West Virginia ended its 2024 season with a 42-37 loss to No. 25 Memphis on Tuesday.

Yesterday, staff editor Wesley Shoemaker picks five things from the game that stood out and goes into more detail about each.

West Virginia appeared capable of winning the game, but ultimately their early difficulties were too much to overcome.

The offense sputtered and looked far too similar to the end of the regular season against Texas Tech. This left Memphis with few fields early, and they made the Mountaineers pay for it. West Virginia jumped into a 17-0 hole and was never able to fully recover. The defense, which struggled in the final month of the season, was once again picked apart. However, they got a stop late when they needed it and the offense couldn’t capitalize on it. However, if your team scored 37 points, you should win most of the time.

Aside from a punt on the first drive, Memphis scored on seven of the next eight drives and could have scored again if not for a missed field goal. West Virginia’s offense got the Mountaineers back into the game, but the defense was never able to fully grasp the momentum or the game being at WVU.

In the same breath as above, while the fighting hasn’t been completely eradicated, there is still a lot to be said about the fight that West Virginia has shown.

Think about it: Interim head coach, some people have already entered the portal, the offseason is still three hours away, a new coach comes in and could clean things up, and you’re three points behind in the blink of an eye. Many teams would give up and forfeit in this scenario, but not this West Virginia team. The mountaineers fought on, digging themselves out of the whole they had created. They even had a chance to win the game with the ball in the last minute of the game, but they couldn’t do it.

Late in the third quarter, after Memphis took the ball and scored a touchdown to open the second half, West Virginia responded and scored immediately, got a stop and scored another touchdown to tie the game at one point. This team could have rolled over so many times on Tuesday night, but instead they continued to fight until the end. Many fans want the Mountaineers to play hard and leave everything on the field, and that’s exactly what this team did against Memphis.

Who knows what next month will bring, let alone next week. The transfer portal is open and it wouldn’t be a surprise if a majority of the players left West Virginia’s roster sooner or later. However, if you’re thinking about who to keep, I think this game has a lot of lessons about who is valuable.

Hudson Clement had a career day with 166 yards and two touchdowns on 11 catches. He’s a guy who has shown serious potential in his second full season on the field and one you’ll probably want to keep. Other offensive players include CJ Donaldson and Jahiem White, that seems obvious, as well as Rodney Gallagher. Gallagher was used as a caretaker rather than having things prepared specifically for him, and he seemed to be doing well. He managed five grabs for 59 yards and was used all over the field, which was a good sign. Another receiver is DayDay Farmer, who played some tonight and had two grabs. His speed is his biggest asset and he is also very young, which is attractive to many coaches across the country.

Elsewhere, Johnny Williams played all but one series for WVU at left tackle and he has some serious upside, as do Tomas Rimac and other guys in that O-line room. Defensively, an almost complete overhaul appears to be needed. Yes, you’ll keep a few guys here and there, but there’s a lot to correct on that side of the ball.

Overall, the portal for West Virginia will warm up quickly in terms of both entries and exits. I think tonight showed what potential many players have and what they can bring to Rich Rodriguez in 2025 and beyond.

One guy who won’t be able to return next season is Garrett Greene. Greene played his final game as a Mountaineer and I think it is important to recognize his contributions to the program.

While some were harsh on him for his lack of success on the field, the kid did everything right and did his best for West Virginia, the program and his teammates. In an age where college sports are treated on a transactional basis, Greene remained true to himself and remained in West Virginia despite the ever-changing landscape of college sports. While the plays were questionable at times, you could never question his effort or intensity.

Tuesday’s game against Memphis kind of summed up the entire Garrett Greene experience. He had the 56-yard touchdown rush, but also had a few plays that took your breath away. While I think the decision to slide feet first and not jump for first down was costly on the play before the interception, I understand it as he recently dealt with a concussion and any type of head injury is scary scares players.

Greene will be remembered, and in what way depends on who you ask. In my opinion, however, Greene’s loyalty, tenacity and dedication should be remembered most.

It’s here! No, not the Christmas season, the Rich Rod Era is here (again).

The loss ends the 2024 season. From Big 12 championship aspirations to 6-7, it’s certainly been a rollercoaster of a year. That roller coaster ride just turned into a new roller coaster ride when Rich Rodriguez was brought back as the Mountaineers’ next head coach, replacing Neal Brown.

The Rich Rod era is now officially here and that means personnel decisions, player personnel and all decisions surrounding the program are now made by Rodriguez. Beginning December 18, 2024, the Rich Rodriguez Era, Part II begins at West Virginia University. We’ll see how it plays out.

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