2018 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

2018 West Virginia Mountaineers football
Camping World Bowl, L 18–34 vs. Syracuse
Conference	Big 12 Conference
Ranking
Coaches	No. 22
AP	No. 20
Record	8–4 (6–3 Big 12)
Head coach	Dana Holgorsen (8th season)
Offensive coordinator	Jake Spavital (2nd season)
Offensive scheme	Spread
Defensive coordinator	Tony Gibson (5th season)
Base defense	3–3–5
Home stadium	Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
Seasons ←  2017 2019  →

2018 Big 12 Conference football standings

v t e	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
No. 4 Oklahoma y$^		8	–	1					12	–	2
No. 9 Texas y		7	–	2					10	–	4
Iowa State		6	–	3					8	–	5
No. 20 West Virginia		6	–	3					8	–	4
TCU		4	–	5					7	–	6
Baylor		4	–	5					7	–	6
Oklahoma State		3	–	6					7	–	6
Kansas State		3	–	6					5	–	7
Texas Tech		3	–	6					5	–	7
Kansas		1	–	8					3	–	9
Championship: Oklahoma 39, Texas 27
^ – College Football Playoff participant $ – Conference champion y – Championship game participant Rankings from AP Poll

The 2018 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Mountaineers played their home games at the Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, in Morgantown, West Virginia, and compete in the Big 12 Conference. They were led by eighth-year head coach Dana Holgorsen.

Preseason

Wide Receiver David Sills V.

Quarterback Will Grier received numerous accolades prior to the commencement of the 2018 season.

First team All-Americans

Quarterback Will Grier and wide receiver David Sills were named to numerous preseason All-America teams by various media outlets. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6]}

Award watch lists

Listed in the order that they were released

Award	Player	Position	Year
Chuck Bednarik Award [7]	David Long Jr.	LB	JR
Maxwell Award [8]	Will Grier	QB	SR
	David Sills	WR	SR
Davey O'Brien Award [9]	Will Grier	QB	SR
Fred Biletnikoff Award [10]	Gary Jennings Jr.	WR	SR
	David Sills	WR	SR
Jim Thorpe Award [11]	Dravon Askew-Henry	S	SR
Bronko Nagurski Trophy [12]	Dravon Askew-Henry	S	SR
	David Long	LB	JR
Outland Trophy [13]	Yodny Cajuste	OL	SR
Paul Hornung Award [14]	Marcus Simms	WR/KR	JR
Wuerffel Trophy [15]	Will Grier	QB	SR
Walter Camp Award [16]	Will Grier	QB	SR
	David Sills	WR	SR
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award [17]	Will Grier	QB	SR
Manning Award [18]	Will Grier	QB	SR

Big 12 media poll

The Big 12 media poll was released on July 12, 2018, with the Mountaineers predicted to finish in second place. ^[19]

Media poll
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Oklahoma	509 (46)
2	West Virginia	432 (2)
3	TCU	390 (1)
4	Texas	370 (1)
5	Oklahoma State	300
6	Kansas State	283 (2)
7	Iowa State	250
8	Texas Tech	149
9	Baylor	125
10	Kansas	52

Schedule

Date	Time	Opponent	Rank	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 1	3:30 p.m.	vs. Tennessee *	No. 17	Bank of America Stadium Charlotte, NC (Belk Kickoff Game / SEC Nation)	CBS	W 40–14	66,793
September 8	6:00 p.m.	Youngstown State *	No. 14	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	AT&TSN Pitt	W 52–17	58,446
September 15	3:30 p.m.	at NC State *	No. 13	Carter–Finley Stadium Raleigh, NC	ESPNU	–	–
September 22	3:30 p.m.	Kansas State	No. 12	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (Stripe the Stadium)	ESPN	W 35–6	59,245
September 29	Noon	at No. 25 Texas Tech	No. 12	Jones AT&T Stadium Lubbock, TX	ESPN2	W 42–34	55,283
October 6	Noon	Kansas	No. 9	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (Gold Rush)	ESPN2	W 38–22	57,419
October 13	7:00 p.m.	at Iowa State	No. 6	Jack Trice Stadium Ames, IA	FS1	L 14–30	56,629
October 25	7:00 p.m.	Baylor	No. 13	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	FS1	W 58–14	53,117
November 3	3:30 p.m.	at No. 17 Texas	No. 13	Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium Austin, TX	FOX	W 42–41	100,703
November 10	Noon	TCU	No. 9	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (True Blue)	FS1	W 47–10	60,007
November 17	3:30 p.m.	at Oklahoma State	No. 9	Boone Pickens Stadium Stillwater, OK	ABC	L 41–45	52,842
November 23	8:00 p.m.	No. 6 Oklahoma	No. 13	Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV	ESPN	L 56–59	60,713
December 28	5:15 p.m.	vs. No. 20 Syracuse *	No. 16	Camping World Stadium Orlando, FL (Camping World Bowl)	ESPN	L 18–34	41,125
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings after October 30 released prior to game All times are in Eastern time

