WACO, Texas — With its season teetering on the brink and coming off an embarrassing first half in a 23-20 loss last Saturday at home to Texas Tech on homecoming, West Virginia vowed things would be different.
And they were.
kAm%9:D E:>6 2C@F?5 E96 9@=6 H2D D@ 566A E96C6 H2D ?@ D64@?5\92=7 4@>6324<]k^Am
kAmp== @7 E96 :DDF6D E92E H6C6 AC6D6?E 2 H66< 28@ D9@H65 FA 2?5 D66>:?8=J >F=E:A=:65 2D q2J=@C BF2CE6C324< v6CCJ q@92?@? D6E D62D@? 9:89D :? A2DD:?8 J2C5D WbbeX 2?5 E@F495@H?D W7@FCX :? 2 cd\a_ q62CD 3=@H@FE H:?[ D6?5:?8 ('& Wa\c @G6C2==[ _\b q:8 `a r@?76C6?46X E@ :ED E9:C5 DEC2:89E =@DD E@ @A6? =628F6 A=2J]k^Am
kAm~? E96 D64@?5 A=2J 7C@> D4C:>>286[ q@92?@? 9:E H:56@FE %JBF2? %9@C?E@? @? 2 D=2?E A2DD E92E H6?E 7@C fd J2C5D 2?5 2 E@F495@H?] p=E9@F89 E96 |@F?E2:?66CD 42>6 FA H:E9 2? 2?DH6C @? E96:C 7:CDE 5C:G6[ (6DE ':C8:?:2’D @776?D:G6 H@6D 2?5 D@>6 DFCAC:D:?8 5676?D:G6 567:4:6?4:6D H6C6 72C E@@ >F49 E@ @G6C4@>6 2?5 <66A A246]k^Am
kAm“q25 7@@E32==[” ('& 4@249 }62= qC@H? D2:5] “x E9@F89E ,q2J=@C. r@249 ,s2G6. pC2?52 2?5 E96:C 4C6H[ E96J H6C6 C625J E@ 8@[ E96J D@F?5=J 362E FD :? 6G6CJ A92D6]k^Am
kAm“(6 5:5 ?@E 3=@4< E96>] (6 5:5?’E 4@?D:DE6?E=J 3=@4< E96> 2?5 H6 ?6G6C 4@G6C65 E96>[ D@ :E H2D AC6EEJ D:>A=6] x7 J@F 42?’E 3=@4< E96> @? @776?D6 2?5 J@F 5@?’E 4@G6C E96> @? 5676?D6[ :E’D 8@:?8 E@ 36 2 =@?8 52J 2?5 :E H2D] s:D2AA@:?E:?8 A6C7@C>2?46] q25 7@@E32== 2?5 H6 H6C6?’E G6CJ 8@@5 E@52J]”k^Am
kAmp7E6C 2 H66< @7 36>@2?:?8 2 ?@\D9@H 7:CDE 92=7 =2DE H66< :? H9:49 E96 |@F?E2:?66CD 7@F?5 E96>D6=G6D EC2:=:?8 %6I2D %649 `f\_ 2E 92=7E:>6[ E9:?8D 4@F=5?’E 92G6 DE2CE65 >F49 H@CD6 $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAmq@92?@? 2?5 %9@C?E@?’D 62C=J 4@??64E:@? H2D 7@==@H65 3J >:D4@>>F?:42E:@? 2?5 2 E:>6@FE 367@C6 (6DE ':C8:?:2’D 7:CDE @776?D:G6 D?2A] xE 3C:67=J 8@E 36EE6C 2D E96 |@F?E2:?66CD >2C4965 fd J2C5D @? D:I A=2JD[ 42AA65 3J 2 `a\J2C5 D4@C:?8 E9C@H 7C@> y2CC6E s@686 E@ $62? #J2? E@ E:6 E9:?8D 2E f]k^Am
kAmqFE ('&’D 62C=J 3=@H? 4@G6C286 D@@? AC@G65 E@ 36 2 EC6?5 2?5 ?@E 2? 236CC2E:@? 2D q2J=@C D4@C65 E@F495@H?D @? :ED 7:CDE E9C66 A@DD6DD:@?D 2?5 7@FC @7 :ED 7:CDE 7:G6] %9@D6 >2C496D H6C6 9:89=:89E65 3J 3:8 A=2JD @77 E96 2C> @7 q@92?@?[ H9@ 4@>A=6E65 E9C@HD @7 cc[ `f[ aa 2?5 dg J2C5D :? E96 7:CDE 92=7[ 2>@?8 @E96CD[ E96 =2DE @7 H9:49 D6E FA 2? ``\J2C5 DEC:<6 E@ %9@C?E@? :? E96 D64@?5 BF2CE6C E@ >2<6 E96 D4@C6 ag\f H:E9 hida C6>2:?:?8 :? E96 92=7]k^Am
kAm%96 q62CD Wd\`[ b\`X 6?E6C65 2D E96 =628F6’D D64@?5\36DE CFD9:?8 2EE24<[ 2G6C28:?8 ac_ J2C5D A6C 82>6[ 2?5 H9:=6 E96 |@F?E2:?66CD 5:5 2 C6=2E:G6=J 8@@5 ;@3 62C=J 282:?DE E96 q62CD CFD9:?8 2EE24<[ :E 7@F?5 7@@E:?8 :? E96 D64@?5 92=7 2D E96 q2J=@C 3682? E@ D:E @? 2 3:8 =625] x? E96 6?5[ q2J=@C CFD965 7@C `f` J2C5D[ A:=65 FA dad E@E2= J2C5D 2?5[ 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ D9C65565 2 (6DE ':C8:?:2 5676?D6 E92EG 6?E6C65 $2EFC52J 2D E96 DEC6?8E9 @7 E96 E62>]k^Am
