Turnovers Prove Costly in Mountaineers First Two Games
You hear it all the time, “turning the ball over will lose games,” and it’s been the formula for the Mountaineers 0-2 start to the season.
West Virginia had the then-seventeenth-ranked Pitt Panthers on the ropes last week in the second quarter when the Mountaineer defense forced a fumble on receiver Bub Means and looked to build on a 7-3 lead. However, just two plays into the drive, Kaden Prather fumbled and Pitt recovered at the WVU 35. The Pitt offense capitalized on the great field position and claimed a 10-7 advantage.
Then, in the fourth quarter, on the potential game-winning drive, Bryce Ford-Wheaton had the pass slip through his fingers off his helmet to an awaiting Pitt defender, who was beat so bad he was eight yards down the field, returned it for the touchdown and the win.
On Saturday, it was a pick-six that sealed the win in overtime for Kansas. West Virginia quarterback JT Daniels credited Kansas corner Cobee Bryant on the play following the game, nonetheless, a potential game-tying drive stifled by an interception.
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West Virginia’s second turnover came after the Mountaineer defense came up with one of its two stops on the evening. The first could be credited to Kansas penalties but nonetheless, with Kansas capturing momentum to end the first half, then tying the game coming out of the break before holding the Mountaineer offense to its first punt, West Virginia forced Kansas to a punt. However, Reese Smith muffed the punt and Kansas recovered at the WVU 24. Kansas scored the touchdown a grabbed its first lead of the day.
“The dropped punt was a big play,” said West Virginia head coach Neal Brown. “The common theme when you lose close games are turnovers. Even if this was a track meet, we still would have won the game if we don’t turn the ball over. We got a stop on defense - we finally got them to punt, and we had a chance to really grab control of the game and they go take the lead.”
While turnovers have been an issue in the past, it has not been the primary reason for the Mountaineers woes under Neal Brown. First, it was the offense’s inability to score, but a new offense coordinator has seemed to right the ship. However, coupled with untimely turnovers (There’s never a good time to turn the ball over but all four were very unfortunate) and poor defense, the Mountaineers remain winless heading into week 3.
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