Football, Sports, WVU Sports

GAME DAY BLOG: WVU beats TCU 24-6 to move to 5-3

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — 10:36 a.m.: WVU (4-3, 3-3 Big 12) finishes the regular season with two games it will likely be underdogs in against Oklahoma and at Iowa State, so Saturday’s game against TCU could fall into the “must-win” category if the Mountaineers want a shot at finishing with a winning record. A few Mountaineers are on the field as we approach 40 degrees about an hour and 20 minutes before kickoff.

11:03 a.m.: Linebacker Josh Chandler-Semedo is out with an injury. Exree Loe will take his spot. Sounds like Leddie Brown is going to give it a go as he is on the active list.

11:32 a.m.: Looking like it’ll be another sparse crowd for this one. The last two games fans were allowed had just over 10,000 and we may be on our way to a similar number.

11:57 a.m.: A flyover for Veteran’s Day stole the show yet again. WVU is wearing the state outline with the American flag inside on its helmets.

12:13 p.m.: WVU’s defense bends but doesn’t break, forcing a TCU punt. The Horned Frogs down it at the WVU 1 after Alec Sinkfield lets the ball bounce, and Sinkfield hears it from Neal Brown as he runs off the field.

12:29 p.m.: A 15-play drive is capped off with a Jarret Doege push into the end zone. The had to be WVU’s best offensive drive of the season: 99 yards as Doege goes 7-8 with completions to five different receivers.

12:40 p.m.: A roughing the punter call on Tony Mathis hurts the Mountaineers as the defense forced a 3-and-out, and now the Horned Frogs are moving as the first quarter comes to an end.

12:45 p.m.: WVU’s defense holds but allows a field goal as TCU gets on the board to make it 7-3.

12:54 p.m.: A very flag-heavy drive ends in a WVU touchdown, a 26-yard pass from Doege to T.J. Simmons. Sam James is bailed out after an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty looked to put the Mountaineers in a bad spot, but a defensive holding call gives WVU a first down. Next play, touchdown.

1:09 p.m.: A scary situation as TCU’s A’Darius Washington is knocked out making a tackle on T.J. Simmons. He fortunately walks off the field and TCU forced WVU to punt for the first time.

1:26 p.m.: WVU’s offense sputters on its last two possessions but the defense continues to roll. The Mountaineers take a 14-3 lead into the locker room.

1:58 p.m.: The Mountaineers sputter in the red zone for the first time, but Casey Legg knocks in a 42-yard field to give WVU a 17-3 lead.

2:06 p.m.: Again, the WVU defense bends but doesn’t break, forcing TCU to kick a 32-yard field goal to make the score 17-6.

2:24 p.m.: We head to the fourth quarter as WVU holds an 11-point lead at 17-6. Mountaineers have the ball for a 2nd and 5 from their own 25-yard line.

2:37 p.m.: T.J. Simmons is having a big day. After TCU muffed the punt, Doege hits Simmons on a great throw and Simmons dragged the TCU defender into the end zone to put the Mountaineers up 24-6 with 12:01 to go in the fourth quarter.

3:00 p.m.: Tykee Smith’s interception all but wraps it up. Mountaineers win 24-6 to move to 5-3 (4-3 Big 12).