MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – These Big 12 games are a whole lot easier when you can get an early lead.
Last week, West Virginia took a 17-14 lead over Texas Tech into the locker room at halftime and eventually knocked off the Red Raiders 31-26 for its first conference win of the season, and today the Mountaineers are leading Texas 21-10 at halftime.
Longhorn turnovers directly resulted in 14 of West Virginia’s 21 points, the first one coming on a bobbled reverse handoff by backup running back D’Onta Foreman that linebacker Jared Barber picked up and ran 42 yards for a touchdown.
Texas’ second big miscue came late in the second quarter when the Longhorns moved the ball to the WVU 25. Two hundred and forty-four pound backup quarterback Tyrone Swoopes tried to run the ball on a third and six play, but as he was attempt to break out of a tackle he was stripped of the football and Daryl Worley recovered the ball at 13 following a Christian Brown unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.
Three Wendell Smallwood runs netting 34 yards moved the ball at the 47, where West Virginia was at an area of the field where it could take a shot downfield.
Jovon Durante was able to run underneath of Skyler Howard’s rainbow pass at the two and got into the end zone for a 53-yard touchdown with a minute remaining in the second quarter.
West Virginia’s other first-half score came on an Elijah Wellman one-yard plunge that was set up by Nick O’Toole’s great punt that turned into a short field for the offense when WVU’s defense forced a punt.
Texas’ first-half scores came on a 65-yard touchdown run from 241-pound Foreman, and a 31-yard field goal from Nick Rose on the Longhorns’ second possession of the game.
Smallwood already shows 105 yards rushing on 11 attempts, while Howard has completed an efficient seven-of-nine passes for 105 yards and a touchdown.
Foreman has also topped the century mark in rushing with 103 yards on 10 carries.
Texas will get the football to begin the second half.
More details to come ...
