MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — On a too-close-for-comfort Senior Day, the No. 16 West Virginia Mountaineers edged Baylor 24-21 with the help of video replay.
A recap of the live updates from throughout the game:
Final stats
— Justin Crawford ran for 209 yards, Skyler Howard accounted for three touchdowns and West Virginia 10-2, 7-2) overcame a slow start.
— With Howard completing only 10-of-26 passes for a season-low 111 yards, the running game compensated. Crawford carried 28 times for a 7.5-yard average and Martell Pettaway added 63 of the Mountaineers’ 312 on the ground.
— Zach Smith threw for 244 yards with two touchdowns, two interceptions and two lost fumbles as Baylor (6-6, 3-6) closed the regular season on a six-game skid.
Fourth quarter
— The Bears started a last-gasp drive at their 20 with 51 seconds remaining. They gained 17 yards on a JaMychal Hasty run before Smith’s fourth turnover ended it. He was stripped on a sack by Noble Nwachukwu, and after an offensive lineman’s attempt to shovel the ball forward, nose guard Darrien Howard recovered. Game over.
— Baylor’s onside kick recovery was overturned by replay (negated by an illegal block) and WVU cleanly recovered the second onside attempt. The Mountaineers tried to drain the clock with three runs by Crawford before Kinney punted into the end zone.
TOUCHDOWN: Ishmael Zamora 43-yard pass from Zach Smith (2:40) WVU leads 24-21: Zamora caught a sideline pass between Elijah Battle and the safety and went the distance to tighten the game.
— Needing a few first downs to kill the clock, the Mountaineers got one and used 3:09 before punt.
— Baylor failed on fourth-and-11 from the West Virginia 39.
— Crawford’s 11-yard run pushed him past 200 today before WVU punted.
— Baylor moved into WVU territory on a terrific 38-yard sideline hookup from Smith to Chris Platt. But the threat frittered a on fourth-and-8 incompletion at the 30-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN: Skyler Howard 1-yard run (14:57) WVU leads 24-14: It required a fourth-down plunge to accomplish, but West Virginia cashed in on the turnover. Two runs by Crawford and an incomplete fade route to Shorts preceded Howard’s TD sneak.
Third quarter
— Spur safety Marvin Gross is having a big day in place of the injured Kyzir White. His strip-sack on Smith was recovered by Darrien Howard at the Bears’ 6.
TOUCHDOWN: Gary Jennings 58-yard pass from Howard (2:04) WVU leads 17-14: Jennings caught a slant pass in stride and blew past flat-footed Orien Stewart for the go-ahead score. Serious jets for the sophomore receiver. The five-play drive covered 80 yards in 70 seconds.
— After Crawford ripped off a 63-yard run to the Baylor 17, Howard was sacked and the threat stalled. On came Molina for a 34-yard field goal try that he hooked wide left.
— It’s becoming a punting exhibition. That’s four of them on four second-half drives after Baylor takes its turn.
— WVU picked up a first down via facemask but then punted.
— Baylor’s first second-half series was a three-and-out
— Shelton Gibson’s kick-return touchdown went for naught, nullified by a holding infraction on Shane Commodore. Instead, WVU started at its own 15 and punted from midfield.
Halftime notes
— West Virginia ran 50 plays to Baylor’s 28 in the opening half but led only 196-189 in yardage.
— Justin Crawford gained 88 yards on 14 carries, surpassing the 1,000-yard mark. Pettaway ran with force also (44 yards on eight carries).
— Skyler Howard closed the half 5-of-15 passing for 30 yards, a brutal start salvaged by the late-half TD strike to Shorts.
— Baylor’s Zach Smith was 5-of-11 for 86 yards with two interceptions and one TD.
Second quarter
— WVU milked the final 54 seconds on two Crawford runs.
— Baylor gained two first downs before Smith took another deep shot. This time, safety Jeremy Tyler roamed over for an interception at the 3-yard line.
TOUCHDOWN: Daikiel Shorts 4-yard pass from Howard (3:52) Baylor leads 14-10: Holgorsen gambled on two fourth-down tries in the red zone and his offense converted both times. After Martell Pettaway cracked through on a fourth-and-3 from the 14, Shorts exhibited tremendous toe-tapping awareness in the back of the end zone on a fourth-and-3 from the 4.
TOUCHDOWN: KD Cannon 60-yard pass from Smith (9:03) Baylor leads 14-3: The freshman quarterback drilled a gorgeous deep ball to one of the Big 12’s fastest receivers, who scored despite interference along the sideline from cornerback Antonio Crawford.
— WVU went three-and-out.
— Baylor went three-and-out, all incompletions by Smith.
— West Virginia reached the Baylor 28 before a hands-to-the-face personal foul on tight end Trevon Wesco stalled the drive. Billy Kenney punted from the 37, with Holgorsen unwilling to try Molina from 54.
TOUCHDOWN: Terence Williams 9-yard run (14:54) Baylor leads 7-3: Only appropriate Williams should get the score after his 48-yard burst set it up. Credit Zach Smith for a quick pass to KD Cannon on third-and-2 in the red zone. Baylor’s drive covered 75 yards in seven plays.
First quarter
FIELD GOAL: Mike Molina 50-yarder (2:23) WVU leads 3-0: A 12-play drive rife with penalties and poor throws culminated in Molina’s career-long bomb. Baylor appeared to have an interception but linebacker Taylor Young was guilty of holding Devonte Mathis. (For good measure, Shelton Gibson also drew an unnecessary roughness flag for shoving Young out of bounds.) Then Bears cornerback Chance Waz interfered with Gibson, Baylor jumped offside and West Virginia committed a holding penalty.
— BASKETBALL SIDEBAR!!! The stadium videoboard cut to the WVU basketball game at Virginia in the nick of time to show Esa Ahmad’s go-ahead 3-pointer. First cheers, then boos as the video operator resumed showing live football.
— Adam Shuler’s sack led to a Baylor three-and-out.
— West Virginia penetrates the Baylor 30 again and nets nothing again. Mike Molina missed a 46-yard field goal try that would have been a career-long.
— The Bears earned one first down thanks to Smith’s third-and-6 completion to Ishmael Zamora. But then linebacker David Long wrecked a third-and-1 run by Terence Williams and the Bears punted.
— Despite starting from the Bears’ 30-yard line, West Virginia produced nothing. A fourth-and-2 gamble went awry when Howard’s first passing option was covered. He eventually rolled out and lobbed an incomplete jumpball into the back of the end zone, where Jovon Durante was surrounded by Baylor DBs.
— A turnover on Baylor’s second play from scrimmage: Spur safety Marvin Gross caught an interception that deflected off a Baylor receiver.
Pregame notes
— In response to Ka’Raun White’s broken leg, West Virginia shifted Jovon Durante from slot receiver to the outside. Shouldn’t be a difficult transition considering it’s the position Durante played as a freshman last season. Plus, there are fewer coverage complexities and route combinations outside.
— Rushel Shell looks good in warmups but, well, you never know. He has made only one carry in the past four games.
— My Four-Down Territory preview.
— See our staff picks from Friday’s Gold & Blue Lunch Report.