15 plays, 76 yards, many of those yards courtesy of terrible WVU tackling, and South Florida tied the Mountaineers with 10 minutes left in the game. West Virginia had repeatedly shot itself in the foot on both sides of the ball. Whether turnovers on offense or penalties and poor tackling on defense, the Mountaineers have repeatedly let USF win plays they didn't deserve to win.
Right when the Mountaineers needed a huge drive to re-take the lead, they continued to dig themselves a deeper hole, Geno Smith delivering a brutal pick six in the arms of a South Florida defenders.
The Mountaineers would answer with a game-tying touchdown of their own five minutes later with a five-yard touchdown run from Dustin Garrison. Garrison's scamper, and a ten yarder that immediately preceded it, were the best plays of a generally uncertain looking drive. The Mountaineers were constantly in long yardage situations, and the drive appeared stopped at multiple times. West Virginia got big help from an illegal hands to the face penalty. After giving out free plays all night, they had finally received one of their own.
South Florida returned the next Mountaineer kickoff into WVU territory and looked to be positioned perfectly for a victory after picking up another first down. The Mountaineers would get another break as a loosely-held football was knocked from BJ Daniels' hand by a diving Najae Goode.
On fourth and ten and time nearly expired, Geno Smith found Stedman Bailey diving over the middle for 26 yards to put the Mountaineers into position for a game winning field goal that Tyler Bitancurt drilled for the Mountaineer victory.
The Mountaineers escape Tampa with a share of the Big East title and BCS hopes still alive. They owe much of it to some late bounces and great diving catch from Bailey. There were times tonight that the Mountaineers could have buried the Bulls, but sloppy play made that impossible. Thankfully for Mountaineer nation, the crazy bounces went their way in the game's final minutes.
The Mountaineers could still go to the BCS in Cincinnati wins on Saturday against UConn, so there are now a lot of Bearcat fans in Morgantown.