West Virginia Pulls Off Major Road Upset & Looks to Keep Momentum Going Against Colorado
BY Shanna Rose and Justin Walker | WV Sports Chat
Houston Review
Scotty Fox Jr. threw for 157 yards and one touchdown as West Virginia stunned No. 22 Houston, 45–35, on Saturday afternoon at TDECU Stadium.
Diore Hubbard powered the WVU ground game with 108 yards and a touchdown, while Cyncir Bowers added 65 yards. Fox also rushed for 65 yards and two touchdowns as the Mountaineers (3–6, 1–5 Big 12) dominated on the ground, outgaining the Cougars 246–82. Jeff Weimer finished with 67 receiving yards, and Rodney Gallagher III added 53.
WVU snapped a five-game losing streak, and the Mountaineers’ defense forced four turnovers, converting them into 17 points. The secondary recorded two interceptions.
Senior safety Fred Perry led WVU’s defense with 13 total tackles, including nine solo stops, two tackles for loss and a sack.
The win was the Mountaineers’ first against a ranked opponent since a 38–31 victory over Iowa State on October 30, 2021, and was the first road win over a ranked team since the 2018 season.
Colorado Preview
WVU returns home to face Colorado next Saturday.
Though all betting lines are subject to change, at the time of this writing, DraftKings has the Mountaineers favored by 6.5 points.
After WVU football dropped five straight Big 12 Conference games, four of them blowouts, they have shown significant signs of improvement over the past two weeks. Before upsetting Houston, they dropped a six-point game at home to TCU. That was a game in which the Mountaineers were double-digit underdogs.
Meanwhile, the Buffaloes come limping into the game. Deion Sanders’ team was blown out by Arizona 52-17 on Saturday and has dropped four of its last five. Their previous two losses have been by a combined score of 105-24. The other loss came at the hands of Utah.
Earlier this week, multiple media outlets reported that Colorado is planning to start true freshman quarterback Julian Lewis on Saturday in Morgantown. It will be Lewis’s first start of his college career. The four-star recruit played most of the second half in the loss to Arizona. He was 9-of-17 passing for 121 yards and a touchdown.
Much like the Mountaineers, Colorado has been playing musical chairs at quarterback. Lewis will be the third starter for the Buffs this season. Transfer Kaiden Salter has started all but one game so far this season. That lone game was a loss to Houston earlier this year in which Ryan Staub was the starter.
Both teams could desperately use a win. West Virginia looks to keep the positive momentum going as it rebuilds under returning head coach Rich Rodriguez. Colorado is looking to right the ship and get back on track. Both teams are still fighting for bowl eligibility, and the loser of this game will officially be out of bowl contention and ensure a losing season.