, especially when he wasn’t behind a blocker and outside the tackles.  Brown doesn’t have the jets to beat anyone to the outside.  Plant your foot, get up field, and get what you can.  Less than 3 yards per carry isn’t going to get it done. Receivers: D When it was announced Sam James and Bryce Ford-Wheaton (prayers for your recovery) were going to miss this game, I was excited to see who would step up.  Turns out, no one did.  It did seem that Sean Ryan and Isaiah Esdale do a better job of catching the ball than the two starters.  However, I have yet to see a receiver on this team that can track a ball past 20 yards.  A lot of throws get blamed on Doege overthrows and that’s just not the case.  A majority of the time, the receiver is either running off line or stops their route on deep throws.  None of them know how to attack the football.  Winston Wright made a business decision on a pretty 30 yard ball from Doege and just decided not to catch it.  WVU better find some receivers and find them before next season. Offensive Line: D Brandon Yates was on skates all night.  Sacks happened in bunches on Doege.  Only a glimpse of a hole every now and then was available in the run game.  This group has steadily improved all season.  Tonight it looked like they reverted back to the Oklahoma State game.  They just didn’t have it.  At times it looked like half the line was moving and half wasn’t.  There was no synchronization within this group tonight.  They were not even getting off the ball at the same time.  I do think...

5 for the 10s – Top 5 WVU wins of the decade

5 for the 10s is a four-part series reflecting on the most memorable West Virginia athletics players, games, news and events of the concluding decade of the 2010s. Second of four parts: In this installment, we rank the Top 5 West Virginia victories of the decade. These might not all be the most important wins of the decade (some are), but they’re the five most satisfying/fun victories. 5. West Virginia 70, Baylor 63 (Football, Morgantown, September 29, 2012) This was WVU’s first conference game as a member of the Big 12. The Mountaineers announced their presence with authority. The Mountaineers and Bears put up record-breaking, video game numbers as WVU broke numerous offensive records in the victory. Quarterback Geno Smith set school marks in yards (656) and touchdowns (8) and the teams broke each school’s record for total points in a game. WVU receiver Stedman Baily also made his imprint on the Mountaineers record book, setting new marks in single-game yards (303) and touchdowns (5). The teams were tied at 35 at the half, but West Virginia broke out with 21 unanswered points to start the second half. But the Baylor offense, led by quarterback Nick Florence (581 yards) rallied back, twice pulling to within on score. But Smith and the Mountaineers offense kept the Bears at arm’s length. After Baylor pulled to within 70-63, WVU never relinquished the ball and ran out the clock to victory. Unfortunately for the Mountaineers, this inaugural Big 12 conference game was not a harbinger of good things to come for the 2012 season. After beating Texas in Austin, Texas, the following week and being ranked No. 5 in the country, the Mountaineers proceeded to lose six of their next eight games to finish 7-6 (4-5 in the Big 12). But regardless of how that season turned out, Mountaineers fans will always remember this epic shootout in Motown. 4. West Virginia 42, Texas 41 (Football, Austin, Texas, November 3, 2018) Morgantown and Austin, Texas are 1,193 miles apart as the crow flies, but a pair of southward turned “Hook ‘em Horns” hand signs cemented the WVU-Texas rivalry. The clash of 13th ranked West Virginia and 17th ranked Texas took place in Darrell K Royal – Texas Memorial Stadium. It was a critical matchup for both teams as the loser’s chances to making the Big 12 Championship game were slim. Trailing 41-34, West Virginia had first and 10 at the Texas 33-yard line with 23 seconds left. Quarterback Will Grier threw caution to the wind and the ball in the air, laying a beautiful rainbow pass into the waiting arms of receiver Gary Jennings in the back of the end zone with 16 seconds left to pull the Mountaineers to within 41-40. West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, trusting Grier and the offense much more than his struggling defense, decided to go for the 2-point conversion and the win. But even that seemingly simple 3-yard play didn’t go easily in this game. Grier hit receiver David Sills on a slant pattern that seemed to give WVU the successful try and the victory. But Texas coach Tom Herman had called time out before the play, so the Grier to Sills pitch and catch went for naught. Despite the cancellation of a successful try, Holgorsen stuck with his decision and the offense tried for 2 again. This time, Grier stepped up in the pocket, pumped, then ran towards the left front corner of the end zone, crossing the goal line untouched to give West Virginia a 42-41 lead and the win. Upon scoring the winning conversion, Grier and Jennings taunted the Texas fans, turning the iconic Texas “Hook ‘em Horns” hand signs downward for the infamous “Horns Down” signal. WVU was assessed with a 15-yard penalty that was well worth the revenge. The Grier pass and run broke Longhorns fans hearts - and Fox play-by-play announcer Gus Johnson’s vocal cords. 3. West Virginia 60, Georgetown 58 (Basketball, Big East Tournament Championship Game, New York, March 14, 2010) West Virginia won its first and only Big East Conference Tournament title in the same fashion it won some many games in 2010 – on a Da’Sean Butler game-winning shot. Butler’s shot with four seconds left snapped a 58-all tie and propelled the Mountaineers to their only conference tournament title in the last 36 years. Butler scored 20 points in the finals and was named tournament MVP. He also hit the game-winning shot in the Mountaineers 54-51 opening-game victory over Cincinnati. The tournament title victory in Madison Square Garden was a homecoming for numerous Mountaineers who grew up in the New York area, including Butler, Wellington Smith, Kevin Jones, Devin Ebanks, Truck Bryant and Danny Jennings. In the first half of the victory over Georgetown, Butler joined Jerry West and Hot Rod Hundley as the only 2,000-point scorers in WVU history. 2. West Virginia 70, Clemson 33 (Football, Orange Bowl, Miami, January 4, 2012) West Virginia’s last game as a Big East member was certainly memorable. The Mountaineers scored a then bowl record 70 points in a thrashing of ACC champion Clemson in the 2012 Orange Bowl. Ironically, in a game in which the West Virginia offense broke records like toothpicks, it was a play by the Mountaineers defense that turned the tide. With WVU leading, 21-17, early in the second quarter, Clemson had driven the ball to the Mountaineers 1 and was set to punch in the go-ahead touchdown. But West Virginia’s Darwin Cook recovered an Andre Ellington fumble and returned it 99 yards for the score, turning a sure-deficit into a 28-17 lead. After that, it was all Mountaineers. West Virginia outscored Clemson, 35-3 - in the second quarter. Quarterback Geno Smith threw for 401 yards and six touchdowns. Tavon Austin had 163 combined rushing and receiving yards and four touchdowns, many on quick jet-sweep shovel passes that the speedy Austin turned into big gains. The powerful Clemson offense, led by quarterback Taj Boyd and future first-round pick receiver Sammy Watkins, had a more-than respectable night. The Tigers scored 33 points and racked up 440 yards of total offense. But that normally spectacular output paled in comparison to the...

