West Virginia Completes Comeback to Open Big 12 Play with Much-Needed Victory

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Feeling the pressure after a 1-2 start to the season, West Virginia responded with a much-needed comeback victory over Kansas to open up Big 12 play. A week after squandering a 10-point lead to Pitt, West Virginia rallied from behind to open Big 12 play.

And in a game that started off with Kansas holding some early momentum after stopping WVU during their first offensive series, a big sack by defensive lineman T.J. Jackson on Jayhawk quarterback Jalon Daniels ignited the crowd and allowed Garrett Greene and company to crack open the game.

Hudson Clement caught a couple long passes to do most of the work and Jahiem White added the exclamation point to put West Virginia up 7-0.

As the second quarter began, the attention turned from the present to honoring WVU greats of the past – the 2024 members of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame were inducted earlier in the day.

WVU Sports Hall of Fame Class of 2024 Honored During Big 12 Opener

Unfortunately for the current Mountaineers, the celebration wouldn’t last long. Greene threw his third pick of the season as Kansas stopped another Mountaineer scoring threat.

The Jayhawks would make the turnover count and get themselves into the end zone, tying the game at 7 with about seven minutes left in the first half.

Following a failed attempt to answer by WVU, several players went down with injuries, most notably to Josiah Trotter, Wyatt Milum, Garnett Hollis, TJ Crandell and Aubrey Burks (who collapsed on the sideline) of varying degrees of severity, created stoppages in play before Kansas would set up shop way back in West Virginia territory.

But it ended up being the Mountaineers with momentum going into the locker room after Greene kept the ball himself and ran in the end zone for his first touchdown go the day. West Virginia took a 14-7 advantage to the second half.

At the start of the second half, Daniels found Luke Grimm in the corner of the end zone and to tie the game at 14 after the Kansas touchdown.

Not to be outdone, Greene connects with sophomore wide receiver Traylon Ray for a 52-yard completion to get the Mountaineers into scoring range. However, WVU didn’t capitalize like they hoped, settling for a field goal from Michael Hayes, jumping back out in front, 17-14.

It was at this moment Daniels would find his stride and run all over the WVU defense, responding to another Hayes field goal to give the Jayhawks a 21-17 lead.

Then on the next possession, a 24-yard run by Greene was ruined by an ill-advised pass by Greene on the next play. The interception handed the ball right back to Daniels.

Greene was let off the hook when Kanas failed to take advantage on their ensuing drive.

In what frustrated WVU fans hoped would come in the form of an intervention, Mother Nature halted play due to lightning in the area. Unfortunately for those fans who stuck around, the skies clearing up didn’t mean there wasn’t still a storm brewing on the field.

Kansas jumped out to a 10-point edge when Grimm ran by several defenders. With 5:39 left in the game, West Virginia was trailing 28-17.

Greene eventually connected with Taylor for a touchdown. A successful two-point conversion then inched the Mountaineers close and made the score 28-25.

West Virginia then flipped the script from the week prior, completing an 11-point comeback to defeat the Jayhawks. Rodney Gallagher made the game-winning reception with under 30 seconds left.

Tyrin Bradley saves the day to derail the Kansas offense, both forcing and recovering a fumble. That locked up the victory and moved WVU to 2-2 on the season.

A bye week now gives Neal Brown and his team some breathing room before a road trip to Oklahoma State.