AUSTIN, Texas — With six minutes and 25 seconds left in the third quarter of West Virginia’s 38-20 loss against Texas, everything came into perspective on Saturday night for the WVU and Texas football teams and the 100,740 fans in attendance at Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
West Virginia freshman CJ Donaldson — the Mountaineers’ leading rusher this season — took a knee to his head and laid near midfield for approximately 20 minutes, as the Texas and WVU training staffs treated him.
He was carted off the field and received a standing ovation from the crowd, as he gave a thumbs up.
WVU head coach Neal Brown said after the game Donaldson was at a local hospital in Austin and he had movement in his extremities.
Brown called it a “scary” moment.
Struggles in Austin
Up until that point, the Mountaineers’ biggest concern was a lopsided game in Texas’ capital city.
It was tied for the largest margin of victory in the Texas-WVU series, which is now tied, 6-6.
WVU (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) also defeated Texas, 38-20, in 2015.
It was WVU’s largest margin of defeat in a Big 12 game since a 34-17 loss at Kansas State last November. The Mountaineers fell to 0-2 in the Big 12 Conference for the second consecutive season.
WVU shares the Big 12 basement with Oklahoma and Iowa State.
One play that symbolized the Mountaineers’ struggles was sophomore safety Aubrey Burks’ near interception in the end zone, which slipped through his hands and into the hands of Longhorns sophomore Xavier Worthy for his third touchdown of the game.
He had a passing touchdown and another receiving touchdown.
Daniels, Prather and Mathis reach milestones
West Virginia junior quarterback JT Daniels eclipsed the 1,000-yard passing mark in the first half — just five games into the season.
It is the third time Daniels has reached the mark, and he’s done it at three different schools. He also accomplished the feat at USC (2018) and Georgia (2020).
Daniels is on pace to set a new career-best in passing yards and touchdowns. He passed for 2,672 yards and 14 touchdowns for USC four years ago. He currently has eight touchdowns and two interceptions.
Daniels had his second 250-plus passing game of the season and the 11th of his career. He finished with 253 yards and a touchdown.
Sophomore wide receiver Kaden Prather caught his second touchdown pass of the season (an eight-yard reception) and his first-ever touchdown against a Football Bowl Series (FBS) opponent.
It came from Daniels with 13 seconds left in the second quarter.
Prather’s first touchdown reception happened two weeks ago in a 65-7 victory over Towson.
Redshirt sophomore running back Tony Mathis Jr. scored his fourth career touchdown (a one-yard touchdown) and his first against an FBS opponent.
He had two touchdowns in the win over Towson and also a touchdown in a 2020 victory over Eastern Kentucky.
Others who shined
WVU junior wide receiver Bryce Ford-Wheaton had his third 90-plus yard receiving game this season (and his career) with eight catches for 93 yards.
WVU sophomore Justin Johnson Jr. scored his second career touchdown and his second touchdown in as many weeks. He had a 4-yard touchdown run with 4:31 left in the game. Johnson Jr. led the Mountaineers with 44 rushing yards.
WVU redshirt junior wide receiver Sam James caught a season-high seven passes for 86 yards.
Bye before Baylor
The Mountaineers will return to Morgantown to host Baylor (3-2, 1-1) on Thursday, October 13. The Bears lost at home to Oklahoma State, 36-25, on Saturday in Waco, Texas.
WVU is 5-0 at home against Baylor.
—Story by Michael Sudhalter
