West Virginia beats Colorado 29-22
West Virginia did just enough to beat Colorado 29-22 inside Milan Puskar Stadium Saturday afternoon in front over over 55,000.
True freshman Scotty Fox threw for 202 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions, while rushing for 56 yards. Redshirt freshman running back Diore Hubbard had 64 yards rushing and 93 yards receiving for the Mountaineers on offense.
The defense would record seven total sacks, a season high, and 15 tackles for loss.
The Buffaloes won the toss and elected to take the football to open the game and the Mountaineers responded with a three and out to get the football to the offense for their first crack at it at their own 41. The offense would pick up a first down but after a mishandled snap and then a sack it would result in a fourth and 25 which would force West Virginia to punt the football back.
On the drive, Hubbard would be injured with the Mountaineers already down several running backs but he would later return to the game.
On the second possession, the defense would give up a first down but on third and long Ben Bogle would record a sack to give the Mountaineers the football back at their own 29. But again the offense would sputter and go three and out this time.
Colorado would take over at their own 29 and elect to roll the dice on fourth and 1 but West Virginia would stuff the Buffaloes and take over at their 38-yard line. West Virginia would then convert on their own fourth down attempts on the next series of downs on a 15-yard throw to Jeff Weimer but Bowers would fumble the football on the next snap to keep things scoreless at the 5:56 mark of the first quarter.
The defense would record another sack on the following drive and again force a Colorado three and out but this time the punt game from their own 13-yard line. Israel Boyce would then get through and block the punt which resulted in a safety to give the Mountaineers a 2-0 lead.
The Mountaineers would go 11-plays in 75-yards for the first touchdown of the game on a two-yard plunge by Curtis Jones on his first career carry on fourth and goal to give West Virginia a 9-0 lead.
The Buffaloes would connected on a 43-yard pass on 3rd and 12 deep in their own end but consecutive penalties and a sack backed Colorado back into their own end with a 3rd and 40 which would bring out the punt team after an 11-yard run. The Mountaineers would then go three and out and punt the ball back to the Buffaloes setting them up at their own 25-yard line.
Colorado would then put together their most productive drive of the game quickly moving the football to the Mountaineers red zone but the defense would hold the Buffaloes to a field goal to make it 9-3 with 6:03 remaining in the first half.
West Virginia would respond connecting on a 69-yard throw to Hubbard on third down to set the Mountaineers up inside the Colorado five and Fox would hit Ryan Ward for a three-yard touchdown toss three plays later to make the score 16-3 with 3:29 left in the first half.
The final Colorado drive of the half would be cashed in for a touchdown as the Buffaloes traveled 77-yards in six plays capped off by an 8-yard touchdown throw to Joseph Williams to make it 16-9 but the point after would be missed to keep the lead at seven points in the final minute of the half.
The Mountaineers would move the ball 52-yards in six plays to tack on a 41-yard Kade Hensley field goal as the first half expired to take a 19-9 lead into the break.
West Virginia would open the second half with the football at their own 25-yard line but would quickly go three and out with Colorado taking over at their own 32-yard line. The Buffaloes picked up a pair of third downs but on one of those the ball was knocked loose by Derek Carter into the arms of Michael Coats for the first turnover of the game for Colorado.
However, on the ensuing drive Fox would throw an interception on fourth down to give the football back to Colorado at their own 33-yard line. The defense would force a three and out from there to get the football back to the offense with just over eight minutes remaining in the third.
Fox would throw his second interception in as many passes on the next play to set the Buffaloes up at the West Virginia 20-yard line. It would take two plays for Colorado to connect on a touchdown toss to Miller to cut the score to 19-16 with 7:19 left in the third.
The Mountaineers would then string together a drive of their own using 14-plays to move to the Colorado 13-yard line but a sack would kill the drive and force a 37-yard field goal attempt to make it 22-16.
The Buffaloes would connect on another 40-yard pass downfield and move the ball inside the Mountaineers red zone but the defense would get a stop on third and fourth to force a field goal for Colorado to cut the deficit to 22-19.
The Mountaineers would pick up a first down but the drive would then stall giving the football back to Colorado leading 22-19 with 12:41 remaining in the game. The defense would push the Buffaloes backwards and force a punt from their own 9 giving the football to the offense at their own 43 yard line with 9:48 on the fourth quarter clock.
West Virginia would put together a punishing drive on the ground moving the ball inside the Buffaloes 10-yard line and Jones would rush for the first down to set up first and goal from the 4. Jones would then cash in the drive with a four-yard touchdown run to put the Mountaineers ahead 29-19.
Colorado would then take over and move the football deep into West Virginia territory quickly but the Mountaineers would get to Lewis for the seventh time for a sack right before the two minute timeout. The Buffaloes would then elect to go for it down two scores and converted. The Buffaloes would again face a 4th down this time from 13 yards out at the Mountaineers 20 and kicked the field goal to make it 29-22.
Colorado would then line up for an onside kick which the Mountaineers would recover. The Buffaloes then exhausted their final two timeouts and on third and three the Mountaineers picked up a first down to ice the game on a carry by Hubbard.
West Virginia will next travel to Arizona State for a 1 p.m. kickoff with the game set to be televised by TNT.
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