Will Grier had one of the greatest games of his career but the West Virginia quarterback also had two costly turnovers to cost them vs. Oklahoma.
Grier’s night can be explained much like his final college season: Fantastic and frustrating.
He threw for a ridiculous 539 yards as he constantly took advantage of a poor Oklahoma secondary to find wide open receivers. He finished with four touchdowns and zero interceptions but lost two fumbles that were returned for touchdowns.
Caleb Kelly had a 12-yard fumble return in the second quarter. The back-breaker came five minutes into the fourth quarter when Curtis Bolton picked it up and ran 48 yards for a touchdown to put the Sooners ahead 59-49.
This pass gives Will Grier a career-high 494 pass yards and 4 TDs...
— ESPN (@espn) November 24, 2018
That was in only 3 quarters 😳 pic.twitter.com/qDdxuKDMTt
In a game that saw both teams score more than 50 points and 1,372 total yards, it was those two defensive plays that were the difference.
Grier isn’t solely to blame for the three-point loss though. He was the reason they had a chance to win this game and win the Big 12. He had one of the best seasons in program history and will hear his name called in the NFL Draft. Of course, he’ll remember the two bad plays over the double-digit good-great plays he had earlier.
MAD SCRAMBLE FOR THE FUMBLE.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 24, 2018
Oklahoma comes up with it. pic.twitter.com/FLGtaZ41GY
That’s football and the quarterback understands that.
He wasn’t responsible for the defense that allowed Kyler Murray to throw for more than 350 and run for 100 and score four touchdowns. He didn’t allow Kennedy Brooks to run wild.
He didn’t give up any of the 11 receptions Marquise Brown had for 243 yards and two scores.
This is what Oklahoma does and it caught Grier on a night he had to be perfect to give his team a chance. Oklahoma won for the sixth straight time and their 20th straight on the road, extending the nation’s longest road streak.
Grier and West Virginia end their season with two straight losses that cost them a chance at a Big 12 title and a New Year’s Six bowl.
They’ll be watching Oklahoma play Texas in a Red River Rivalry rematch in the Big 12 Championship Game thinking about the two plays that cost them as they watch the game they think they should be playing in.
Almost heaven, West Virginia