Ad Disclosure
Texas coach Tom Herman not a fan of Will Grier’s pre-score celebration
Published:
West Virginia quarterback Will Grier connected with Gary Jennings for a 33-yard touchdown pass with 16 seconds left to make it a one-point game on the road at Texas on Saturday evening, setting up what would have been an easy opportunity for overtime.
But instead of going for the tie, Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen kept his offense on the field for a game-winning two-point conversion attempt. According to the AP, Holgorsen and Grier both said the decision was made even before the final drive started, though it still took two snaps to win it.
On the first try, Grier completed a quick slant to Davis Sills. The WVU sideline celebrated but officials ruled the play dead because Texas coach and former Ohio State offensive coordinator Tom Herman called timeout just before the snap. So Grier had to give it another shot, this time scrambling to his left to cross the pylon.
He held the ball up as he crossed the goal line before slamming it into the stadium wall. Herman wasn’t too keen on that.
https://twitter.com/timgolden92/status/1058933626405031937
Texas had several chances to put the game away, but failed to slow down Grier and the high-powered Mountaineers offense when it mattered the most. The Longhorns took a 34-27 lead with 9:38 remaining in the fourth quarter only to let WVU tie it up four minutes later. After responding with an excellent touchdown drive of their own, the ‘Horns defense allowed Grier and Co. to go 75 yards on seven plays before giving up the lead with 16 seconds.
At the end of the day, take care of business and that celebration never happens.
Tyler has covered college football on a freelance basis since 2010. In addition to Saturday Football, his work has been featured on ESPN Radio, Bleacher Report, Yahoo! Sports, Cox Media Group, Athlon Sports, and more.