Storylines to Keep an Eye On for WVU-UCF in Home Finale

While it would still leave WVU far from their goals and expectations for 2024, a win in their home finale over UCF awards the Mountaineers the 41st bowl appearance in school history. However, a loss creates even more anger and animosity for the fans who are already yelling for the program to make a change.

West Virginia’s Neal Brown on 2024 Season: ‘We’re 5-5, Not 0-10’

Neal Brown wants WVU fans to simultaneously know he’s not satisfied with the 2024 season and it’s also not as bad as it seems.

Brown responded to criticism during his weekly radio show on Thursday night.

“Nobody is more upset about our inconsistent performances than myself and our players. But those inconsistencies make people think we’ve done nothing, which isn’t true. We’re 5-5, not 0-10,” said Brown.

WVU Football Coaches, Players Own Inconsistent Season, Striving for Bowl Game

Now out of the conference race, the theme of the week for WVU football is clear – no excuses. From Brown down to the players, they know they haven’t been good enough, especially at home. But instead of dwelling in the past, they’re now just simply focused on winning their final home game of 2024 season this coming Saturday against UCF.

WVU Football Coaches, Players Own Inconsistent Season, Striving for Bowl Game

“We should play better at home. I think that criticism is fair,” said Brown while providing a blunt assessment that all fans will universally agree with at this point.

And aside from playing quality opponents – three of WVU’s five home games so far have been against ranked teams, the issue has been a lack of consistency. When the offense is clicking, the defense and/or specials teams is struggling and vice versa.

“We’ve been an inconsistent football team and that’s why we’re 5-5,” said Brown.

WVU Football Tumbles to New Low in ESPN FPI

Baylor snapped West Virginia’s win streak and sent WVU backwards and tumbling to a new low in the ESPN FPI (Football Power Index). The Mountaineers are back to their worst spot of the season, being placed at No. 54.

WVU’s 49-35 loss to the Bears triggered a three spot drop after sitting at No. 51 last week.

The devastation of another home loss coupled with Traylon Ray’s injury created a very somber mood for WVU after the game on Saturday night.

“I get the fans’ frustration. I’m frustrated. You gotta be able to win at home. Our people here deserve to see wins,” said Brown.

Mountaineer Report: Why WVU Failed in 2024, Debunking Neal Brown Rumors

On this all new episode of Mountaineer Report, Mike Asti and Cody Nespor start out talking about the failures of the 2024 season for WVU and then end up ranting about fake reports and misleading headlines concerning the future of Neal Brown.

Most major sportsbooks view West Virginia as an underdog to UCF. Both DraftKings and FanDuel opened their lines with the Knights as a -3.

West Virginia is on the heels of a 49-35 loss to Baylor while the Knights are coming off a bye. At 4-6, UCF needs to win out in order to be eligible for a bowl game.

For a related story, would Neal Brown really leave WVU for UMass?