MORGANTOWN-Turnovers have been a season-long problem for the West Virginia Mountaineers.
They've been very giving with them; they've been relative unwilling receivers of them.
Some of that changed Saturday in the team's 24-7 victory against Marshall.
When Marshall running back Darius Marshall fumbled the ball into the hands of West Virginia defensive back Brandon Hogan in the second quarter, it marked the first time this season the WVU defense has recovered a fumble.
Later, on the first play of the fourth quarter, J.T. Thomas recovered a Cody Slate fumble after Reed Williams stripped it. Hogan also had an interception in the second quarter and Robert Sands added his third interception of the season, as the Mountaineers were a rare plus-2 in turnover margin for the game. They also lost two fumbles of their own.
The Mountaineers later turned the Slate fumble into a touchdown drive that ended on a 33-yard pass from Geno Smith to Alric Arnett. It was Smith's first career touchdown pass.
''We had some early penalties and we fumbled here and there,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said.
''I told the football team (Friday) night and again at halftime, the only people that can stop us is us.''