Neal Brown Will Not Publicly Name a Starting Quarterback Prior to Season Opener

WVU Head Coach Neal Brown claims that we have a winner in the quarterback competition. However, he will not be publicly naming the winner prior to their season opening game at Penn State.  Morgantown, WV - As we reported yesterday, a winner has emerged in WVU's quarterback competition. According to a reliable source, Garrett Greene is expected to make his third career start against Penn State on September 2nd. However, following Neal Brown's comments about the competition earlier this evening, fans and the media will have to wait until game day to learn who officially won the job. Per a tweet sent out by Nick Farrell of Gold and Blue Nation, Brown has stated in his weekly press conference that a decision has been made on who will start at quarterback for the Mountaineers. While he claims that the team knows who the starter is, he will not publicly name them prior to their September 2nd contest against Penn State. https://twitter.com/ByNickFarrell/status/1693671827451658315?s=20   According to sources close to the situation, Greene was clearly the better quarterback during WVU's scrimmage on Saturday. While nobody was quick to deem Nicco Marchiol terrible in any way, the buzz surrounding Garrett Greene indicates that he has a much better control of the offense, and the team. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown for updates on the situation. (Photo by WVU Athletics)

Mountaineers Fall Late at Oklahoma State

COVER PHOTO: WVU Athletics Stillwater, Oklahoma -- The West Virginia Mountaineers were very close to getting a very big upset victory on the road today, but fell late to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 70-66 to move to 7-13 on the season and 2-5 in Big 12. The Mountaineers were led by an impressive performance from starting point guard Kerr Kriisa, who had a career-high 21 points on 6-7 from three-point range. Quinn Slazinksi came off the bench to finish with 18 points (7-12 FG, 4-6 3PT) and 3 rebounds. Backup guard Noah Farrakhan added 9 points and 7 rebounds off the bench, and Jesse Edwards made his first appearance since December 16th after a wrist injury and had 3 points in limited minutes. https://twitter.com/WVUhoops/status/1751344247842767169?s=20 West Virginia will be back in action at home on January 31 against the Cincinnati Bearcats, who are currently 13-6 overall and 2-4 in the Big 12 Conference. The game will tip at 7:00PM.

