Mountaineers making an attempt to show the web page on loss to Houston

MORGANTOWN — West Virginia receiver Devin Carter solely offers himself 24 hours to dwell on a sport.

“I all the time give myself a 24-hour rule,” the senior stated Monday. “So win or lose, 24 hours afterward I drop it.” 

That’s a superb rule to have this week because the Mountaineers (4-2, 2-1 Huge 12) are attempting to show the web page on its gorgeous loss to Houston final Thursday on a last-second Hail Mary.

“By Saturday I used to be good,” Carter stated. “As a group, we’ve in all probability put it behind us, however we’ll see at follow.”

As a result of the sport was performed Thursday, the Mountaineers had a pair extra days than regular to course of the sport earlier than transferring on to their subsequent opponent, Oklahoma State (3:30 p.m./ESPN).

“(Monday) we reviewed the sport with the coaches, so it’s just like the final hour of the 24-hour rule,” defensive lineman Edward Vesterinen stated. “We’ve simply received to concentrate on Oklahoma State, you’ve received to overlook about Houston proper now as a result of we are able to’t do something about it.”

A number of WVU gamers have described this week as essential for the group transferring ahead this season.

“I feel we’ve an excellent alternative now to indicate how we are able to bounce again from a loss,” Vesterinen stated. “We can’t let this loss outline us and our season. We have to be mentally powerful and play as onerous as we are able to on this subsequent sport.”

It wasn’t simply that WVU misplaced on a Hail Mary, it was how the sport received to that time within the first place that damage probably the most. The Mountaineers battled again from an 11-point deficit within the fourth quarter and tied the sport on a 50-yard landing on fourth down with simply 12 seconds to play.

“If you lose in that vogue, it issues,” head coach Neal Brown stated. “The very first thing is there’s slightly little bit of a grieving course of you undergo. When you undergo the grieving course of, then you definitely’ve received to take possession for what’s ours.”

Brown stated he’s emphasised that WVU didn’t lose the sport simply on the ultimate play. He stated the group went by means of the tape Monday morning and recognized each level within the sport that contributed to the loss.

“We went by means of the possession (Monday) and now we’re going to undergo the response,” Brown stated. “You possibly can’t management what occurs on a regular basis, however you possibly can management your response. Our response is we higher combat.”

Oklahoma State (4-2, 2-1) went by means of one thing comparable earlier this season with a 33-7 dwelling loss to South Alabama. 

“I’d assume that Coach (Mike) Gundy and that crew went by means of an identical course of after that loss,” Brown stated. “They’ve come out fairly good on the opposite aspect. Now it’s as much as our guys — we’ve received to undergo it.”

The Cowboys have gained two video games in a row towards Kansas State (29-21) and Kansas (39-32) at dwelling. West Virginia can’t permit there to be any hangover from the Houston loss if it will beat Oklahoma State.

“It’s subsequent play, that’s the mentality,” Vesterinen stated. “You mess up, you’ve received to do nicely on the following play. You possibly can’t let the previous have an effect on your subsequent play.”

“Shedding that means, you don’t see it fairly often and no person actually anticipated it,” Carter added. “It may both make you or break you and we all know we simply have to come back again stronger this week.”

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