Lightning In A Bottle? — West Virginia Storms Past Duquesne After Weather Delay

We simply live in Tuddy Huddy’s world.

West Virginia bounced back from their season opening loss to Penn State with an emphatic 56-17 victory over Duquesne. After a one hour and 54 minute delay due to lightning, the Mountaineers came roaring back with an impressive offensive display, both rushing and passing over 300 yards for the sixth time in school history and the second time under Neal Brown.

The game’s early action saw Duquesne capitalize on a special teams mistake when a punt deflected off of Jacoby Spells’ foot, leading to a Duquesne touchdown. However, WVU quickly responded, with Garrett Greene orchestrating a scoring drive culminating in a touchdown pass to Hudson Clement, who had an outstanding game in place of the absent Devin Carter.

Cornerback Beanie Bishop intercepted a pass, giving WVU its first turnover of the season. This turnover led to a touchdown by Jaylen Anderson, giving the Mountaineers a 14-7 lead.

Duquesne’s attempt to answer was marred by a costly penalty, moving them back from a potential touchdown to a field goal.

Minutes later, lightning struck somewhere in the general vicinity, forcing the long weather delay. After resuming play, West Virginia began to ease the minds of Mountaineers fans with an explosive offensive performance. Greene connected with Tuddy Huddy Clement for a 70-yard score. The second quarter became the highest-scoring quarter in the Neal Brown Era, establishing a commanding 35-10 halftime lead.

The game also provided an opportunity for third-stringers to shine, with the Mountaineers maintaining their lead into the third quarter. True freshman running back Jahiem White made an impact with a 39-yard run, and WVU continued to build on their lead, eventually securing a resounding victory.

Garrett Greene finished the night 10-of-18 passing for 240 yards and four touchdowns in one half of play. Nicco Marchiol entered in the third quarter and finished the game 7-of-14 passing for 75 yards, adding a touchdown on the ground.

‘The Martinsburg Magician” Hudson Clement was the star of the game with five receptions for 177 yards and 3 touchdowns. Fellow West Virginia native Preston Fox wrapped up the night with three catches for 35 yards and a touchdown, and tight end Kole Taylor looked impressive with three catches for 55 yards.

The Mountaineers are back in primetime next Saturday night in Morgantown for the 106th edition of The Backyard Brawl. Kickoff is set for 7:30, with the game being broadcast on ABC. The game will be a Stripe The Stadium game, so fans are encouraged to wear the corresponding color for their section.