MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — If you have been to roll again the clock to the spring earlier than West Virginia met Pitt in the first renewal of the Backyard Brawl in a decade to open the new football season, you is likely to be anticipating see a revitalization of Mountaineer football if somebody instructed you:
— West Virginia would defeat Oklahoma for the first time since becoming a member of the Big 12.
— West Virginia would beat the groups anticipated to be 1-2-3 in the convention: Baylor Oklahoma State and Oklahoma.
— Former 5-star quarterback recruit JT Daniels would switch in from Georgia and take over the QB position.
— WVU would uncover a star working again in JT Daniels and have extra depth at the place than it has had since the Rich Rodriguez/Bill Stewart days.
— WVU’s offensive line would mature right into a strong unit with a celebrity at heart Zach Frazier.
— That All-American defensive sort out Dante Stills would unexpectedly return to play out his eligibility and break the college profession report in tackles for losses.
What did not occur in 2022 was WVU’s football fortunes being revitalized and, as an alternative, the Mountaineers had their third sub-.500 report in 4 years underneath Neal Brown as its failures threw the total athletic division into turmoil.
Fans spent a lot of the yr calling for Coach Neal Brown’s dismissal, which did not occur as a result of it was financially unfeasible attributable to a $20 million buyout clause in his contract.
Instead, the man who was fired was the man who gave him that buyout, athletic director Shane Lyons.
Facing one of the hardest schedules in the nation that included not solely 9 Big 12 video games however two Power 5 rivalry encounters with Pitt and Virginia Tech, ravaged by transfers and accidents, Brown couldn’t area a successful staff in a yr the place that gave the impression to be a necessity.
He’d been given the instruments with amenities by no means earlier than imagined, been given a brand new offensive coordinator in Graham Harrell, who was speculated to take the offensive game-calling pressures off of him, however in some way it by no means match collectively.
The most beautiful of the many transfers was that of defensive sort out Akheem Mesidor, who was being counted upon to hitch Dante Stills to make up one of the nation’s most feared defensive strains and move rushes.
The warmth was on Brown from the begin as expectations have been excessive with the renewal of the Backyard Brawl. Pitt had gained the ACC final yr however the Mountaineers actually believed with the addition of Harrell as offensive coordinator and Daniels at quarterback they might win the sport.
It was extra of an occasion than a football sport, the largest crowd ever to see a sporting occasion in Pittsburgh (70,622) crammed Acrisure Stadium and have been supplied with a thriller which the Panthers gained, 38-31.
The sport ended with WVU’s Reese Smith seemingly making a fourth-down diving catch at the Panther 1, solely to have replay accurately overturn the name on the area, permitting the Panthers to take two knees and run out the clock.
It was a sport WVU gave away as the successful landing got here when Bryce Ford-Wheaton, who had 9 catches on the day and a landing, let a move slip by means of his fingers and into the fingers of cornerback M.J. Devonshire, who ran it again 56 yards for the rating with 2:58 left.
But WVU followers have been even madder a few fourth and three teaching resolution to punt at midfield with a 31-24 lead. The conservative method appeared to work as they gave Pitt the ball at it is personal 8 and the Panthers went down the area for the tying rating.
There was one true ray of sunshine by means of this sport as JC Donaldson, a decent finish turned working again, had an incredible debut, dashing for a 44-yard achieve on his first Mountaineer carry, ending with 125 floor yards along with blocking a Panther punt at the Pitt 19.
The pot now was boiling and when the house opener, performed in the rain, was a 55-42 additional time loss to a much-improved Kansas staff, the warmth now was turned up on Brown.
WVU’s protection might cease nothing as Jayhawks quarterback Jalon Daniels handed for 3 touchdowns and accounted for 304 yards of whole offense whereas throwing for touchdowns.
Spirits soared after pounding Towson State and overwhelming Virginia Tech, 33-10, to maintain the Black Diamond Trophy.
WVU could not construct on these two wins, nevertheless, as Texas scored on 4 of its first 5 possessions in constructing a 28-7 halftime lead, burying the Mountaineer floor sport.
