The Mountaineers escaped Milan Puskar Stadium with a late fourth-quarter push to overcome an 11-point deficit on Saturday.
A weather delay again stalled the game, marking the second lightning delay in this early season. West Virginia starting quarterback Garrett Greene was key in the victory. Following the game, he credited select teammates and spoke of his rushing ability and his late-game heroics.
Wide receiver Rodney Gallagher III caught what turned out to be the game-winning touchdown Saturday, putting the Mountaineers up by five in the late stages. The touchdown was the first of the sophomore’s career and it couldn’t have come at a bigger moment.
“I think he’s matured a lot. He understands the game a little bit more..he was a tremendous athlete when he came here, but now he’s finding the little nuances, finding the holes in the defense,” Greene said of Gallagher.
A significant part of Greene’s play comes from his ability to run and extend plays. He mentioned how WVU head coach Neal Brown has given him the “green light” to use his legs whenever necessary.
“I always trust my legs. Coach Brown’s done a phenomenal job of giving me the freedom to just say, ‘Tuck it and run’. There have been some growing pains for sure with it, but I think he’s comfortable with my decisions to just tuck it and run,” Greene said.
Greene came up big for West Virginia in crunch time. With his free scrambling ability and arm with two big touchdowns late, his play improved from earlier in the contest.
“I don’t know, I always want the ball in my hands to end the game. Sometimes that may be a downfall, but you know I always want the ball in my hands at the end of the game,” Greene said when asked about “Regular game Garrett and two-minute Garrett.”
The Mountaineers will have extra time off with the bye in Week 5, giving them ample time to prepare for a huge conference matchup on the road against No. 12 Oklahoma State on Oct. 5.