Schedule Source: ^[20]

Coaching staff

Name	Position	Joined Staff
Dana Holgorsen	Head Coach	2011
Doug Belk	Cornerbacks	2017
Marquel Blackwell	Running Backs	2018
Matt Caponi	Safeties	2016
Tyron Carrier	Receivers	2017
Dan Gerberry	Tight Ends/Fullbacks	2018
Tony Gibson	Defensive Coordinator/Linebackers	2013
Mark Scott	Linebackers/Special Teams	2015
Jake Spavital	Offensive Coordinator/Quarterbacks	2017
Bruce Tall	Defensive Line	2015
Joe Wickline	Offensive Line	2016

Roster

Position key

Back	B		Center	C		Cornerback	CB		Defensive back	DB
Defensive end	DE		Defensive lineman	DL		Defensive tackle	DT		End	E
Fullback	FB		Guard	G		Halfback	HB		Kicker	K
Kickoff returner	KR		Offensive tackle	OT		Offensive lineman	OL		Linebacker	LB
Long snapper	LS		Punter	P		Punt returner	PR		Quarterback	QB
Running back	RB		Safety	S		Tight end	TE		Wide receiver	WR

2018 West Virginia Mountaineers football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 1 T. J. Simmons  So QB 3 Trent Jackson Fr RB 4 Leddie Brown Fr RB 6 Kennedy McKoy Jr QB 7 Will Grier  Sr WR 8 Marcus Simms Jr QB 10 Trey Lowe III Fr QB 11 Jack Allison  So WR 12 Gary Jennings Jr. Sr WR 13 David Sills Sr RB 14 Tevin Bush So WR 16 William Crest Jr.  Sr WR 19 Druw Bowen  So RB 20 Alec Sinkfield  Fr WR 22 Anthony Delpercio  Fr WR 24 Roman Hawkins Fr WR 27 Kwincy Hall Fr WR 29 Chase Riley  Fr RB 32 Martell Pettaway Jr RB 33 T. J. Kpan  Fr RB 34 Lorenzo Dorr  So RB 35 Brady Watson  Jr WR 36 Ricky Johns  Fr WR 37 Kolby Mack Fr TE, FB 41 Elijah Drummond  So FB, TE 42 Logan Thimons  So TE, FB 47 Joseph Turner  Fr OL 53 Colton McKivitz  Jr OL 54 Eric Sjostedt  Fr OL 55 Yodny Cajuste  Sr OL 57 Michael Brown  Jr OL 58 Joe Brown  Jr OL 60 Noah Drummond Fr OL 62 Zach Davis  So OL 62 Garrett Smyton Fr OL 65 Isaiah Hardy Sr OL 66 Adam Stilley  Fr OL 68 Briason Mays Fr OL 69 Blaine Scott Fr OL 70 Tyler Thurmond  So OL 71 Junior Uzebu Fr OL 72 Kelby Wickline  Jr OL 73 Josh Sills  So OL 76 Chase Behrndt  So OL 78 Jacob Buccigrossi  So OL 79 Matt Jones  Jr TE, FB 80 Jesse Beal Fr WR 82 Dominique Maiden Sr WR 83 Bryce Ford-Wheaton Fr TE, FB 84 Jovani Haskins  So TE 85 T. J. Banks Fr WR 85 Sam James Fr WR 86 Randy Fields Jr. Fr TE 87 Mike O'Laughlin Fr TE 88 Trevon Wesco  Sr WR 89 Dillon Spalding Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 1 Derrek Pitts Jr. So S 2 Kenny Robinson So S 3 Toyous Avery Jr.  Sr S 4 Josh Norwood  Jr DL 5 Ezekiel Rose Sr S 6 Dravon Askew-Henry  Sr LB 7 Brendan Ferns  So S 8 Kwantel Raines Fr S 9 Jovanni Stewart Jr CB 10 Dylan Tonkery  So S 11 Chase Hill Fr LB 11 David Long Jr.  Jr DL 13 Jeffrey Pooler Jr.  So LB 17 Exree Loe  Fr LB 18 Charlie Benton  So CB 18 Jaelen Gross  Fr CB 19 Barry Moreland  Jr CB 22 Jake Long  So CB 23 Jordan Adams  Jr CB 24 Hakeem Bailey  Jr S 25 Osman Kamara  So S 26 Deamonte Lindsay  Jr S 27 E. J. Brown  Fr S 28 Rashon Lusane  So CB 28 Keith Washington  Jr CB 29 Sean Mahone  So LB 31 Zach Sandwisch  So LB 32 Vandarius Cowan So LB 33 Quondarius Qualls Sr LB 34 Shea Campbell  Jr LB 35 Josh Chandler Fr S 39 Dante Bonamico  So LB 39 Henry Cook  Fr DL 40 Kenny Bigelow Jr.  Sr LB 45 Adam Hensley Jr DL 46 Reese Donahue Jr DL 49 Nick Rush Fr DL 50 Jabril Robinson  Sr LB 51 Jake Abbott  Fr DL 55 Dante Stills Fr DL 56 Darius Stills So DL 57 Nate Green  So LB 59 Luke Williams  So DL 67 Josh Ritchie Fr DL 74 James Gmiter Fr DL 77 Daniel Buchanan  Fr DL 87 Stone Wolfley  Jr DL 90 Brenon Thrift Sr TE, FB 91 Matt Bezjak  So DL 91 Tavis Lee Fr DL 92 Dalton McDaniels Fr DL 97 Connor Barwis  Fr DL 98 Tyrese Allen Fr DL 99 Sam Cookman  Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class P, K 16 Billy Kinney  Sr P 23 Evan Matthews Fr K 30 Evan Staley  So K, P 31 Casey Legg Fr K 43 Luke Hogan  So K 48 Skyler Simcox  Jr LS 51 Kyle Poland  So LS 52 J. P. Hadley Fr LS 52 Rex Sunahara  Jr	Head coach Dana Holgorsen Coordinators/assistant coaches Doug Belk – Cornerbacks Marquel Blackwell – Running Backs Matt Caponi – Safeties Tyron Carrier – Receivers Tony Gibson – Defensive Coordinator, Linebackers Mark Scott – Linebackers, Special Teams Jake Spavital – Offensive Coordinator, Quarterbacks Bruce Tall – Defensive Line Joe Wickline – Offensive Line Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: August 22, 2018

