West Virginia dropped to 3-3 on the season following a 28-16 home loss to Iowa State in Week 7. It's a disappointing start for a team that had high expectations following last year's breakout nine-win effort. Speaking with reporters Monday, Mountaineers coach Neal Brown was asked why fans should continue to come to games. Acknowledging his own disappointment with the results, Brown offered a thorough response that may or may not quell any mounting frustrations.
"I get that they [fans] want to win," Brown said. "But what I would say is -- did they have a good time? Did they enjoy it? It was a pretty good atmosphere. I'm assuming they had a pretty good time tailgating, so if they're in the deal for enjoyment then I would come back ... We need 'em to provide a home-field advantage. We need 'em.
"I get they're frustrated that we didn't win," Brown continued. "We've played a tough schedule. Everybody that's beat us hasn't lost. But that's no excuse, that's just the truth, and the games in our league are going to come down to the fourth quarter, and I don't think this one on Saturday is going to be any different. We need 'em to help us."
Indeed, all three of the Mountaineers' losses (Penn State, Pittsburgh and Iowa State) have come against teams that are currently 6-0 heading into the midway point of the 2024 campaign. In all, only eight Power Four programs are undefeated.
"It was an entertaining football game -- if you're a football fan, you're just watching that, it's pretty entertaining," Brown said of the Iowa State game. "We just didn't play well enough to win. I hope, with that in mind, they would come back for another entertaining game that, hopefully, we can play better at the end and win."
In the most recent loss to the Cyclones, West Virginia jumped out to a 7-0 lead in the first quarter, but a missed field goal on its second offensive drive and two second-half interceptions by quarterback Garrett Greene were the difference between a potential breakthrough win and their first Big 12 loss of the season.
In a Week 1 loss to rival Penn State, West Virginia's defense allowed 457 yards of total offense while its offense turned it over three times. In the Backyard Brawl against Pitt, the Mountaineers allowed 14 unanswered points in the final 3:06 of regulation for their second loss in three games.
Over the offseason, Brown was given a contract extension that runs through the end of the 2027 season. As such, a firing now seems unlikely. And this is a program that has experienced at least some success under Brown. West Virginia went 9-4 season in 2023 with a win in the Duke's Mayo Bowl over North Carolina. It was the Mountaineers' best season since 2016. Still, Brown is just two games above .500 (34-32) halfway into Year 6 with a 3-16 record against ranked opponents.
Brown and the Mountaineers will get another crack at a ranked team in Week 8 when they No. 17 Kansas State.
