West Virginia (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) struggled to keep pace with No. 17 Kansas State (6-1, 3-1 Big 12), falling 45-18 in Morgantown. After a competitive first half, the Wildcats broke the game open in the third quarter.

Kansas State struck early, taking advantage of a Garrett Greene interception to score a 44-yard field goal. The Wildcats quickly expanded their lead with a 60-yard touchdown pass and a pick-six in the second quarter, though WVU responded with a touchdown against Hudson Clement. The Mountaineers had a chance to move further ahead before halftime, but failed to score on a fourth down inside the KSU five-yard line, taking a 17-10 lead into the break.

Injuries also played a key role in the game, especially to starting quarterback Garrett Greene. Greene did not return to start the second half due to an upper-body injury after throwing two interceptions in the first. Backup Nicco Marchiol took over but couldn’t generate much offense as WVU’s first drive of the half went backwards.

The Wildcats pulled away in the second half when DJ Giddens’ 53-yard reception set up another Kansas State score. Giddens, who had just 57 rushing yards on the season, still caused problems for the Mountaineers, adding two rushing touchdowns. West Virginia added a late score with a touchdown pass from Marchiol to Traylon Ray, but it wasn’t enough as Kansas State secured the comfortable victory. The loss was WVU’s ninth straight against a ranked opponent.

By the numbers

On offense, Garrett Greene led the Mountaineers with 85 passing yards and a touchdown, but also threw two costly interceptions, including a pick-six in the first half. Nicco Marchiol took over at quarterback after halftime and threw for 58 yards and a touchdown, but West Virginia’s passing game struggled to find rhythm all night. Greene was also the team’s leading rusher, gaining 88 yards on 10 carries, while CJ Donaldson added 34 yards on 12 attempts. Despite promising moments, WVU managed just 3.6 yards per carry as a team, and Kole Taylor led the receiving corps with 61 yards on four catches, though Traylon Ray and Hudson Clement each had a touchdown.

Defensively, the Mountaineers were unable to contain Kansas State’s explosive plays. Linebacker Josiah Trotter paced WVU with eight total tackles and a tackle for loss, while Garnett Hollis Jr. added six tackles and another stop behind the line. The Mountaineers failed to record a sack and allowed several big plays, including a 53-yard pass in the third quarter that helped Kansas State pull away.

What’s next

West Virginia heads to Tucson this Saturday, October 26, for a game against Arizona. The game starts at 7:00 PM Eastern and will air on FS1.