After Louisville forced the Mountaineers to a three-and-out just prior to the end of the third quarter, so West Virginia began the fourth quarter punting. Unfortunately for WVU, the Cardinals blocked the punt and returned it for a touchdown to take a 31-21 lead early in the fourth quarter.
West Virginia got the ball back looking to knockdown the Louisville lead, but on 2nd and 1, quarterback Geno Smith was sacked by Calvin Pryor and fumbled with Pryor recovering the ball. Louisville couldn't do anything with the possession however, but when they punted they pinned WVU on the 4-yard line.
Geno Smith got the Mountaineers out of trouble however, hitting Tyler Urban for 18 yards to give WVU some breathing room. A few plays later, Smith hit Ivan McCartney for a big 46-yard pass to set the Mountaineers up on the 11-yard line and in striking distance to cut into the Louisville lead. WVU ran the ball three straight times from the 11-yard line, scoring on the final run on 3rd down by Shawne Alston WVU scored, cutting the lead to 31-28.
When Louisville got the football back, they mounted a 13-play 66-yard drive to put all of the pressure back on West Virginia. Louisville marched right down the field on the arm of Teddy Bridgewater and on the legs of Dominque Brown, as Brown punched the ball in from 3-yards out to stretch the lead 38-28 with only 1:50 left on the clock. Louisville sucked nearly eight minutes of clock on their drive.
WVU got the ball back with a little under two minutes to work and Geno Smith took the 'Eers right down the field for a touchdown. It took seven straight passes from smith as he hit Stedman Bailey for the 1-yard touchdown to cut the Louisville lead 38-35. The Mountaineers tried an onside kick, but it was recovered by Louisville and the 'Eers go down.
For further reading, news, discussion and more, visit Mountaineers blog The Smoking Musket and Cardinals blog Card Chronicle. Here’s the complete Week 10 college football TV schedule, and stay tuned to SB Nation’s college football news hub for more.