DALLAS— Without quarterback Will Grier and leading running back Justin Crawford, the West Virginia offense was ineffective and lackluster as Utah benefitted and left the Heart of Dallas Bowl with a 30-14 victory at the Cotton Bowl on Tuesday. The win moves head coach Kyle Whittingham’s bowl record to 11-1 (.917%), the best bowl win percentage in NCAA history.
“We’ve had several groups of guys come through here and they take a lot of pride in their bowl performance and the bowl record we have here at the University of Utah and this group is no different,” Whittingham said after the game, “Each subsequent group doesn’t want to be the group that lets the previous group down. They want to continue to keep that bowl prowess alive and this group did a great job doing that.”
Utah held West Virginia to 153 total yards of offense and limited the offense to just six first downs with West Virginia totaling four turnovers. Two of those turnovers came at the hands and defensive instincts of defensive back and 2017 Heart of Dallas Bowl MVP Julian Blackmon.
Following a three-and-out on defense, the Utah offense went to running back Zack Moss as he raced his way to the end zone on a 58-yard run up the middle. Moss finished with 150 rushing yards, the second most in the history of the bowl game.
“It’s always great to get a lead, he popped that run…and that gave us momentum…you always want to get out front and we are able to do that with that big run,” Whittingham said in regards to Moss’ touchdown run in the first quarter.
Utah jumped out to an early 7-0 lead and kept a hindered West Virginia offense from generating any major steam early in the game by holding the offense to just 38 yards and not allowing a score the entire first quarter.
West Virginia was finally able to get their first points of the game thanks to a 28-yard field goal by Evan Staley to end an 11-play, 67-yard scoring drive with 13:09 left to play in the half.
Remaining 7-3 until about midway into the second quarter, a special teams blunder by West Virginia allowed Utah to get the short field at the West Virginia 13-yard line and go up another score only 3 plays later. Quarterback Tyler Huntley faked a pitch to the outside and ran the opposite way untouched for the easy two-yard score that put Utah up 14-3.
2017 Lou Groza Award winner Matt Gay would hit a 29-yard field goal to give West Virginia their 17-3 lead heading into the half. Gay made three field goals on the afternoon from distances of 29, 26 and 24-yards.
In the third quarter up 17-3, Utah would be driving the ball and fumbled deep in their own territory, giving West Virginia the ball at the 9-yard line. The Utah defense would make an impressive stand however and held the Mountaineers to a field goal with Evan Staley hitting from 26-yards out this time to make it 17-6.
Utah would then score three out of their next five drives including another 2-yard rushing touchdown by Tyler Huntley and Matt Gay’s two made field goals gave the Utes their 30-6 lead.
West Virginia would not let up without a fight however as Ka’Run White notched an 18-yard touchdown reception and a successful two-point conversion would put the score at 30-14 with 1:58 to play.
The Mountaineers would recover the onside kick and try to make it interesting but would see it go for not as Julian Blackmon nabbed his second interception on the drive to finally put the game away for the Utes.
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