This is what the player and his coach says...

[WVUBuck]

and I have no reason to disagree with it.

Running back Wendell Smallwood carried 25 times for 141 yards and finished 9 yards shy of leading the Big 12 in rushing. Texas Tech’s DeAndre Washington instead finished first with 1,455 yards. Smallwood’s 1,447 yards is the sixth-best total in school history and the highest among juniors.

“I couldn’t be more proud to be his coach after watching him fight through the high ankle sprain and miss weeks of practice and still gut it out and play his butt off,” said running backs coach JaJuan Seider. “You saw it [Saturday]. He fought his tail off and tried to carry us this game.

“We were struggling offensively. Young guys were dropping passes. We put a lot on his back. Maybe we should have put more.”

Smallwood carried 11 times in the second half, when Howard went 7 for 21 passing. The Mountaineers were 6 for 20 on third down and needed three yards or fewer 10 times. They converted just four times, three on passes to Daikiel Shorts and once on a handoff to Smallwood, which was the only time he touched the ball on third down.

“I think I could have carried the team more,” he said. “I got a lot more carries and I still feel good now. I wasn’t fatigued at all.”

 

[BobbyBoucheer]

#CoachingMatters

 

[MountaineerWV]

Wow! Seems like someone was agreeing with the fans that the playcalling sinks of ****!

 

[Samuel S]

At least he's much more tactful than Ezekiel.

 

[Ronsto]

We didn't give one of our best players the ball enough to set a record and change the outcome of the game but we made sure one of the opponents best players got the ball enough to set a record with the kick offs and change the outcome of the game. I'm a long time fan since 1969 and this is the most baffled I think I've ever been. I thought we had figured things out, that we had a better chance of winning by being a run first team. I will say that if the receivers made more catches it would have helped, however they have dropped passes all year. Did we think that had mysteriously changed in a week? Smallwood with one touch on 20 third down plays is just unreal.

 

[MountaineerWV]

This is why I love Bob Huggins. When we need a basket, the ball is going to get to Devin Williams come Hell or high water! Even if it results in a turnover so be it, someone is going to attempt to get him the ball in the post. Dana....ahh....not so much.

 

[ThePunish-EER]

So are we now expecting and demanding to win every game now? We finished 4-1 in final 5 games. Guess what, one team loses in every game. Unfortunately this time it was us. Dana didn't drop those passes. Dana didn't miss that field goal. Dana didn't miss the tackles on Morgan burns. You realize that field goal would've won the game, right? And burns kick return won it for them. How is that Danas fault?

 

[MountaineerWV]

So are we now expecting and demanding to win every game now? We finished 4-1 in final 5 games. Guess what, one team loses in every game. Unfortunately this time it was us. Dana didn't drop those passes. Dana didn't miss that field goal. Dana didn't miss the tackles on Morgan burns. You realize that field goal would've won the game, right? And burns kick return won it for them. How is that Danas fault?

Dana didn't get the ball to Smallwood in crucial situations, instead turning to a QB who is a constant bad decision on the field in crucial situations.

Also, Dana didn't tell his drinking buddy to NOT KICK IT TO THEIR RETURNER. That's things head coaches do on the sidelines. Not throw headsets and drink Red Bulls.

 

[ColoradoMountaineer]

So are we now expecting and demanding to win every game now? We finished 4-1 in final 5 games. Guess what, one team loses in every game. Unfortunately this time it was us. Dana didn't drop those passes. Dana didn't miss that field goal. Dana didn't miss the tackles on Morgan burns. You realize that field goal would've won the game, right? And burns kick return won it for them. How is that Danas fault?

It was Dana's decision to run his qb in a crucial 4th down situation the same qb who has a bum ankle

 

[Samuel S]

There is a VAST GULF between "winning every game" and losing 58% of our conference games over a 4 year period. Take Kansas and ISU out of the equation and we are 9-19 against Big 12 competition under Holgorsen.

So, no, when we are winning less than 1/3 of our games against decent competition, no one expects us to win all of our games. Wining half of our games against decent competition would be a major improvement and one there is very little reason to believe is achievable with the poor coaching we have now.

 

[Ronsto]

Who said anything about winning every game? I would like us to use the best tools we have in the box, and not help other teams use their best against us. Especially after we had a sample or two already served to us. Heck lets kick it to him one more time and see what happens? He has only ran three of them back for a td this year (now 4) and is one of the best in the Big 12, I mean Dana is always saying that we take what the defense is giving us and we have to adjust during the game, does that not go for the special teams too? I support the team and players but to go down to a less talented team IMO, does warrant a question or two. No, I'm not an expert nor did I play college football. I'm just a fan who likes winning more than losing.

 

[BornAgainEer]

Isn't it possible that Howard is using/not usong the audible correctly? I bet DH is be sticking up for the best he can do in the QB market. Why cant DH recruit a QB likeTerry Bridgewater, that hack Charlie Strong did at Louisville.. It's very troubling in the long term.

 

[Atreides]

The Game has many unanswered questions....starting with not putting the ball in the hands of your best rusher for the final yard, and kicking the damn ball to the best return man on the field....Hard to understand how all these mistakes and the worst for Dana appear in time to help Ole Bill save some face. We had them beaten....we ran and passed for over 400 yards....against that vaunted defense....then we took our foot off the gas. We will never know, and maybe its Better for everyone to call it a loss and move on....rather then point fingers at the conference. Don't think Old Bill would accept a bowl bid unles he won this one though....