Offense strikes early as WVU ends two-game losing streak

West Virginia's Chris Neild walked off the Rentschler Field following the Mountaineers' loss to Connecticut on Oct. 29 under the assumption WVU wouldn't be named Big East Conference Champions this season.

Neild and his teammates left Milan Puskar Stadium Saturday feeling the very opposite.

Following conference leader Pittsburgh's loss to Connecticut Thursday, the Mountaineers are just one game back of the league lead following their 37-10 win over Cincinnati Saturday.

The win snapped WVU's two-game losing streak, and made the team bowl eligible for a ninth-straight season with its 6-3, 2-2 record.

"It left the Big East wide open. It gave us a broader view of what's still out there," Neild said. "Anybody can take it. If we stay consistent like we did today, we'll be all right. We have an even better chance of getting that title now."

Little changed offensively for the Mountaineers following a bye week in which West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart said he conducted a "total self-evaluation" of the team.

But Stewart and offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen did attack the Cincinnati secondary, which entered the game ranked 98th in the nation in pass defense having allowed 244 passing yards per game.

West Virginia quarterback Geno Smith threw four first-half touchdowns, finishing 15-for-25 for 174 yards in the game.

"We tried to send a message. We tried to strike big and push the ball vertically down the field," Stewart said. "We had some rewards early."

The first WVU touchdown came after UC forced West Virginia to a three-and-out on WVU's first possession. After Mountaineer punter Gregg Pugnetti's punt hit off the back of a Bearcat blocker and was recovered by West Virginia's J.T. Thomas at the Cincinnati 32-yard line, Smith found Tavon Austin all alone off a wheel route in the end zone one play later for the early WVU lead.

Two possessions later, Smith found Austin again for a 10-yard touchdown, giving WVU a 14-0 advantage.

Jock Sanders also caught two touchdowns, both coming in the second quarter.

"Everyone had the feeling that we were going to come out and be explosive," Sanders said. "We were happy, but we knew all along this is what we should've been doing from the beginning."

The Mountaineer defense didn't allow the Cincinnati offense to convert a third-down in the game, as UC finished 0-for-12, while WVU benefited from three Bearcat turnovers in the first half.

UC quarterback Zach Collaros was picked off twice, as cornerbacks Keith Tandy and Brandon Hogan recorded picks.

Tandy made an over-the-shoulder interception in the corner of the end zone to end a second-quarter scoring threat. It was Tandy's team-high fifth interception, which ranks him seventh nationally.

Hogan also picked off Collaros, setting up the Mountaineers on their own 6-yard line and leading to a Sanders 5-yard touchdown catch. Sanders caught a 48-yard touchdown 1:58 earlier.

After two-straight games of turnover struggles, the Mountaineers committed just two turnovers.

"We want to take shots and we want to make big plays," Smith said. "Personally, I took it upon myself to take care of the ball and not put our defense in tough situations. When you try to force things, that's when turnovers happen."

The Bearcats scored on their opening possession of the second half when UC head coach Butch Jones opted to try for a first down instead of punting on a fourth-and-two from Cincinnati's own 47-yard line. The result was a 53-yard touchdown from tailback Isaiah Pead, cutting WVU's lead to 30-10.

The Mountaineers held at least a 20-point lead for the remainder of the game, allowing WVU to run out the clock with 22 consecutive runs in the second half, 12 of which went to sophomore Shawne Alston, who finished the game with 17 carries for 75 yards.

Noel Devine led WVU's ground game with 77 yards on 18 carries, including a 13-yard score in the fourth quarter, the senior's first score since the Mountaineers' win over UNLV Oct. 9.