Tag: West Virginia

Pittsburgh Panthers quarterback Eli Holstein (10) throws a pass in the first quarter of the College Football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the Pittsburgh Panthers at Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati on Saturday, Sept. 7, 2024.

Pitt off to fast start, faces rival West Virginia

Posted on | by Field Level Media

Boasting a 2-0 record for the first time since its 2021 Atlantic Coast Conference championship season, Pittsburgh hosts West Virginia in the 107th installment of the “Backyard Brawl” rivalry series on Saturday.

The Panthers needed second-half dramatics to beat another Big 12 foe in Cincinnati last Saturday, rallying from a 21-point deficit to win 28-27 on Ben Sauls’ 35-yard field goal with 17 seconds remaining.

Alabama transfer quarterback Eli Holstein had another stellar performance, becoming the first Pitt true or redshirt freshman to post consecutive 300-yard passing games since 1989.

Desmond Reid, formerly of Western Carolina, became the first Panther on record to tally 100 yards rushing and 100 yards receiving in the same game.

“I think (the comeback) gives us belief,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “We talk about faith and belief all the time, and our guys believed. There was never a time … where our guys didn’t think they could get it done.”

Pitt’s focus now shifts to its rival from 75 miles away in Morgantown, where the Mountaineers won 17-6 in last season’s matchup. The two teams are meeting for the third straight year after realignment paused what was an annual series between 1943 and 2011.

“(There may not be) many more important rivalry games in the country,” Narduzzi said. “This is the one that people in Pittsburgh live for. This is the one that people down south live for.”

However, Narduzzi’s Monday press conference began with a brief statement addressing Pitt parting ways with athletic director Heather Lyke.

“She’s done a great job, she’s got great energy and (I) appreciate everything she’s done there,” Narduzzi said. “I wish her and family all the luck personally and professionally as far as her next move.”

West Virginia (1-1) rebounded from a season-opening loss to Penn State, trouncing FCS foe UAlbany 49-14 behind 553 yards of total offense and quarterback Garrett Greene passing for three touchdowns and rushing for a fourth.

“I think those games are hard sometimes because you’re not only supposed to win, but you’re supposed to win by a lot,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. “Sometimes there’s some undue pressure and it’s hard to perform, but I thought our guys did that.”

Defensive lineman Eddie Vesterinen will “probably be out a few weeks,” Brown said. Vesterinen was helped off the field in the second quarter against UAlbany.

Regardless of who takes the field, the coach will not need any added motivation come Saturday.

Although West Virginia was the winner last year, Brown remembers his team’s last trip to Pittsburgh in 2022. The Panthers scored two touchdowns in the final four minutes for a 38-31 win.

The coach sure won’t need any added motivation.

“First time back at Acrisure Stadium since the disappointment in ’22,” Brown said. “That’s still very fresh on our minds — on mine. I can’t speak for our players, but on mine it is.”

–Field Level Media

Sep 7, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers tight end Kole Taylor (87) catches a pass and runs for a touchdown during the second quarter against the Albany Great Danes at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

West Virginia rushes for 305 yards, blasts Albany

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Garrett Greene threw for three touchdowns as West Virginia downed Albany 49-14 on Saturday night in Morgantown, W.Va.

Greene completed 17 of 23 passes for 236 yards for the Mountaineers (1-1). He also rushed for 68 yards on seven carries and found the end zone once on the ground.

West Virginia finished with 305 rushing yards in all, with CJ Donaldson Jr. racking up a game-high 125 on 14 carries. He ran for one TD, as did Jahiem White and Nicco Marchiol. White went for 100 yards on 10 touches.

Myles Burkett threw for 306 yards and a touchdown on 18-for-39 passing for the Great Danes (1-1). Jojo Uga had 57 yards on nine carries, and Griffin Woodell rushed for a score.

The Mountaineers’ defense stood tall on Albany’s first drive of the second half to prevent the Great Danes from getting back into the game.

Burkett completed two long passes, a 41-yard bomb to Seven McGee and a 49-yard strike to Levi Wentz, to get Albany to the West Virginia 2. But Burkett’s first-down pass was tipped at the line of scrimmage, a run by Burkett on second down gained only 1 yard and passes on third and fourth down fell incomplete.

