Long-time Mountaineer fans, me included, accumulate a body of memories. None of us can remember all the details of every game we have watched or listened to, but some are always with us. They occupy a secure space, ready to be recalled at a moment’s notice.
One of those indelible memories was made last Thursday night. Donovan Smith’s 49-yard Hail Mary pass to Stephon Johnson, Jr. as time expired gave Houston an improbable 41-39 victory over West Virginia. The play was unforgettable, and not in a good way for Mountaineer Nation.
That is the downside of being a devoted fan. You remember the bad as well as the good. In fact, sometimes the really painful memories work their way to the front of the line. They replay in a constant loop.
I can still see Miami’s Tremain Mack streaking off the edge to block a Mountaineer punt, resulting in a touchdown in the final seconds of the 1996 game that led to Miami’s 10-7 victory. And in my mind’s eye, there is Kellen Winslow II making a leaping catch on a fourth and 13 play to keep the Cane’s drive alive in the closing moments of the 2003 game that Miami won on a field goal.
I have never had a great memory. Individual games and entire seasons have either faded away or they were just never very memorable. My aging hard drive of a brain seems to always operate near capacity. Why waste space on the 2004 WVU-Temple game? (I checked. WVU won 42-21.)
But then something truly remarkable happens, like the Houston game. No Mountaineer fan, including me, will forget that game—ever.
It’s strange when you think about this: Another game that I suspect Mountaineer Nation will always recall is the 2012 Orange Bowl when WVU rolled over Clemson 70-33. Dana Holgorsen was WVU’s coach then, and of course he is Houston’s coach now. So, for better and for worse, Holgorsen is always going to be attached to a couple of our most memorable Mountaineer moments.
Practically, I am interested to see how WVU responds. History is inconclusive. The 1996 loss in the punt-block debacle started a losing streak of four of out of the final five games. However, after the 2003 loss to Miami, the Mountaineers won their next seven regular season games before dropping the bowl game to Maryland.
Next up for West Virginia is Oklahoma State this Saturday. With any luck at all it will be an unremarkable WVU victory… and a game that Mountaineer Nation can enjoy, and then easily forget about.