WVU Football: 2023 Season in Review (game-by-game recap)
Game 5 - at TCU
The definition of a gritty performance
Quarterback Garrett Greene was back in uniform for the Mountaineers as they visited the TCU Horned Frogs in Fort Worth. 6 minutes into the game he made his presence known as he scrambled for a 35-yard touchdown run that knotted the game at 7. TCU took a 21-14 lead into the half, but the Mountaineers would go on to shutout TCU in the second half en route to a Big 12 road win.
Two major contributors to the Mountaineers defense had scary injuries in this contest. Both Aubrey Burks (head, neck) and Trey Lathan (lower leg) were carted off the field, taken to the hospital, and unable to travel home with the team. Lathan’s injury sidelined him for the remainder of the season. Burks would go on to miss just one game. Despite seeing their teammates come down with these injuries, the Mountaineers showed grit, toughness, and poise as they continued to fight.
A West Virginia drive capped off by a Garrett Greene 1-yard touchdown run tied the game at 21 with 4:54 to go in the 3rd quarter. Michael Hayes made a 49-yard field goal with 9 minutes remaining to give West Virginia the lead. However, the story in this one came from another special teams unit. West Virginia’s defensive linemen Sean Martin and Mike Lockhart each blocked TCU field goal attempts to secure the victory for the Mountaineers. That’s right, TCU had two attempts to tie the game, both of which were field goals blocked by WVU. One came on a 46-yard attempt with just under 5 minutes remaining. The second attempt was a 55-yard attempt on a 4th & 7 with 46 seconds remaining. West Virginia escaped with a victory in Fort Worth to improve to 4-1.
Mountaineer Notables:
Garrett Greene - 10/21, 142 yards, 12 carries, 80 yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
CJ Donaldson Jr. - 22 carries, 61 yards, 1 touchdown
Hudson Clement - 3 receptions, 43 yards
Lee Kpogba - 11 tackles, 1 sack
Beanie Bishop Jr. - 9 tackles, 2 passes defended
Final Score: West Virginia 24, TCU 21