West Virginia Drops Heartbreaker to Houston
HOUSTON - The West Virgina Mountaineers trailed by 11 with 7:28 left in the game and the Mountaineers fought back as Garrett Greene found Hudson Clement for a 50-yard touchdown pass with 13 seconds remaining but the Houston Cougars connected on a Hailmary on the final play for a 41-39 win.
Houston won the toss and elected to receive the ball to open the game. The Cougars Moved the ball inside WVU territory but the drive stalled, and the Mountaineers took over at their own nine.
West Virgia held the ball for nearly eight minutes in its opening possession and drove the ball to the Houston nine before settling for a 27-yard field goal.
Mathew Golden immediately responded, returning the kick 100 yards for the touchdown and a 7-3 Cougar lead.
The Mountaineers answered on the ensuing possession. Garrett Greene connected with Preston Fox over the middle for 31 yards on third six to keep the drive alive, then hit running back CJ Donaldson down the left sideline for 18-yards to the Houston five-yard line. Donaldson found the endzone on the following play to reclaim the Mountaineer lead 10-7.
The West Virginia offense only mustered up 29 yards of total offense in the second quarter allowing Houston to start at midfield and find rhythm on its final possession of the half. Donovan Smith went 4-4 for 35 yards before a pass interference set the Cougars up at the two-yard line. Then, Smith carried it into the endzone for a 14-10 lead with 28 seconds remaining in the half.
West Virginia started the second half with the ball at midfield following a facemask on the kickoff return, and West Virgnia quickly found the endzone with a four-play 54-yard touchdown drive capped off with a 35-yard flea flicker to freshman Traylon Ray from 35 yards out to give the Mountaineers a 17-14 advantage.
The Mountaineers were marching on their following drive until Jaylon Anderson bobbled the ball on the way into the endzone and fell into the waiting hands of Isaiah Hamilton in the back of the endzone for the touchback.
Houston running back Stacy Sneed went off the right side for 58 yards on the first play of the drive and Joseph Manjack IV capped off the drive, breaking a tackled in raced down the sideline for the touchdown as the Cougars regained the lead, 21-17.
The Mountaineers returned the favor on the next drive. Greene delivered a strike down the middle of the field to Devin Carter for 49 yards to set WVU at the Houston 20. Then, Kole Taylor leaped over the Houston defender to the one. Then, Greene snuck it from the one for a 24-21 lead.
Houston made quick work of the WVU defense on its following possession with a four-play 66-yard touchdown drive for the 28-24 advantage.
The Cougars extended the lead after converting on second and 22 when Smith found Stephon Johnson Jr. on the right side for a 27-yard toss and catch and the pair capped off drive with a 21-yard touchdown pass and held a 35-24.
West Virignia got back within three, mixing the pass and the run and a 17-yard pass to tight end Kole Taylor put the Mountaineers into Houston territory before Garrett Greene scampered for an eight-yard touchdwon. Then, he hit Traylon Ray to in the back of the endzone for the two-point conversion to get within three, 35-32, with 3:42 left in the game.
West Virginia got the ball back with 1:17 remaining in the game. The Mountaineers got to midfield after a 17-yard reception from Taylor and Devin Carter hauled in a 21-yard pass. Then, facing a fourth and 10, Garret Green hit Hudson Clement down the seam, and he raced into the endzone for the touchdown with 13 seconds remaining as the Mountaineers for a 39-35 lead.
However, on the final play of the game, Houston went for the Hailmary and Johnson came down with it as the Cougars get the walk off win 41-39.
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