Final Thoughts on the Mountaineers Loss to No. 22 Texas

Christopher Hall gives his final thoughts on the Mountaineers loss to No. 22 Texas

Although I predicted West Virginia to lose to No. 22 Texas, the loss was still a bitter pill to swallow.

West Virginia found ways to move the ball down the field and despite struggling in the running game, they quickly got the ball out to their playmakers but failed to put six on the board once getting down into the red zone and in extension, failing to convert on third, then fourth and short was the story of the game.

The Mountaineers were just 3-8 on third down when facing three yards or less and 0-2 on fourth down. The offensive line lost the battle in the trenches going up against the conference's biggest defensive line and maybe the country, anchored by two 348-lb defensive linemen, Keondre Coburn and T’Vondre Sweat, along with the linebacking play of Joseph Ossai.

Texas linebacker Joseph Ossai tackles West Virginia running back Alec Sinkfield in the first quarter at Royal-Memorial Stadium on Saturday, November 7, 2020 / Jay Janner-USA TODAY Sports

Two calls were overturned following an official review that had a huge impact on the game. First, the lateral that was ruled a fumble on the field was later ruled a forward pass because the receiver was moving forward and would have given the Mountaineers the ball in the heart of Texas territory. Fortunately, the defense held the Longhorns to a punt, but missing on the momentum swing and field position might have cost West Virginia points.

Then there was the touchdown that was later ruled an incomplete pass in the back of the end zone. Winston Wright Jr. bobbled the pass before gathering it, and although the ball hit the ground, he already had possession of the ball, and the ground did not aid in the receiver maintaining possession.

And that brings us to the main point. Yes, those two calls were infuriating, and the no-call at the end of the game when Ali Jennings was clearly interfered with on the Mountaineers' final offensive play was also egregious.

However, West Virginia had opportunities where the officials would not have influenced the game, and for me, it came down to two plays.

First, revisiting Winston Wright Jr’s touchdown that was reversed. It would never have been reversed if he had caught the ball initially. Then, before the Mountaineers' final drive of the game, quarterback Jarret Doege hit tight end Mike O’Laughlin in the back corner of the end zone and Texas defensive back B.J. Foster knocked it out of his hands. Maybe I’m harsh, but he has to come down with that ball.

Those are the two plays that if teams are going to separate themselves from the rest of the pack and contend for a conference title, they must make. 

Wright and O'Laughlin have made big plays this season, and both are only sophomores, and that’s where most of the struggles lie with this team - youth. Undoubtedly, they will continue to make plays to win games in the future; it’s just part of the growing pains. 

This team is young and missing the offseason where they could have caught up to the rest of the league has shown against some of the league's top teams. Yes, I believe the attention to detail by this coaching staff in every facet of the game and the strength and conditioning program led by Mike Joseph would have narrowed the gap.

Generally, I don’t criticize play calling or decisions throughout the game because if it works, it’s always the right call, but when it doesn’t, it’s always wrong. However, Neal Brown deciding to go for the fourth and one (the play to O’Laughlin) instead of kicking the field goal was questionable.

West Virginia could have cut the lead to one and with over ten minutes remaining in the game. The defense was playing lights out and would have only needed a field goal for the lead, which should not have been a problem considering they consistently moved the ball down the field. But I do agree with Neal Brown that Texas would have taken a different approach on their next possession.

Texas threw three deep balls in the following possession, trying to put the final nail in the coffin just to go three and out and give the ball right back to West Virginia. Side note, that’s how I thought the game would end, with Texas taking a two-possession lead in the fourth quarter. West Virginia outperformed my expectations in that regard.

Also, field goals are not a guarantee. It could have been blocked, or maybe Texas returns the kickoff for a touchdown. We will never know. But I will always be on the aggressive side, especially on the road. Still, that decision really stuck out, even in real-time.

The frustration from these losses is not necessarily the loss itself but just how close the Mountaineers are to winning these games. If you look at where the program should be and adding in the nearly non-existent offseason to get bigger and stronger, they are ahead of schedule.

Again, it's frustrating, but they are really close to pulling these wins out, and they may have a surprise or two to finish out the season. 

You can follow us for future coverage by clicking "Follow" on the page's top righthand corner. Also, be sure to like us on Facebook & Twitter:

Facebook - @WVUonSI

Twitter - @SI_WVU and Christopher Hall @WVHallBilly