Game summaries

Vs. Tennessee

See also: 2018 Tennessee Volunteers football team

No. 17 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Tennessee Volunteers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 17 Mountaineers	10	3	20	7	40
Tennessee	0	7	7	0	14

at Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, NC

• Date: September 29
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 89 °F (32 °C) • Weather: SUnny • Wind: ESE 4 MPH
• Game attendance: 66,793
• Referee: Gary Patterson
• TV: CBS
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 11:00 WVU FG – Evan Staley 26-yard field goal 3:32 WVU TD – .T.J. Simmons 59-yard pass from Will Grier, (Staley PAT) Second quarter 6:13 TENN TD – Dominick Wood-Anderson 1-yard pass from Jarrett Guarantano (Cimaglia PAT) 0:00 WVU FG – Evan Staley 35-yard field goal ’Third quarter' 12:54 WVU TD – David Sills 33-yard pass from Grier (Staley PAT) 8:09 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 28-yard pass from Grier (Staley PAT) 6:09 TENN TD – Tim Jordan 6-yard run (Cimaglia PAT) 1:15 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 14-yard pass from Grier (Conversion failed) Fourth quarter 2:02 WVU TD – Sills 10-yard pass from Grier (Staley PAT) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 25–34, 429 yards, 5 TDs TENN – Jarrett Guarantano: 19–25, 172 yards, 1 TD Top rushers WVU – Martell Pettaway: 9 rushes, 56 yards TENN – Tim Jordan: 20 rushes, 118 yards, 1 TD Top receivers WVU – David Sills V: 7 receptions, 140 yards, 2 TDs TENN – Marquez Callaway: 6 receptions, 63 yards

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Tennessee
First downs	26	19
Total yards	547	301
Rushing yards	118	129
Passing yards	429	172
Turnovers	1	0
Time of possession	27:37	32:23