kAm“(6 ;FDE 8@E 6IA@D65 2 =:EE=6 3:E[” qC@H? D2:5] “s676?D:G6=J H6’G6 A=2J65 23@G6 2G6C286 2E E:>6D 3FE H6 92G6?’E 366? G6CJ 4@?D:DE6?E 2?5 H6’G6 DECF88=65 H:E9 4@G6C286 2?5 E96J 42>6 @FE 2?5 E96J 925?’E D9@H? E96 23:=:EJ 62C=J E@ 5@ E92E 2D 72C 2D E9C@H:?8 E96 7@@E32==] q@92?@? 92D A=2J65 H6==[ 96 92D?’E 9FCE E96>[ x DE:== E9:?< 96 92D?’E E9C@H? 2? :?E6C46AE:@? 2== J62C 2?5 H6 92G6?’E 4@G6C65 %9@C?E@? J6E] w6 >2J DE:== 36 @FE E96C6 CF??:?8 H:56 @A6?]k^Am
kAm“(6 A=2J65 D@7E] ~FC F?56C?62E9 5676?56CD 5:5?’E 5@ 2 8@@5 ;@3 86EE:?8 @FE :? E96 7=2ED] (6 >256 :E C62==J 62DJ 7@C E96> E@ A:E49 E96 32== @FE E96C6 2?5 4@>A=6E6 :E]”k^Am
kAm%96 |@F?E2:?66CD 2=D@ DECF88=65 :? E96 C65 K@?6 282:?[ D6EE=:?8 7@C r2D6J {688 7:6=5 8@2=D H:E9 ei`f E@ 8@ :? E96 7:CDE 92=7 2?5 H:E9 hi`f =67E :? E96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C] %96 D64@?5 E6>A@C2C:=J 5C6H E96 |@F?E2:?66CD H:E9:? EH@ D4@C6D 2E ag\`b]k^Am
kAmqFE[ 27E6C q2J=@C C64@G6C65 2 (6DE ':C8:?:2 @?D:56\<:4< 2EE6>AE[ E96 q62CD EC2G6CD65 cf J2C5D @? ;FDE E9C66 A=2JD[ H:E9 q@92?@? 7:?5:?8 E:89E 6?5 q6? $:>D 7C@> ah J2C5D @FE E@ FA E96 >2C8:? E@ bd\`b] $:>D 4@?G6CE65 3@E9 @7 9:D 42E496D :?E@ E@F495@H?D[ 244@F?E:?8 7@C bh J2C5D[ %9@C?E@? =65 2== C646:G6CD H:E9 6:89E 42E496D 7@C `gf J2C5D 2?5 sC6H tDEC2565 EFC?65 7@FC 42E496D :?E@ h_ J2C5D 7@C q2J=@C]k^Am
kAmp3C2> $>:E9 2?5 %C6DE2? t3?6C 6?E6C65 2D E96 =628F6’D 36DE CFD9:?8 5F@ 3FE H6C6 =:>:E65 :? E@F496D[ H:E9 $>:E9 42CCJ:?8 `` E:>6D 7@C gf J2C5D H:E9 2 b`\J2C5 E@F495@H? CF? :? E96 E9:C5 BF2CE6C] t3?6C 7:?:D965 H:E9 db J2C5D @? 6:89E E@E6D]k^Am
kAms@686 4@>A=6E65 a_ @7 b` A2DD6D 7@C abf J2C5D 2?5 H2D A:4<65 @77 @? 2 32== E:AA65 2E E96 =:?6 @7 D4C:>>286 :? E96 7:CDE 92=7] v2CC6EE vC66?6 A=2J65 E96 >2;@C:EJ @7 E96 =2EE6C DE286D 2?5 925 2? `g\J2C5 E@F495@H? CF? H:E9 ci`g C6>2:?:?8 E@ 4@>A=6E6 E96 D4@C:?8] vC66?6 7:?:D965 2D E96 E62>’D =625:?8 CFD96C H:E9 dd J2C5D @? `_ 42CC:6D @? 2 52J :? H9:49 E96 |@F?E2:?66CD DECF88=65 282:? @? E96 8C@F?5[ 244@F?E:?8 7@C ;FDE h_ J2C5D @? bg 42CC:6D]k^Am
kAm%9@F89 ('&’D AC6G:@FD E9C66 =@DD6D 42>6 3J 2 E@E2= @7 `a A@:?ED[ $2EFC52J’D =@DD E@ E96 q62CD H2D @3G:@FD=J @7 2 5:776C6?E G2C:6EJ[ 2E =62DE :? E6C>D @7 E96 7:?2= >2C8:?] pD E96 |@F?E2:?66CD 9625 :?E@ E96:C 7:CDE 2?5 @?=J 3J6 H66< @7 E96 D62D@?[ qC@H? D2:5 6G6CJE9:?8 H:== 36 6I2>:?65]k^Am
kAm“(6’G6 8@E E@ D@=G6 D@>6 :DDF6D[” }62= qC@H? D2:5] “x7 J@F =@@< 2E :E E9C@F89 7:G6 82>6D[ H6’G6 366? C:89E E96C6[ 3FE E@52J H2D 2 E@E2==J 5:776C6?E DE@CJ D@ x E9:?< 6G6CJE9:?8 :D @? E96 E23=6]k^Am
kAm“%96J A=2J65 H6== 3FE H6 5:5?’E 5@ 6?@F89 E@ 4@>A6E6 2E E9:D =6G6= 2?5 D@[ H96? E92E 92AA6?D[ 6G6CJE9:?8 :D @? E96 E23=6]”k^Am