Former Mountaineer Had Solid Outing in Season Finale

(Photo via 12Up) It is always nice to see a Mountaineer succeeding, even if he has decided to take his talents elsewhere through way of transfer. Trey Lowe, who transferred to Southern Miss from WVU earlier this year, had a solid performance tonight against the Florida Atlantic Owls. In a 45-31 win, Lowe led the Golden Eagles’ offense with great confidence. The former Mountaineer completed of 13 of his 19 passes with 209 yards and two touchdowns to one interception. He would also get going in the running game, finishing with 70 yards on 16 carries, all while scoring his first rushing touchdown of his career. Southern Miss finished 3-7 in Lowe’s first season on the scene. He will have the opportunity to earn playing time next season as his solid finish to 2020 should gain momentum going into 2021. Though it did not work out at WVU, seeing Trey Lowe do so well at another school should still excite WVU fans all the same.

5 for the 10s – Top 5 toughest WVU losses

5 for 10s is a four-part series reflecting on the most memorable West Virginia athletics players, games, news and events of the concluding decade of the 2010s. Third of four parts: In this installment, we rank the Top 5 most painful West Virginia losses of the decade. These are the losses that, for various reasons, hurt the most. 5. No. 17 Oklahoma 50, West Virginia 49 (Football, Morgantown, November 17, 2012) West Virginia brought a two-game winning streak over Oklahoma into this contest. The Mountaineers routed Oklahoma, 48-28, in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl and beat the Sooners, 41-27, in the 1982 season opener in Norman, Okla. The Sooners got their revenge in the teams first meeting as Big 12 Conference foes. In a game that typified the Big 12 Conference overall and the Mountaineers in particular, the contest was filled with scoring and seriously devoid of defense. Oklahoma led, 31-17, at halftime. The Mountaineers spent most of the second half playing catch up, twice rallying from double-digit deficits. With 2:53 left to play, WVU quarterback Geno Smith hit receiver Stedman Bailey for a 40-yard touchdown pass to give West Virginia a 49-44 lead. Unfortunately, that left just enough time for Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones and the Sooners. Oklahoma marched down the field and inside the Mountaineers 10. WVU’s defense had an opportunity for a game-winning stand under the shadow of its own goalpost. It was a stand that did not come. Jones hit receiver Kenny Stills with a 5-yard strike with just 24 seconds on the clock, giving Oklahoma the touchdown and a one-point victory that silenced a ruckus night-game crowd at Mountaineer Field. The defeat overshadowed an incredible, record-breaking performance from WVU receiver/running back Tavon Austin. Austin ran for a team-record 344 yards on just 21 carries and scored two touchdowns. Bailey also had a monster night in the loss with 13 catches for 205 yards and four touchdowns. Smith finished with 320 yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions. But the senior was uncharacteristically out shined by his counterpart. Jones finished with 554 yards and six touchdowns. 4. Stephen F. Austin 70, West Virginia 56 (Basketball, NCAA Tournament, East Region, First Round, New York, March 18, 2016) West Virginia was riding high coming into the 2016 NCAA Tournament. The Mountaineers, on the heels of their Big 12 Tournament runner-up finish, were the No. 3 seed in the East Region. It was the Mountaineers second-highest seeding ever, only behind their No. 2 seeding in the 2010 tourney. For the opening round of the tournament, the Mountaineers would play in Brooklyn, N.Y., an area of the country they were familiar from their Big East days. WVU’s first opponent was 14th seed Stephen F. Austin. The Lumberjacks had the nation’s longest winning streak (20), but the Mountaineers were expected to quickly put that to rest. They did not. The Lumberjacks didn’t just upset the heavily favored Mountaineers, they dominated WVU. SFU’s bearded wonder Thomas Walkup looked like he could be the mascot for either school. But he played like he was the best player for either. WVU searched but never found an answer for Walkup, who dominated the contest. Walkup was a one-man wrecking crew, leading SFU in scoring, rebounds and assists. He finished with 33 points, including hitting 19-of-20 free throws. The loss was the biggest upset defeat in WVU’s NCAA Tournament history. 