Neal Brown describes the significance of having chance to earn ninth win

If you go back and look at the preseason storylines surrounding West Virginia, everyone was wondering how quickly Neal Brown would be fired. Not a ton of optimism surrounded the Mountaineers, at least from the outside. Brown was always confident they would have a good season and he delivered, finishing with an 8-4 record.

West Virginia now has the opportunity to add a ninth win to their schedule, facing off against North Carolina in the Mayo Bowl. It’s a big moment for the program, only finishing with at least nine wins once since joining the Big 12 back in 2012.

Brown also views the game as another opportunity to wrong the people doubting his program back in the summer.

“I think nine wins is significant,” Brown said. “Won 10 games in ’16. Haven’t gotten to nine since joining the league. Get the second most wins in Big 12, I think that’s significant. We go from 14th, preseason, and we’re going to finish fourth. That’s significant. And then have the opportunity to get to nine wins.”

Yes, the Big 12 preseason poll picked the Mountaineers to finish dead last. All four expansion teams were picked ahead of them. No faith was put in Brown and everyone thought he would be fired in the middle of the season.

West Virginia looking to win Mayo Bowl against North Carolina

West Virginia’s most successful years came while being a member of the Big East, having at least nine wins on nine separate occasions while in the conference. Playing in the Big 12 has been tougher sledding, averaging just over seven wins per season.

So, Brown is going to make sure his team takes the Mayo Bowl seriously. Getting another win would mean a lot for the program but he also views the game as a reward. Bowl games are meant to be fun, especially when going up against an opponent like North Carolina.

“Other than the bowl game two years ago, we’ve done pretty good,” Brown said. “We laid an egg then. But first of all, we want to win. Second of all, we want to make sure it’s an enjoyable experience for our guys because it’s a bonus.”

Kickoff from the Mayo Bowl is scheduled for Wednesday, Dec. 27 in Charlotte, NC. West Virginia will be favored heading into the contest by 5.5 points. Oddsmakers are back on Brown’s side, expecting him to add the ninth win he wants.