Rapid Takeaways: Scotty Fox's Future, Sloppy Defense, Questionable Effort

Initial thoughts following West Virginia's season-ending loss.

Nov 29, 2025; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. (15) throws a pass during the first quarter against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Well, there was no chance of shocking the world this afternoon in Morgantown as West Virginia had all hope of that eliminated within the first few possessions of the game.

For the final time this season, let's dive into my rapid reactions from today's blowout loss to Texas Tech.

Still big on Scotty Fox's future

I'm not putting much stock into today's performance by the true freshman. I did say earlier in the week that if he played a clean game and moved the offense, it would remove many questions about whether or not he'd be the guy next fall. Unfortunately for him, it just wasn't his day.

Still, I believe he's the future of the program. Is it him starting next year? Maybe, but we'll see what they do in the transfer portal. Regardless of what he did today, WVU needed to go out and add a veteran option to the room. There's a chance that they could get a one-year bridge and use his redshirt next year, but of course, he would have to sign off on that plan and believe in it.

Texas Tech has one of the best defenses in college football and is ranked where they are for a reason. The pieces around him didn't really give him a chance outside of Jeff Weimer, who had a nice day. Also, when you have zero run game against a really good defense, it puts a ton of pressure on the quarterback. He looked like a true freshman today. It happens. Let's not forget that he has two 300-yard performances and a win over a ranked team on the road.

Sloppy defensive game

Tech has a well-balanced offensive attack, loaded with top-tier talent, but that doesn't excuse the terrible tackling WVU put on display this afternoon. Horrible angles in pursuit, guys running into each other, poor gap discipline, and way too much reaching and grabbing instead of wrapping up. It did feel like Zac Alley played a bunch of the younger guys more today, perhaps as a last evaluation, but still, just a dreadful performance. Whatever Tech wanted to do, they did. Converting _ of third and fourth downs is just unacceptable, even against a top-five team.

Effort was certainly questionable

It didn't take long for Texas Tech to take a commanding lead, and it felt like the moment WVU gave Tech the ball back after trailing 14-0, everyone in blue knew it was over. It doesn't matter how bad things had gotten up to that point; you still have to play with maximum effort and not just allow it to get out of hand. That fight and resiliency that had been very evident the past month were not there today. Yes, Texas Tech is THAT much better of a team, but it didn't have to look like it did. Also, what in the hell is Cam Vaughn doing after that interception Max Brown threw? He put in zero effort and kept jogging in the opposite direction. There's no place for that, regardless of the score.

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