West Virginia opens Big 12 play with 41-10 loss to Kansas
West Virginia opened Big 12 Conference play with a lopsided 41-10 loss to Kansas on the road Saturday.
Redshirt junior quarterback Nicco Marchiol started the game and completed 15-27 passes for 127 yards and an interception before giving way to redshirt senior Jaylen Henderson in the third quarter. He gave the offense a spark rushing for 79 yards and a touchdown but it was too little too late.
Overall, the offense struggled for three quarters prior to Henderson getting into the game rushing for just 24 yards on 20 carries with redshirt senior running back Tye Edwards not suiting up. The Jayhawks outscored the Mountaineers 21-7 in the second half after holding a 20-3 edge at the break.
The Mountaineers started with the football after Kansas won the toss and elected to defer. The offense would go three and out to give the football to the Jayhawks for their opening possession near midfield after a 30-yard punt return. Kansas would then roll the dice on fourth and 1 and Jalon Daniels hit a wide open Levi Wentz for a 41-yard touchdown to open the scoring.
West Virginia would get a first down on the next drive but again it would result in a punt after a false start penalty backed up the offense on third down. The Mountaineers would force a punt on the next drive and took over inside their own 10 but again would not muster anything and would punt after just three plays.
The defense would rise to the occasion once again and force a three and out to give the football back to the offense over the next two possessions but both drives ended with a three and out.
Kansas would then move the football into West Virginia territory including a third and 12 where Daniels picked up the first down with his legs and Fred Perry was ejected due to targeting. However, the defense would hold at the 23-yard line and force a field goal attempt to put the Jayhawks up 10-0.
After a 23-yard catch and run by Cyncir Bowers, the Mountaineers would punt the football for the sixth time in the first half but were able to flip the field.
After a three and out by the defense, the offense would put together their most productive drive of the first half moving the football inside the Kansas 10 but would settle for a 26-yard field goal to cut the score to 10-3.
But that wouldn’t last long as the Jayhawks quickly moved the football into Mountaineers territory and Daniels would hit Leshon Williams for a 39-yard touchdown to move ahead 17-3 approaching halftime.
West Virginia again effectively moved the football into Kansas territory but the offense would stall on fourth and two from the Jayhawks 37 when Marchiol misfired. Kansas would then seize that opportunity and move the football down the field to tack on a field goal to take a 20-3 lead into the break.
Kansas wide receiver Emmanuel Henderson would return the second half kickoff for a 93-yard touchdown to give the Jayhawks a commanding 27-3 edge. The Mountaineers would then go three and out on the following drive with all the momentum in favor of the Jayhawks.
The Kansas offense would tack on another touchdown on a 12-play, 69-yard drive predominantly on the ground before Daniels found Broden Groen for a two-yard score to make it 34-3. On the ensuing drive, Marchiol would throw an interception to former West Virginia linebacker Trey Lathan. But the defense would hold on fourth down and one at the five to keep the score at 34-3.
Henderson would then get the call under center and use his rushing ability to move the Mountaineers down the field for a touchdown with 77 yards rushing and a 13-yard score to make it 34-10 with 14:31 left. But Kansas would answer right back with a 62-yard touchdown run by Williams to take a 41-10 lead.
Redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins then took over with just over eight minutes remaining at quarterback.
The loss drops the Mountaineers to 2-2 on the season and now 0-1 in Big 12 play.
West Virginia will play host to Utah next weekend in the 1965 throwback uniform contest set for 3:30 p.m.
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