Gibson catch sparks WVU rally

Trailing 16-3 late in third quarter and starring at another possible loss to Kansas State, the West Virginia offense needed a spark. It didn’t take long for that spark to ignite.

The motto for the offense has been to keep fighting. And while things were not going smooth for the Mountaineers offense against the Wildcats sometimes it just takes a play.

Redshirt junior wide receiver Shelton Gibson raced by the Kansas State cornerback D.J. Reed down the left sideline and hauled in the throw from Skyler Howard for 52-yards. That’s impressive enough.

But considering the fact that Gibson had the concentration to track the ball and jump to reel in the pass while having his helmet ripped off made it one of the highlight grabs of the year to date. A flag was not thrown on the play but Gibson held on regardless despite the contact.

“At first I didn’t know he pulled it off until I got up. It was crazy,” Gibson said.

In post-game interviews, Gibson had already seen the play “15 or 16” times. That number is likely going to increase in the coming days as it makes its rounds on various sports mediums.

“Coach Holgorsen called my number and once your number is called you have to make that play. Regardless of where the ball was I had to make that play,” Gibson said.

Gibson was able to out run the coverage of Reed, who was playing back on the play, in order to put himself in position to make the catch down the field. It’s just another example of the speed that Gibson has and his playmaking ability down the field that can change a game on any given play.

“If they’re sitting there tippy toeing I’m going to get past you,” he said.

And it set the Mountaineers up deep inside Kansas State territory where West Virginia would soon cut the Wildcats advantage with a touchdown and eventually go onto win 17-16. Football is never as easy as identifying one play that changed the tide of a game but Gibson’s catch did inspire the offense.

“I trust him to go up and make plays in any satiation. For him to go up and get his head ripped off and still catch it means he’s hungry for the ball,” Howard said.

The timing between quarterback and wide receiver has been strong with Howard and Gibson, but this season that has taken even more steps forward as the two have evolved. Gibson is coming off his third consecutive 100-yard game after posting only a total of four a season ago.

But the biggest strides have come in Gibson’s ability to go up and get the football and hold onto it regardless of the challenges. It’s an issue he struggled with at times last year and he kept him from reaching the 1,000-yard mark plateau and haunted him all off-season.

“I want it bad. So whenever the ball was in the air last year I would make it on an underthrow but a playmaker is going to make that catch,” he said.

And Gibson has been making quite a few.