Utah backfield runs past West Virginia
DALLAS — Zach Moss took a third-down handoff and quickly burst through the line and into an opening in the middle of the field. Utah was off and running to another bowl victory.
Moss ran for 150 yards, including a career-long 58-yard run for a touchdown on the Utes’ opening drive in the Heart of Dallas Bowl on way to a 30-14 victory over West Virginia on Tuesday. They are now 11-1 in postseason games under Kyle Whittingham, who matched Alabama’s Nick Saban for the most bowl wins by an active coach.
Saban has a chance, maybe two, to add a bowl victory this season. The Crimson Tide will play Clemson in the Sugar Bowl on New Year’s Day in the College Football Playoff. Two other active coaches can get their 11th bowl victories before then: Miami’s Mark Richt and Meyer, who is now at Ohio State.
“He knows how to coach the team and he always caps the year off right,” Utah sophomore quarterback Tyler Huntley said of Whittingham.
Huntley scored twice, both on 2-yard keepers, but they led for good in their fifth consecutive bowl victory after Moss broke free on a drizzly and chilly day in Cotton Bowl Stadium.
“It was very important for us to come out of the gates with a big play early on and set the tone,” said Moss, who like Huntley still has two seasons left with the Utes (7-6).
Both of Huntley’s touchdowns came after West Virginia miscues. The first came after a muffed punt return set Utah up at the Mountaineers 13, and the second came after an offside penalty on a short punt gave the Utes a second chance on fourth down. Huntley then completed a 25yard pass on the fourth-and-3 play before scoring on another short run.
West Virginia (7-6) finished the season with its third consecutive loss. The Mountaineers had only 153 total yards without junior quarterback Will Grier, who broke a finger Nov. 18, and 1,000-yard rusher Justin Crawford, a senior who bypassed the bowl game in advance of the NFL Draft. Grier, whose 34 touchdown passes were the second most in a season for West Virginia, already has said he will return next year for his senior season.
“It was a pretty disappointing loss to end a pretty disappointing season,” Mountaineers Coach Dana Holgorsen said. “You never hear me use it as an excuse. If you lose guys, you need guys to step in and play at a high level and that is the bottom line.”
KaRaun White’s 18-yard touchdown catch with 2 minutes left for West Virginia put him over 1,000 yards receiving this season, along with teammate Gary Jennings. But David Sills V, who had 18 touchdown catches, had no catches Tuesday and finished 20 yards shy of giving the Mountaineers three 1,000yard receivers.