WVU’s reward for Saturday’s loss is another bowl game in a baseball stadium and what amounts to a road game in Phoenix against Arizona State and some familiar faces.

The Mountaineers (7-5, 4-5 Big 12) will meet the Sun Devils (6-6, 4-5 Pac-12) at the home of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a Major League Baseball team owned by WVU graduate and W.Va. native Ken Kendrick.

On the opposite sideline of West Virginia will be Arizona State head coach Todd Graham, a former Mountaineers assistant under Rich Rodriguez. Graham’s defensive coordinator is Keith Patterson, who held the same position under current WVU coach Dana Holgorsen before leaving to join Graham at Arizona State.

“There’s some connections, there’s some history,” Holgorsen said Sunday. “It makes competing against each other fun.”

WVU is one of seven Big 12 teams headed to a bowl game. Oklahoma is seeded No. 4 in the College Football Playoff and will face top-ranked Clemson in one semifinal. Oklahoma State will play Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, TCU meets Oregon in the Alamo Bowl, Baylor and North Carolina will tangle in the Russell Athletic Bowl, Texas Tech and LSU are set for the Texas Bowl and Kansas State will go against Arkansas in the Liberty Bowl.

Arizona State finished in fourth place in the Pac-12’s South Division, with conference wins against UCLA, Colorado, Washington and Rodriguez’s Arizona team.

It will be a short trip for the Sun Devils, whose campus sits 12 miles from Chase Field. The Mountaineers will make a 2,077-mile cross-country trip for the program’s fourth bowl game in five seasons under Holgorsen.

“We’re used to playing on the road in some hostile environments,” Holgorsen said.

This all feels anticlimactic, and a fifth straight win really might have pushed the Mountaineers into the Russell Athletic Bowl against North Carolina. I’m interested to see what ticket sales are like for this one — and here’s where I remind you WVU isn’t responsible for unsold tickets anymore, which was not the case when it was a member of the Big East.

Anyhow, it could have all been avoided or it might not have mattered. We’ll never know. But what we do know is that’s a game that got away from the Mountaineers, who got a grip of things after Kansas State got loose and then let the Wildcats win in what really might have been the only way that was possible.

“I had a feeling if we didn’t get a touchback on that kickoff, he was going to take it to the house,” the cornerback said. “Maybe it was a sixth sense or something.”

And, man, did that drive the texters crazy. Crazy. Our regular-season finale, the penultimate edition of this season, is one of the prettiest Mountaineers mosaics yet. Fear not: This this part of the blog isn’t going anywhere for as long as they’ll have me. Got on a lucky one. Came in 18-to-1. I’ve got a feeling this year’s for me and you. So happy Christmas. I love you baby. I can see a better time when all our texts come through. My edits are in [brackets].

1:36:
Wtf is happening in Waco?!

1:46:
Oh hey, you’re on the air. Say hi.

3:15:
Hook em horns!

3:15:

4:20:
Hertz is still upset that the Neanderthals were replaced.

4:36:
What, no Petros-Petros Ghali in the booth today?

4:38:
Brady Quinn has quarterback hair! LOL!

4:42:
Seriously? Sacked already??? It’s going to be a long day.

4:44:
Sack number 2…1st drive. Come on O-line! Damn!

4:45:
Joke is on you, Karate… Punt block kept that out of end zone

4:45:
Wake up, guys!!!! K State is definitely focused! Special teams #OnFleek. Us… #NotOnFleek

4:46:
Panky. Spanked.

4:53:
Deeeeeez pass breakupppzzzz

4:54:
Chestnut…roasted him on an open fire! Bahahahaha!

4:58:
Skyler has cankles

5:02:
Cant wait for all the 4th qb for Baylor is better than skyler texts on TFGD on Monday

5:04:
Well Crest fans, here s your moment.

5:15:
You can make it to a bowl game with only 5 wins? What it is this about? That’s not even half! Everybody gets a trophy? Participation certificate? That’s [balderdash]! #NoIncentiveToBeGreat #NoRewardsForMediocre

5:20:
Ugly drive. Skyler getting jacked up out there.

5:20:
Skler is the king on throwing with his knee down

5:29:
fudging third side of the ball

5:32:
First time that s happened in a while

5:34:
fudging third side of the ball (again)

5:34:
About time Jennings impacted a game. Oh.

5:35:
K State special teams are no joke!

5:36:
Durant…you gotta catch that!!!!!!!!

5:38:
Who is THE hell was that pass for? Either Shelton messed up the route or Skyler sees dead people.

5:39:
I don’t think consistency is in boombeards vocabulary

5:41:
Get Durante out of there.

5:42:
Dana is in that [area] on the sideline!

5:42:
Gibson and Durante both are sucking for air right now

5:42:
Caridi still cannot say “Quit TAOski”

5:43:
Quit Cow Ski

5:44:
QuitCOWski

5:46:
TOO LEGIT TO KWIAT

5:46:
kwit!

5:46:
Got it right with the INT. “QuitCOWski”

5:47:
Is FS1 using Kansas public television’s video feed?

5:47:
I have loved this defense all season!

5:49:
I never thought I’d see the day under HCDH when the defense is more fun to watch than the offense

5:50:
Bill Snyder’s going to write a thank-you letter to Skylar Howard

5:50:
Skyler and Shelton need marriage counseling! Lol

5:51:
chugs please

5:52:
Skyler Howard, Clint Howard. I know there’s a valid comparison somehow

5:57:
[Attitude] chewing works td durante!!!

