MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — After back-to-back fades the past two season, West Virginia is aiming to cross the finish line in style.
The Mountaineers get their chance Thursday night, trying to play spoiler against No. 12 Kansas State.
“As far as the team’s mentality, I think we’re going to be ready to play,” coach Dana Holgorsen said Monday. “I know we’re anxious to do our absolute best when it comes to finishing the year the appropriate way. I know we’ve lost a couple in a row right here, and the guys aren’t happy with that.”
Thanks to consecutive losses, West Virginia (6-4, 4-3 Big 12) is out of the conference title chase but hoping to improve its bowl profile.
Adding some zest to the featured midweek game, it also will be Senior Night at Milan-Puskar Stadium. While this season’s senior class is heavy on transfers—the result of junior college recruiting in the 2013 and ’14 classes—Holgorsen said next year’s larger collection of program players will be equally charged.
“I think that the upperclassmen is going to play a big part in it,” he said. “We have some guys that I think want to win, and I think our locker room is good. Our state of mind is good.”
Watch Holgorsen’s entire news conference above.