Two weeks ago, following their win at Arizona, West Virginia made a change at the defensive coordinator position.
Part of the reason for the change was the lack of turnovers and plays made on that side of the ball this season.
On Saturday at Nippert Stadium, WVU's defense stepped up when it mattered most, forcing three turnovers while they scored two touchdowns, and West Virginia beat the Bearcats, 31-24.
West Virginia was in complete control against Cincinnati until the game turned upside down for the Mountaineers.
WVU was driving and faced a 3rd and three from the UC 22-yard line. Nicco Marchiol would look for Rodney Gallagher in the end zone, but Gallagher would fall to the ground as Logan Wilson tiptoed for an interception.
On the next play, Cincinnati completed an 80-yard touchdown, as WVU’s 17-point lead quickly turned into a 10-point lead, and the momentum completely flipped.
The lead was ultimately cut to three as the West Virginia offense sputtered, and Cincinnati took advantage on offense as quarterback Brendan Sorsby rushed in for a 12-yard touchdown with 9:42 to play.
The Mountaineers would be forced, giving UC the ball back at their own six.
Sorsby, who was crucial to get Cincinnati back in the game, would be a large part of the reason they lost. Sorsby would be pressured and tried to get rid of the ball to avoid a sack. The pass would go backward, scooped up by Tyrin Bradley, who returned it for a touchdown, giving WVU a 31-21 lead with 3:30 to play.
That miscue from Sorsby would not be the only one of the game, though. After Cincinnati took a 7-0 lead on their opening drive, they were driving again deep inside WVU territory.
The Mountaineer defense again pursued Sorsby as he was about to get sacked but tried to flip the ball forward, flipping it into the hands of WVU's Anthony Wilson, who returned it for a 79-yard pick-six, tying the game at 7-7.
On the very next drive, Sorsby scrambled but had the ball stripped by Reid Carrico before Kekoura Tarnue recovered it for the Mountaineers. WVU would settle for a field goal, but it allowed them to take a 10-7 lead.
WVU's lead increased to 17-7 as Marchiol threw a dart across the middle to Justin Robinson for a 10-yard touchdown with 3:37 to play in the first half.
That score would stand at halftime before Cincinnati was forced to punt on their opening drive of the second half.
West Virginia took advantage, as they went 51 yards on six plays, capped off by an 8-yard rush from Marchiol for the score, putting WVU's lead at 24-7.
Following that drive, WVU went interception, punt, punt, allowing the Bearcats to get back in the game.
Cincinnati tacked on a field goal with 36 seconds left, cutting WVU's lead to 31-24, but failed to recover the onside kick.
Marchiol, who started his second game in a row for the Mountaineers, finished with 156 yards on 9-for-15 passing, throwing a touchdown and an interception. He also finished with 18 yards and a score on the ground. Marchiol remains undefeated as a starting quarterback.
Jahiem White led the Mountaineers on the ground with 64 yards on 13 carries.
Sorsby finished the game with 279 yards passing and 48 yards rushing. He also threw a touchdown and an interception and rushed for another touchdown.
----------
• Talk about it with West Virginia fans on The Blue Lot.
• SUBSCRIBE today to stay up on the latest on Mountaineer sports and recruiting.
• Get all of our WVU videos on YouTube by subscribing to the WVSports.com Channel
• Follow us on Twitter: @WVSportsDotCom, @rivalskeenan, @wesleyshoe
