Can The Mountaineer Defense Lead The Team To A 4-1 Start?

Sep 25, 2023

MORGANTOWN, WV—-The West Virginia Mountaineer football team miraculously dodged a bullet Saturday evening stopping Texas Tech on the Mountaineer 12 yard line with 23 seconds left in the game to hold onto a hard fought 20-13 victory. The win broke a 4 game losing streak to the Red Raiders dating back to 2019.

“This is a game we needed to win!,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said afterward. After 3 quarters of defensive football on a rainy, dreary afternoon, the two teams combined for 17 points in the 4th quarter with ten coming from Tech.

WVU was picked to finish 14th in the Big 12 before the season which was dead last. “This was the first opportunity to prove them wrong,” Brown said referring to the last place finish. “We’re NOT 14th now,” he added.

Saturday’s victory improved the Mountaineers to 3-1. Brown and the Mountaineers started a season three times at 3-1 but they have never gotten to 4-1 with Brown at the helm. This coming Saturday’s game at TCU will no doubt be a big one if the Mountaineers want to keep the momentum going on this 3 game winning streak to say the least. WVU will try to reach that elusive mark at 8 p.m. on ESPN2. TCU is likewise 3-1. Texas Tech (1-3) hosts Houston (2-2) next Saturday in Lubbock.

Will TCU do everything it can to stop the WVU running game? The Red Raiders were able to do that in the second half of Saturday’s contest. Tech limited WVU to just 41 yards rushing in the final two quarters. In the air Marchiol completed 12 of 21 passes for 78 yards for the whole game. Marchiol deserves credit even though he only threw for 78 yards. Several receivers dropped passes.

Meanwhile in the first half WVU’s defense choked Tech’s offense holding the visitors to only 39 net rushing yards and 17 passing yards. Let’s hope the defense can keep WVU’s winning streak going until starter Garrett Greene can return at quarterback. Nicco has done a good job so far winning games and deserves a lot of credit. Let’s hope whoever starts at quarterback can keep the winning momentum.