MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia had received the opening kickoff in every game this season and 17 straight dating back to last year.
That run came to an end in Saturday’s home finale against Central Florida after the Knights won the toss and elected to take the ball first.
It could’ve hardly worked out better for West Virginia, which managed to jump out to a 14-point lead in the opening quarter that helped set the tone in a 31-21 victory in the home finale of the 2024 season.
“We generated momentum at the start of the game,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “We had a touchback on the very first kick. That’s huge. We come out and force a three-and-out, and score, so it’s 7-0, and then they turn it over, and it’s 14-0. The game wasn’t really in jeopardy. They continued to keep it close, but there was never a time where you were like, ‘oh I don’t know if we’re going to win this.’”
With the result, WVU (6-5, 5-3) gains bowl eligibility, while the Knights (4-7, 2-6) are assured of a losing season.
West Virginia’s defense forced a three-and-out on the game’s opening series, before the Mountaineers drove 68 yards in eight plays to lead 7-0 on the first of two CJ Donaldson 1-yard rushing touchdowns.
Donaldson had runs of 20 and 31 yards earlier on the possession, the latter of which came on third-and-12 one play before he reached the end zone.
“He got in a little different mode and the offensive line did a good job of getting him to the second level,” WVU quarterback Garrett Greene said. “I like the matchup when it’s CJ versus the safeties.”
UCF threatened to answer and was faced with second-and-6 from the WVU 21, but redshirt freshman quarterback Dylan Rizk fumbled just outside the red zone and Mountaineer cornerback Dontez Fagan came up with the recovery.
The Mountaineers then marched 66 yards in 14 plays and doubled their lead on Jahiem White’s 3-yard touchdown run. All 124 yards over the Mountaineers’ first two series came by way of rush.
“The whole week, the point of emphasis was to be able to run the ball and for our defense to be able to stop the run,” Greene said. “They didn’t have a lot of answers in the first half for our run game.”
Following an exchange of punts, the Knights cut their deficit in half when talented tailback RJ Harvey eluded several defenders in the backfield after fielding a direct snap from the WVU 2 to score his 20th rushing touchdown this year.
The teams traded punts again shortly after, before the Mountaineers put together perhaps the most important possession of the game, moving 71 yards in 12 plays and scoring their third touchdown on Greene’s 12-yard pass to Rodney Gallagher on a third-and-goal play 15 seconds before halftime.
Donaldson gained the necessary yard on a fourth-and-1 run three plays before the score, while wideout Hudson Clement hauled in three passes for 53 yards on what marked WVU’s fifth possession. Greene had completed 2-of-5 passes for 5 yards prior to that series.
West Virginia took a 21-7 lead into halftime and added to the advantage on the first possession of the second half, which covered 56 yards in five plays and ended with Donaldson’s second TD run. The possession was prolonged by a pass interference on UCF that negated what was an incomplete pass on third down. White broke off a 35-yard run on the next play, and the Mountaineers were in the end zone for the fourth time two plays later.
“The middle 8 [last 4 minutes of first half and first 4 minutes of second half], we dominated that, and it was 14-0, and I felt like that was where the game was won,” Brown said.
Rizk threw a 45-yard touchdown pass to wideout Kobe Hudson on UCF’s second second-half series, bringing the Knights to within 14 with 5:38 left in the third quarter.
WVU countered with a 57-yard drive over 14 plays and added to its lead with Michael Hayes’ 35-yard field goal that made it a three-score game with 12:15 remaining. Perhaps most importantly, the series took 8:23 off the clock.
After Rizk was stopped for a 5-yard gain on a fourth-and-10 run from midfield, the Knights regained possession trailing by 17 with 7:08 left.
UCF marched 82 yards in seven plays and produced its third touchdown on Harvey’s 9-yard run, allowing the visitors to trail y 10 with 5:20 to play.
The Knights chose to try and get the ball back immediately with an onside kick, but WVU recovered.
The Mountaineers then kept the ball for all 5:19 that remained, getting separate fourth down conversions on a 10-yard pass from Greene to Robinson and an 18-yard pass from Greene to Clement.
“It’s a two-possession game and a field goal really doesn’t do anything for you, because they can score two touchdowns and beat you,” Brown said. “If you keep the ball, you have an opportunity to end the game. Anytime you have an opportunity to do that, we’re going to. The risk is lower than the reward.”
WVU finishes its home slate 3-4, but has an opportunity to go unbeaten in Big 12 road play with a win next Saturday at Texas Tech. That would also allow the Mountaineers to finish 6-3 in the league for a second straight season.
“People kind of overlook that, but it’s important to us,” Brown said.
Donaldson rushed 19 times for 96 yards, White added 54 yards on 12 carries and Greene totaled 49 yards on 18 attempts as the Mountaineers piled up 200 rushing yards.
“Coach [Chad] Scott and coach Brown get on me about running too high and getting my pads down to be a tough tackle,” said Donaldson, a 238-pound junior.
Greene completed 13-of-21 passes for 118 yards in his final home game. Clement had five catches for 81 yards.
Harvey rushed for 130 yards on 16 attempts and Rizk was 11-for-21 with 172 yards.
The Knights lost for the seventh time in eight games and are winless in four tries against the Mountaineers.
“There’s been tough times throughout the season, but what’s most important is that we stick together and block out the negativity,” WVU safety Anthony Wilson said. “They don’t see what we do day to day, the late nights and early mornings. We’re all we have and we’re all we need.”
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