A quick note about our minds: They’re wired similarly. I was traveling yesterday — much longer than expected, it turned out — and had a chance to read through the comments from Wednesday and then from the day after once I’d written and sent my stories for today’s paper. There are a couple of things in today’s football story that will seem familiar.

The most obvious, most important example?

The average starting spot following the five punts was WVU’s 42-yard line, and the offense gained 10, 39, 16, 8 and 0 yards. The only points came on the second possession, a quick touchdown drive aided by a kick-catch interference penalty against Miami on the punt.

The Mountaineers only played six Football Bowl Subdivision teams that have winning records today, and each held WVU’s offense to 28 points or less. The 14 points, 95 yards rushing and 229 yards of offense were each a season-low total.

Miami’s defensive line, and the defensive tackles in particular, controlled the line of scrimmage, made plays by themselves and created opportunities for teammates behind them. Miami had nine tackles for a loss. Eight players had one and two shared one.

“I pride myself on being pretty good at being able to read a defense,” Orlosky said. “I couldn’t read a damn thing against Coach Richt. They did a good job disguising and a good job slanting and confusing us up front. That hurt the timing of the passing game.

“Skyler getting hit back there a few times probably made him a little uncomfortable back there throwing the ball. Our passing game wasn’t there and our running game wasn’t there, and that goes back to being out-played.”

And then I got into the texts.

I can’t say I was mad and disgusted and exasperated and spent like so many of you were, but it’s fair to say we were at least thinking the same things along the way. That’s probably because we were watching the same game, and it was pretty obvious what was happening and why the scoreboard looked the way it did at the end.

The Mountaineers were flawed, but Miami was more talented — taller, longer, stronger, faster, twitchier — across the field and had more edges, particularly in areas where WVU could be exploited.

The defense, for example, has a really good cornerback, but the Mountaineers aren’t what you’d consider supremely athletic in the secondary. Miami’s success running routes and winning on the bubble screens was because the pass-catchers were tricky matchups. I wouldn’t have believed it when it happened, but Rasul Douglas whiffing on Ahmmon Richards and then Richards zipping across the field for a 51-yard touchdown both swung and encapsulated the game.

The Hurricanes could not run the ball against WVU. I’d like to tell you that teams don’t run for 81 yards or less and win, but Kansas State beat WVU in 2014 with 1 yard on the ground. Teams were 3-7 when running for less than 100 yards against WVU since Tony Gibson took over as defensive coordinator in 2014. K-State has two of those wins. Oklahoma State had another this season, and what’d the Cowboys do? Jumped on Mason Rudolph’s back, won 1-on-1 matchups and took advantage of sub-standard tackling.

Another example? WVU has a savvy and strong offensive line, and though the linemen had their moments and maybe even their games pushing around lesser lines, they didn’t fare well when they went up a weight class or more. Miami was certainly a step up. Those defensive ends were crashing hard. The defensive tackles gave Tyler Orlosky a hard time in the middle. Congesting those gaps either let them make plays or created openings and opportunities for some slick linebackers in the other alleys. You need some able-bodied young men to do that, and Miami had them.

But we knew that — all of that — because we saw that. It was clear. Trust what you see, right? And here’s the thing: Afterward, I was talking to Someone, and he told me it was apparent in the pregame that Miami had an arsenal. WVU knew that from film, but in his estimation, it was the most impressive looking team in person since Texas A&M. Miami was up there with LSU in 2011. There’s a lot you and we can say about what WVU did wrong and what went wrong — and truly, the Mountaineers didn’t do anything well enough or for long enough to compensate for this next part — but I think there’s a part that has to be explained thusly: WVU couldn’t block and tackle better players. There wasn’t much the Mountaineers could do about some of the things that occurred in the Russell Athletic Bowl.

But you knew that. You saw that. And where’s the champagne? We need champagne. Now look as hard as you can with this text in your hand. And now hold up your chain. Slow-motion through the flames. Now cue the smoke machines and the simulated rain. My edits are in [brackets].

2:08:
Not once have throwback helmets been used. This is [frustrating] [bananas].

3:05:
I think I am more excited to see Skyler play his last game for WVU than for the actual bowl game itself

5:10:
Now we have to wait out [finicky] eat [salt] Pitt. [Carl]!

5:20:
Watching with my parents. A lot will be in [brackets]

5:43:
Sigh…Skyler…already. I can’t.

5:43:
Here we go. [Jeepers].

5:44:
Booing the fact of a turnover.

5:44:
A perfect Skyler play. Hard to blam him getting popped by a blazing Hurricane, hard to defend anything he does

5:45:
DAWGS

5:54:
My kid: Why can’t our qb ever slide?

5:54:
Throw the [fancy] ball!

5:54:
This gon be ugly

5:54:
O-line looks slow against the U

5:55:
Wrong way Feldman. From Gilligan’s Island. Remember him?

5:56:
Two drives … two major Skyler Howard [foul]-ups.

5:58:
What was that one play that started the backwards movement about anyway? Looked like my family trying to decide what to do for dinner.

6:02:
Call the fair catch! Bad call in our favor.

6:03:
WVU punt returns….keeping cardiologists in business for the last 125 years.

6:03:
In real time I thought that was the right call. On replay, I think the Miami guy may have timed it perfectly.

6:06:
Sky’s about even now

6:07:
Diamonds are a boy’s best friend.

6:09:
Bone!

