Houston defeats West Virginia on last second hail Mary
West Virginia has experienced heartbreak. With 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter and a whole field ahead of it, Houston squeezed out a 41-39 win by way of a game-winning 49-yard hail Mary.
With no time left on the game clock, Houston QB Donovan Smith launched a bomb to the end zone. After the ball bobbled from hand to hand for what felt like an eternity, the pigskin landed in Stephon Johnson’s hands. Ball game.
To add insult to injury, West Virginia was on the edge of a miraculous win. With 7:24 left in the fourth quarter, the Cougars took a commanding 35-24 lead over the Mountaineers. WVU clawed back, cutting its deficit to 35-32 with just under four minutes left in the game.
After stopping Houston again, the Mountaineers pushed forward. Unable to break through, the team was forced to a heart-stopping fourth and 10 at midfield. No field goal was in sight. Instead, QB Garrett Greene threw a dart to wide receiver Hudson Clement for a miraculous 50-yard touchdown.
Assuming the game was all but over, the Mountaineers adequately celebrated, earning them a 15-yard penalty. Obviously, the Cougars pounced on the advantageous field position, ultimately stealing a win straight out of the Mountaineers’ hands.
West Virginia tallied 546 yards of total offense in the contest compared to Houston’s 393. Additionally, the Mountaineers converted on 13-of-their-19 third-down attempts. For reference, Houston converted on only three of its nine third-down attempts.
Nonetheless, Houston walked away with the most precious statistic: a win. The loss ends West Virginia’s four-game win streak. The team must now recollect itself before taking on Oklahoma State next weekend.
Garrett Greene has a career night
While West Virginia won’t remember the game fondly, it was a statistically high evening for its QB. Greene rattled off a career-high 391 passing yards in the game while adding two touchdowns on a 52.6% completion rate.
Green has boasted an impressive first half of the 2023 season. In essentially four appearances, Greene boasts 935 passing yards and six touchdowns while throwing just one interception. Green’s arm isn’t the only thing opposing defenses must worry about.
The junior QB also has 232 rushing yards this season on 45 carries. Although Greene won’t be happy with the final score on Thursday, he can be proud of his performance. Further, he can use the sting of the loss to propel his team forward in the back half of the season.