WVU opens season with 40-14 win over Tennessee
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - No. 17/20 West Virginia (1-0) opened up its 2018 campaign with a 40-14 win over Tennessee (0-1) Saturday afternoon against Tennessee at Bank of America Stadium.
After taking a 13-7 halftime lead, West Virginia produced a strong second half effort which propelled the team to victory.
For West Virginia, quarterback Will Grier finished 25-of-34 for 429 yards and five touchdowns while Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano completed 19 of his 25 passes for 172 yards and one touchdown while Tim Jordan rushed for yards on attempts and touchdown .
West Virginia started out on defense and made an early statement as nose tackle Kenny Bigelow forced a fumble on the game’s first play. Tennessee then went three-and-out and punted the ball to the Mountaineers.
The Mountaineers then managed to drive to Tennessee’s nine-yard line with the help of a 25-yard pass from Grier to David Sills and a 12-yard run from Martell Pettaway, but a two-yard run from Tevin Bush and back-to-back incompletions forced West Virginia to settle for a 26-yard field goal from Evan Staley at the 11-minute mark.
On the ensuing drive, Tennessee crossed into West Virginia territory, but a couple of stops from defensive lineman Darius Stills and an incomplete pass on third down caused by a Toyous Avery hit on Guarantano forced the Volunteers to punt for the second time of the game.
West Virginia then wasted no time taking a two-possession lead as Grier hit T.J. Simmons for a 59-yard touchdown to put the Mountaineers up, 10-0. The touchdown also marked Simmons’ first catch as a Mountaineer. The drive covered five plays, 85 yards and took 2:18 off the clock.
After forcing another three-and-out, West Virginia would also go three-and-out and the Volunteers executed a 17-play, 78-yard drive capped off by a one-yard TD pass from Guarantano to Dominick Wood-Anderson on fourth and goal. The Volunteers took 8:47 off the clock and cut West Virginia’s lead down to 10-7 with 6:13 left in the second quarter.
During the drive, West Virginia SAM linebacker Charlie Benton went down with an injury and didn’t return.
A four-yard run from Pettaway, false start and back-to-back incomplete passes from Grier then led to West Virginia’s second straight three-and-out on the ensuing drive.
West Virginia’s defense would force Tennessee’s fourth punt of the day on the following drive and then the team’s offense managed to drive 72 yards in eight plays, ending the half with a 35-yard field goal from Staley which gave the Mountaineers a 13-7 lead over the Volunteers at halftime.
At halftime, the Mountaineers had the lead and outgained Tennessee, 195-135, in total yards, but the Volunteers held advantages in third conversions (5-for-10 to West Virginia’s 0-for-3) and time of possession (21:06 to West Virginia’s 8:54).
After a one-hour and five-minute weather delay, the second half began with a four-play, 68-yard scoring drive thanks to a 32-yard pass from Grier to Marcus Simms and then a 33-yard touchdown pass from Grier to Sills to put the Mountaineers up, 20-7, with 12:54 left in the third quarter.
A three-and-out by Tennessee then set up Grier’s third touchdown pass of the day as he connected with Gary Jennings for a 28-yarder, capping off a seven-play, 68-yard drive and extending West Virginia’s over Tennessee to 27-7.
Tennessee answered back quickly though with a five-play, 75-yard drive that ended with a four-run touchdown rush from Tim Jordan, cutting West Virginia’s lead down to 27-14.
However, West Virginia would come up with a touchdown for the third straight drive as running back Kennedy McKoy caught a 14-yard touchdown pass from Grier on his first play of the game, putting the Mountaineers up, 33-14, after the two-point conversion failed.
McKoy later fumbled in the fourth quarter and Tennessee would drive all the way down to the West Virginia two-yard line, but turned the ball over on downs. From there, West Virginia would ice the game with a late touchdown to earn its first win of the season.
The Mountaineers will return to Morgantown next Saturday for its home-opener against Youngstown State which is scheduled for a 6 p.m. kickoff.
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