The Mountaineers then went on a 14-play, 99-yard drive that took 6:40 off the clock and culminated in a 10-yard touchdown pass from Greene to Hudson Clement to put the hosts up 35-14.

Donaldson added on to the lead with a 2-yard rushing score with 49 seconds left in the third quarter, and Marchiol found the end zone from 12 yards out in the fourth.

West Virginia opened up a 21-0 lead by scoring on its first three drives of the game.

White capped the first with a 14-yard rushing TD and Greene punctuated the second with a 12-yard scoring strike to Justin Robinson to make it 14-0 with 5:41 left in the first quarter. Kole Taylor hauled in a 39-yard touchdown pass with 14:49 left in the second.

Albany finally scored on Woodell’s 7-yard touchdown run with 4:40 to go in the first half.

Burkett found Jacari Carter for a 33-yard TD, but Greene responded with a 40-yard scoring scamper to make it 28-14 West Virginia at the break.

–Field Level Media

Aug 31, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) is sacked on the two point conversion attempt during the fourth quarter against the Penn State Nittany Lions at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images

West Virginia hosts FCS semifinalist from last season, Albany

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On the heels of a disappointing loss to Penn State, West Virginia will try to get rolling when it hosts FCS opponent Albany on Saturday evening in Morgantown, W.Va.

The Mountaineers (0-1) gave up 457 yards of offense to No. 8 Penn State last week, were just 1-for-4 on red-zone trips, and committed three turnovers in a 34-12 loss.

“Our season’s still in front of us,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said Monday. “There’s been a lot of good West Virginia teams that got beat by Penn State in its history and bounced back and have had special years, and there’s no reason why this team can’t do the same.”

West Virginia is 24-0 against FCS opponents since 1978. Albany is 1-8 against FBS foes, with the win coming against Buffalo in 2016.

The Great Danes (1-0) defeated Long Island University 27-21 in their season opener after trailing in the second half. Sophomore quarterback Myles Burkett threw a 75-yard touchdown pass to Seven McGee, and defensive lineman Jack Iuliano returned a Sharks fumble 20 yards for a score.

“I don’t think we had our fastball tonight, but the big thing is we fought through and won the game,” Albany coach Greg Gattuso said afterward. “I thought we stepped up in big moments and made big plays when we needed them.”

Albany earned a share of the CAA title last year and reached the FCS playoff semifinals, but lost the majority of that team to the transfer portal or graduation. The Great Danes’ offense revolves around running back Griffin Woodell and a talented offensive line.

Woodell rushed for 85 yards against the Sharks. He was the CAA Offensive Rookie of the Year in 2023 after scoring 12 touchdowns.

Albany is ranked No. 16 in the FCS Top 25 and was picked to finish third in the CAA this season.

“They’re a good football team,” Brown said. “This is the best FCS program we’ve had coming in here since the first game in 2019 when we played James Madison.”

West Virginia quarterback Garrett Greene threw for 161 yards against Penn State, connecting with eight different receivers, but the Mountaineers were held to under 100 yards rushing.

Mountaineers redshirt freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter, the son of NFL All-Pro linebacker Jeremiah Trotter, had 10 tackles in the loss and broke up a pass.

The Albany game is sandwiched between two big rivalry games for West Virginia. The Mountaineers will travel to Pitt for the “Backyard Brawl” next week.

–Field Level Media

West Virginia ready to roll out rough welcome for No. 8 Penn State

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With an experienced quarterback and improvement spotted at wide receiver, head coach Jams Franklin signaled the possibility of loosening the reins on a potentially explosive offense this season.

The first signal of what’s to come from the Nittany Lions is Saturday when the 8th-ranked Nittany Lions open the season with a trip to Morgantown to face old rival West Virginia.

Penn State, which went 10-3 last year with a loss in the Chick-Fil-A Bowl to Ole Miss, returns quarterback Drew Allar. He threw for 2,631 yards with 25 touchdown passes and just two interceptions in 389 attempts.

