CHARLOTTE, N.C. — West Virginia’s football season ended with coach Neal Brown getting mayonnaise dumped over his head after a victory in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl.
Few expected that outcome when the Mountaineers were picked to finish last in the 14-team Big 12.
“It’s a significant step for us,” Brown said.
Garrett Greene threw for 204 yards and a touchdown, Beanie Bishop Jr. returned a punt 78 yards for a score, and West Virginia closed a year in which it exceeded expectations with a 30-10 victory over North Carolina on Wednesday night at Bank of America Stadium, the home of the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
Greene, the game’s MVP, said the preseason predictions motivated him and his teammates all season. So much so that he recently wore a No. 14 Mountaineers jersey to a Charles Wesley Godwin concert while taking the stage briefly to announce the team’s uniform selection for the bowl game.