Morgantown, WV – The West Virginia Mountaineers (2-2) trailed 28-17 with 5:39 left in the game but scored two straight touchdowns to beat the Kansas Jayhawks (1-3) 32-28 on Saturday afternoon.
West Virginia scored the game’s first points on the offense’s second possession of the afternoon. Senior quarterback Garrett Greene threw passes of 38 and 39 yards to redshirt sophomore receiver Hudson Clement, setting up a one-yard touchdown run by Jahiem White that gave them an early 7-0 lead.
Kansas tied the game midway through the second quarter. Senior running back Devin Neal carried the ball on the first four plays of the drive to get the Jayhawks to the midfield line. Then redshirt junior quarterback Jalon Daniels threw to senior receiver Luke Grimm down the sideline for 17 yards and a 14-yard pass to senior Quintin Skinner to get the Jayhawks to the WVU 11-yard line before Neal capped the drive with an 11-yard touchdown run.
After WVU punter Oliver Straw pinned the Jayhawks at the four-yard line and the defense held them at the nine-yard line, sophomore Rodney Gallagher’s 16-yard punt return put the Mountaineers in Kansas territory at the 34-yard line.
The Mountaineers faced a third-and-14 attempt, but Greene hit sophomore Traylan Ray up the middle for 18 yards, then Greene added a five-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead into halftime.
Kansas managed 75 yards in 10 plays in the opening drive of the second half and tied the game 14-14.
On the Mountaineers’ first play of the second half, Garrett Greene found Traylon Ray up the middle for a 52-yard pass and a catch to the Kansas 23-yard line, but the offense stalled and Michael Hayes sank a 40-yard field goal for a 17-14 lead at halftime of the third quarter.
Kansas responded quickly: Redshirt junior running back Daniel Hishaw Jr. ran for 47 yards and a touchdown, giving the Jayhawks a 21-17 lead.
There was a delay of game for one hour and 58 minutes with 10:43 left in the fourth quarter. When play resumed, Kansas punted the ball to WVU’s 9-yard line.
West Virginia’s offense managed three points after the delay and was out, giving the ball back to the Jayhawks near the halfway line.
Kansas’ offense kept the ball on the ground and capped a six-play, 54-yard drive with a reverse pass to receiver Luke Grimm for a 32-yard touchdown run.
West Virginia responded on the ensuing possession. Greene threw two consecutive passes to Clement and Rodney Gallagher to get to the Kansas 33-yard line. Greene capped the nine-play, 75-yard drive with an 8-yard touchdown pass to tight end Kole Taylor.
West Virginia’s defense held the Jayhawks to a three-and-out and the Mountaineers took the lead at the Kansas 33-yard line with 2:22 minutes left in the game.
Greene orchestrated a seven-play, 67-yard drive that began with Greene running for 10 yards and ended with a 15-yard touchdown pass to sophomore receiver Rodney Gallagher that made it 32-28 with 26 seconds left in the game.
West Virginia SPUR’s Tyrin Bradley won the game with a strip sack and recovered the fumble at the midfield as the Mountaineers completed their comeback with a 32-28 victory.
