West Virginia trailed No. 25 Memphis by 17 and 18 points at two different points in the game. WVU cut the lead to single digits several times, including in the final minute.

However, their comeback attempt narrowly failed as they lost to the Tigers 42-37 in the Scooter’s Coffee Frisco Bowl at the end of the 2024 season.

West Virginia started Tuesday night with the goal of finishing the 2024 season on a high note. This was the Mountaineers’ first game since Texas Tech eliminated them at the end of the season, and it was also their first game without former head coach Neal Brown, who was relieved of his duties following this loss.

West Virginia’s offense looked almost a mirror image of how they looked at the end of the season against the Red Raiders, gaining a total of 12 yards on their first two drives. On its third drive, WVU faced a fourth-and-1 but was unable to convert. Memphis took advantage of the short field to kick a field goal, giving them a 10-0 lead.

WVU’s next drive ended with CJ Donaldson fumbling for the second time, as he also fumbled on the first play. West Virginia recovered the first one, but Memphis recovered this one.

On the Tigers’ very next play, Greg Desrosiers scored a 46-yard touchdown, giving Memphis a 17-0 lead with 10:46 to play in the second quarter.

The 46 yards was just three fewer yards than the Mountaineers had on their first four drives combined (49) as they couldn’t get anything going on that side of the ball.

About halfway through the second quarter, West Virginia would cross midfield for the first time in the game. They capped off that drive with a 33-yard connection from Garrett Greene to Hudson Clement, putting the Mountaineers on the field.

Trailing 17-7, WVU held Memphis to its second field goal of the half before Greene took matters into his own hands on offense.

WVU drove, but Greene came under pressure and kept the ball, escaping the pocket before ending the run by reaching the end zone in what ended up being a 56-yard touchdown rush.

In an instant, Memphis’ 17-0 lead was cut to just six with 1:42 to play. The Tigers didn’t go quietly, like on a 3rd-and-6 play, they went 35 yards on a pass from Seth Henigan, and then Henigan was hit in the head on the play, adding another 15 yards to the play. Henigan then found DaMeer Blankumsee for an 18-yard score before they made a two-out throw and were successful.

West Virginia scored before halftime when Michael Hayes hit a 46-yard field goal as time expired, sending both teams into halftime with Memphis leading 28-17.

On the first play of the second half, Memphis continued what they had done so well in the first half – throwing the ball deep. Henigan found Roc Taylor for 48 yards on the first play of the second half, which eventually led to a 3-yard scoring rush from Mario Anderson, his second of the game, that gave Memphis a 35-17 lead.

West Virginia answered right back when Greene hit Clement for a score for the second time that night, this time for 10 yards. WVU would not be able to get a clean snap-to-hold transfer on the extra point as Memphis remained on top 35-23 with 7:15 left in the third quarter.

The Mountaineers responded, and responded in a big way, launching a 16-play touchdown drive that lasted 7:51, with the drive ending with Donaldson scoring on a one-yard rush and Memphis’ lead to 35-30 shortened 12:02 to play.

Just when West Virginia seemed to be gaining all the momentum, the Tigers once again fired up the Mountaineer secondary. Henigan found Blankumsee for 89 yards before Brandon Thomas scored on the next play as WVU once again trailed by double digits.

WVU’s offense once again counterattacked the Tigers as they mounted a 12-play scoring drive, once again capped off by a one-yard rush by Donaldson, as WVU regained the lead with 4:17 to play five shortened game.

On the ensuing drive, Memphis picked up two third downs before facing a 3rd-and-5 with 1:39 to play with West Virginia out of a timeout. Memphis missed a 50-yard kick that gave the Mountaineers the ball back before Greene threw an interception.

West Virginia appeared to have a hint of life after the interception when the ball was fumbled, but after a video review they concluded that the Memphis defender slipped and therefore the interception stood and the game would therefore be a Memphis one over knee.