Youngstown State

No. 13 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Youngstown State Penguins – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Penguins	0	7	10	0	17
No. 13 Mountaineers	7	14	21	10	52

at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV

• Date: September 8
• Game time: 6:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Rain • Wind: 10 MPH
• Game attendance: 58,446
• Referee: Gary Patterson
• TV announcers (AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh): Rob King (play-by-play), Rasheed Marshall (color), Meg Bulger (sideline)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 3:50 WVU TD – Alec Sinkfield 9-yard run (Staley PAT) 12:52 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 11-yard pass from Will Grier, (Staley PAT) Second quarter 9:01 YSU TD – Miles Joiner 4-yard pass from Montgomery VanGorder (Kennedy PAT) 1:00 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 24-yard pass from Will Grier, (Staley PAT) ’Third quarter' 12:19 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 33-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 09:29 YSU TD – Tevin McCaster 13-yard run (Kennedy PAT) 04:02 WVU TD – Leddie Brown 1-yard run (Staley PAT) 03:20 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 8-yard run (Staley PAT) 00:01 YSU FG – Zak Kennedy 45-yard field goal Fourth quarter 14:37 WVU TD – Dominique Maiden 40-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 8:37 WVU FG – Evan Staley 31-yard field goal Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 21–26, 332 yards, 4 TD, 1 INT YSU – Montgomery VanGorder: 11–24, 157 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT Top rushers WVU – Leddie Brown: 15 rushes, 115 yards, 1 TD YSU – Tevin McCaster: 14 rushes, 72 yards, 1 TD Top receivers WVU – Marcus Simms: 8 receptions, 119 yards YSU – Zach Farrar: 6 receptions, 135 yards

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Youngstown State
First downs	29	19
Total yards	625	293
Rushing yards	289	136
Passing yards	336	157
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	29:15	30:45

Kansas State

See also: 2018 Kansas State Wildcats football team

No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kansas State Wildcats – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Wildcats	0	0	3	3	6
No. 12 Mountaineers	7	14	14	0	35

at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV

• Date: September 22
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 64 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Rain • Wind: 10 MPH
• Game attendance: 59,245
• Referee: Brandon Cruse
• TV announcers (ESPN): Clay Matvick (play-by-play), Dan Orlovsky (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 4:46 WVU TD – Marcus Simms 82-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Second quarter 2:31 WVU TD – David Sills 1-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 0:02 WVU TD – David Sills 1-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) ’Third quarter' 09:29 KSU FG – Blake Lynch 25-yard field goal 9:01 WVU TD – Tevin Bush 62-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 7:39 WVU TD – David Sills 1-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Fourth quarter 13:48 KSU FG – Blake Lynch 38-yard field goal Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 25–35, 356 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT KSU – Skylar Thompson: 11–17, 145 yards Top rushers WVU – Kennedy McKoy: 12 rushes, 73 yards KSU – Alex Barnes: 12 rushes, 49 yards Top receivers WVU – Marcus Simms: 5 receptions, 136 yards, 1 TD KSU – Isaiah Zuber: 10 receptions, 133 yards

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Kansas State
First downs	20	17
Total yards	464	318
Rushing yards	108	136
Passing yards	356	157
Turnovers	3	0
Time of possession	26:37	33:23

West Virginia had originally planned to have a game the previous week against North Carolina State, but it was canceled due to Hurricane Florence. The team and coaches began preparations against Kansas State early. Mountaineer Coach Dana Holgorsen said, "Kansas State's a tough outfit that we've got to prepare for." ^[21]

Both teams started conference play with this game. Kansas State entered the game with a record of 2–1 ^[22] where West Virginia had already secured victories against Tennessee (40–14) and Youngstown State (523–-17)." ^[21] This game is the ninth meeting between the two teams with the Wildcats holding a 5–3 overall lead. The teams have split the four games played at West Virginia. ^[23]

West Virginia managed to take control of the game mid-way through the second quarter after Kansas State failed to convert on fourth down. West Virginia ended ahead at the half 21–0. ^[24] Kansas State managed control the ball more on offense but it wasn't enough, as West Virginia achieved 464 total yards compared to Kansas State's 318. Although West Virginia had four turnovers to Kansas State's one, the Wildcats lost 69 yards on 8 penalties compared to the Mountaineer's 35 yards on 3 penalties. West Virginia was 8–12 on third down conversions compared to Kansas State's 3–14. ^[25]