Franklin identified the receiving corps as the most improved group on the team, and more is expected from Allar. By extension, there are greater expectations on an offense that last year was tasked with not losing the game in a conservative bend.

“If you look at kind of across the board, a guy like Mekhi Flowers has really stepped up for us,” said Franklin, naming off various wide receivers. “Tyler Johnson has really stepped up for us. I think Anthony Ivey has really stepped up for us. That’s a critical group.”

One concern is an offensive line that suffered serious losses. While Franklin has been happy with their progress during training camp, he also knows that working against your own guys every day and then playing your first game in front of 70,000 fans at Mountaineer Field are two totally different scenarios.

“Home field advantage is a real thing,” Franklin said. “It’s one thing to do it at home. It’s another thing to do it on the road with 70,000 people that hate you.”

West Virginia might not buy the underdog role.

The Mountaineers are coming off a surprising 9-4 season that took coach Neal Brown off the hot seat, culminating in a Duke’s Mayo Bowl rout of a depleted North Carolina squad.

Getting Penn State in town for the first time in 32 years – add to that the fact that FOX picked this for its Big Noon Kickoff to start the year – means there will be no lack of energy.

Can West Virginia turn a big opportunity into an immediate signature win?

“Our guys are excited about the opportunity. It’s going to be a great challenge. It’s not going to be make-or-break our season either way,” Brown said. “But I’m not trying to minimize the importance of it. … The spotlight is on Morgantown. I fully expect our fans and our community to blossom under the bright lights.”

It won’t hurt that like the Nittany Lions, the Mountaineers return their quarterback. Garrett Greene threw for 2,406 yards while adding 772 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Brown said Greene has been much more accurate in camp.

“We’re a lot better passing team,” Brown said. “Our receivers are stronger and they’re faster, and we’ve added a couple bigger body guys. We’ll look significantly different from a passing perspective than we did a year ago.”

In last year’s 38-15 loss at Penn State, Greene completed 16 of 27 passes for 162 yards while running for 71 yards and a score. Allar hit on 21 of 29 attempts for 325 yards and three touchdowns.

The Nittany Lions own a 49-9-2 lead in the all-time series.

–Field Level Media

Dec 27, 2023; Charlotte, NC, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers head coach Neal Brown holds up the championship trophy after the game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia coach Neal Brown gets 1-year contract extension

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West Virginia head coach Neal Brown agreed to terms on a one-year contract extension on Tuesday that keeps him in Morgantown through the 2027 season.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed by the university for Brown, who capped a nine-win season with a 30-10 victory over North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. That’s quite the season given that the Mountaineers were picked to finish last in the Big 12 preseason media poll.

“My first priority was retaining and rewarding our assistant coaches and support staff who have played such a critical role in our success,” Brown said. “I appreciate (West Virginia vice president and director of athletics Wren Baker’s) support on that front as well as his continued commitment to me and what we are building. We share a common vision for this program and that alignment is critical to our continued success. There are great things ahead.”

Brown, 43, has guided West Virginia to bowl appearances in three of the past four years. He has posted a 31-29 record during his five seasons with the Mountaineers after going 35-16 in four campaigns with Troy (2015-18).

“I am pleased with the progress I’ve seen in our football program since arriving last year,” Baker said. “I believe this contract amendment allows us to continue to build on our momentum as we begin our first year in the new and expanded Big 12 Conference. I’m appreciative of the effort Coach Brown and his staff put into developing the young people in our program both on and off the field.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 25, 2023; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears tight end Jake Roberts (86) runs after the catch past West Virginia Mountaineers safety Aubrey Burks (2) during the first half at McLane Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia closes strong to edge Baylor

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Garrett Greene hit Jahiem White with the winning touchdown pass with 23 seconds remaining as visiting West Virginia charged back for a 34-31 win over hapless Baylor on Saturday in Waco, Texas, in the Big 12 Conference finale for both teams.

Greene finished with 269 yards passing and two scores and ran for 103 yards and two more, the Mountaineers (8-4, 6-3 Big 12) needed a last-gasp drive to win. West Virginia had just two first downs in the second half until the final drive, which covered 80 yards in just six plays with no timeouts.

