So, quarterback Gary Nova second lost fumble (and four turnovers) helped the Mountaineers out of snow Piscataway 41-31 victory over Rutgers Stadium today in High Point Solutions. It's the 17th time at West Virginia has beaten the Knights.
Nova has nine turnovers in the last three games - two defeats and one victory of a point for a final field goal block to save the Knights of another of his mistakes.
His second lost fumble, recovered by Julian Miller, a unit of Rutgers dull and led to a touchdown pass to Smith 20 yards with 4:50 Geno Tavon Austin to play to make it 41-31.
West Virginia (6-2 overall, 2-1 Big East) had just taken a 34-31 lead with 6:18 to play Smith scored a run yards - the seventh lead change of the game - after a missed field goal Rutgers false attempt. The Knights (5-3 overall, 2-2 Big East) had the opportunity to respond, creating a unit of his 40-yard line when Nova simply abandoned football.
He also was intercepted twice, with West Virginia falling at least four other potential interceptions, completing 18 of 46 for 235 yards.
Rutgers, facing the climate from the beginning, had produced the most total points in a half this season in building a 31-21 lead - the first double-digit lead at halftime WVU since 1994 - in the rest, ignoring both the snow and the presence of plows clearing parts of the field during breaks in the action.
In a first half that featured six lead changes, the Knights were the team to take ultimate control, doing so in large part due to its ability to convert on fourth down twice to keep up touchdown drives.
In the first, Quron Pratt drew a pass interference call against West Virginia Pat Miller on fourth and 10 from the line of the Highlanders' 30-yard. That eventually establish a one-yard touchdown by Jawan Jamison gave him a lead of 24-21 Rutgers.
A series later, facing a fourth and one at the West Virginia 18 with 2:55 left yard in the middle, Schiano call timeouts in a row before Jamison had a handoff and bounced out, ran untouched for a touchdown run of 18 yards and 10 points ahead of the rest.
The Knights suffered a blow early big plays - Shawn Alston burned for a 52-yard touchdown in the first quarter, and Austin followed that by taking an end around 80 meters untouched for a score - but dodged a bullet important key at a time when Brad Starkes 91 yards "back kick to the seven yard line was nullified by a call waiting.
Rutgers had just taken a 17-14 lead after the strike Nova 45-yard touchdown to Mark Harrison.
The Knights finished the half with 106 yards rushing on 21 carries and added 221 yards by the break - but then allowed the Mountaineers 220, including 133 on the ground.
Nova was 7-of-19 for 115 yards and two touchdowns in the first half.
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