In the second half of play, Kansas State was successful with two field goals and additional scores by the Mountaineers put the game to a conclusion of West Virginia's victory 35–6. ^[24]

At Texas Tech

See also: 2018 Texas Tech Red Raiders football team

No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers at No. 25 Texas Tech Red Raiders – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Mountaineers	28	7	0	7	42
No. 25 Red Raiders	7	3	7	17	34

at Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, TX

• Date: September 29
• Game time: 11:00 a.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 61 °F (16 °C) • Weather: partly cloudy • Wind: S 5 MPH
• Game attendance: 55,283
• Referee: Brad VanVark
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Ahmad Brooks (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 12:21 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 13-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 8:06 WVU TD – Leddie Brown 1-yard run (Staley PAT) 3:03 WVU TD – Marcus Simms 45-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 2:06 TTU TD – Antoine Wesley 40-yard pass from Alan Bowman (Hatfield PAT) 0:04 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 38-yard run (Staley PAT) Second quarter 9:38 TTU FG – Clayton Hatfield 25-yard field goal 1:08 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 14-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Third quarter 3:02 TTU TD – De'Quan Bowman 2-yard pass from Jett Duffey (Hatfield PAT) Fourth quarter 12:31 TTU FG – Clayton Hatfield 27-yard field goal 7:50 TTU TD – Jett Duffey 3-yard run (Hatfield PAT) 2:58 WVU TD – Keith Washington 51-yard interception return (Staley PAT) 0:38 TTU TD – Ta'Zhawn Henry 1-yard run (Hatfield PAT) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 27/41, 370 yards, 3 TD TTU – Jett Duffey: 16/27, 172 yards, TD, 2 INT Top rushers WVU – Kennedy McCoy: 11 carries, 77 yards, 1 TD TTU – Jett Duffey: 15 carries, 86 yards, 1 TD Top receivers WVU – Marcus Simms: 9 receptions, 138 yards, 1 TD TTU – Antoine Wesley: 8 receptions, 110 yards, 1 TD

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Texas Tech
First downs	26	28
Total yards	489	463
Rushing yards	119	168
Passing yards	370	295
Turnovers	0	3
Time of possession	30:26	29:34

Kansas

See also: 2018 Kansas Jayhawks football team

No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Kansas Jayhawks – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Jayhawks	7	0	7	8	22
No. 9 Mountaineers	14	7	7	10	38

at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV

• Date: October 6
• Game time: Noon
• Game weather: Temperature: 79 °F (26 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: N 5 MPH
• Game attendance: 58,446
• Referee: Scott Campbell
• TV announcers (ESPN2): Anish Shroff (play-by-play), Ahmad Brooks (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 9:28 WVU TD – Leddie Brown 15-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 5:21 WVU TD – Leddie Brown 1-yard run (Staley PAT) 0:12 KU TD – Mavin Saunders 18-yard pass from Peyton Bender (Rui PAT) Second quarter 11:52 WVU TD – Jovani Haskins 14-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) ’Third quarter' 10:50 KU TD – Khalil Herbert 31-yard run (Rui PAT) 0:00 WVU TD – Martell Pettaway 12-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Fourth quarter 5:05 WVU FG – Evan Staley 49-yard field goal 2:20 WVU TD – David Sills 17-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 0:00 KU TD – Daylon Charlot 18-yard pass from Peyton Bender (Lassiter Pass) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 28–41, 332 yards, 4 TD, 3 INT KU – Peyton Bender: 16–25, 191 yards, 2 TD, 1 INT Top rushers WVU – Leddie Brown: 11 rushes, 107 yards, 1 TD KU – Pooka Williams Jr.: 12 rushes, 65 yards Top receivers WVU – David Sills: 7 receptions, 74 yards, 1 TD KU – Jeremiah Booker: 4 receptions, 63 yards

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Kansas
First downs	29	16
Total yards	509	286
Rushing yards	177	80
Passing yards	332	206
Turnovers	3	2
Time of possession	34:11	25:49

