MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (WV News) — Garrett Greene's star-crossed career as West Virginia quarterback ended in the most bizarre, yet fitting fashion as effort to lead the Mountaineers back in the closing seconds came up short as Memphis won the Frisco Bowl, 42-37, before a crowd of 12,022 — you can call 12,022 a crowd for a bowl game.
With new coach Rich Rodriguez viewing from the sideline and seeing everything that led to Neal Brown's dismissal at the end of the regular season and that turned the Mountaineers into a 6-7 team, Greene led a stunning comeback but as happened so often before, it came to an impossible end. After falling behind 17-0 and gaining just 43 first-quarter yards, Greene carried them back into the game, completing 29 of 40 passes for 328 yards and two touchdowns while rushing for 95 yards on seven carries, one for a 56-yard score, the game came down to one play at the end. Greene's last pass attempt as a Mountaineer with 17 seconds left on a 3rd and 1 play on the Memphis 37 was intercepted by Elijah Herring, who rather than just go to the ground tried to return it.
Preston Fox sneaked in from behind him and just as he was attempting to slide, punched the ball out. It bounced wildly free, was recovered by WVU tackle Johnny Williams Jr. and seemed to give them new life with 8 seconds left.
However, replay of the play ruled that since Herring was sliding as the ball was punched out that he would be ruled down, leaving just 8 seconds for Memphis to take a knee .
