West Virginia Mountaineers Keep BCS Hopes Alive Despite Best Efforts to Lose

The West Virginia-USF game that occurred Thursday night went down to the wire, with the Mountaineers winning on a 28-yard Tyler Bitancurt field goal as time expired.  However, the game was far from an instant classic.

Both teams had a lot to play for, as West Virginia needed a win in order to claim a share of the Big East title and keep its BCS hopes alive, while USF needed a victory to become bowl eligible. 

From the way the two teams played, you would have thought this was a meaningless scrimmage.

For most of the game, West Virginia's high-powered offense was kept in check.  Halfway through the fourth quarter, the Mountaineer offense had yet to score a touchdown.  Their only points had been from two Bitancurt field goals, as the special teams and defense accounted for the two West Virginia touchdowns that had been scored at that point.

The Bulls hadn't been all that spectacular either, as they managed to give up both a pick-six and a kickoff return for a touchdown.  That's pretty difficult to do and requires multiple inexplicable mental lapses.

As sloppy as the first three quarters of the game had been, the two teams saved the best (or is it worst?) for the fourth quarter.

First, West Virginia QB Geno Smith threw an ill-advised pass deep in his own territory that was easily returned by USF's JaQuez Jenkins for a touchdown, giving the Bulls a 27-20 lead.

The West Virginia offense then took over and was relatively ineffective.  It managed to get itself into a 2nd-and-27 before cutting it to a 3rd-and-16.  Smith then made the baffling decision to attempt a pass that didn't even travel more than five yards past the line of scrimmage, seemingly leaving the Mountaineers in a 4th-and-long with the game on the line. 

Not to be outdone by West Virginia's mental lapses and poor judgment, USF defensive lineman Ryne Giddins decided that 3rd-and-long with the game on the line was a good time to lose his temper and smack one of the West Virginia offensive linemen in the face.  The personal foul penalty breathed new life into West Virginia's drive.

Lesser teams than the Bulls would have realized West Virginia was still quite a ways away from the end zone and that they were still in a good position to hold the Mountaineers out of the end zone and preserve the victory.  However, USF instead had a complete mental breakdown that included multiple offside penalties and a complete lack of tackling. 

Mountaineer running back Dustin Garrison eventually found his way into the end zone on a five-yard touchdown run in which he wasn't even touched by a single USF defender—a pretty impressive feat for the Bulls, considering the run was up the gut from the 5-yard line.

The Bulls still had time to win the game, especially after a strong kick return that gave them field position close to the West Virginia 40-yard line.  After picking up a first down and getting the Bulls into field-goal range, USF quarterback B.J. Daniels fumbled the ball on a short QB-keeper in which the West Virginia defense barely brushed the ball.

The Mountaineers recovered the ball and began a two-minute drill in order to have once last chance at somehow getting the win.  The ball moved downfield quickly, thanks to the USF defense committing more penalties, forgetting how to solo tackle and giving Geno Smith all the time in the world to throw. 

Still, the Mountaineers managed to get into a 4th-and-long outside of field-goal range.  USF responded by inexplicably allowing West Virginia WR Stedman Bailey to get past double coverage for a huge gain. 

As if a 33-yard field goal isn't simple enough, the Bulls decided to help the Mountaineers out with a substitution penalty that brought West Virginia five yards closer.  Bitancurt's kick split the uprights, giving WVU the win.

The Bulls evidently really wanted bowl season off, snatching West Virginia's well-earned defeat away from it in the closing minutes.

West Virginia has to be extra thrilled to still have a shot at a BCS bowl.  After all, it's not often you play almost as bad as you possibly can and still manage to come away with the victory, due to your opponent somehow playing even worse.