Baylor trailed 27-14 at halftime with their only scores coming on a pair of kickoff return touchdowns by Richard Reese. The Bears (3-9, 2-7) scored the first 17 points of the second half to take the lead but could not hold on.

White ran for 133 yards on 17 carries.

Sawyer Robertson passed for 215 yards and a score for Baylor, which lost its final five games.

The Mountaineers got on the board first on a 30-yard touchdown pass from Greene to Traylon Ray with 5:55 to play in the first quarter. West Virginia added a 38-yard field goal by Michael Hayes to push its lead to 10-0 at the 14:10 mark of the second quarter.

Reese ripped off a 96-yard kickoff return 15 seconds later that cut the Bears’ deficit to 10-7.

Greene rambled 23 yards on a keeper for a touchdown that rebuilt the Mountaineers’ lead to 17-7 with 10:28 to play before halftime. But Reese answered again, this time going untouched for 93 yards the score.

Hayes added his second field goal of the game, this one for 36 yards, with 5:44 to play in the second quarter, to expand West Virginia’s lead to 20-7. Greene added a 1-yard scoring run with 15 seconds remaining to put the Mountaineers up 27-14 at the break.

The Bears’ offense came to life in the third quarter, scoring on a 38-yard pass from Robertson to Ketron Jackson Jr. on their opening drive and a 2-yard touchdown run from Dominic Richardson with 5:45 to play in the quarter, the latter giving them a 28-27 lead.

Isaiah Hankins added to the Baylor lead with a 39-yard field goal with 12:58 to play.

–Field Level Media

West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Garrett Greene (6) carries the ball on a touchdown run in the third quarter during an NCAA college football game between the Cincinnati Bearcats and the West Virginia Mountaineers, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, W. Va. The West Virginia Mountaineers won, 42-21.

West Virginia looking to build bowl momentum at Baylor

Posted on | by Field Level Media

West Virginia will look to improve its bowl status when it visits Baylor for a Big 12 Conference regular-season finale on Saturday in Waco, Texas.

The Mountaineers (7-4, 5-3 Big 12) are already guaranteed a spot in the postseason and look to accentuate what’s been a mostly positive season.

West Virginia was picked to finish last in the Big 12 in the preseason poll but has won three of its past four games to guarantee a winning record for the first time since 2020.

The Mountaineers are coming off a 42-21 win at home last Saturday over Cincinnati in which they rushed for 424 yards. They got 204 yards and a touchdown from Jaheim White and 154 yards and three TDs on the ground from quarterback Garrett Greene. Greene also passed for 210 yards and a score in the victory.

“The game was won in the trenches,” Greene said. “I thought our O-line played phenomenal; it’s the best in America.”

Baylor (3-8, 2-6) returns home after a 42-17 loss at TCU last Saturday. Blake Shapen passed for 197 yards and a touchdown and ran for a 2-yard score in the setback, the fourth straight for the Bears. The Bears were just 5-for-14 on third-down conversions, compared to a 9-for-11 success rate by the Horned Frogs.

The Bears will likely be without Shapen for their season finale after the quarterback suffered chest and head injuries late in the loss to TCU. Sophomore Sawyer Robertson is expected to make his fourth start of the season.

Baylor coach Dave Aranda said a win to cap the season would be an important step forward.

“For the team, it would be a relief,” he said. “It would be validation for working hard. When anything negative happens, you fight the attachment to all the negative things of the past. We’re fighting that fight right now, and to get a win would be a victory over that.”

–Field Level Media

Nov 11, 2023; Norman, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma Sooners wide receiver Nic Anderson (4) runs with the ball as West Virginia Mountaineers linebacker Ben Cutter (15) defends during the first quarter at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports

Dillon Gabriel accounts for 8 TDs as No. 17 Oklahoma crushes West Virginia

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Dillon Gabriel threw for a season-high 423 yards and five touchdowns and ran for three more as No. 17 Oklahoma beat West Virginia 59-20 on Saturday in Norman, Okla.

