West Virginia football leans on defense to upset TCU, 24-21
The West Virginia football team stepped up to the challenge on the road on Saturday, defeating the TCU Horned Frogs 24-21 in Fort Worth, Texas, led by a dominant second-half performance from the Mountaineer defense and enough points on offense to get the job done.
West Virginia (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) took the ball first in the game with junior quarterback Garrett Greene back under center after his ankle injury put him out of the last contest. Greene started the drive with a quick completion but after a run play was stuffed on third and short, the Mountaineers punted the ball away.
It only took four plays for TCU (3-2, 1-1 Big 12) to get on the board with a touchdown, after quarterback Chandler Morris connected with wide receiver JP Richardson across the middle and he broke a tackle to take it 59 yards and put the Horned Frogs ahead 7-0.
The Mountaineers answered with what they do best, as Greene tucked the ball and took off for a 35-yard rushing touchdown, squashing questions about his injury recovery and tying the contest up at seven points each halfway through the first quarter.
The Horned Frogs put together an impressive drive on their next possession with 13 plays that translated to 47 yards on the ground. However, an intentional grounding penalty on a third down passing miscommunication pushed TCU into a 53-yard field goal attempt, which kicker Griffin Kell hooked left.
Following a West Virginia punt after three plays, the Mountaineer defense allowed another big play on the first snap of the second quarter when Morris took in a 31-yard rushing touchdown on a quarterback keeper. TCU jumped ahead again at 14-7 before it forced another WVU three and out just as quickly.
WVU’s defense made a strong play late into the following TCU drive, as it stuffed a run play up the middle on fourth down deep inside its own territory, giving the ball back to the offense.
West Virginia was unable to capitalize after one first down on the ground though, when a pass from Greene was dropped and WVU punted the ball away. After TCU’s returner JoJo Earle muffed the kick and backed up the team deep into its own territory, the Mountaineers stiffened on defense and started another possession trailing 14-7. West Virginia safety Aubrey Burks was also carted off the field for an injury following Earle’s return.
The Mountaineers took advantage of the positive field position to string together a scoring drive, employing a two tight end, three back formation on the goal line to punch in the game-tying touchdown. Running back CJ Donaldson took it in from one-yard out, to tie the game at 14.
The Horned Frogs didn’t take long to score to finish off the first half after a 36-yard completion from Morris to wide receiver Dylan Wright gave TCU the 21-14 advantage with 24 seconds to go. They took that lead to the break after West Virginia got within range for a Michael Hayes field goal but it was no good.
The Mountaineers opened up the second half with a defensive stand in five plays, and then running back Jahiem White broke off a 27-yard gain on the next offensive possession but ultimately Greene’s pass was batted away on fourth down, awarding TCU a takeaway on downs.
The West Virginia defense continued to be stout on the next drive, forcing two incompletions, one of which was nearly intercepted, before another Horned Frogs punt. After the defensive stand, freshmen Jahiem White and Hudson Clement led WVU’s best offensive drive of the second half late in the third quarter, but the veteran signal caller Greene carried the ball in for the game-tying touchdown from one-yard out.
Tied at 21 points each, the West Virginia defense stood tall again on three-straight plays and only allowed one total yard and one first down in the entire third quarter to the Horned Frogs. After a TCU punt, the WVU offense pushed the issue through the air with 60 passing yards on three of Greene’s best passes on the season but the Mountaineers were stopped on four downs on the goal line to award the Horned Frogs possession.
However, the turnover on downs didn't hurt the Mountaineers after they forced a fourth straight punt from TCU with 12 minutes left in the game. With good field position, Hayes put through a go-ahead 49-yard field goal to give West Virginia the 24-21 lead.
After a second player was carted off the field, linebacker Trey Lathan, the West Virginia defense made its most impressive stop of the game from nose tackle Mike Lockhart, who blocked Kell’s 46-yard field goal attempt to leave the WVU advantage at 24-21 with just under five minutes to go. The Mountaineers ended up punting the ball back to the Horned Frogs with three minutes to go in the contest.
The Horned Frogs put together a 10 play drive and attempted another field goal from 55 yards out which was once again blocked, this time by defensive lineman Sean Martin, to seal the fourth straight win for head coach Neal Brown and West Virginia.
West Virginia has a bye week for the following weekend, so its next contest will be on Thursday, Oct. 12 against the Houston Cougars at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
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