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DALLAS -- Sometimes when you go bowling you end up in the gutter.
That is exactly where the WVU offense found itself in Tuesday's Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl.
Playing minus the services of star quarterback Will Grier and top running back Justin Crawford, the Mountaineers' attack was inept to say the least. WVU was limited to 153 total yards and one touchdown in a 30-14 loss to Utah.
Grier, who incurred a season-ending hand injury in a loss to Texas on an ill-advised bootleg, completed 250 of 388 attempts for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns this season. His absence was sorely felt in that Texas game as it was in the regular-season finale at Oklahoma.
Despite a month to get the offense functional without Grier, such did not come to fruition. Redshirt sophomore QB Chris Chugunov completed just 9 of 28 passes with two picks. The Mountaineers garnered a mere six first downs.
WVU's defense played well enough to win against the 7-6 Utes. Tony Gibson's troops recorded six sacks and 12 tackles for losses, but were handcuffed by a punchless offense and a costly special teams miscue.
The Mountaineers' bowl loss puts to bed a frustrating season for Coach Dana Holgorsen. The final 7-6 record is not what the WVU Nation had in mind.
A 10-win campaign, however, was not far from the Mountaineers' grasp.
WVU opened the season absorbing a tough 31-24 reversal to Virginia Tech at FedEx Field, home of the Washington Redskins. WVU was knocking at the door for a game-tying TD in the waning seconds.
Four weeks later, the Mountaineers had every bad break go against them in a 31-24 loss at TCU, including some horrendous officiating calls.
A 28-14 home setback to Texas could have easily went the WVU way if not for Grier's first-half season-ending injury. The Longhorns scored a late TD to make the final score somewhat misleading.
A healthy Grier also makes WVU a much more potent bowl team.
It must be pointed out that it couldn't have been a real exciting trip to Dallas.
Motivation had to be in short supply, as the team had to practice and play in freezing weather and in front of a sparse crowd on the day after Christmas. The official attendance barely topped 20,000 with less than 2,000 being WVU partisans.
The bowl payout was $1.7 million and goes to the Big 12 as all bowl money is divided up among the 10 members.
Ohio University got a better bowl gig by being shipped to the Bahamas.
WVU's offensive bowl meltdown will soon be a distant memory. The setback will prove no harm to the well-being of the program.
With some 20 recruits already locked up in the new early signing period, the hay is almost all in the barn for the 2018 class.
Grier and star receiver David Sills have already announced their intentions to bypass the NFL Draft and return to Morgantown for one more season. Should both remain healthy, Holgorsen will be directing a high-octane offense.
Offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste also plans on returning which will help solidify a line featuring OVAC products Colton McKivitz (Union Local) and Josh Sills (Meadowbrook.)
The defense, while losing some key components, has a quality nucleus in the fold, including big-play LB David Long Jr., who was a one-man wrecking crew against Utah. A healthy return by St. Clairsville's Brendan Ferns at linebacker will be a major plus.
Moreover, Gibson's unit will also get an immediate shot-in-the-arm from several incoming recruits with the ability to be instant impact performers.
The 2018 schedule sets up nicely. WVU hosts both TCU and Oklahoma, the Big 12's top two teams this season. The Sooners will come to Morgantown the day after Thanksgiving.
The season should get off to a rousing start. Holgorsen takes his charges to Charlotte to face Tennessee, a team and fanbase in total disarray.
With that said, there is no need for the WVU faithful to fret about the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl clunker. The 2018 season is setting up quite nicely for the Mountaineers.
OVAC UPDATE
The enrollment figures for the 2018-19 school year have been released by OVAC Executive Secretary Tom Rataiczak.
A handful of schools will be changing classifications.
Wheeling Central dropped from 3A to 2A, Linsly moved up from 2A to 3A, Shenandoah moved up from 2A to 3A, Steubenville moved up from 4A to 5A and Beaver Local dropped from 5A to 4A.
The OVAC has 51 schools with Ohio having 691 more students than West Virginia. Ohio has 33 schools. Total conference enrollment is down 166 students from last year.
The school showing the greatest enrollment gain was Meadowbrook (+69) while Cambridge saw the largest drop (-59). Morgantown is the largest school in the conference while St. John's is the smallest.
BUBBA'S BITS
∫ Former Martins Ferry all-state hoopster Heather Baker is now coaching the Strasburg High girls basketball team.
∫ The college football playoffs commence New Year's Day. I look for Alabama and Georgia to pocket semifinal wins, making it an all-SEC title tilt.
∫ Fort Frye basketball coach Dan Liedtke reached an amazing milestone Dec. 21 when he guided his Cadets girls' team to a 40-33 win over River. It marked his 600th career win, encompassing tours of duty with both the Fort Frye boys' and girls' squads.
∫ Joanna Bernabie-McNamee has her University of Albany women's hoop team on a roll. The Madonna and West Liberty hoop great has guided the Great Danes to six straight wins, upping their season mark to 10-2.
∫ As soon as the Steelers released LB James Harrison it was a no-brainer he would be snatched up by the Patriots. His 39-year-old body has a lot of wear and tear on it. But he is good for 15-20 plays a game for a team that is in need of pass rushers.
∫ Ohio State's bowl win over USC is a bittersweet one for Buckeyes fans. First, it is always extra nice to beat the Trojans. However, the Bucks again showed that they are national championship caliber. The lopsided loss at Iowa is still befuddling.
∫ The Cleveland Browns have fumbled the ball repeatedly when it comes to drafting quarterbacks. Sam Darnold would be another mistake. The USC signal-caller is a turnover machine.
Bubba Kapral can be reached at bkapral@timesleaderonline.com