MORGANTOWN, W. Va. — As West Virginia football coach Neal Brown prepared his football team for Virginia Tech, he also spent some time crunching numbers.
“By my calculation, Virginia Tech has been in possession of the Black Diamond Trophy for over 6,000 days now,” Brown said on Tuesday. “That’s a long time.”
Well, that math just got a lot easier — even if the path to get there wasn’t.
The Mountaineers scored touchdowns on each of their first two series and led by as many as 20 points in the second half. But it took a critical fourth-and-goal stand in the final minute for WVU to complete the win against Virginia Tech, 27-21, and reclaim the rivalry trophy.
The victory against the No. 15-ranked Hokies (2-1) improves WVU’s record to 2-1 on the season. It was the first time the Mountaineers have beaten Virginia Tech since 2003, snapping a three-game skid.
It was over when …
The Mountaineers looked to have the game under wraps, even after Virginia Tech cut the lead to six with just more than three minutes remaining. But with just 2:11 left, Mountaineer quarterback Jarrett Doege tossed an interception to Virginia Tech's Jermaine Waller. He returned the ball 11 yards to the WVU 17-yard line.
A WVU defense that stood tall on several instances came up with its biggest stop in the most-critical moment. WVU defensive back Jackie Matthews broke up a Braxton Burmeister’s pass intended for Tre Turner on the goal-line. With just 45 seconds remaining, the gold-glad crowd went into a frenzy.
Hot start
The Mountaineers got an early spark from their workhorse running back. On WVU’s second offensive play of the game, Leddie Brown raced 80 yards for a touchdown. The two-play drive gave WVU an early 7-0 lead just roughly two-and-a-half minutes into the game.
After forcing Virginia Tech into a 3-and-out, West Virginia extended its lead to 14-0 with another quick-strike attack. The Mountaineers drove 55 yards in just three plays. Doege, seeing the Hokies had been penalized for a false start, gave his receiver a chance on a 50-50 ball in the end zone. The chance paid off, capping the drive with a 29-yard strike to Bryce Ford-Wheaton.
Key defensive stands
The late stand wasn’t the only big moment for the WVU defense. The game reached a critical inflection point early in the second quarter. With the Hokies trailing 14-7 and driving for the potential game-tying touchdown, they were faced with a fourth-and-1 from the 25. The designed QB run was stuffed in the backfield by safety Sean Mahone.
Later, in the waning moments of the second quarter, the defense again stepped up. Hokies return man/running back Raheem Blackshear ripped off a 65-yard return in the closing minutes to give VT prime field position at the 22-yard-line. However, the drive stalled inside the 10-yard line and Hokies kicker John Parker shanked a 24-yard attempt.
Late rally
The Hokies were behind the chains, facing a third-and-24 late in the third quarter when Burmeister scrambled for a 25-yard, first-down run. One play later, Blackshear raced 20 yards into the end zone. A drive that looked like it had stalled instead ended in the end zone, cutting WVU’s lead to 27-14 with one second left in the third quarter.
That touchdown kick-started Virginia Tech’s fourth-quarter rally.
On the ensuing WVU drive, Virginia Tech’s TyJuan Garbutt strip-sacked Doege. The Hokies recovered in WVU territory. Burmeister connected with Kaleb Smith on a fourth-and-6 to keep the chains moving. But on fourth-and-goal, the WVU defense came up without another splash play. Jared Bartlett strip-sacked Burmeister for a turnover on downs.
Up next
The Mountaineers passed their first test against a ranked opponent on Saturday. Now, they’ll get an even bigger step up in competition on the road at Oklahoma. The Sooners entered the weekend ranked No. 3 in both the AP and coaches poll. As a College Football Playoff hopeful, they’ll be looking to keep their undefeated season rolling.