5:57:
Durante…nicely done!

5:58: 
Not gonna lie. I looked away.

5:59:
Thank goodness for the defense

6:01:
Snyder – poor clock management!

6:03:
You’re killing me Skyler

6:04:
Damn Skyler…that was on you! Squirt…there’s a reason for the nickname, dude! Smh.

6:04:
It should be 17-3

6:05:
Unbelievable.

6:06:
2 straight overthrows

6:06:
Lambert. For real? I. Just. Can’t.

6:06:
snyder’s clock management wasted

6:07:
one more shot?

6:08:
I sincerely hope Howard is holding a clipboard next season

6:09:
Help us Obi-Chuganov you’re our only hope

6:14:
Given the way the defense is playing, this should be a runaway laugher.

6:17:
This is precisely the type of game Snyder finds a way to win and/or Dana finds a wan to lose. I’m scared.

6:35:
fudging third side of the ball (again)

6:36:
burns burning us

6:37:
What was so bad about not kicking it to Burns before?

6:41:
Worst day for special teams in a while. Had a chance to put them away, but …

6:46:
Leave Skylar in Kansas. There’s at least some other community colleges there.

6:52:
WVU knows how to win and lose ugly

6:53:
This feels right.

6:53:
Cant wait for all the K St’s 5th qb better than skyler texts on TFGD on Monday

6:55:
77 yd TD pass from the backup QB on 1st down.

http://www.gfycat.com/WelcomeWastefulIbex

6:56:

Keep passing. That s it.

6:56:
Announcer just said we need to find a way to get Howard back in rhythm. What [fancy] rhythm?

6:57:
too late to burn chugs’ red shirt?

6:57:
5 pass plays to start the 3rd smfudgingh

6:57:
Punter is only guy who can find the end zone and he’s the one guy you don’t want doing it

6:58:
This game looks over

7:07:
Small[finishing]wood!

7:07:
Jordan Thompson took out two defenders on that Smallwood td

7:09:
Um, are we glad S Gibson is on the kickoff team or what?

7:10:
Legit scared of Burns and that should not be the case. We weren’t kicking to him before and we insist on it now. Unreal.

7:11:
D. Worley…nicely done!

7:13:
“Too busy suckin!!!!” -Angry K. State Fan (on the mic) #Oops #MicTooClose

7:18:
Howard and Shelton are about as compatible as Lyle Lovett and Julia Roberts

7:19:
They better drink some of Pat White’s #ReHydrate. Cramps everywhere.

7:21:
Brady Quinn is a [dandy]

7:26:
give. to. 4. please.

7:26:
Squirt!!!!! Having a great final regular season game!!!!!

7:28:
mr spring!

7:33:
I passed on a free nipple piercing to watch this [situation]

7:35:
Fire DeForest

7:36:
We might actually lose this game! Sigh…guess it’s time to open the wine. Damn it!

7:37:
efore$

7:37:
is back

7:38:
That’s literally the only guy who can beat us and we continue to kik it to him AFTER not kicking it to him

7:38:
(Please include all of these. I’m insane with anger!)

7:38:
Bill Snyder’s son could be my grandad

7:40:
They’re saying Boo-urns

7:41:
Only thing to feel good about is past few teams wouldn’t get up after that. I Think these guys have it in them.

7:43:
We should be winning by at least two touchdowns.

7:45:
i didn’t know there was going to be an encore of “the wiz”

7:46:
and it’s actually set in kansas

7:51:
Little K. White!

7:51:
Captain Dana going down with HMS Skyler?

7:52:
Let’s stick with the run, Dana. Please. Thanks.

7:54:
Defense might have to score to win this

7:55:
Skyler Howard is worst WVU QB since brad Lewis. It’s hard to fathom how truly awful he is. Most complete team we’ve had under Dana and the only thing we are

7:55:
missing is even a mediocre QB

7:55:
Dana singing “White Flag” to Skyler.

7:56:
8:20 to play and l willgo ahead and call it: WVU won’t get ball back, or will get once more for 3 plays. Game over.

7:57:
Everyone will say this is Snyder, but Snyder isn’t calling 40+ pass plays for WVU

7:58:
Did I say, Brady Quinn is a pos

8:02:
Damn it, Christian Brown! Smh

8:05:
Ok time for Howard to produce

8:06:
not enough said about noble

8:06:
Team go 4 it

8:08:
I hate everything.

8:09:
Ok, 4 snaps and lose, not 3

8:09:
God have mercy on Dana’s soul

8:09:
We’re going to lose. Smh.

8:10:
Fourth down and WHY-LER HOWARD?!?!?! WHY?!?!?

8:11:
Too many TV’s in this bar to change the channel on every one, I guess.

8:11:
It’s as if Dana coached this game knowing there’s no Good and Bad on Wednesday

8:11:
Gary s Olde Towne Tavern, man.

8:12:
I’m finished with Dana.

8:14:
Offense lost this one for us. Rough day.

8:15:
Sometimes you wanna go where nobody knows your name and everybody avoids eye contact.

8:17:
[Forget] all the rest of the offense, let’s run that naked bootleg only. Forever.

8:18:
please call a Skyler draw to end the game. only fitting

8:21:
at what point does one get tired of saying “wait til next year”?

8:27:
They won’t fire him and we have to watch this pathetic football next year.

8:29:
WHY KICK TO BURNS!?!?!?!