Everything works in cycles in the game of football.

West Virginia had found themselves in a rut in the second half, particularly in the third quarter, as the offense sputtered to fewer than 30-yards per game during the three-game stretch of Texas, Iowa State and Oklahoma.

It was already going to be a challenge based on the opponents alone, but the inability to generate any offense in the second half was a significant factor in the Mountaineers allowing 21-17 and 21-14 deficits against the Longhorns and Cyclones turn into lopsided games in the end.

But it hasn’t always been difficult and shows to how a young-team can fluctuate during the season.

Those struggles proceeded a three-game stretch where the offense had played well coming out the second half gates by controlling the damage on the road at Missouri and then scoring on the opening possessions of the second half against North Carolina State and Kansas.

“We had two or three games in a row where we scored on the first drive of the third quarter,” head coach Neal Brown said.

So the Mountaineers made some adjustments to the practice schedule to take advantage of that critical period known as the “middle eight.” That period is the four minutes prior to the end of the second half and the opening four minutes of the third quarter, a key timeframe in any football game.

To accomplish this, Brown and his coaches changed the format of practice. That meant altering his own players approach on the practice field to try to jump start things.

“We kind of practiced in quarters. First, second, third and fourth quarter kind of set up practice where we’d be better coming off break and I think it did kind of help us,” he said.

Turns out, the shift in preparation worked. The Mountaineers started hot out of the gate with a turnover on the first play of the second half against Baylor and driving the ball to the doorstep of a touchdown before the second of two bad snaps killed the quest to put points on the board.

That opening drive alone West Virginia traveled 45-yards, surpassing that former plateau and managed to score 14 points in the half in the narrow 17-14 defeat. But the overall big picture is that perhaps things are turning when it comes to the struggles in the third quarter.

If so, Brown and his coaches could be responsible with the switch in structure leading up to the game.

The Mountaineers want to win the middle eight and are taking the steps to do just that.

“That’s something we really concentrated on during the bye week,” Brown said.

WATCH: Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Football vs. Texas Tech Preview

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