MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After giving up five touchdowns on Texas Tech’s first five drives last week, West Virginia’s defense was challenged this week leading into the Kansas State game.
“We did not show up and play very well last week, and I’ll never understand that,” coach Neal Brown said. “I don’t understand it, I don’t understand it. It’s not baseball where you play all these games and it’s not basketball where you play all these games. You’ve only got 12 of these, and to no show for a quarter of a game? I don’t understand it.”
Early, it didn’t seem like the Mountaineers got the message. It took one play for Kansas State to find the end zone — a 68-yard touchdown pass from Skylar Thompson to Dalton Schoen — and it looked like the Wildcats were about to do what the Red Raiders did last week.
Following a red zone stop on the next drive which forced K-State to kick a field goal, the Mountaineers buckled down defensively and got back on track, holding the Wildcats to 10 points the final three quarters, including none in the fourth quarter.
“We just had to start fast,” said cornerback Hakeem Bailey, who had the game-clinching interception with 28 seconds left. “They got on us fast last week, and we adjusted, but it was already too late. This week, we gave up that big one, but we knew it was just one play. We trusted ourselves to make it
happen.”
Bailey’s interception was Thompson’s second of the game — Thompson had just one prior the entire season.
Doege to Campbell
Wide receiver George Campbell is becoming known for finding the end zone whenever the ball finds him. Of his 14 catches this season, six have gone for touchdowns.
Campbell had his best game of the season against K-State — five catches for 92 yards and two scores — and it wasn’t a coincidence with a new quarterback. He and Jarret Doege needed places to live when both arrived to Morgantown this summer: Campbell was a grad transfer from Florida State, while Doege made the move from Bowling Green.
They decided to move in together, and off-the-field chemistry translated on the field.
“Our connection is pretty good, it looks like,” Doege said. “I always told him that if I threw him my first touchdown here, that would be insane.”
Doege’s first touchdown toss to Campbell, a 19-yarder, immediately followed K-State’s first score, which was important to keep the Mountaineers in the game early. The second gave WVU its first lead since the Iowa State game on Oct. 12 — a 15-yarder to make the score 14-10 on the last play of the first quarter.
Norwood injury
After making a stellar interception in the second quarter — a leaping grab moving sideways — safety Josh Norwood landed awkwardly on his side.
After being treated by the trainers, Norwood immediately headed to the locker room and did not return to the game.
“It was a tremendous play, and I’ll probably talk more about him on Tuesday, but he didn’t return today and early indications are probably not good for him.”
Norwood, a senior, led WVU in tackles coming into the game with 61. He also had six pass breakups.
