Charlotte, N.C. (ap) — West Virginia had just dropped its second straight game, a heartbreaking overtime defeat at Colorado, and coach Bill Stewart’s critics were howling as he gathered the team.

“We were 1-2, and everybody was wanting to run us out of town,” Stewart recalled Friday. “I never got upset one bit because we’re family, you know? … Our young men were so resilient that night in Boulder. We all grabbed hands with tears in our eyes and hurting in such a tough way.

“We bonded as a football team — and we went on a pretty good run.”

The Mountaineers won their next five games, before a 2-2 finish revived Stewart’s detractors. The late-season struggles dropped West Virginia (8-4) into today’s Meineke Bowl against North Carolina (8-4).