The Sunday Hangover: Recaps and Reactions from West Virginia’s Win Over Tennessee

Recaps and Features

West Virginia’s rout of Tennessee shows two teams heading in different directions | Sporting News
Any doubt facing Will Grier and 17th-ranked West Virginia ahead of the 2018 season was erased in the third quarter of the Belk College Kickoff at Bank of America Stadium on Saturday when the Mountaineers’ star quarterback uncorked three touchdowns on Tennessee.

After halftime lightning, WVU showed off its own high-voltage attack | WV MetroNews
The would’ves and could’ves circled like buzzards around Bank of America Stadium. Somehow the West Virginia offense, afforded opportunities in abundance, showed only 13 points. Then halftime lightning struck, and the Mountaineers emerged supercharged.

Will Grier shines in rout of Tennessee | Sports Illustrated
After a bit of a slow start, Will Grier and West Virginia got going following a weather delay to rout Tennessee in Jeremy Pruitt's debut. What did we learn?

Grier Puts on a Show, WVU Rolls Over Tennessee | West Virginia Athletics
Will Grier's first opportunity to impress Heisman Trophy voters in front of friends and family in his hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina, was a smashing success.

Grier leads No. 17 West Virginia past Tennessee 40-14 | ESPN
It isn't in Will Grier's nature to panic.So two dropped touchdown passes, a 10-minute drive by the opposing offense and an hour-long weather delay at halftime weren't about to distract the West Virginia senior quarterback on Saturday.

West Virginia offense picks up where it left off, beats Tennessee 40-14 | The DA
On Saturday evening, the 17th-ranked West Virginia Mountaineers beat the Tennessee Volunteers by a final score of 40-14 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

West Virginia starts season with big win over Tennessee | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Will Grier got his Heisman Trophy campaign off to an impressive start, throwing for 429 yards and five touchdowns as No. 17 West Virginia defeated Tennessee, 40-14, on Saturday in a game delayed for more than an hour at halftime because of lightning.

Grier goes for 429 yards, 5 TDs in 40-14 win over Tennessee | The Register-Herald
The Jeremy Pruitt honeymoon at Tennessee is over, while the hype in Morgantown is just beginning.

WVU bests Tennessee 40-14 | The Charleston Gazette-Mail
In a game that flooded 66,793 college football fans into this North Carolina city, an unexpected player — the weather — seemed to play a part in the outcome.

Coping with uncertainties, Mountaineers slow Vols nonetheless | WV MetroNews
After 8:30 was chewed off the clock to start the second quarter, the West Virginia defense had Tennessee in a fourth-and-goal from inside the 2-yard line, and defensive coordinator Tony Gibson thought he had the perfect call lined up.

On the nose: Bigelow’s big impact felt early | WV MetroNews
Nose tackle Kenny Bigelow, wearing two bulky knee braises under his West Virginia blue pants, drilled Tennessee quarterback Jarrett Guarantano as he dropped back from under center on the first snap of Saturday’s game. The play resulted in a 5-yard loss on a backward pass, but those five yards were menuscule compared to what the play meant to Bigelow

Receivers have fun playing catch in romp over Tennessee | WV MetroNews
Tennessee might not have been expecting 11 players to catch passes for West Virginia, a nice complement to the big-timers Sills and Jennings — who combine for 253 yards and three touchdowns.

WVU's Defense Effective in Saturday's Tennessee Victory | West Virginia Athletics
Veteran defensive coordinator Tony Gibson told us frequently during training camp that he liked the guys he had to work with this year. Now we can see why.

Pros and Cons from WVU's 40-14 win over Tennessee | The DA
It took about a half for the West Virginia offense to find its rhythm, and once it did, first year head coach Jeremy Pruitt’s Vols had no chance.

WVU notebook: Mountaineers impress Tennessee coach | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Not only was Saturday’s WVU-Tennessee matchup at the Bank of America Stadium the first football game between the schools, it was the debut for Volunteers coach Jeremy Pruitt. After the Mountaineers defeated the Volunteers 40-14, the former Alabama defensive coordinator came away quite impressed with WVU.

Photos

Photo gallery: Kicking off the season in Charlotte | WV MetroNews
Images from Saturday’s college football opener in which No. 17 West Virginia defeated Tennessee 40-14.

PHOTOS: WVU Blows Past Tennessee in Season Opener | EerSports
After a rusty first half, West Virginia cruised to an easy win over Tennessee in Charlotte, North Carolina on Saturday afternoon. As we await Dana Holgorsen's press conference and ensuing meetings with the players, check out some photos of the action.

Photo Gallery #2: More Action From WVU's Season Opening Win | EerSports
West Virginia came out a bit slow on Saturday, but turned things on in the second half, pulling away in the second half for a 40-14 victory. Check out some more photos of the action in the gallery below.

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