Gabriel’s eight combined passing/rushing touchdowns set a school record, besting the previous record of seven set by Kyler Murray and Baker Mayfield.

The win snapped a two-game losing streak and kept the Sooners (8-2, 5-2 Big 12) in the hunt for a berth in the Big 12 Championship game with two games remaining, though Oklahoma still doesn’t control its destiny.

Gabriel moved into 10th place in NCAA career passing yards, passing Marshall’s Rakeem Cato for 11th with his first completion of the second half — a 60-yard touchdown to Drake Stoops and then Hawaii’s Colt Brennan with a 12-yard completion to Stoops late in the third quarter.

Stoops finished with 10 catches for 164 yards and three touchdowns. Stoops has set career highs in receiving yards in back-to-back games.

Nic Anderson had four catches for 119 yards and Gavin Sawchuk ran for 135 yards as Oklahoma outgained the Mountaineers 644-330. The Sooners’ offensive production was its highest of the season.

West Virginia (6-4, 4-3) had its two-game winning streak snapped.

Garrett Greene was 10-of-27 for 154 yards and two touchdowns for West Virginia.
The Mountaineers got off to a quick start, scoring in just more than a minute to get the game started.

But from there, the Sooners took over.

Oklahoma scored the game’s next 31 points to build a comfortable lead by the second quarter.

Gabriel scored the first two touchdowns himself, with a pair of short runs.

While the Sooners’ offense heated up, the defense bounced back strong from the initial troubles.

After its first drive, West Virginia didn’t record another first down until late in the second quarter, and by the time the Mountaineers did get a first down, the Sooners were up 31-7.

West Virginia stayed in the game until late in the third quarter, when Stoops caught his second of three touchdowns to put the Sooners up 45-20.

–Field Level Media

Nov 4, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Jahiem White (22) runs the ball and avoids a tackle from Brigham Young Cougars defensive end Blake Mangelson (93) during the second quarter at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia runs all over BYU 37-7

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Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson Jr. each rushed for more than 100 yards to help West Virginia run over visiting BYU 37-7 Saturday night in Morgantown, W.Va.

White carried the ball 16 times for 146 yards and Donaldson racked up 102 yards and two touchdowns for the Mountaineers (6-3, 4-2 Big 12), who became bowl eligible with their sixth win.

The Mountaineers rushed for 336 yards and piled up 567 yards of total offense. Quarterback Garrett Greene threw for 205 yards and two touchdowns on 12-of-24 passing.

BYU junior quarterback Jake Retzlaff, starting for the injured Kedon Slovis, passed for 210 yards and completed 24 of 42 attempts in his first FBS action.

The Cougars (5-4, 2-4) lost their second straight conference road game after compiling only 277 yards of offense, including just 67 rushing.

West Virginia scored on its opening drive to seize control early. Moments after Donaldson prolonged the possession with a fourth-down conversion run, the sophomore’s 2-yard touchdown run put the Mountaineers up 7-0.

West Virginia then forced BYU to turn it over on downs near midfield and grabbed a 14-0 lead thanks to another Donaldson scoring plunge, this one from 1 yard out. That score was set up by a 30-yard pass from Greene to Traylon Ray.

Michael Hayes made it 17-0 with a 46-yard field goal early in the second quarter after the Mountaineers again forced BYU to turn it over on downs.

Greene hooked up with Preston Fox for a 12-yard touchdown reception and Hayes chipped in a 22-yard field goal for a 27-0 halftime lead as time expired in the second quarter.

BYU’s best scoring opportunity of the first half was thwarted when Aubrey Burks stripped the ball out of Parker Kingston’s hands on the West Virginia 18-yard line after a big pickup.

Hayes hit his third field goal, a 23-yarder, and Kole Taylor hauled in a 43-yard touchdown reception for a 37-0 lead.

BYU missed a 50-yard field goal attempt in the fourth quarter.

Aidan Robbins finally put the Cougars on the scoreboard with a 10-yard run with 6:24 left in the game. It was BYU’s first touchdown in 10 quarters, going back to its win over Texas Tech two weeks ago.

–Field Level Media