Saturdays in Morgantown are a tradition of its own, but when you add a game of this caliber to the mix, the stakes are much higher. It was a star studded atmosphere for what would be the biggest home opener in Morgantown in over twenty years. Fox Big Noon Kickoff would cover the game, the beloved Pat Mcafee would host his show there on Friday.
A question was brought up to me during the game on Thursday. It was “Do you think that it is cheaper to buy out Neal Brown? Or continue the season with the declining attendance?” I didn’t think to much into it at the time, but on the way home it dawned on me of how great of a question that would have been if WVU would have lost to Baylor Thursday night. The attendance was announced at 45K+.
Unlike the traffic on I-79 headed to the game, WVU would stay in their lane for 3/4 of the battle, getting a huge win against Virginia Tech. In what was seemingly looking to be a convincing win in the first half, turned quickly into a nail biter in the second. I’m sure WVU is ecstatic to bring the Black Diamond Trophy back to Morgantown for the time being, but if mistakes and bad decisions weren’t quickly put behind them, the social media buzz, locker room atmosphere, Morgantown in general’s mood would be somber to say the least.
Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, and think too much about this blowout win. Will this win give the team much needed confidence going into a game with rival Virginia Tech? Of course. After Maryland, the team needed a warm up, if you may; a game to get some walk-ons, underclassmen, backup QB Garrett Greene minutes that matter.
