MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia became bowl eligible with Saturday afternoon's 31-21 victory over UCF at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
WVU got 96 yards and two touchdowns from CJ Donaldson Jr. and an even 200 from its ground attack against a UCF defense that ranked 31^st nationally, allowing just 115.9 yards per game. Meanwhile, WVU's defense contained the Knights' second-ranked rushing offense that was averaging 262.8 yards per game to 86 yards below its season average.
 
However, senior RJ Harvey was as good as advertised, gaining 130 yards and two touchdowns on just 16 attempts.
 
The difference in the game was WVU coming up with the game's only turnover and possessing the ball more than 15 minutes longer than the Knights, 37:50 to 22:10. The total play disparity favored West Virginia 75 to 55.
 
"Big win," West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. "I thought the kids worked hard this week, and I thought we managed the game well today."
 
Senior quarterback Garrett Greene completed 13 of his 21 pass attempts for 118 yards and a touchdown, while adding 49 yards on the ground on 18 rushes. Jahiem White contributed 54 yards and a touchdown on 12 attempts, while Hudson Clement caught five passes for 81 yards to lead all receivers.
 
Dylan Rizk completed 11-of-21 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown for the Knights, who drop to 4-7 overall with today's loss.
 
West Virginia (6-5 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play) has had the ball to begin a football game 17 straight times dating back to last year, but UCF changed things up today by winning the coin toss and electing to receive opening kickoff.
 
The Mountaineer defense immediately forced a punt, and WVU turned the stop into points by marching 68 yards in eight plays, the big one coming on Donaldson's 31-yard run down to the UCF 1. One play later, Donaldson bulled in, and Michael Hayes II's conversion kick gave the Mountaineers a 7-0 lead.
 
The margin swelled to 14, thanks to a Rizk fumble that was recovered Dontez Fagan at the Knights' 34. Once again, West Virginia moved the ball on the ground, the longest run being Donaldson's 12-yard burst up the middle.
 
Twice, WVU converted third downs, and on the third conversion White took it in from the 3. On the prior play, Greene had tight end Treylan Davis wide open out in the nearside flat, but Davis was unable to haul in the football.
 
UCF's lone score of the first half was the result of Harvey's work on the ground, as he ripped off consecutive runs of 22 and 24 yards before carrying the ball in from the 2.
 
That capped a seven play, 59-yard march that consumed 3:51 of the clock.
 
Following an exchange of possessions, West Virginia took over at its 29 with 3:46 remaining and all three timeouts. The Mountaineers went to the air this time with Greene completing passes of 11, 26 and 16 yards to Clement, and then connecting with Rodney Gallagher III for 12 yards in the corner of the end zone on third and 12 for the score.
 
Greene completed 5 of his 7 passes on a drive that covered 71 yards and consumed all but 10 seconds of the second quarter.
 
The Mountaineers extended their lead on the opening drive of the third quarter, courtesy of Chasen Johnson's third down pass interference penalty while trying to break up Greene's long pass down the far sideline to Justin Robinson.
 
The penalty gave WVU a new set of downs at the UCF 37, and White took advantage of the great field position by running 35 yards down the near sideline to the UCF 2. Two Donaldson runs, the second from the 1, got the ball back into the end zone – his second rushing touchdown of the day.
 
Hayes' conversion kick gave the Mountaineers a 28-7 lead.
 
But two possessions later, UCF scored its second touchdown when cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr. bit on Kobe Hudson's double move and Rizk hit Hudson in stride for a 45-yard touchdown. The scoring march took just five plays and 2:18, covering 85 yards.
 
The third quarter ended with West Virginia facing a fourth and 8 at the UCF 35.
 
Greene began the fourth quarter with a scrambling 13-yard gainer to the UCF 22. The drive eventually stalled at the Knights' 26 where Hayes kicked a 36-yard field goal, giving the Mountaineers a 31-14 lead with 12:15 remaining. 
 
The drive covered 57 yards, but more importantly, consumed 8:23 of the clock.
 
On the ensuing drive, UCF got two first downs before the WVU defense came up with a stop when Josiah Trotter tackled Rizk 5 yards short of the marker on fourth and 10. WVU took over at its own 45 but couldn't move the chains, and Oliver Straw's punt was downed at the 3.
 
However, an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty on Straw, who was trying to police a blocking scrum between two players, moved the ball to the 18, giving UCF's offense more room to operate.
 
Rizk went to the air, completing a 23-yard pass to Hudson, a 14-yard pass to Randy Pittman Jr. and another one to Pittman for 20 yards to the WVU 23.
 
Here, the Knights kept it on the ground with pitchouts to Harvey, the first going for 14 yards and the second covering the remaining 9 yards to the far pylon for the touchdown. It took UCF only 1:48 to go nearly the entire length of the field.
 
West Virginia recovered UCF's onside kick and converted a fourth and 3 from the 37 when Greene's quick-slant throw to Robinson gained 10 yards to the 27. 
 
A dropped snap, an incomplete pass and Greene's 4-yard run took the ball to the 26 where UCF used its final timeout with 2:31 left.
 
Brown opted to go for it on fourth and 9, and Greene somehow got the ball past UCF defender Sheldon Arnold II to Clement for an 18-yard gainer to the 8.
 
With the Knights unable to stop the clock, Greene took a knee three times to run out the clock.
 
Senior safety Anthony Wilson Jr. led the Mountaineer defense with 10 tackles.
 
An announced crowd of 40,722 attended today's regular season finale.
 
"I want to thank the fans that were here today," Brown said. "I thought the ones that were here were really into it."
 
Today's win snapped a three-game home losing streak to conclude the season 3-4 at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
West Virginia will wrap up the regular season in Lubbock, Texas, next Saturday against Texas Tech. A game time is forthcoming.
 
UCF (4-7/2-6), which was making its first appearance in Morgantown since a 36-18 loss in 2003, ends its season at home next Saturday against Utah.