Tag: West Virginia Mountaineers

No. 5 Texas Tech dominates West Virginia, will play for first Big 12 title

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Behren Morton threw all three of his touchdown passes in the first half as No. 5 Texas Tech used a fast start to earn a spot in the Big 12 Conference championship game with a 49-0 victory over West Virginia on Saturday in Morgantown, W.Va.

Terrance Carter Jr. had 10 receptions for 98 yards while Caleb Douglas had two first-half touchdown receptions and Cameron Dickey recorded one in the first quarter as the Red Raiders (11-1, 8-1 Big 12) won their fifth consecutive game.

Morton completed 25 of 32 passes for 310 yards and Dickey had 79 yards rushing with another TD as Texas Tech moves on to the conference championship game against BYU at Arlington, Texas, on Dec. 6.

The 11 wins ties the Red Raiders’ program record, also accomplished in the 2008 season.

In addition to the first Big 12 championship game berth in program history, Saturday’s victory likely earned Texas Tech a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Scotty Fox Jr. completed 13 of 23 passes for 98 yards and one interception as the Mountaineers (4-8, 2-7) dropped their final two games to complete their season. It was the first time since the 2013 season West Virginia finished with less than five wins.

Texas Tech had a lopsided advantages in total yards (572-180) and first downs (32-9) as West Virginia was shut out for the first time since 2001.

The Raiders jumped out to a 21-0 lead in the first quarter, getting their first score of the game when linebacker Jacob Rodriguez scored on a 1-yard run. It was Rodriguez’s second rushing TD in two weeks.

Dickey hauled in a 4-yard TD catch from Morton and Douglas added a 19-yard scoring reception in a productive first quarter. Douglas also had a 4-yard TD catch in the second quarter for a 28-0 halftime lead.

J’Koby Williams added a 9-yard TD run in the third quarter for a 35-0 lead before Morton left the game following a leg injury on a third-quarter sack. Morton has been playing through a lower leg injury.

Texas Tech backup QB Lloyd Jones III threw a 15-yard TD pass to Micah Hudson as the Red Raiders took a 42-0 lead into the fourth quarter.

Jones and Hudson hooked up again on a 30-yard touchdown pass early in the fourth quarter.

West Virginia’s Jeff Weimer recorded six receptions for 77 yards to lead the Mountaineers.

–Field Level Media

No. 5 Texas Tech chases berth in Big 12 title game, braces for West Virginia

Posted on | by Field Level Media

After a full week of rest, No. 5 Texas Tech will be out to make a statement Saturday afternoon when it closes out its regular-season schedule with a visit to West Virginia at Morgantown, W. Va.

The Red Raiders (10-1, 7-1 Big 12) have a chance to earn their first-ever spot in the conference championship game with a victory and all but clinch a spot in the College Football Playoff.

Texas Tech also can clinch a spot in the Big 12 championship game if Arizona State loses to rival Arizona on Friday night.

The Red Raiders enter on a four-game winning streak and are set to play in their first road game since a 43-20 victory at Kansas State on Nov. 1. Their previous road game, Oct. 18 at Arizona State, ended in a 26-22 defeat.

A victory would match the program’s 2008 season for most regular-season wins.

“Our guys know exactly what is at stake,” Texas Tech head coach Joey McGuire said. “When this all started, if you told us coming into the last game if we win, we’re in, we (now) know that’s the case so we’re planning on being ready to play.”

While Texas Tech’s defense has held opponents to 12.3 points per game and 266.1 yards, both of which lead the conference, the offense is second in the Big 12 with 481.6 yards per game.

Behren Morton completed 14 of 19 passes for 149 yards and a touchdown in a 48-9 romp over UCF on Nov. 15 before he was replaced by Mitch Griffis, who was 13 of 17 for 145 yards.

Morton, who took over after Will Hammond was lost for the season with an injury, has been playing through his own lower leg injury. McGuire suggested that Morton is on track to play against West Virginia.

“Yeah, he feels great,” McGuire said. “You know, we kept him in a boot all last week. He actually went through everything. It was a shorter practice (Sunday), but he went through everything — he just was in the boot.”

Not only has Texas Tech earned all of its victories by at least 22 points, it has an average margin of victory of 33.8 points. In their latest statement, linebacker Jacob Rodriguez took a turn lining up at quarterback and scored on a 2-yard run. He also intercepted a pass.

West Virginia (4-7, 2-6) absorbed a 25-23 setback to Arizona State on Nov. 15 before taking a week off heading into Saturday’s game.

