West Virginia defeated Kansas 32-28 in a late-game thriller on Saturday.
The Mountaineers rallied from an 11-point deficit in the fourth quarter to win their first Big 12 game of 2024. WVU head coach Neal Brown discussed what went well for his team and gave some updates.
“We had a game last week that we really should’ve won, up 10 under five. But, then we came back and flipped the script this week,” Brown said.
West Virginia won in a similar fashion to how Pitt beat them last week. Coming back from a double-digit deficit, scoring two unanswered touchdowns and forcing a turnover to seal it.
The game-winning touchdown was a 15-yard Rodney Gallagher touchdown grab, which put the Mountaineers up late. Brown spoke on the big moment and its meaning.
“Rodney came through there at the end. What a big moment for him,” Brown said.
The touchdown was Gallgher’s first in his collegiate career. The sophomore has taken on a bigger role for the Mountaineers this season. While he didn’t play defense Saturday, he has this season as WVU has tried him out as a two-way player.
West Virginia’s leading receiver, however, was Hudson Clement, the redshirt sophomore.
“Thought Hudson bounced back, he’s really putting a lot of pressure on himself,” Brown said. “He’s a high-end player. I even said it when [we played] Duquense last year, when he had the big breakout. And I was like, ‘Hey, this is a cool story, but I’m telling you he’s a good player. This isn’t like one time where he gets three touchdowns not to be heard of like he’s a really good player.'”
Clement finished with 150 yards on seven catches. His story is compelling: He started his career as a walk-on before breaking out and earning a scholarship, but he looks to continue to show that he’s more than just a story and a difference-maker for West Virginia’s offense.
Lastly, the Mountaineers were all-banged up throughout the game, with multiple injury timeouts. West Virginia’s cat safety and spear, Aubrey Burks, was put on a stretcher after a scary injury. According to the ESPN2 broadcast, though, Burks had feeling in all extremities when he was taken off the field, and eventually, he was seen walking under his own power after the fact. Brown gave an update on Burks.
“He had an upper-body injury, and it must have happened during a play, but he didn’t have the symptoms until he came out,” Brown said. “He’s back; he was in the locker room he got back for. I happened to look down as we were getting ready to kick off after the final touchdown, and he was walking out. And he’s in good spirits. All the tests were clear, so very thankful for that.”
West Virginia has an upcoming bye week, which gives them time to rest and reset. On Oct. 5, they’ll travel to Stillwater, Oklahoma, to play Oklahoma State in their next contest.
