MORGANTOWN — Dana Holgorsen called it “a damn shame.” And for football fans who crave a side dish of tackling with their touchdown entrees, it was exactly that.
So goes life in the Big 12, which owns a justifiable reputation for being superb at moving the ball and barely there when it comes to stopping it.
Starved for a win over Oklahoma after seven long seasons, West Virginia scored 56 points on Senior Night. Even that wasn’t enough.
It’s a dam shame that Will Grier’s 539 passing yards became a footnote, that Gary Jennings’ 225 yards receiving were merely a parting gift. David Sills piled up 131 yards worth of catches, too, none of which soothes the ache of missing out on the Big 12 championship game.
Instead, the Sooners are going back to Arlington, thanks to their splendid collection of offensive skill players that carry the water for a yogurt-soft defense.
Ironically, it was OU’s defense that swung this decision despite trying its darnedest most of the night to give it away. Two scoop-and-scores off Grier fumbles produced massive turns.
One of those came on a well-timed blitz by Caleb Kelly. (Or maybe it was the ghost of Eric Striker.)
The other turnover-turned-TD, however, was a flukish fumble that occurred as Grier tried to avoid a sack. Straight up in the air the ball went before landing at the feet of two Mountaineers. They only managed to wrestled it free from one another before Curtis Bolton collected the gift and scooted 48 yards.
It’s a damn shame that Jennings lost a first-half touchdown when Sills collided with a defensive back and was flagged for an illegal pick play. (Never mind that the DB was drastically out of position and had zero chance of getting to Jennings. Never mind, also, that Sills attempted to jump out of the DB’s path to avoid contact.)
It’s also a damn shame that Holgorsen compounded the ref’s questionable call with one of his own, gambling on fourth-and-6 from the 10. Take the three, dude. Even against OU’s paltry defense, converting a fourth-and-6 play in tight space is no gimme.
It’s a damn shame that Kennedy McKoy’s 74-yard run in the fourth quarter was mostly negated because of T.J. Simmons blocking an OU cornerback into the West Virginia bench.
Was Simmons a tad excessive in his blocking? Maybe. Did the Sooners defender put up a lick of resistance? Nope.
“I don’t think you call that one in that moment,” said Mountaineers assistant Tyron Carrier, who had charged his receivers to be more physical.
It’s a damn shame that West Virginia had a golden-armed quarterback directing an exceptional offense for these past two seasons, and likely will finish no better than fourth in the Big 12 either time.
“We didn’t make our goal,” Holgorsen said. “Not going to the Big 12 championship is a damn shame.”
West Virginia was a smidge better than Texas, and a sliver shy of Oklahoma, which makes next week’s matchup at Jerry World hard to stomach.
It’s a shame that West Virginia left itself no room for error by producing a no-show in Ames and a collapse in Stillwater.
Said Holgorsen: “I think everybody would understand that we were close.”
Close.
For now, close will have to suffice.
Twitter @GAllanTaylor
