West Virginia football uses defense to slip past Cincinnati in 31-24 win

In West Virginia football's first showing after the firing of ex-defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley, the Mountaineers defensive unit was not perfect, but it was certainly better than before.

WVU was outgained by Cincinnati 436 yards to 248 yards, and the Bearcats were able to move the ball. But in the end, WVU was able to come away with three takeaways that resulted in 17 points, including both an interception return for a touchdown and a fumble return for a touchdown. And that was enough to tilt the favor to the Mountaineers as they escaped a tough road environment with a 31-24 win.

The Mountaineers takeaways came at crucial points in the matchup. The pick six swung momentum after a 7-0 start and tied the game, and a fumble on the ensuing drive set up a Mountaineer field goal to take the lead.

The Mountaineers would manage another score --their first offensive touchdown -- to take a 17-7 halftime lead, and went up another score on their first drive of the second half. But a Cincinnati takeaway stopped the Mountaineers from running away with the win, and sparked the team to rally, as they would score 14 unanswered to make it a game.

However, that's when WVU's third takeaway came into play -- a near-sack turned into a backwards pass WVU scooped and turned into a touchdown late in the fourth quarter, putting the final nail in coffin for the Bearcats. Cincinnati would rally again but not enough time remained, and they fell short.

WVU's offense was stopped cold, however. Quarterback Nicco Marchiol gained another victory as a starter relieving injured Garrett Greene but did so with a moderate stat line of 9-of-15 passing for 1 touchdown and 1 interception and 9 rushes for 18 yards and 1 touchdown. The Mountaineers' normally potent run game was held under 100 total rushing yards.