West Virginia took care of Liberty 41-17 Saturday afternoon in Morgantown to move to 2-0 on the season. Here’s more on the Mountaineers’ victory:
What the win means for West Virginia: The Mountaineers continue to play good defense, while young receivers Shelton Gibson and Jovon Durante, who have caught TDs in each of West Virginia’s first two games, continue to impress. The Mountaineers have a great chance to jump to 3-0 in two weeks in their next game against Maryland, which was blown out Saturday by Bowling Green, 48-27.
What the loss means for Liberty: The Flames had a chance to keep pace early, but three missed field goals in the first half doomed them. Liberty is coming off an appearance in the FCS playoffs, and getting back there will be its ultimate goal. The trip to West Virginia should help prepare the Flames for another run at the playoff.
Player of the game: Quarterback Skyler Howard delivered another crisp performance, completing 21 of 26 passes for 263 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 68 yards, including a 34-yard scramble. After a strong start to the season, Howard should have plenty of confidence going into the off week.
Stat of the game: The Mountaineers gave up their first points of the season when Liberty running back Todd Macon scored a seven-yard touchdown with 4:35 left in the third quarter. The last time West Virginia (which shut out Georgia Southern 44-0 last weekend) started a season with six shutout quarters was 1977.
