Neal Brown, Preston Fox Try to Make Sense of Bizarre Blunder on Punt Return

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – What actually happened when Andrew Wilson-Lamp ran into Preston Fox on a punt return and WVU coughed up the ball and eventually the game against Oklahoma State? That’s a question that was on the minds of West Virginia fans after the game on Saturday and now is being cleared up a bit.

How could such a horrible blunder happen? It was such an unbelievable turn of events that debates about the play even caused some to offer the crazy take that it may have been intentional. Well, it wasn’t and was just a really bad error that embodied the second half of the game for the Mountaineers.

“I’m looking up and I see my guy getting pushed into me. He wasn’t looking at me, he was focused on blocking for me so I understand where he was coming from,” said Fox when asked about his perspective.

WVU WR Preston Fox says the incident that happened on the punt return against Oklahoma State was no one’s fault and things like that do happen. He says he didn’t bring it up the rest of the game because there was no point and wouldn’t have served a purpose.

— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) October 23, 2023

He also responded to a question about if he said anything to Wilson-Lamp on the sideline after the play or throughout the rest of the game. “There’s no reason to say anything to him. He’s going through it himself. No point in it,” Fox answered.

Fox made sure to add the incident was no one’s fault and, while rare, is something that can occur. He said he’s aware blunders like that one are possible before every return.

WVU head coach Neal Brown was also asked to address the bizarre turn of events that flipped momentum and saw the Cowboys capitalize. He explained how it was simply just one player running into the other, but did say he can’t believe it took place in a game since they practice avoiding that all the time.

The fact Oklahoma State was able to benefit from self-inflicted wounds by WVU is what bothers him the most about the loss and why it stings more than the previous week in Houston. “The biggest stat to me is 17-0. They got 17 points off turnovers,” Brown said with a sense of disbelief and frustration.

WVU HC Neal Brown on Oklahoma State Loss: ‘This One Stings More Than Last Week’

Brown said he can live with interceptions, but tight end Kole Taylor’s fumble while trying to run out of bounds after a catch and the blooper reel worthy punt return are what get to him the most. He reiterated those type of mistakes can’t happen.