Last weekend, West Virginia football coach Neal Brown felt the temperature rise on his hot seat as fans reacted to a tough Backyard Brawl loss.
This weekend, it seems that Brown is back in the good graces of WVU fans and media members after his team pulled off a captivating come-from-behind 32-28 victory over Kansas football.
Following the win, a number of WVU fan accounts on social media site 'X' were ready to embrace Brown's "Trust The Climb" slogan and were pondering whether it's time to believe in a long-term future for the program with Brown in the picture.
Extend Neal Brown
— WVU Barstool (@WVUBarstool) September 21, 2024
— The Fake Real Brad Howe (@fake_howe) September 21, 2024
WVU football alum and College Gameday host Pat McAfee admired the team's resiliency in one post, while WVU sports reporter Mike Asti wondered how different the feeling around the program might be had the Mountaineers staved off a similar comeback win by rival Pitt last week in the Backyard Brawl.
THIS WVU TEAM HAS NO QUIT
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) September 21, 2024
Imagine what the vibes would be like around WVU football right now if they hung on and won the Brawl.
— Mike J. Asti (@MikeAsti11) September 21, 2024
However, some fans did take time on social media to point out the game was nearly a loss, and there are still serious concerns to address with this season's team.
I don’t Trust The Climb. I trust GG in the 2-min offense.
— Football Dude (@Football_Dude84) September 21, 2024
HCNB should remove any restraints that he has on GG and let him run the offense like he’s running the 2 minute drill on every drive.
Let Garrett Greene be Garrett Greene. pic.twitter.com/iC29GidIoH
Two things can be true
— Trevor King (@TrevorKingWV) September 21, 2024
1. That's the kind of win that could completely turn around a season (see: WVU's 2003 or 1994 in-season turnarounds)
2. Nothing about this performance makes me feel that much better about the big picture for the season or even the program as a whole.