West Virginia upsets No. 22 Houston 45-35
West Virginia put together their most complete performance of the season to upset No. 22 Houston on the road 45-35 Saturday afternoon.
True freshman Scotty Fox started the game and completed 13-22 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown while the ground game accounted for 246 yards and four scores, including two by Fox and one each by Cyncir Bowers and Diore Hubbard. Hubbard rushed for 108 yards.
The Mountaineers defense forced four turnovers including a pick six which led to 17 of the total points scored for West Virginia. While the Mountaineers also recovered a fumble on special teams.
West Virginia moves to 3-6 and 1-5 in the Big 12 with the win.
West Virginia started with the football and quickly moved the football into Houston territory. After converting a pair of third downs, the Mountaineers moved the ball inside the Cougars red zone. The offense averaged six yards per play on first down to move the sticks and establish some early tempo against the Houston defense. Fox would punch the ball into the end zone on a six-yard run to cap off a 75-yard drive and give the Mountaineers an early 7-0 lead after the initial drive.
The first possession for Houston took to the air early as the Cougars also responded by quickly moving the football to midfield but the defense would hold from there and force a punt giving the football back to the West Virginia offense at their own 11-yard line.
West Virginia would again move the football right down the field going 89-yards on 10-plays capped off by a 21-yard touchdown run by Cyncir Bowers to put the Mountaineers ahead 14-0 after two drives.
It took the Cougars only three plays to get inside the West Virginia red zone aided by a face-mask penalty. And from there Tanner Koziol would catch a three-yard touchdown toss to cut the deficit to 14-7 with 58 seconds remaining in the first quarter.
West Virginia would punt the football for the first time on their next possession as the offense would have a five-yard loss and then settled for a screen pass that was well short of the sticks. The Cougars took over at their own 38-yard line for their third possession but on third down Houston quarterback Conner Weigman dropped the football and Jimmori Robinson jumped on it for the turnover.
The Mountaineers offense would strike quickly with a 24-yard touchdown toss from Fox to Cam Vaughn to put the visitors ahead 21-7 early into the second quarter.
Houston would then take over deep in their own end and would quickly move the football to midfield aided by a penalty. However, after a holding call on the Cougars it backed them into a third and 16 and were able to convert on a screen pass to keep the drive alive. Houston would then punch the ball into the end zone on a Weigman sneak two plays later to cut the score to 21-14.
West Virginia would have a three and out on their next possession and a penalty on the return put the football near midfield for the Cougars when they took over. But the defense would respond with their own three and out but the punt would pin the Mountaineers at their own one. The Mountaineers would go three and out and the Cougars would take over at the West Virginia 47.
Houston would quickly cash in on the short field to tie the game on a nine-yard touchdown toss to Amare Thomas to tie the game at 21-all with 3:03 remaining in the first half.
The Mountaineers would convert a fourth and one in their own end but three plays later would have to punt giving the Cougars the football at their own 20-yard line with 56 seconds remaining in the half but they were content with letting the clock run out with the game tied at 21.
Houston opened the second half with the football but Michael Coats would tip a deep ball into the waiting arms of Derek Carter for an interception to give the football to the offense in Cougars territory. The drive would stall but a 50-yard field goal by Kade Hensley would put the Mountaineers ahead 24-21.
Houston would move the football into West Virginia territory on their next drive, but the Mountaineers recorded a sack on Weigman that knocked the ball loose and would force a punt from the West Virginia 44. However, the offense would go three and out to give the football back to Houston.
The West Virginia defense would then respond once again as Weigman threw a pass to the outside and Jordan Scruggs jumped the route and returned it for a touchdown eliminating a promising Houston drive and giving the Mountaineers a 31-21 lead with 6:33 left in the third.
On the ensuing drive Houston converted on a 3rd and 8 with the backup quarterback in the game on top of two separate fourth down conversions which led to another touchdown pass to Thomas to cut the Mountaineers deficit to 31-28 with 1:16 remaining in the third.
Fox would then engineer another scoring drive as the Mountaineers responded by moving the ball to the Houston 34-yard line and then electing to roll the dice and go for it on fourth and 4. From there, Fox would take off untouched up the middle on a designed run to push the edge back out to 38-28 with over 12 minutes remaining in the game.
Houston moved the football on their next drive but after a false start penalty nickel Fred Perry came on the blitz on third and 9 and was able to get to Weigman to force a punt. The Mountaineers would then respond with another touchdown drive. On the drive, Fox hit Jeff Weimer with a 53-yard completion on third and 9 where he dropped the ball perfectly in stride and Hubbard would finish it off with an 11-yard touchdown to give the Mountaineers a 45-28 lead with just 7:15 remaining.
The Cougars would score quickly on a five-play drive with Thomas catching his third touchdown of the game to time the advantage to 45-35 with 6:24 left to play.
West Virginia picked up a first down on the next drive but that would be it as Houston used all three of their timeouts and would get the football back with just under five minutes remaining. But on the punt the football touched a Houston player and the Mountaineers recovered it at the Cougars 27 yard line.
That allowed the Mountaineers to burn time off the clock and the offense elected to go for it on fourth and two and was able to convert effectively ending the game.
The Mountaineers will return home next weekend to take on Colorado in a noon kickoff.
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