Neal Brown isn’t into hypotheticals with his football team.

Yes, he remembers almost every detail from every game but he doesn’t spend time looking and wishing he would have done something differently. That will be reserved for the off-season when Brown is able to pick through what his team did or didn’t do well and look for ways to be better prepared.

That’s when he’ll apply those things and work them in spring practice.

But in the meantime, he does know one thing.

His West Virginia football team is getting better.

It might not feel like it at times, but this Mountaineers football team has made significant improvement over the 5-7 club a year ago. How can Brown say that with a 4-3 record? Well, because in every single game this year the Mountaineers have been winning or within one score late in the game.

That was not the case last season.

Now, the Mountaineers have found a way to win one close game against Baylor but lost three more against Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas. That has to be where this team improves next, but the mold has been set and in many ways this has been a competitive football team.

“This year we’ve been in every football game and competing at a high level. You’re talking about fourth quarter football games which coach Brown has talked about all year,” offensive coordinator Gerad Parker said. “Certainly we’ve missed some chances to be even better at that.”

Just being competitive in games isn’t good enough and everybody understands that. But the climb takes time and improvement is the name of the game.

“Making critical plays during critical times and trusting your training in those,” Parker said.

Now they must figure out how to get over the hump.

“I know we’re better but we’ve got to finish the year off. We’re not where we want to be because we’re no finishing those games. I do know we’re better but it is frustrating that we haven’t finished those games yet,” Brown said.

West Virginia isn't in it for close games, but you have to start somewhere and the hope is that it will eventually translate into wins.

The climb is still ongoing but with a relatively young roster, Brown is starting to see some of the pieces coming together to have success. One step at a time.

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