Hawkins is responsible for 3 TDs in return to his home state and West Virginia beats TCU 24-20

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — Mike Hawkins Jr. ran for two touchdowns and threw for another score, and West Virginia's defense forced a turnover in its red zone in the final minute to beat TCU 24-20 on Saturday.

The Mountaineers (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) have surpassed their win total for all of last season.

TCU (3-4, 1-3) drove the length of the field for the potential go-ahead score against the nation’s second-worst defense but quarterback Jaden Craig was hit and fumbled at the West Virginia 14. The Mountaineers’ Ben Cutter recovered with 34 seconds left.

Hawkins threw a 13-yard TD pass to running back Cam Cook with 11:28 remaining in the game for the final margin. Hawkins, who entered the game leading the nation with 14 rushing TDs, also had scoring runs of 2 and 36 yards.

Craig completed his first 12 pass attempts, the third-longest streak in school history. He was 8 of 8 on TCU’s 16-play opening drive, finding tight end Ka’Morreun Pimpton in the back corner of the end zone for a 6-yard TD toss. Craig also had a 2-yard scoring run in the third quarter.

Craig completed 33 of 47 passes for 372 yards.

A 1,000-yard streak is over

West Virginia’s streak of four straight games in which the teams combined for 1,000 yards of offense was snapped. It was the longest streak in the Bowl Subdivision since 2020.

The Mountaineers were held to 125 yards in the first half by the Big 12’s stingiest defense and were outgained 484-272.

Back in a familiar place

Hawkins and Cook had plenty of support from family back in Texas.

Hawkins played high school football in Frisco in the Dallas-Fort Worth area. He turned down a scholarship offer at TCU and spent his first two college seasons as a backup at Oklahoma.

Cook attended high school in Round Rock, near Austin, and spent his first two seasons at TCU. He led the nation in rushing a year ago at Jacksonville State before heading to West Virginia this season.

The takeaway

West Virginia: A defense that has been roughed up all season finally held when it needed a stop in the end. The road team has won the last five meetings in this series.

TCU: The Horned Frogs fumbled four times and had three turnovers. The last one cost them the game.

Up next

West Virginia is idle next Saturday and will face three ranked opponents over their final four games starting at No. 8 Texas Tech on Nov. 7.

TCU hosts Kansas on Saturday.

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