With running backs Jahiem White and Tye Edwards already out for the season with injuries, freshman back Diore Hubbard also will miss the final game with an unspecified injury. Hubbard was limited to two carries against Arizona State.

The Mountaineers’ running game will be in the hands of Cyncir Bowers and Curtis Jones. Bowers has rushed for 246 yards on 58 carries this season with two touchdowns.

Freshman Scotty Fox Jr. is West Virginia’s fourth starting quarterback this season. He delivered a season-high 353 yards passing with two touchdowns and an interception against Arizona State.

“I know a lot of teams are like, ‘Boy, we’ve battled some injuries,’ when they lost one guy,” Mountaineers head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “How about losing three or four at that position. So, we’ll get it all out of the way this year and then, go from there.”

–Field Level Media

West Virginia holds on late to extend Colorado’s misery

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Scotty Fox Jr. threw for 202 yards and a touchdown to lead West Virginia to a 29-22 win over Colorado in a Big 12 matchup on Saturday in Morgantown, WVa.

Diore Hubbard caught six passes for 94 yards, Curtis Jones Jr. rushed for two touchdowns and Ryan Ward caught a touchdown pass as the Mountaineers (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) won their second consecutive game after a five-game losing streak.

Kade Hensley made field goals of 41 and 37 yards for West Virginia and Michael Coats Jr. recovered a fumble.

In a battle of freshman quarterbacks, it was Fox, who also ran for 58 yards and threw two interceptions, that got the better of Colorado’s Julain Lewis.

Lewis completed 22 of 35 passes for 299 yards and two touchdowns for the Buffaloes, while also getting sacked seven times.

Omarion Miller caught six passes for 131 yards and a touchdown, while Joseph Williams caught a touchdown for Colorado. Alejandro Mata made field goals of 23, 35 and 38 yards.

Preston Hodge and John Slaughter had interceptions for the Buffaloes (3-7, 1-6) who have dropped three straight games and five of the last six.

Israel Boyce blocked a Colorado punt out of the end zone for a safety as WVU took a 2-0 first-quarter lead.

West Virginia followed its safety with an 11 play, 75-yard scoring drive that Jones capped with a 2-yard touchdown run for a 9-0 lead.

In the second quarter, Fox found Ward for a 3-yard touchdown as West Virginia took a 16-3 lead. Hubbard had a 69-yard reception on the drive.

On the ensuing Buffaloes drive, Lewis hit Miller for a 9-yard score, but Mata missed his first extra point kick in 104 attempts and Colorado trailed 16-9. A 41-yard field goal from Hensley gave the Mountaineers a 19-9 halftime lead.

A 22-yard interception return by Slaughter set up Lewis with a short field as he hit Miller for a 23-yard touchdown as Colorado trailed 19-16 with 7:19 left in the third. Both kickers traded field goals and West Virginia held a 22-19 fourth-quarter lead.

Jones’ 4-yard touchdown run punctuated a 10 play, 57-yard drive that spanned 5:33 and gave WVU a 29-19 lead with 4:15 remaining. Mata added a late field goal, but the Buffaloes couldn’t recover an onside kick and West Virginia ran out the clock.

-Field Level Media

Oct 25, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Texas Christian University Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) throws a pass during the third quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

TCU holds off late rally to edge West Virginia in Morgantown

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Josh Hoover threw for 247 yards and a touchdown Saturday night while Trent Battle rushed for 89 yards and a score as TCU stopped West Virginia 23-17 in Morgantown, W.Va.

Hoover completed 24 of 39 passes for the Horned Frogs (6-2, 3-2 Big 12), which also got three field goals from Nate McCashland. Eric McAlister added nine catches for 124 yards and a touchdown.

Freshman Scotty Fox completed 28 of 41 passes for 301 yards and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers (2-6, 0-5), who dropped their fifth straight game. Fox drew his team within six points on a pretty 28-yard strike to Jeff Weimer with 3:15 remaining.

But Battle recovered an onside kick at the West Virginia 44 and Hoover sealed the outcome by hooking up with McAlister for a 21-yard reception to the 19 at the two-minute timeout. With the Mountaineers out of timeouts, TCU was able to take three knees to run out the clock.

TCU initiated scoring when McCashland converted a 35-yard field goal just 3:25 into the game, then upped the advantage to 10-0 on Battle’s 1-yard touchdown run at the 4:31 mark of the first quarter. It came seven plays after a 19-yard punt by Oliver Straw set the Frogs up at the Mountaineers’ 48.

West Virginia got on the board when Fox connected with Grayson Barnes on a 17-yard strike with 11:50 left in the first half. It came four plays after Ethan Craw’s 23-yard punt gave it possession at the Frogs’ 35.