At Iowa State

See also: 2018 Iowa State Cyclones football team

No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers at Iowa State Cyclones – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Mountaineers	7	7	0	0	14
Cyclones	13	7	0	10	30

at Jack Trice Stadium, Ames, IA

• Date: October 13
• Game time: 7:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Scattered Clouds • Wind:S 0–5 MPH
• Game attendance: 56,629
• Referee: David Alvarez
• TV announcers (Fox Sports 1): Tim Brando (play-by-play), Spencer Tillman (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 6:47 WVU TD – David Sills 18-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 4:24 ISU TD – Hakeem Butler 4-yard pass from Brock Purdy (Assalley PAT) 0:13 ISU TD – David Montgomery 2-yard run (Kick Failed) Second quarter 9:21 ISU TD – Charlie Kolar 19-yard pass from Brock Purdy (Assalley PAT) 2:58 WVU TD – Derrek Pitts Jr. 72-yard blocked field goal return (Staley PAT) Fourth quarter 12:17 ISU TD – Deshaunte Jones 32-yard pass from Brock Purdy (Eaton Pass) 5:14 ISU – Team Safety Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 11/15, 100 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT ISU – Brock Purdy: 18/25, 254 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT Top rushers WVU – Kennedy McCoy: 9 rushes, 55 yards ISU – David Montgomery: 29 rushes, 189 yards, 1 TD Top receivers WVU – Gary Jennings Jr.: 4 receptions, 38 yards ISU – Hakeem Butler: 6 receptions, 107 yards, 1 TD

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Iowa State
First downs	9	25
Total yards	152	498
Rushing yards	52	244
Passing yards	100	254
Turnovers	1	1
Time of possession	22:39	37:21

Baylor

See also: 2018 Baylor Bears football team

No. 9 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Baylor Bears – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Bears	0	0	14	0	14
No. 13 Mountaineers	10	31	10	7	58

at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV

• Date: October 25
• Game time: 7:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 45 °F (7 °C) • Weather: Clear • Wind: NNE 4 MPH
• Game attendance: 53,117
• Referee: Eddy Shelton
• TV announcers (Fox Sports 1): Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), DeMarco Murray (color), Petros Papadakis (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 14:10 WVU TD – Gary Jennings, Jr. 53-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 2:53 WVU FG – Evan Staley 25-yard field goal Second quarter 13:21 WVU FG – Evan Staley 47-yard field goal 6:40 WVU TD – David Sills 25-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 6:11 WVU TD – David Sills 65-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 3:09 WVU TD – Will Grier 1-yard run (Staley PAT) ’Third quarter' 14:20 WVU FG – Evan Staley 44-yard field goal 9:52 BU TD – Josh Fleeks 2-yard run (Martin PAT) 5:34 WVU TD – Leddie Brown 1-yard run (Staley PAT) 0:23 BU TD – Jalan McClendon 1-yard run (Martin PAT) Fourth quarter 14:53 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 36-yard pass from Jack Allison (Staley PAT) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 17–27, 353 yards, 3 TD BU – Jalan McClendon: 16–21, 183 yards Top rushers WVU – Tevin Bush: 1 rush, 79 yards BU – JaMycal Hasty: 9 rushes, 43 yards Top receivers WVU – David Sills: 5 receptions, 139 yards, 2 TD BU – Jalen Hurd: 3 receptions, 38 yards

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Baylor
First downs	22	17
Total yards	568	287
Rushing yards	172	82
Passing yards	396	205
Turnovers	0	4
Time of possession	28:02	31:50

At Texas

See also: 2018 Texas Longhorns football team

No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers at No. 15 Texas Longhorns – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 12 Mountaineers	10	17	0	15	42
No. 15 Longhorns	14	14	3	10	41

at Darrell K Royal–Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, TX

• Date: November 3
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 76 °F (24 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind:SW 8–23 MPH
• Game attendance: 100,703
• Referee: Brad Van Vark
• TV announcers (Fox): Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 11:03 WVU FG – Evan Staley 45-yard field goal 4:36 TEX TD – Sam Ehlinger 1-yard run (Dicker PAT) 3:08 WVU TD – David Sills 60-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 1:50 TEX TD – Lil'Jordan Humphrey 21-yard pass from Sam Ehlinger (Dicker PAT) Second quarter 14:49 WVU TD – David Sills 18-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 10:04 TEX TD – Tre Watson 5-yard run (Dicker PAT) 7:36 WVU TD – Martell Pettaway 55-yard run (Staley PAT) 2:40 TEX TD – Tre Watson 32-yard pass from Sam Ehlinger (Dicker PAT) 0:09 WVU FG – Evan Staley 44-yard field goal Third Quarter 2:55 TEX FG – Cameron Dicker 22-yard field goal Fourth quarter 9:38 TEX FG – Cameron Dicker 38-yard field goal 5:40 WVU TD – Martell Pettaway 13-yard run (Staley PAT) 2:34 TEX TD – Devin Duvernay 48-yard pass from Sam Ehlinger (Dicker PAT) 0:16 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 33-yard pass from Will Grier (Grier Rush) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 28/42, 346 yards, 3 TD TEX – Sam Ehlinger: 25/36, 354 yards, 3 TD Top rushers WVU – Martell Pettaway: 9 rushes, 121 yards, 2 TD TEX – Tre Watson: 14 rushes, 80 yards, 1 TD Top receivers WVU – David Sills: 6 receptions, 97 yards, 2 TD TEX – Lil'Jordan Humphrey: 9 receptions, 143 yards, 1 TD

