Mountaineers Pull Out The Win In Austin

Matchup
1st Downs	28	28
3rd down efficiency	7-12	6-11
4th down efficiency	0-1	1-2
Total Yards	578	520
Passing	346	354
Comp-Att	28-42	25-36
Yards per pass	8.2	9.8
Interceptions thrown	0	0
Rushing	232	166
Rushing Attempts	33	39
Yards per rush	7.0	4.3
Penalties	14-120	7-64
Turnovers	0	1
Fumbles lost	0	1
Interceptions thrown	0	0
Possession	26:00	34:00

The West Virginia Mountaineers (7-1, 5-1) pulled out the win over the Texas Longhorns (6-3, 4-2) 42-41 in one of the greatest games in Mountaineer history. In a game that went back and forth and a wild first half, the Mountaineers found a way to win.

Texas won the toss and differed to the second half. West Virginia elected to receive.

The Mountaineers took the opening drive right down the field. They tallied up 62 yards; however, the drive was plagued by penalties and only went 11 plays for 42 yards. WVU took an early lead 3-0 on an Evan Staley 45-yard field goal.

On the Longhorns first possession, they put together a first down and then their drive stalled at midfield. Punter Ryan Bujcevski pinned West Virginia back at their 12-yard line and Texas held West Virginia to a three and out. A 39-yard punt by Billy Kinney set Texas up at their own 47.

Texas took advantage of the good field and drove the ball 53 yards on eight plays for the touchdown; highlighted by a jump ball grabbed by Lil’Jordan Humphry at the one-yard line and quarterback Sam Ehlinger punched it in for six.

West Virginia responded on their next series. On a second and six, Will Grier hit a wide-open David Sills streaking down the field for a 60-yard touchdown pass. Sills was flagged for putting horns down with his hands. Then on the extra point attempt, left tackle Yondy Cajuste was ejected from the game on a highly questionable unsportsmanlike penalty.

After the officials marked off 30 yards worth of penalties, the Mountaineers kicked off from their own 10-yard line and Humphry returned it to the Texas 39-yard line giving them great field position. The Longhorns made quick work of the short field, scoring on just three plays, as Ehlinger found Humphry in the middle of the field for 21-yard touchdown pass and Texas re-took the lead 14-10.

The Mountaineers struck right back with a long sustaining drive. Grier was mixing it up and found running back Kennedy McKoy out in the flat and he pushed it up field for 37 yards. A scary moment a few plays later as Grier stepped up in the pocket and was horse collared and rolled back straining his knee. He would sit out a play, and on his second play back in found David Sill in the endzone and the Mountaineers regained the lead.

Texas answered with a long drive of their own. Sam Ehlinger hit Devin Duvemay for 17 yards and Colin Johnson for 26 setting up Tre Watson’s two rushes for 17 yards and the touchdown, putting the Longhorns up 21-17.

West Virginia came right back at Texas. Martell Petaway ran up the middle for 55-yards for the score and the Mountaineers got the lead back.

The Longhorns scored again on the ensuing possession. Ehlinger nickle and dimed down the field till he found Humphry over the middle for 19 yards and then a swing pass to Tre Watson for 32 yards as he broke tackles down the sideline for the touchdown.

The Mountaineers methodically moved the ball down the field as the half was coming to an end. They drive sputtered at the Texas 27. Evan Staley hit his second 40 plus yard field goal of the day to go into halftime trailing by one 28-27.

West Virginia accumulated 348 yards of total offense in the first half; 142 yards on the ground. Will Grier was 17-29 for 206 yards and two touchdowns.

Both defenses settled in the second half. Texas put up the only points in the third quarter. The Mountaineers held the Longhorns on a third and goal from the five-yard line and Cameron Dicker hit the 22 yarder and Texas held a 31-27 lead.

West Virginia put together a drive that started towards the end of the third quarter but failed on a fourth and one as the quarter ended and Texas took over at their own 20-yard line.

Texas put together a drive that nearly last six minutes; however, they had to settle for a field goal at the WVU 21-yard line, giving the Longhorns the seven-point lead.

Will Grier and the Mountaineer offense was not going to be denied. Grier guided his offense on an 11-play 75-yard drive capped off by a Martell Petaway 13-yard run off the right tackle to tie the game up at 34.

The Longhorns did not fold. Ehlinger threw a dart to tight end Andrew Beck over the middle for 19 yards setting up a 48-yard bomb Devin Duvemay giving back the lead to the Longhorns 41-34.

Grier came back onto the field looking for the win. A couple runs and short passes until Grier threw an absolute dime, dropping the ball over the shoulder to Gary Jennings in the back of the endzone from 33 yards out with 16 seconds left in the game.  Grier went 4-4 for 55 yards and the touchdown on the final drive.

Head coach Dana Holgorsen and his Mountaineers were looking for the win. The offense didn’t flinch as they went up to the line to go for the win. After a couple of Texas timeouts, the offense trotted onto the field. Will Grier sat back in the pocket, then took off towards the endzone on a quarterback draw and converted the two-point conversion untouched for the win 42-41.