WVU Football Season Far From Over

Oct 13, 2023

HOUSTON, TX—Mountaineer fans are still stunned after the last second loss to Houston Thursday night (41-39) after leading 38-35 with 12 seconds left on the clock. “Sickening” was the feeling left in the gut but preparations for Oklahoma State must go on if the Mountaineers plan to recover. There are six games left with plenty of football to play.

The season isn’t ruined by any means but the Mountaineers must correct costly mistakes and penalties. “We lost the game because of discipline,” West Virginia Coach Neal Brown said. “”Don’t take your helmets off until you get to the sidelines. I just don’t understand that.” In the first five games of the season the Mountaineers made very few mistakes.

With 7 seconds left Houston’s Donovan Smith threw a hail Mary deep pass that WVU was unable to knock down and the football ended up in the arms of a Cougar among a crowd of players in the end zone. “You got to knock the ball down,” Brown said. “We work on that play every Friday.”

WVU’s win streak ends at four and Houston gets its first ever BIG 12 victory at the expense of the Mountaineers. On a positive note quarterback Garrett Greene threw for a career high 391 yards. He completed 20 of his 38 passes for one TD. Greene also showed his running capabilities with 2 TDs. Devin Carter led all receivers with five catches for 116 yards. The Mountaineers outgained Houston 546 to 393 but WVU mistakes and special team miscues were their undoing.

“We just didn’t play well in two of three phases, and it cost us tonight,” Brown said. WVU (4-2), 2-1) will come home to face Oklahoma State at 3:30 pm Saturday October 21. It will be televised nationally on ESPN. Oddly enough this is only the second day game of the season. Five of WVU’s first six games were at night. Houston (3-3, 1-2) plays Texas next.