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Texas
First downs	28	28
Total yards	578	520
Rushing yards	232	166
Passing yards	346	354
Turnovers	0	1
Time of possession	26:00	34:00

TCU

See also: 2018 TCU Horned Frogs football team

No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. TCU Horned Frogs – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
Horned Frogs	3	0	7	0	10
No. 7 Mountaineers	0	24	16	7	47

at Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, WV

• Date: November 10
• Game time: Noon
• Game weather: Temperature: 33 °F (1 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: SE 9 MPH
• Game attendance: 60,007
• Referee: Eddy Shelton
• TV announcers (Fox Sports 1): Justin Kutcher (play-by-play), DeMarco Murray (color), Petros Papadakis (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 8:10 TCU FG – Jonathan Song 30-yard field goal Second quarter 14:49 WVU FG – Evan Staley 47-yard field goal 5:09 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 33-yard run (Staley PAT) 3:42 WVU TD – Martell Pettaway 1-yard run (Staley PAT) 1:39 WVU TD – Trevon Wesco 32-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) ’Third quarter' 14:13 WVU – Team Safety 13:12 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 1-yard run (Staley PAT) 9:48 TCU TD – Jalen Reagor 28-yard pass from Mike Collins (Song PAT) 1:25 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 8-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Fourth quarter 10:55 WVU TD – David Sills 4-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 25–39, 343 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT TCU – Mike Collins: 22–37, 229 yards, 1 TD Top rushers WVU – Martell Pettaway: 12 rushes, 59 yards, 1 TD TCU – Darius Anderson: 11 rushes, 19 yards Top receivers WVU – Trevon Wesco: 5 receptions, 86 yards, 1 TD TCU – Jalen Reagor: 11 receptions, 150 yards, 1 TD

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	TCU
First downs	26	12
Total yards	535	222
Rushing yards	164	−7
Passing yards	371	229
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	30:18	29:42

At Oklahoma State

See also: 2018 Oklahoma State Cowboys football team

No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers at Oklahoma State Cowboys – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 7 Mountaineers	14	17	0	10	41
Cowboys	7	7	10	21	45

at Boone Pickens Stadium, Stillwater, OK

• Date: November 17
• Game time: 3:30 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: 62 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Partly Cloudy • Wind: W 8 MPH
• Game attendance: 52,842
• Referee: Cooper Castleberry
• TV announcers (ABC): Sean McDonough (play-by-play), Todd Blackledge (color)
• Source:

Game information

First quarter 11:44 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 5-yard run (Staley PAT) 4:14 OSU TD – Tylan Wallace 7-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (Ammendola PAT) 3:01 WVU TD – Gary Jennings Jr. 13-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) Second quarter 14:55 WVU TD – David Sills 22-yard pass from Will Grier (Staley PAT) 13:11 OSU TD – Logan Carter 20-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (Ammendola PAT) 1:17 WVU TD – Kennedy McKoy 30-yard run (Staley PAT) 0:00 WVU FG – Evan Staley 43-yard field goal Third Quarter 12:25 OSU TD – Chubba Hubbard 1-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (Ammendola PAT) 3:03 OSU FG – Matt Ammendola 20-yard field goal Fourth quarter 14:56 WVU FG – Evan Staley 34-yard field goal 10:49 OSU TD – Tyron Johnson 6-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (Ammendola PAT) 7:37 WVU TD – Will Grier 6-yard run (Staley PAT) 4:47 OSU TD – Taylor Cornelius 9-yard run (Ammendola PAT) 0:42 OSU TD – Tylan Wallace 11-yard pass from Taylor Cornelius (Ammendola PAT) Top passers WVU – Will Grier: 27–48, 364 yards, 2 TD OSU – Taylor Cornelius: 30–46, 338 yards, 5 TD, 2 INT Top rushers WVU – Kennedy McKoy: 21 rushes, 148 yards, 2 TD OSU – Chubba Hubbard: 26 rushes, 134 yards Top receivers WVU – Gary Jennings Jr.: 7 receptions, 92 yards, 1 TD OSU – Dillon Stoner: 9 receptions, 127 yards