However, TCU responded with two straight scoring drives. First, Hoover hit McAlister for a 4-yard touchdown to finish off a 70-yard march that chewed up 5:38. After Fox was stopped for a 2-yard loss on 4th-and-2 from the Frogs’ 40, they tacked on a 22-yard field goal by McCashland 59 seconds before the half for a 20-7 advantage.

Kade Hensley drew the Mountaineers within 20-10 with 1:20 left in the third quarter on a 28-yard field goal, capping a 10-play, 60-yard drive.

–Field Level Media

Kansas Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels (6) throws a pass during the first half of the game against West Virginia Mountaineers at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium on Sept. 20, 2025.

Jalon Daniels, Kansas break open easy win over West Virginia

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The Kansas Jayhawks opened their Big 12 campaign with a 41-10 win under the lights in Lawrence, KS against the West Virginia Mountaineers.

Jalon Daniels threw for 138 yards with three touchdowns and led Kansas (3-1, 1-0) to 24 straight points over the second and third quarters to blow the game open. His first completion of the game was a 41-yard scoring strike to Levi Wentz to give the Jayhawks a lead they would not give up. The quarterback also added 69 yards of rushing on five carries in the victory.

Emmanuel Henderson Jr. excelled on kickoff duties with 137 yards on two returns, including the first play of the second half when the wide receiver ran the kick back 94 yards to give Kansas a 24-point lead. Henderson also had 38 receiving yards.

On the ground, Leshon Williams led the Jayhawks rushing attack with 129 yards on 19 rushes with a touchdown. That score came on Williams’ final rush of the game with 12:52 left in the fourth quarter on a 62-yard touchdown run.

Defensively, Kansas stifled Rich Rodriguez’s West Virginia (2-2, 0-1) offense for six consecutive punts to start the game, four ending in three-and-outs. The Jayhawks held Nicco Marchiol to 126 passing yards on 15-of-27 passing with one interception to former West Virginia Mountaineer Trey Lathan, who read a Marchiol pass and turned it into a 32-yard interception return in the third quarter.

With the game firmly in Kansas’ hands in the third quarter, Rodriguez brought in Jaylen Henderson for Marchiol, and the dual-threat quarterback propelled the Mountaineers to their lone touchdown of the game in the fourth quarter on a 13-yard quarterback draw. In the third, Henderson broke away for a 32-yard rush, and he led West Virginia with 79 rushing yards in the defeat.

Although it was a lopsided result, each team also ran into problems on defense with each team losing a player due to targeting. Mountaineers safety Fred Perry was the first when he went in for a tackle head first on Daniels who was sliding on the end of a 12-yard run. The hit on the defenseless quarterback turned into a brief scuffle between the sides, resulting in a late hit call on the Jayhawks. Devin Dye was also ejected for targeting with 6:23 remaining in the third quarter.

–Field Level Media

Sep 13, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Nicco Marchiol (8) celebrates after throwing a pass for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Pittsburgh Panthers at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Rested Kansas opens Big 12 slate against West Virginia

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After an early bye week, Kansas opens its big Big 12 schedule against West Virginia on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.

Instead of a week off, West Virginia (2-1) had to work overtime last weekend to secure a 31-24 victory against Pitt in their Backyard Brawl rivalry. The Mountaineers tied the game with 11 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter and followed it up by forcing an incomplete pass in OT to come away with the victory.

Tye Edwards led the Mountaineers with 141 rushing yards and scored three of WVU’s four touchdowns on the day.

West Virginia anticipates another tough test against Kansas (2-1) and its unpredictable defense.

“Some teams, you’ll see certain base defense mostly first and second down. Third down you’ll see the exotic stuff. You’ll see a lot from these guys on every down,” said Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez. “With the two weeks, they’re going to probably do some things we haven’t seen that we have to be prepared for. The only good part for us is that our defense does a lot of that, too.”

Kansas struggled to run the ball and stop the run in its 42-31 loss at Missouri on Sept. 6. The Jayhawks allowed 261 rushing yards against the SEC opponent and only mustered 31 yards on the ground.

“I still think our defensive front for the most part has been active and physical and doing things,” said KU coach Lance Leipold. “But offensively, we’ve got to be consistent up front in doing those things to give us the true balance that we need to be to be the type of offense we’d like to be.”

The anemic run game put a lot of pressure on sixth-year Kansas quarterback Jalon Daniels, who threw for 223 yards and two touchdowns in the loss.