3. Texas A&M 11, West Virginia 10 (Baseball, Morgantown, NCAA Regional, elimination game, June 2, 2019) The 5 for 10s are made up almost exclusively of revenue sports (football and men’s basketball) items. The reason is those are the sports that, overwhelmingly, garner the most interest (and, hence, “revenue”) of fans. For something outside of the big two sports to get a spot on the list, it must be extraordinary. The 2019 NCAA Morgantown Regional elimination game more than qualifies. The Mountaineers baseball team had its best season in school history in 2019, culminating with the Mountaineers hosting a regional. In an elimination game of the regional, WVU faced Texas A&M. The Mountaineers went up, 9-1, after scoring a pair of runs in the top of the seventh inning. At that point, WVU had a win probability of 99.73 percent. The Aggies made a big rally in the bottom of the seventh, scoring six runs, led by Logan Foster’s grand slam. That cut the WVU lead to 9-7. The Mountaineers got an insurance run in the eighth, extending lead to 10-7. They needed full coverage. WVU blanked A&M in the eighth and took the three-run lead into the bottom of the ninth. WVU pitcher Sam Kessler loaded the bases but had the Aggies down to their final strike with a 3-2 count to A&M second baseman Bryce Blaum. Blaum drove the full-count delivery from Kessler over the left-field fence, capping a heartbreaking collapse that ended the Mountaineers season in an 11-10 loss. 2. Gonzaga 61, West Virginia 58 (Basketball, NCAA Tournament, West Regional, Sweet 16, San Jose, Calif., March 23, 2017) The fourth-seeded Mountaineers and top-seed Gonzaga went toe-to-toe in a battle in the NCAA Tournament West Regional semifinals that featured a pair of defensive stalwarts. In a game where points were at a premium, the difference was a 3-point shot that went in - and a pair that did not. With the scored tied and less than a minute left, Gonzaga’s Jordan Mathews took an outlet pass to the left wing, pulled up and drained an open 3-point shot, giving the Zags a three-point lead. The Mountaineers had multiple chances to send the game to overtime, but Jevon Carter twice missed on game-tying 3-point shots. WVU got the rebound after the second Carter miss, but West Virginia unable to get up a third potential game-tying effort, and the Mountaineers season and upset hopes ended. What made the loss so disheartening was the path the laid out for this game’s winner. Second seeded Arizona was upset by No. 11 seed Xavier in the region’s other semifinal. Gonzaga destroyed Xavier, 83-59, to advance to the Final Four. In the Final Four, the Zags faced a seven seed, South Carolina, beating the Gamecocks, 77-73, to advance to the championship game. Gonzaga lost...

WVU Reveals Game One Uniform

The Mountaineers will be traveling to Penn State on Saturday in style.   Morgantown, WV - Moments ago, the WVU Football team revealed their uniform combination for Saturday via social media. The Mountaineers will be wearing their traditional blue helmets, white jerseys, and gold pants. https://x.com/wvufootball/status/1697376215659631042?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw WVU and Penn State kickoff at 7:30 on NBC. (Photo by WVU Athletics) 

WVU Snaps Losing Streak

MORGANTOWN, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers used a strong second half to take down the Cincinnati Bearcats on Wednesday night, 69-65. WVU, now 8-13 and 3-5 in Big 12 play, were led by a strong performance from Senior Jesse Edwards. The Amsterdam native finished with 25 points and 10 rebounds. After a long break from action due to injury, Edwards finally looked back to strength, and it made all the difference. Despite leading at halftime, Cincinnati simply could not hold off a Mountaineer squad that wanted it more. The Bearcats, now 14-7 and 3-5 in Big 12 plays, were solid throughout the night while dominating the glass with 42 rebounds. https://twitter.com/wvuhoops/status/1752846670314750390?s=46&t=cXIQ4JQG-pp-P6qrRwLwjw WVU returns home on Saturday night against the BYU Cougars. Tip-off is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN+. (Photo by WVU Athletics)