The Longhorns have been helped by two third-down and one fourth-down drops by WVU receivers.”It was a disappointing first half for us. They took control and I felt like they won the game within the first 15 minutes,” Brown stated.
WVU got here house for its third Thursday night time sport of the nonetheless younger season and scored a tense, 43-40 victory over Baylor, the pre-season favourite to win the league championship.
There was no protection performed in the sport, the two combining for 1,090 yards, Placekicker Casey Legg would win it with a 22-yard area with 33 seconds left.
The sport would have a scary second as Donaldson’s day was lower brief when he suffered a concussion and laid immobile on the area for quarter-hour as gamers kneeled round him silently earlier than he was carted off to the locker room.
WVU’s momentum from the victory didn’t carry over as the Mountaineers did not present up at Texas Tech, dropping to the Red Raiders for the fourth straight time, 48-10.
“I am as disappointed as I have ever been as a football coach in my entire career,” Brown admitted.
Homecoming was subsequent, and unbeaten TCU was the opponent. WVU put issues collectively for this one and fought a gallant battle earlier than dropping, 41-31.”Our kids competed,” Brown stated. “People can be upset with me, that’s fine, but those kids battled today.”
Donaldson rushed for 104 yards and two touchdowns, the freshman’s fourth 100-yard sport of the yr, however it could be his remaining sport as he suffered a damaged ankle on a 1-yard achieve.
With Donaldson out and JT Daniels struggling in opposition to Iowa State’s Big 12-leading defensive, passing for simply 81 yards, he was relieved by Garrett Greene, WVU misplaced, 31-14, to the Cyclones.
WVU now moved on to Oklahoma, the convention’s long-time powerhouse now struggling by means of a tough season after coach Lincoln Riley moved on to USC.
The Mountaineers had nearly defeated the Sooners the earlier season however gave up a protracted, clock-consuming drive at the finish to lose.
This time they figured a technique to finish their 10-game dropping streak to the Sooners, successful 23-20 as Garrett Greene got here off the bench in the second quarter and willed the Mountaineers to the victory, not secured till Casey Legg’s second game-winning area objective of the season.
WVU had two video games left, and to turn into bowl eligible, they needed to win each of them, however eventual Big 12 champion Kansas State put collectively a workmanlike 48-31 victory behind again up quarterback Will Howard.
The season ended with WVU taking benefit of the struggling Oklahoma State Cowboys, as soon as No. 6 in the nation however ending at 7-5, 4-5 in the Big 12, after a 24-19 loss to WVU.
Freshman Jaylen Anderson rushed to the forefront with two lengthy TD runs and 155 dashing yards whereas Greene and Nicco Marchiol gave the Mountaineers quarterbacking that allowed them to complete at 5-7.
WVU had misplaced seven straight instances to Oklahoma State.Days after the season ended, WVU introduced that Lyons had been fired and Brown would return for the 2023 season.
That similar day, Nov. 3, defensive sort out Dante Stills was named to the All-Big 12 defensive staff for the second straight yr and heart Zach Frazier was named to the all-conference offensive staff whereas huge receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton earns second staff honors and pronounces he’s bypassing his remaining yr of eligibility to enter the NFL draft.
The Mountaineers closed out the yr by filling holes in the early signing dates, with the prize recruit being Rodney Gallagher, a proficient two-sport star from close by Laurel Highlands High in Uniontown.
“Rodney was probably as integral as a recruit that we’ve had here in my tenure,” Brown stated. “We treated him like a local player the whole time. It was integral that we went and got him. It was probably as enjoyable a recruiting process as I’ve ever been involved with.
“He’s the delight of Uniontown, Laurel Highlands High School. He’s going to convey an enormous group. Every time I’ve been to a basketball sport, it is standing room solely. Every time I am going to a football sport, and I’ve seen a quantity of them, it is standing room solely. I feel we’ll have some Rodney Gallagher impact right here, too.”
Brown additionally aimed to enhance his move rush, which was decimated by the defensive position being nearly worn out by transfers and graduations.
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