Offense Stalls Out As WVU Gets Crushed By Kansas 37-14

Morgantown, WV - The West Virginia Mountaineers (5-5, 2-5) were dominated by the Kansas Jayhawks (4-6, 2-5 Big 12) on a brisk afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown. It was the worst offensive showing from the Mountaineers all season long. West Virginia scored just one touchdown through the first half, 54 minutes of play after putting up 48 points in Lubbock last weekend against Texas Tech.

The Jayhawks started with the ball and moved quickly down the field into the red zone. However, the Mountaineers' defense was able to hold them to just a field goal.

The Mountaineers came out firing early, as junior quarterback Mike Hawkins Jr. stepped back to pass before his pass was tipped at the line and fell into the waiting arms of junior linebacker Trey Lathan. The former Mountaineer defender got his revenge on his old school early in the contest to set up the Jayhawks deep in enemy territory.

Just two plays later, the Jayhawks capitalized on the turnover. Redshirt sophomore running back Khijohnn Cummings-Coleman fought his way into the end zone from five yards out. In almost the blink of an eye, it was 10-0 Jayhawks with 8:52 left to play in the first quarter.

The Mountaineers came out firing once again. Sophomore wide receiver Taron Francis hauled in a highly contested downfield pass for a gain of 38. With the help of a defensive pass interference call a few plays after the chunk gain, Hawkins Jr. got the Mountaineers on the board with a 2-yard touchdown run. With 4:35 left to play in the first quarter, West Virginia was down 10-7.

The Jayhawks took the field and continued to move the ball downfield with ease. After an injury to quarterback Isaiah Marshall, it was junior Chase Jenkins who came in for the Jayhawks. However, Jenkins didn’t have to do much as Cummings-Coleman capped off an 8-play, 75-yard drive with a 26-yard touchdown scamper. The Mountaineers' defense continued to bend and break, as the Jayhawks extended their lead to 17-7 with 1:01 left to play in the first quarter.

Marshall returned to the game the very next drive for Kansas. The Jayhawks were past midfield when a deep shot was intercepted by freshman corner ChaMarryus Bomar. It was the first interception of his career and gave the Mountaineers a key stop with an opportunity to get back into the game.

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However, the Mountaineers were quickly forced to punt back to the Jayhawks. With 10:21 left to play in the second quarter, the boo birds began to sing from the stands as the fans grew frustrated with the offense's slow start to the game.

Things continued to get worse for the Mountaineers, as Kansas continued to do whatever they wanted offensively. It was senior running back Chase Belcher who punched it in from 2 yards out. After a missed extra point, Kansas led 23-7 with 6:07 left to play in the first half.

When it rains, it pours. After another punt by the Mountaineers, Kansas continued their utter dominance of the first half. This time, it was a 10-play, 67-yard drive capped off by a rushing touchdown from quarterback Isaiah Marshall. After being favored coming into the game, the Mountaineers found themselves in a 30-7 hole after two quarters of play.

If you expected the Mountaineers to come out with some fight, you would be sorely mistaken. The offense continued to struggle to move the ball or sustain drives whatsoever. To the defense's credit, they pitched a shutout in the third quarter. With just 15 minutes left to play and fans already heading towards the exits in Morgantown, the Jayhawks were clinging to a 30-7 lead.

However, on the first play of the fourth quarter, Kansas extended their lead. It was Belcher who took it in from 8 yards out for his second touchdown of the contest. The 7-play, 56-yard drive extended the Jayhawks' lead to 30, with the score at 37-7.

The Mountaineers started to put together a drive late in the contest. However, things got even worse as a sixth-year senior wideout, Jaden Bray, came up holding his left knee after catching a pass. Bray was helped off the field by trainers and did not return to the contest.

At long last, the Mountaineers got back in the end zone. Hawkins Jr. found senior wideout John Neider from 17 yards out. The 12-play, 86-yard drive cut the Jayhawks' lead to 23 with 5:01 left to play.

The rest of the game was simply a formality. The Mountaineers looked lifeless on offense, posting just 262 yards of total offense after coming into the game averaging 480 yards per contest. The win gives the Jayhawks their first road win of the season. The Mountaineers will need to beat Houston or Utah in one of their final two games to become bowl-eligible.

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