The West Virginia Mountaineers trail the North Carolina State Wolfpack at the half, 10-7 in the Champs Sports Bowl in Orlando, Florida.
The Mountaineer offense has displayed the lack of the effectiveness that is leading to mass changes in Morgantown this off-season. The Mountaineers lone score came on a 29-yard pass from Geno Smith to Stedman Bailey. Smith was pressured on the play and was a split second away from getting hammered when he unleashed a rainbow pass to Bailey. Geno unloaded a little too late, but got the job done. Unfortunately, the same can't be said for the rest of the offense. Noel Devine has only carried the ball four times, for a paltry eleven yards. With the exception of the Bailey touchdown pass, the Mountaineers most significant offensive play came on the first play of the game, a seventeen yard reverse to Jock Sanders. Tyler Bitancurt missed a field goal, and the end-of-half clock management was clown shoes. Anyone calling for the heads of Stewart and Mullen must feel vindicated by this first half.
The defense did as the defense does. They gave up one ugly drive, but generally held the rope. Mustafa Greene's touchdown could have been prevented, but wasn't a game-ender. It seems obvious points will be hard to come by in the second half, so the D knows it's job is to throw a shutout in the second half.