Now the Jayhawks return home to their newly renovated stadium where they are undefeated after two games this season.

The Mountaineers hold an 11-2 lead in the all-time series against the Jayhawks. Saturday night will mark first time the two teams have played in Lawrence since 2021, when West Virginia earned a 34-28 victory.

–Field Level Media

Nov 23, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) celebrates with fans after defeating the UCF Knights at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

West Virginia brings strong Big 12 road record to Texas Tech

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West Virginia and Texas Tech are programs in search of a meaningful end to the regular season.

The Mountaineers (6-5, 5-3 Big 12) are trying to win their fourth conference road games in as many outings on Saturday afternoon when they visit the Red Raiders in Lubbock, Texas.

Texas Tech (7-4, 5-3) will attempt to reach six conference victories in a season for only the fifth time in program history.

The Red Raiders also will try to win an eighth game in the regular season for the first time since 2009.

“We have to take advantage of our opportunities,” Texas Tech coach Joey McGuire said. “At the end of the day, we’re going to take care of business on Saturday, and we’re going to go into a bowl game.

“Our expectations would be 8-4 with an opportunity to get to that ninth win.”

Texas Tech leads the Big 12 in points per game (37.4) and is second in yards per game (450.0). They are one of three Big 12 teams averaging more than 290 passing yards per game.

The Red Raiders run a fast-tempo offense which results in a lot of plays behind quarterback Behren Morton.

He completed 37 of 53 pass attempts for 401 yards with four touchdowns and an interception in last week’s 56-48 win at Oklahoma State.

Tahj Brooks is at 1,317 yards on 263 carries with 14 touchdowns.

“We’ve got to get aligned to their tempo,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. “That’s where they really feast, is they can get their tempo going. That usually happens after a made first (down) or a really positive play on first down. So, we’ve got to do a nice job of getting lined up.”

West Virgina’s offense will try to take advantage of a Texas Tech defense that ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring defense (36.3 points a game) and is second-to-last in yards allowed per game (456.2).

The Mountaineers rushed for 200 yards in last week’s 31-21 win against UCF. CJ Donaldson Jr. had 96 yards on 19 carries with two touchdowns.

–Field Level Media

Nov 16, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers wide receiver Traylon Ray (7) catches a pass and is tackled by Baylor Bears linebacker Keaton Thomas (11) during the first quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Bryson Washington racks up 4 TDs as Baylor outscores West Virginia

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Bryson Washington’s four-touchdown day led the Baylor Bears past the West Virginia Mountaineers 49-35 on Saturday night in Morgantown, W.Va.

The sophomore running back amassed 123 rushing yards and three touchdowns, including a 51-yard scoring burst in the second quarter He also had five catches for 59 yards, and his 22-yard touchdown in the first quarter tied the game at 7-7.

Sawyer Robertson threw for 329 yards and three touchdowns on 26-for-36 passing for Baylor (6-4, 4-3 Big 12).

Garrett Greene returned at quarterback in a big way for the Mountaineers after sustaining an upper-body injury in a loss to Kansas State on Oct. 19. Greene threw for 237 yards with two touchdowns and one interception, and piled up 129 yards more yards rushing with two more scores.

The interception came in the fourth quarter with West Virginia trailing 42-28. Baylor’s Corey Gordon Jr. anticipated Greene’s sideline pass and got one foot inbounds on the catch.

That turnover ended in another Baylor touchdown, putting the game out of reach with the Bears up three touchdowns.

The Bears cashed in that turnover on a 15-yard scoring run by Dawson Pendergrass for a three-touchdown lead.

In the third quarter, West Virginia wide receiver Traylon Ray was carted off the field with a leg injury.

The teams went back and forth throughout the second quarter, ending with each team scoring two touchdowns in the final 2:13. Washington’s long run gave Baylor a 28-14 lead, but CJ Donaldson Jr. rushed 23 yards for a score with 1:47 left in the half.

Washington scored again, this time from 8 yards out, with 47 seconds left, but Greene ran 1-yards for a touchdown as time ran out in the half to get the Mountaineers back within seven at 35-28.

The teams combined for 673 yards in the first half and 55 total points. In contrast, neither team scored in the third quarter, although Baylor’s Isaiah Hankins came up empty on a 55-yard field goal attempt.

–Field Level Media

West Virginia Mountaineers cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. (1) and West Virginia Mountaineers safety Anthony Wilson Jr. (12) tackle Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Jamoi Mayes (10) in the first quarter of a college football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and West Virginia Mountaineers, Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati.