6:09:
Dana trolling everyone with a wishbone adjace look.Maj

6:11:
Cameraman out

6:11:
Chain gang guy is in the concussion protocol

6:15:
Third and Shorts!

6:16:
Wow. What a window he threw through

6:17:
Get Shell out

6:22:
History will remember Skyler fondly. I am not History.

6:26:
Go back to the [effective] bone until they stop it.

6:43:
These [flagrant] convicts

6:43:
That was some [baccarat]! That was an interception!

6:43:
Rednecks vs. Recidivists

6:50:
That pass interference call was the worst mistake by an official at the Citrus Bowl since Floyd Mayweather knocked out the Big Show with brass knuckles.

6:55:
Shelton…that’s 2 times, bro. Wtf????

6:56:
13

6:57:
Dana gonna rub what’s left of his hair off his head tonight

6:57:
Whole secondary got burnt!

6:58:
That’s on Douglas.Bad play by our best playerz

7:02:
We look like we’re down by 40

7:02:
Bending, bending, bending…

7:03:
Seniors screwing up is not a good sign for us.

7:04:
McIlroy is offensively bad at color commentary.

7:05:
Douglas let that all american [stuff] get to him.He looks like garbage.

7:06:
Three guys bit on that play action pass at the goal line

7:06:
This is embarrassing…..this team shouldn’t be on the field with us.

7:07:
We went from controlling this game to looking like the little giants in record time.

7:07:
Even though it’s insane given Miami’s line, I’d try to get the running game going bc I don’t see Skyler getting his [supper] together at any point in this game.

7:08:
This flipped in a hurry. Hopeful to utterly hopeless in about 10 realtime minutes.

7:08:
I don’t want to say this is over, but this feels like its speeding to being over.

7:08:
Our playing calling has been [sour].

7:09:
Just play Chugs in the 2nd half can’t be any worse than Skyler right now

7:10:
OL looks like bowling pins

7:11:

dawgs?

7:17:
Well…the first half mango farming sucked [avocados].

7:17:
Glad I didn’t waste money going to the game. [feel] this [silk]

7:18:

Help.

— Not Dana Holgorsen (@FauxHolgorsen) December 29, 2016

7:18:
This game is over

7:19:
maybe SG should’ve kept his mouth shut

7:19:
We should’ve been first team ever to pay defensive coordinator more than head coach.

7:19:
This game is close to unwatchable

7:20:

Dana Holgorsen is going to burn off the remaining hairs on his head with radiant rage tonight

— NIGHT BUFF-FORE XMAS (@edsbs) December 29, 2016

7:20:
This is the real Dana Holgorsen

7:25:
What extension do we rescind first???

7:26:
The WVU SID finds incredible ways to promote a mediocre-[college] QB but doesn’t do [fundamental]-all to promote the 125th anniversary.

7:44:
OH MY GOD WHAT THE [FUNFETTI]?!?!

7:44:
[FINE] these SEC refs

7:45:
THATS A [FUNKY] [BERSERK] PI CALL

7:45:
So that’s the 2nd interception we have had that the refs [fouled] up

7:48:
Tights Ends. Always [fierce] Tight Ends, man.

7:49:
What a [bad] tackle attempt.This is infuriating.

7:50:
Respect due to njoku but that was horrid tackling

7:51:
Game Set Match

7:55:
56…boy bye!

7:56:
He didn’t tackle Shelton so much as head butt him. A well deserved ejection.

7:57:
I wish I could buy stock in things like; “Durante will have a 100 catch season before he graduates.”

7:57:
On a good note in bball UVA up 15 on Louisville

7:59:
A least a good drive Sky!

8:01:
I can get behind the idea Miami can’t shift out of cruise control here.

8:06:
Why is there always 2 on 1 on those bubble screens? Where’s the adjustment?

8:11:
If 16’d picked that off, it’d been PI

8:14:
*Smokey voice* YOU GOT KNOCKED THA [HECK] OUT

8:17:
He’s so bad

8:19:
Skyler should hang on to the ball longer.

8:21:
They stopped the bubble. Hip hip [hurray].

8:37:
Skyler knows Shelton’s not 6’8″ right?

8:37:
If Shelton Gibson talks the most trash, do you think he’s dogging himself?

8:39:
Except for many of his passes, Sky’s been the best player. SG, a disaster

8:41:
10:00 until no-more-Howard New Years!

8:42:
We need some awful tv personality on this countdown.

8:44:
Welcome back to the #ByeSkyler countdown, hosted by Brad Paisley and Jennifer Garner.

8:46:
This next performance is dedicated to our real all star, Skyler.Let’s hear it for the worst song and band of the millennium, it’s All Star by Smashmoubt

8:46:
Smashmouth

8:47:
This next god-awful song is for all you WVU fans drinking to forget this game, it’s Tubthumping by Chumbawumba.

8:49:
To prepare for the vomit inducing hype for Miami this abomination will lead to, it’s Miami by Will Smith

8:50:
Welp. Debbie Reynolds is officially dead.

8:50:
And so is WVU’s season.

8:50:
[Delete] 2016

8:52:
Probably the most selfish performance I’ve ever seen from a WVU player. There was no reason for Skyler to run 21 (and counting) times other than Skyler w

8:52:
anted to run the ball himself a lot in his last college game.

8:54:
Yay for 10 wins and all, but nothing can compensate for the unmitigated badness of 2016. Not WVU-wise, just in general.

8:58:
Well, see you next year, y’all

9:00:
Happy no more Slyler Howard year!

9:00:
Well…that sucked.