Texas: Two-point conversion gives W.Va. a wild win.
Two-point gamble pays off for WVU in high-octane battle
AUSTIN — Dana Holgorsen had no interest in extending a game that had trudged on for nearly four hours.
Instead of adhering to conventional wisdom, trotting out his kicking unit for an extra point with 16 seconds remaining in a game Texas led by a point, West Virginia’s coach directed the offense back out to drive a dagger into the Longhorns’ heart.
Quarterback Will Grier, forced out of last year’s matchup in Morgantown with a gruesome finger injury, took the snap, tucked the ball, and darted out left, an open plain without a Longhorn in reach. He trotted in for the twopoint conversion, completing 13th-ranked West Virginia’s wild 42-41 win over 17th-ranked Texas (6-3, 4-2) on Saturday at Royal-Memorial Stadium.
“You know, our guys fought hard,” Texas coach Tom Herman said. “But it’s obvious we’ve got to do a better job, and I know it sounds a bit counterintuitive when you’re lining up against Will Grier and (Marcus) Simms and those guys, but we’ve got to stop the run or you’re going to bleed a slow death, and for the most part we couldn’t tonight.”
In hindsight, Brandon Jones’ morning mishap should have been recognized as a menacing omen for a defense stuck in a troubling freefall. Texas’ starting safety aggravated an ankle injury at the team hotel and was forced to miss Saturday’s game against West Virginia. What he witnessed from the sideline was an offensive onslaught replete with porous tackling, blown coverages, a rash of explosive plays, and continued bad luck.
A pair of injured starters, cornerback Davante Davis (neck/ shoulder sprain) and defensive end Breckyn Hager (dislocated elbow), slogged back to the locker room early in the first quarter to be examined by the medical staff. Neither returned. Defensive lineman Marquez Bimage (dislocated shoulder) followed in the second quarter.
WVU (7-1, 5-1 Big 12) racked up 578 yards, 232 on the ground, against defensive coordinator Todd Orlando’s ailing unit. It converted seven of 12 third-down attempts. It averaged 7.7 yards per play and 7 yards per rush.
In the first half, wideout David Sills V blew by safety Caden Sterns for a 60-yard touchdown reception, then followed by jetting past cornerback Josh Thompson to haul in an 18-yard scoring strike from Grier.
WVU seized a 24-21 lead when running back Martell Pettaway snuck through a slit in the line, shook off two horrid tackle attempts, and rumbled 55 yards for a touchdown. He added a gametying 13-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter.
Texas responded to every blow with one of its own. Trading scores with one of the most potent offenses in the nation might not have been the ideal blueprint for success, but UT had no recourse. Sam Ehlinger had to equal Grier and find a way to exceed him, a tall task for a true sophomore against a fifth-year senior and potential Heisman finalist.
Ehlinger held his own. More than that, even, throwing for 354 yards and three touchdowns while remaining turnover-free for the eighth straight game. And he made it clear early on that no intimidation tactics would work.
On UT’s second drive, Ehlinger backpedaled away from a tsunami of pass rushers, stealing a few milliseconds to look for a way out of this predicament.
Before eight outstretched arms reached him, Ehlinger heaved a pass for Lil’Jordan Humphrey, streaking toward the right pylon in single coverage. The 6-4 receiver caught the ball mid-pirouette and tapped his feet down inches in front of the end zone’s right pylon.
The next snap, Ehlinger plowed through West Virginia’s defensive front for a 1-yard touchdown, his ninth of the year.
Humphrey and running back Tre Watson caught touchdown passes of 21 and 32 yards, respectively, in the first half. Watson added a 5-yard touchdown run to give Texas a 28-24 halftime edge, part of a day in which the graduate transfer picked up 115 yards.
Humphrey recorded nine receptions for a career-high 143 yards.
Junior receiver Devin Duvernay had his first career 100-yard receiving game, a large chunk of which came on a 48-yard touchdown reception that put Texas ahead 41-34 with two minutes, 34 seconds remaining.
Yet, Texas’ 520 yards of total offense, 28 first downs, and eightminute time of possession edge were not enough.
On WVU’s final drive, Grier marched down the field, dissecting Texas’ defense with short to intermediate throws, setting up something far bigger.
His 33-yard touchdown pass to receiver Gary Jennings Jr., who blew by Sterns and Thompson, was perfection. Grier’s toss fell into Jennings’ hands in the back of the end zone, a few feet from the white paint.
Then Grier finished the job himself, leaving Texas to ponder all the whys and what-ifs.
“We’ve got to make sure that this one does sting,” Herman said. “Obviously to have this happen at home and the way that it happened is a tough pill to swallow, but again, there’s no rest for the weary in this league. “We’ve got to get up tomorrow and come in ready to work.”