The Sports Xchange
NCAAF Team Report – West Virginia – INSIDE SLANT
The one thing West Virginia didn’t need was another offensive weapon, yet that’s just what coach Dana Holgorsen pulled out of his scabbard as he unleashed sophomore running back Andrew Buie on Texas in what became a hard-fought 48-45 road victory for the 5-0 Mountaineers.
Quarterback Geno Smith and his receivers did their usual number on the Longhorn defense, Smith helping his Heisman Trophy argument by completing 25 of 35 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns without an interception.
Smith now possesses 24 TDs without an interception this year and has thrown 222 consecutive passes this season without an interception.
His receivers did their part, three of the four TDs going to steady Stedman Bailey while Tavon Auston caught 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, his sixth straight game with at least 10 receptions and 100 yards.
But it was Buie who was called on 31 times to gain 207 yards with two touchdowns as the Mountaineers actually ran the ball more often than they threw it.
Holgorsen had planned on emphasizing the run against a Texas team that is strong in rushing the passer but that has had major problems tackling. And, as fast as the team was, they weren’t going to try to run outside but were going to go right at them with no frills.
“I was hoping that would be the case and he averaged 6.7 yards a run,” Holgorsen said. “What surprised me was he carried it 31 times. But we committed to the run. That’s something we talked about early in the week and there weren’t any tricks, either. We lined up and ran right at them and we felt like that was going to be a difference so we could alleviate some of the pressure on Geno.”
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NCAAF Team Report – West Virginia – NOTES, QUOTES
WHAT’S AHEAD: WVU plays its second consecutive Big 12 road game on Saturday at Texas Tech in a game that is fraught with danger. While WVU comes off an emotional high, playing before more than 100,000 spectators in Austin against a nationally-ranked team and having to recover an onsides kick to secure the win, this game would seem to be an emotional trap. This is especially true with what may be the season’s key matchup against Kansas State sandwiched at the other side of this game. QB Seth Doege is a cool and calm customer capable of putting points on the board and controlling the football while the Texas Tech defense had been at the top of the nation until Oklahoma exposed it.
–West Virginia went 5-for-5 on fourth-down attempts against Texas, and these were not always fourth-and-short.
–The victory was just WVU’s second ever on the road before a crowd of 75,000 or larger against a top-10 team.
–WVU had not beaten a top-10 team on the road in 30 years covering 12 games before topping No. 9 Texas. That goes all the way back to the 1982 team’s signature victory over No. 9 Oklahoma.
–WVU set a stadium record for points scored by a Big 12 team despite two turnovers. Texas had one turnover and had won 73 straight games when it won the turnover battle.
LOOKING GOOD: The Mountaineers’ passing game continues to be spectacular with QB Geno Smith completing 25 of 35 passes for 268 yards and four touchdowns without an interception in a game against Texas in which the run was emphasized. That’s right, sophomore running back Andrew Buie, forced to go full time while Shawne Alston spent his third game recovering from a thigh bruise, rushed 31 times for 207 yards and two TDs. The offensive line did a solid job of opening holes for him and he made use of a nifty spin move on occasion to force missed tackles. The receivers, of course, were all they are cracked up to be, Tavon Austin catching 10 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown and Stedman Bailey catching three more TD passes, giving him a school-record 13 for the season and eight in the past two games.
STILL NEEDS WORK: Once again the defense gave up points, 45 of them in the Texas game and 108 in the two Big 12 games, but there was improvement. The Mountaineers had a number of key stops late in the game, senior LB Josh Francis turning in a number of them, and much-beleaguered senior CB Pat Miller batting away a key fourth-down pass as Texas tried to mount a late rally, turning the ball over to WVU for a clinching touchdown by Buie. WVU’s special teams had their problems, other than Tavon Austin’s early returns.
QUOTE TO NOTE: “It was a big win against a great opponent like Texas and to do it on the road in front of 100,000 fans screaming and doing what they can do to help Texas beat us is a dream come true.” — WVU WR Stedman Bailey after catching three TDs in a crucial 48-45 victory over Texas in Austin.
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NCAAF Team Report – West Virginia – STRATEGY AND PERSONNEL
PLAYER NOTES:
–WR Stedman Bailey has 13 touchdown receptions among the 24 TD passes Geno Smith has thrown. That is a single-season record at WVU and the Mountaineers have played only five games. With eight games remaining he is almost halfway to Troy Edwards’ single-season record for touchdown receptions, set at Louisiana Tech in 1998 when he caught 27.
–WR Tavon Austin had 10 receptions for 102 yards and a touchdown and now has had at least 10 receptions and a TD in six straight games going back to last season. No FBS player has accomplished that since 2004.
–QB Geno Smith now has 24 touchdown passes and no interceptions. Smith has thrown 204 consecutive passes this season without an interception and is closing in on Trent Dilfer’s FBS season record of 271. Going back to last season, Smith has thrown 259 consecutive passes without an interception, just 120 attempts shy of Russell Wilson’s FSC record in 2008-09 when he was with North Carolina State.
–After completing 25 of 35 passes against Texas, Smith has completed 166 of 204 throws, an 81.4 percentage. The all-time NCAA record for highest single-season completion belongs to Texas’ Colt McCoy at 76.7 percent.
ROSTER REPORT
–RB Shawne Alston, who has been nursing a bruised thigh, missed the Texas game after sitting out against Baylor and almost all of the Maryland game. The big, inside runner did not make the trip to Austin.
–RB Ryan Clarke returned against Texas after missing a couple of games and shared blocking back duties with Cody Clay, who has emerged as a force in the role. Another big running back, Donovan Miles, also returned for Texas.
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