Houston Stuns West Virginia with 49-Yard Hail Mary for Thrilling Win
In a heart-stopping finish, Donovan Smith’s 49-yard Hail Mary pass found Stephon Johnson as time expired, giving Houston a thrilling 41-39 victory over West Virginia on Thursday night.
Donovan Smith had a remarkable game, completing 21 of 27 passes for 253 yards and four touchdowns. His heroic Hail Mary toss from midfield, followed by a miraculous catch by Johnson at the goal line, sealed the game.
“We practiced that, and we always have a guy who is ready for the tip,” Smith said. “We just executed that.”
Smith’s exceptional performance continued as he ran for a touchdown. This win marks Houston’s first Big 12 victory and propels them to a 3-3 (1-2 Big 12) record.
Houston coach Dana Holgorsen praised Smith’s exceptional play, describing the final play as “incredible” and Smith’s throw as “unbelievable.”
“We played all four quarters,” Holgorsen said. “I don’t know how that happened at the end. I guess the football gods were on our side today. We’ll take it. It’s good to get that first Big 12 win. … I’m just proud of that group in there for hanging in there. Donovan Smith and Boogie Johnson, I’ve never been a part of that.”
Johnson contributed significantly to the victory with four receptions for 96 yards and two touchdowns, while Stacy Sneed rushed for 78 yards on seven carries.
The defeat snapped West Virginia’s four-game win streak, despite Garrett Greene’s impressive performance, with 391 passing yards and two touchdowns. Greene, who also rushed for 47 yards and two touchdowns, played a crucial role for West Virginia (4-2, 2-1).
“We didn’t lose the game on the last play of the game,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said. “We had multiple chances to win the game, but we didn’t do it. I’m not very pleased with how we played in two out of three phases. Defensively and on special teams, we did not play good enough.”
Devon Carter had five receptions for 116 yards, and West Virginia outgained Houston with 546-393 total yards.
In a fourth-quarter showdown, the teams combined to score 42 points.
West Virginia: Despite holding possession for 37 minutes, West Virginia struggled with undisciplined play, committing eight penalties for 84 yards, including a crucial unsportsmanlike penalty that aided Houston’s last-minute victory.
Houston: The Cougars faced challenges on third downs, converting only 3-of-9. However, their second-half performance marked a turning point in conference play, as they scored for the first time in the second half against TCU or Texas Tech in their initial two conference games. Houston scored on four of six second-half drives, and Donovan Smith displayed impeccable accuracy in the second half.
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