West Virginia Housed in Orlando, Remain Winless in Big 12

West Virginia received its fourth-straight beatdown after UCF hammered the Mountaineers (2-5, 0-4) for a homecoming win Saturday afternoon 45-13 at the Acrisure Bounce House, the first WVU loss in the five-game series history against the Knights (4-3, 1-3).

The Mountaineers had lost by an average margin of 26.3 through their first three Big 12 Conference games and were hoping to begin the back half of the season with a much-needed win, following a bye week and against a fellow winless Big 12 foe.

“We stunk in every phase, in every way,” West Virginia University head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “I thought we had a good week in practice. I’ve done this a long time – I thought the guys were ready to play. We didn’t do anything well – Looked slow, out of position, missed tackles, didn’t block. Hell, [we] had two holding penalties on draw plays. That should never happen. Again, poorly coached, poorly executed, poorly played, poorly everything.”

Rodriguez opted to start freshman Scotty Fox Jr. ahead of redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins, who started in the previous outing against BYU.

“Just trying,” Rodrguez said. “Got to give everybody a shot and do it based on what they’ve done in the game, but also what they’ve done in practice. I’ve got to make a decision based on practice and to have the two young guys, the only guys that are healthy are the two young guys. So, Scotty got the first shot based on practice the last two weeks, but it’s a lot on them. It’s a lot on them more when the pieces around them aren’t helping,”

Fox and the offense struggled to find footing on the first three possessions. The longest drive went 33 yards on 10 plays and ended after failing to convert fourth and 13 at the UCF 36.

While West Virginia was searching for its offense, UCF scored on its first two drives of the game. The Knights offense started their day from their own three-yard line. Nonetheless, the first play was a 39-yard run from redshirt senior running back Myles Montgomery. Five plays later, redshirt junior Tayven Jackson connected with redshirt senior receiver Chris Domercant for a 40-yard touchdown pass and the 7-0 lead.

Jackson and the Knights, again, made quick work of the defense on the second drive. He hit junior receiver Duane Thomas Jr. for 25 yards before Domercant for the 34-yard touchdown pass in the back of the endzone for a 14-0 edge.

“I got to find out why we had so many guys so wide open,” Rodriguez stated. “I know one time we were supposed to have a deep safety in the middle of the field, and we didn’t, and I think it was the second touchdown of the game. It should never happen. So, there were some breakdowns there. Why it happened, I got to find out why. We played really poorly as poorly as we played defensively of I’ve had a team play defensively in a long, long time. Our guys are pretty consciousness – coaches and they’ll do what they can to fix it.“

After UCF failed to convert on a fourth and one from its own 39, Wilkins entered the game and immediately gave the Mountaineers a threat in the running game. Back-to-back keepers produced 27 yards, then scrambled six yards to cap five-play drive to cut the lead in half as the defense held the Knights scoreless in the second quarter to trail 14-7 at halftime. Wilkins finished the half with 58 rushing yards.

UCF opened the second half with a 92-yard touchdown drive. Jackson had three completions for 60 yards and redshirt senior running back Jaden Nixon finished the drive with a 12-yard touchdown run. Jackson finished the day 23-34 for 277 yards and two touchdowns.

“Three drive started inside the 10-yard line, and they scored,” Rodrigeuz said. “We missed some tackles. Looked slower if that’s the right word. Weren’t playing as fast as we needed too. The execution part, the scheme part we will have to look at. It was not a good effort from any facet.”

On West Virginia’s opening possession of the second half and facing a third and eight, Wilkins was hit from behind, stripped, and redshirt senior linebacker Keli Lawson for the 32-yard scoop and score and the rout was on.

Nixon finished with a game-high 116 yards and two touchdowns with the bulk of producing from an explosive 83-yard touchdown run late in the third quarter to stretch the UCF lead, 35-7.

West Virginia produced a mere 63 total yards in the quarter and never recaptured the little momentum from the second quarter. Wilkins was held in check to just five yards before Fox re-entered the game.

“I don’t think we sustained blocks as well… Their defense got off blocks better than our defense did. I don’t’ know if we challenged them enough like we needed to. From a schemed standpoint we got to look at that,” Rodriguez said.

UCF tacked on 10 points in the fourth quarter, receiving three points on a 51-yard field goal from Redshirt senior Noe Ruelas and backup redshirt freshman quarterback Davi Belfort led the Knights 72 yards on his only drive of the day with a one-yard run for a 45-7 advantage.

West Virginia found the end zone for the final time after redshirt senior safety Jordan Walker intercepted the pass from redshirt junior Brock Hansel and returned it 31 yards to the one-yard line.

The Mountaineers would not make easy. On the first play, a botched snap, was recovered at the 20. A 19-yard completion put WVU back at the one before redshirt freshman running bac Diore Hubbard punched it in and the missed extra point put the final score at 45-13.

West Virginia Housed in Orlando, Remain Winless in Big 12

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