The Associated Press

West Virginia fired coach Neal Brown on Sunday as the Mountaineers continue to flounder in the Big 12, finishing the season 6-6.

Athletic director Wren Baker announced the firing in a statement, wishing Brown and his family “the very best in their next endeavor.”

Brown had an overall record of 37-35 in his six seasons leading the Mountaineers. His teams never competed for a Big 12 championship or were ranked in the AP Top 25 poll. They lost nine consecutive times to ranked opponents.

Brown is due to receive a $9.5 million buyout for the last three years of his contract.

Baker’s statement didn’t indicate who will coach the Mountaineers in their bowl game. West Virginia will learn its bowl opponent next weekend.

Brown had been fighting to keep his job for quite some time.

In November 2022, following back-to-back losing seasons, Brown was retained on the same day that Baker was hired as West Virginia’s AD. A year ago, Baker issued a similar vote of confidence as his predecessor, then gave Brown a contract extension in March following a 9-4 finish.

Purdue moves on

Purdue hired Ryan Walters to keep a promising program near the top of the Big Ten Conference.

Two years later, the Boilermakers have sunk to unprecedented depths — and Walters is out of a job.

Athletic director Mike Bobinski fired the first-time head coach on Sunday, following a brutal 1-11 season in which the Boilermakers made all the wrong kinds of history.

They lost their final 11 games to set the school’s single season record, endured the two most lopsided losses in program history, went winless in conference play for only the third time since 1946 and failed to beat an FBS opponent for the first time since 2013 and the second time in college football’s modern era.

It was simply too much to ignore even for a program like Purdue, which rarely fires coaches this quickly and the revenue model changes next year.

“It’s a pivotal time for Purdue, and we must take the steps necessary to best position our football program for success,” Bobinski said in a statement. “We are determined to provide the university and our incredibly loyal fans football performance that reflects the excellence of Purdue and is worthy of their continued support.”

BC downs Pitt

BOSTON — Boston College defensive tackle Ty Clemons picked off a pass in the middle of the Pitt backfield and rumbled down the field for a score, bringing a roar not only from the fans but from his sideline, too.

Clemons scored on a 55-yard pick-six, Reed Harris made a leaping 28-yard TD grab over a defensive back and BC beat Pittsburgh 34-23 on Saturday.

“We were roommates for a while. Ty is my guy. He’s one of my best friends,” BC defensive end Donovan Ezeiruaku said. “I was just screaming, honestly. I didn’t even know he had the ball. … I was screaming my head off. Actually, I had a headache after because I was yelling so much.”

Jordan McDonald had a 36-yard scoring run and Kye Robichaux added a 2-yarder for the Eagles (7-5, 4-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). Grayson James completed 20-of-28 passes for 253 yards with two TDs for BC, which completed its first six-win season (6-1) at home since 2009.

“That was a huge play,” BC coach Bill O’Brien said of Clemons’ score. “That was a huge momentum builder there.”

It was the first pick-and-score by an Eagles’ defensive lineman since 2007.

Making his second start of the season after starting QB Eli Holstein left last week’s lopsided loss at Louisville early with a leg injury, Nate Yarnell went 23 of 42 for 296 yards with three TD passes –two to Gavin Bartholomew — for Pittsburgh (7-5, 3-5), which lost its fifth straight.

“Nate got banged up on the first drive of the game,” Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi said. “We went out there, he said: ‘I think I broke my wrist.’ That’s what he felt like. But he’s a tough son-of-a-gun and I appreciate our players’ effort.”

With BC leading 13-7 in the final minute of the second quarter, Yarnell was under pressure from lineman Neto Okpala and tried to throw a pass toward the line as his arm was hit. The 6-foot-3, 273-pound Clemons rumbled straight down for the score, followed by a few of his linemates.

Yarnell hit Bartholomew with a 5-yard shovel pass for a TD that sliced it to 20-17 before Harris jumped over Rashad Battle on a 3rd-and-20 play on the right side of the end zone.

James put it away with a 15-yard TD pass to Kamari Morales midway into the fourth.

Pitt will now wait its bowl invitation on Dec 8.