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Oklahoma State
First downs	25	35
Total yards	553	604
Rushing yards	189	266
Passing yards	364	338
Turnovers	1	4
Time of possession	29:45	30:15

Oklahoma

See also: 2018 Oklahoma Sooners football team

No. 6 Oklahoma Sooners at No. 13 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 6 Oklahoma	14	21	10	14	59
No. 13 West Virginia	14	14	21	7	56

at Mountaineer Field • Morgantown, West Virginia

• Date: November 23, 2018
• Game time: 8:00 p.m.
• Game weather: Temperature: • Wind: (MPH) • Weather:
• Referee: Mike Defee
• TV announcers (ESPN): Sean McDonough (Play-by-Play), Todd Blackledge (analyst), Holly Rowe (sideline)

Statistics

Statistics	West Virginia	Oklahoma
First downs	33	25
Total yards	704	668
Rushing yards	165	304
Passing yards	539	364
Turnovers	2	2
Time of possession	31:53	28:07

Vs. Syracuse (Camping World Bowl)

See also: 2018 Syracuse Orange football team and 2018 Camping World Bowl

Camping World Bowl: No. 17 Syracuse Orange vs. No. 15 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary

Period	1	2	3	4	Total
No. 17 Orange	7	7	3	17	34
No. 15 Mountaineers	3	9	6	0	18

at Camping World Stadium, Orlando, FL

• Date: December 28
• Game time: 5:15 p.m.
• TV announcers (ESPN): Dave Flemming, Rod Gilmore, and Quint Kessenich
• http://506sports.com/ncaaf.php

Rankings

Further information: 2018 NCAA Division I FBS football rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.

	Week
Poll	Pre	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	Final
AP	17	14	14	12	12	9	6	13	13	12	7	7	12	15	15	20
Coaches	20	17	15	13	12	8	6	13	12	10	8	7	12	16	16	22
CFP	Not released									13	9	9	13	16	16	Not released

Players drafted into the NFL

See also: 2019 NFL Draft

Round	Pick	Player	Position	NFL Club
3	100	Will Grier	QB	Carolina Panthers
3	101	Yodny Cajuste	OT	New England Patriots
4	120	Gary Jennings Jr.	WR	Seattle Seahawks
4	121	Trevon Wesco	TE	New York Jets
6	188	David Long Jr.	LB	Tennessee Titans

References

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13. "22018 OUTLAND TROPHY WATCH LIST UNVEILED". July 24, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
14. "43 PLAYERS NAMED TO 2018 PAUL HORNUNG AWARD WATCH LIST". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
15. "Wuerffel Trophy Unveils 2018 Watch List". July 26, 2018. Archived from the original on July 26, 2018. Retrieved July 26, 2018.
16. Carbone, Al (July 27, 2018). "Walter Camp Football Foundation Announces 2018 Player of the Year Preseason "Watch List"" . Retrieved July 30, 2018.
17. "Watch List for 2018 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award ® Presented by A. O. Smith Announced". August 14, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
18. "Manning Award: See which quarterbacks made the preseason watch list for 2018". August 16, 2018. Retrieved August 17, 2018.
19. Sooners Picked to Repeat in Big 12 Preseason Football Poll – Big 12 Conference
20. "2018 West Virginia Mountaineers Football Schedule". FB Schedules. Retrieved May 3, 2018.
21. Green, Arne (September 17, 2018). "Kansas State notebook: West Virginia makes best of bye week". Topeka Capital-Journal . Retrieved September 20, 2018.
22. Bragg, Tom (September 18, 2018). "WVU football: 'Aggressive' Kansas State defense will challenge Grier, Mountaineers". Charleston Gazette-Mail . Retrieved September 20, 2018.
23. "No. 12 West Virginia looks to stay on track against Kansas State". CBS Sports . September 18, 2018. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
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25. "Kansas State vs. West Virginia (Box Score)". ESPN . Retrieved September 23, 2018.