MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Win or lose, the 2019 West Virginia football season will come to an end with today’s game at TCU.
The Mountaineers (4-7) will not have a bowl game to prepare for, making this the final week for the team’s seniors, who hope to end their careers on a positive note.
“It’s important for us to finish strong, because it can set up some great success for the future,” WVU senior defensive lineman Reese Donahue said. “If you look back to the Cactus Bowl year (2015), right before I got here, it set up a 10-2 season. For us, we need to finish strong and keep that momentum going into the offseason.”
WVU head coach Neal Brown said this week of preparations are different in that it comes during the Thanksgiving holiday when students are out of town.
“It’s kind of one of my favorite weeks of the year,” Brown said. “We have a lot of guys who want to be NFL players, so they get an opportunity to peek at what the NFL lifestyle is. They’re out of school and there is no one else really around. It’s basically a football week.”
The team shared a special Thanksgiving meal with coaches on Wednesday and the team flew out on Thanksgiving Day.
“We’re going to be intentional about enjoying this week,” Brown said. “I think we need to finish this on a positive note and send our seniors out on a positive note. This is a great opportunity for us to have a building block moving into our offseason program, which is important.”
With no bowl practices, Brown said WVU coaches would turn their focus on recruiting following the TCU game. The early signing period begins Dec. 18 with another signing day following in February.
Much of what the Mountaineers will have to work with next season are already on the roster.
With a returning core of receivers, linebackers and safeties, the Mountaineers have the beginnings of a foundation for the 2020 season.
WVU will need to build along its offensive and defensive line, as well as cornerbacks.
“Being that this is my last college football game, I can’t help but get reflective,” WVU starting offensive tackle Kelby Wickline said. “These past five years have meant a lot. The fact that it’s coming down to its last week, I can’t really describe it. It’s just coming to an end.”
Donahue said this week was special, because it was the final one where all the players would be together at the same time.
“It’s not always about the game, but it’s about the time you spend with your teammates,” Donahue said. “Right now, we’re not in school, so we have the opportunity to spend some more time together.”