West Virginia takes advantage of turnovers, downs Cincinnati

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The visiting West Virginia Mountaineers turned three turnovers by Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby into 17 points in registering a 31-24 win on Saturday.

Despite being outgained 436-249, West Virginia (5-4, 4-2 Big 12 Conference) won for the second straight week on the road and drew to within a game of bowl eligibility while Cincinnati (5-4, 3-3) fell for the second straight outing.

Leading 24-21, West Virginia’s Trey Lathan forced a backward pass with a hit on Sorsby and Tyrin Bradley Jr. picked up the ball and ran 14 yards for the game-clinching score with 3:30 left in regulation.

Cincinnati drove for Nathan Hawks’ 29-yard field goal with 36 seconds remaining, but West Virginia recovered the onside kick to seal the victory.

West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol completed just 9 of 15 passes for 156 yards, one touchdown and one interception. Cincinnati’s Sorsby completed 25 of 36 for 279 yards, one touchdown and one interception while rushing for 48 total yards, including a 12-yard score.

The Bearcats gained the early momentum when the defense stopped West Virginia on downs on its opening drive, then marched 68 yards in 13 plays to take a 7-0 lead.

Corey Kiner capped the drive with a 2-yard run to the left outside pylon for his second touchdown of the season.

Already up, 7-0, the Bearcats were driving for another score when they faced fourth-and-1 from the West Virginia 20 early in the second quarter. Kekoura Tarnue broke free rushing Sorsby and was bringing him to the ground when Sorsby flipped the ball in desperation toward running back Evan Pryor.

West Virginia safety Anthony Wilson Jr. picked off the pass and raced 79 yards untouched for the game-tying touchdown.

On the ensuing series, Sorsby had third-and-4 from the Cincinnati 31. Sorsby took off on a scramble and had the first down when he was stripped of the ball from behind by Reid Carrico. Tarnue recovered at the Cincinnati 37. Marchiol connected on a 28-yard pass to Jahiem White to the Cincinnati 9, but West Virginia settled for a field goal and a 10-7 lead.

The game swung back in Cincinnati’s direction when Logan Wilson intercepted a pass for Rodney Gallagher III in the end zone. On the next play from scrimmage, Sorsby found Pryor all alone in the left flat and Pryor raced up the left sideline 80 yards for the score that drew Cincinnati within 10, 24-14.

Sorsby cut West Virginia’s lead to 24-21 with a 12-yard spinning touchdown run with 9:42 left in the fourth. After a Preston Fox returned the kickoff 43 yards to the Cincinnati 49, the Cincinnati defense forced a punt and got the ball back at their 6.

–Field Level Media

Oct 12, 2024; Orlando, Florida, USA; Cincinnati Bearcats quarterback Brendan Sorsby (2) looks to pass during the first quarter against the UCF Knights at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Mike Watters-Imagn Images

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati take aim at West Virginia

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One year removed from a nine-loss season, Cincinnati will look to become bowl eligible on Saturday afternoon when it hosts West Virginia in a Big 12 matchup.

The Bearcats (5-3, 3-2) have turned their fortunes around behind quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The transfer from Indiana University is being considered for the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award.

Sorsby has thrown for 2,108 yards and 15 touchdowns in eight games, with just four interceptions. The redshirt sophomore is third in the Big 12 in passing yards and second in total touchdowns with 21 (six rushing).

The Bearcats are coming off their second bye week of the season and used it to deal with several injuries, including one to starting right guard Luke Kandra (leg).

“We’ll know more about Kandra as we get out there (this week), Cincinnati coach Scott Satterfield said. “But I feel like we’re trending in the right direction with him, as well as (Gavin) Gerhardt, who was banged up a little, bit but he’s back; he was back Sunday. I feel like we’re back to about full strength across the board, which would be helpful.”

The Mountaineers (4-4, 3-2) enter the game looking to go over the .500 mark and move within one game of becoming bowl eligible. West Virginia also is coming off a bye week after recording a 31-26 win at Arizona on Oct. 26.

The Mountaineers are led by quarterback Nicco Marchiol, who threw a 54-yard touchdown to Traylon Ray in the win over the Wildcats. The touchdown was West Virginia’s longest pass play of the season.

“He played really under control,” coach Neal Brown said of Marchiol. “He didn’t do anything that hurt us, and I mean that in the most positive way. We put a lot on him in our read game. We struggled with our snaps, and I thought he did a great job of catching the football, which should be a given, but he had to make some difficult catches, and I thought he handled that.”

The Bearcats will look to avenge last year’s 42-21 loss to the Mountaineers in West Virginia.

–Field Level Media