West Virginia fought back from a 17-7 deficit to knock off William & Mary, 24-17. The Mountaineers' defense stiffened up in the second half and kept the Tribe out of field goal range after halftime, while a 69-yard touchdown toss from Paul Millard to Ronald Carswell helped key West Virginia's comeback.
William & Mary vs. West Virginia Final Score: Mountaineers rally for 24-17 victory
West Virginia escapes after nearly suffering one of the most unlikely upsets of the Week 1 slate.
West Virginia was in significant danger of becoming the fifth FBS team to lose to an FCS opponent thus far in Week 1, and the second from the Big Ten after Kansas State lost to North Dakota State on Friday. The Tribe is no powerhouse, either; W&M went a paltry 2-9 last season and hasn’t made an FCS playoff since 2010. For now, though, a win’s a win.
Box Score Hero: Charles Sims was the Mountaineers' workhorse, logging 120 yards on 23 carries and one score. Past that, well, Nick O'Toole punted very well for WVU (50.6 yards per punt).
Rankings Ramifications: None to speak of. West Virginia’s not an upper-echelon Big 12 team this season, and barely beating an FCS team that went 2-9 last season won’t endear the Mountaineers to voters.
But Did They Cover?: Well, no, West Virginia didn’t quite make it to a 32-point victory.
For More On This Game: All the Mountaineer game coverage you’ll need can be found at West Virginia community The Smoking Musket.
Next Week’s Schedule: West Virginia travels to Norman to face mighty Oklahoma, while William & Mary hosts Hampton.
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