HOUSTON — Donovan Smith threw a 49-yard landing cross that used to be stuck via Stephon Johnson as life expired to provide Houston an exhilarating 41-39 win over West Virginia on Thursday night time.
Smith completed 21-of-27 for 253 yards and 4 touchdowns. He threw a Raindrops Mary from midfield, the ball used to be tipped on the function layout and Johnson stuck it to finish the sport.
“We practiced that, and we always have a guy who is ready for the tip,” Smith mentioned. “We just executed that.”
Smith, who finished his ultimate 16 passes, additionally ran for a landing as Houston (3-3, 1-2 Obese 12) earned its first Obese 12 win.
“Donovan Smith came alive at the end of the second quarter and had a great drive for a touchdown and then a great second half,” Houston teacher Dana Holgorsen mentioned. “The kid is turning into a really good player.”
Holgorsen described the play games as “incredible” and Smith’s throw as “unbelievable.”
“We played all four quarters,” Holgorsen mentioned. “I don’t know how that happened at the end. I guess the football gods were on our side today. We’ll take it. It’s good to get that first Big 12 win. … I’m just proud of that group in there for hanging in there. Donovan Smith and Boogie Johnson, I’ve never been a part of that.”
Johnson stuck 4 passes for 96 yards and two rankings, and Stacy Sneed on a tight schedule for 78 yards on seven carries.
“It wasn’t really planned to be tipped to me,” Johnson mentioned of the overall play games. “It just happened like that, and I made a play on that. I’m just thankful we were able to pull out the win.”
Garrett Greene threw for 391 yards and two touchdowns. Greene, who used to be 20-of-38 passing, additionally on a tight schedule for 47 yards and two touchdowns for West Virginia (4-2, 2-1). The loss snapped West Virginia’s four-game win streak.
“We didn’t lose the game on the last play of the game,” West Virginia teacher Neal Brown mentioned. “We had multiple chances to win the game, but we didn’t do it. I’m not very pleased with how we played in two out of three phases. Defensively and on special teams, we did not play good enough.”
Devin Carter stuck 5 passes for 116 yards. West Virginia outgained Houston 546-393 overall yards.
Trailing 35-24, West Virginia trim the govern to 3 on an 8-yard landing run and a 2-point conversion cross to Traylon Ray. Next Houston used to be pressured to punt, Greene discovered Hudson Clement for a 50-yard landing cross on fourth-and-10 to provide the Mountaineers a four-point govern with 12 seconds left.
The groups mixed to attain 42 fourth-quarter issues.
THE TAKEAWAY
West Virginia: The Mountaineers, who entered ranked eleventh nationally with just about 33 mins consistent with competition, owned life of ownership, keeping directly to the ball 37 mins. … West Virginia used to be ready to secure drives going, completing 13-of-19 on 3rd downs. … The Mountaineers, who entered averaging 3.6 consequences consistent with competition, have been whistled for 8 consequences for 84 yards. That they had a a very powerful unsportsmanlike penalty next Clement’s landing that allowed Houston to get the ball akin midfield.
Brown mentioned the Mountaineers misplaced the sport as a result of they weren’t a disciplined group.
“The celebration penalty after the last touchdown is kind of a microcosm to me of the game,” Brown mentioned. “We don’t get that celebration penalty, which is completely asinine for us to take our helmets off. … That gave them an opportunity to get into scoring position.”
Houston: The Cougars’ offense struggled to stick at the farmland, changing 3-of-9 3rd downs. … Houston scored a moment 1/2 landing for the primary life in convention play games next now not scoring in the second one 1/2 in opposition to TCU or Texas Tech of their first two convention video games. … Houston scored on 4 in their six second-half drives, and Smith didn’t have an incompletion in the second one 1/2.
