MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —The West Virginia defense struggled to stop Kansas all night long. Ultimately, the Jayhawk defense would prevail in overtime ending the game on a pick-six, as they beat the Mountaineers 55-42.
It was an offensive slugfest from the beginning at Milan Puskar Stadium on Saturday night. The Mountaineers opened the game with a 59-yard touchdown from JT Daniels to Sam James just four plays into the game.
The Mountaineers would then go up 14-0 in the first ten minutes, as CJ Donaldson cashed in on a one-yard rushing touchdown, capping off a 12 play drive.
Kansas would not back down though, as quarterback Jalon Daniels would have his way with the Mountaineer secondary. West Virginia was without Charles Woods and without Wesley McCormick in the first half, and Daniels would take full advantage.
Daniels would end up trading scores with the Mountaineer offense, as both teams would score four times in the first half. Daniels would account for two passing touchdowns in the first half, while West Virginia’s JT Daniels threw for 185 yards and three touchdowns, while only having one incompletion in the first half.
Halfway through the third quarter with the game tied at 28-28, the West Virginia got their second stop of the game. The Mountaineers forced a Kansas punt before Reese Smith muffed the punt, giving Kansas possession on the West Virginia 24 yard line.
Six plays later Kansas’ Devin Neal would score his third touchdown of the game on a two-yard rush, putting Kansas ahead 35-28 with 4:00 left in the third quarter.
“The dropped punt was a big play. Common themes when you lose close games are turnovers,” West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said.
West Virginia would answer with a field goal, putting them down 35-31, before Kansas answered with a 30-yard touchdown run from Daniel Hishaw, putting the Jayhawks back in front 42-31 with 10:59 to play.
The Mountaineers would drive 64 yards over the next 6:55 to go trail 42-34. Needing a stop, the West Virginia defense would find one, forcing Kansas to punt.
Then, with 2:17 to play, the Mountaineers had to drive 85 yards. 12 plays later, Donaldson would find the end zone again, before Daniels found Bryce Ford-Wheaton on the two-point conversion, tying the game at 42-42.
In overtime, West Virginia would choose to be on defense first. Kansas would find themselves on third down and the Mountaineer defense swarmed Daniels. As he tried to escape he flipped a pass out which was covered up. On what would have been a long fourth down instead turned into a first down and goal as Taijh Alston would be called for roughing the passer.
Daniels would then find Quentin Skinner for a four-yard score, putting Kansas up 49-42.
West Virginia would then get their chance to answer. Daniels was facing a third down and targeted Ford-Wheaton on the outside. Instead, Kansas’ Cobee Bryant would intercept Daniels’ pass, returning it for a touchdown and ending the game.
“Two turnovers were the difference. We played well enough to win on offense. Defense we couldn’t get off the field,” Brown said.
Moving forward, West Virginia has now dropped their first two games of the season, but Brown says he hopes this team recognizes there is still a lot of football to be played.
“We’re two games into this. Neither game was the result it wanted it to be. But it’s a long year,” Brown said. “I get the frustration.”
Photo by Aaron Parker, Blue Gold Sports
