West Virginia Mountaineers
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| West Virginia Mountaineers | |
 |
|
| University | West Virginia University |
|---|---|
| Conference | Big East |
| NCAA | Division I |
| Athletics director | Ed Pastilong |
| Location | Morgantown, WV |
| Varsity Teams | 17 |
| Stadium | Mountaineer Field |
| Arena | WVU Coliseum |
| Mascot | The Mountaineer |
| Nickname | Mountaineers |
| Fight Song | |
| Colors | Old Gold and Blue
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| Homepage | www.msnsportsnet.com |
The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. The school's mascot is known as the Mountaineer. The two major sports at the university are football (played at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium) and basketball (played at the WVU Coliseum), although many of the other sports have large followings as well.
[edit] Baseball
- Playing Facility: Hawley Field
- Head Coach: Greg Van Zant
- Most Victories: 40 in 1994
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 12
- Last NCAA Appearance: 1996
- All-Americans: 7
- Drafted Players: 53
- Players In The Majors: 19
- Website: http://www.wvubaseball.com
[edit] Notable players
- Babe Barna who played 3-sports [1]
- Marvin Bolyard who also played basketball [2]
- Zac Cline 2004 15th round draft pick of the Phillies
- John Doyle [3]
- Jack Gocke [4]
- Steve Harrick [5]
- Charley Hockenberry [6]
- Justin Jenkins (career-leader in doubles at WVU)
- Steve Kline
- Bill Marovic [7]
- Dustin Nippert
- Dale Ramsburg [8]
- Scott Seabol
- Charley Seabright [9]
[edit] Men's Basketball
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Bob Huggins
- Most Victories: 29 in 1959
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 19
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2006
- NIT Appearances: 15
- Last NIT Appearence: 2007
- NIT Championships: 2 (1942, 2007)
- All-Americans: 13
- Drafted Players: 28
- Players In The NBA: 11
[edit] History and Coaches
West Virginia men's basketball has competed in three basketball championship final matches: the 1959 NCAA final, the 1942 NIT final (at that time, the NIT was considered by many to be more prestigious than the NCAA), and the 2007 NIT Championship. They lost 71-70 to California in the 1959 final NCAA finals, while the Mountaineers won the 1942 NIT Championship by 47-45 over Western Kentucky and the 2007 NIT contest over Clemson 78-73, in what was supposed to be a rebuilding season.
Other than the 1960s teams of Jerry West and such other greats, the senior squad of 2001-2005 was one of the greatest teams of the team's history, mainly in the 2005-2006 campaign, when all seniors got major time playing. The team consisted of Mike Gansey and Patrick Beilein (former coach John Beilein's son) at forward, while J.D. Collins and Johannes Herber played guards. Kevin Pittsnogle started at center, though he led the team with three-point shots. Junior Frank Young got considerable time at forward too, in place of Beilein. The senior class was led by team-MVPs Gansey and Pittsnogle, who were both named to the all-Big East teams. The team advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament before losing to Texas 74-71 due to a game-winning three-point shot at the buzzer. The class' four-year run ended an era when they graduated. The era consisted of back-to-back Sweet 16 appearances, the first since the 1959 and 1960 years of Jerry West, and an overall record of 77-51.
The team that followed the senior class was projected to be weak and undeveloped due to lack of experience. Frank Young was the only senior that got considerable playing time from the previous year, although center Rob Summers was a senior as well. Young started at forward, along with Da'Sean Butler, Wellington Smith, and Joe Alexander who all shared time. The guard position consisted of starter Darris Nichols and Alex Ruoff, although Ted Talkington got small action in a few games. Jamie Smalligan and senior Rob Summers split time at center as well. The only definate starts on the team were senior Frank Young and junior Darris Nichols, although all other players shared fairly equal time. The team, projected to have a bad year in the tough Big East schedule, started out their season 5-0 with an easy early schedule. After a loss to Arkansas, they posted an 8-0 record to make their season record 13-1 before suffering two losses to Notre Dame and Marquette to make their record 13-3. After a win against USF and an overtime loss at Cincinnati, the Mountaineers won four games to make their record 18-4. They were beaten by 13 at home to nationally ranked Pitt, followed by one of the biggest upsets in school history. The upset of #2 UCLA 70-65 made the Mountaineers 19-5, although they lost to Georgetown the next week to make their record 19-6. After a win against Seton Hall, they lost back-to-back against Providence and Pittsburgh both on the road. They then finished out the regular season with a home blowout of Cincinnati to make their record 21-8. The Mountaineers then beat Providence in the first round of the Big East tournament. In the second round, the Mountaineers held with the Louisville Cardinals for two-overtimes, but lost 82-71. Bad calls and the failure of the clock at Madison Square Garden to start on time were reasons for the loss. The Mountaineers failed to be selected for the NCAA Tournment, to the suprise of many West Virginia fans, but they managed to accept a #1-seed in the NIT Tournament. The Mountaineers then posted an easy win against Delaware State. The second round the Mountaineers won a shootout 90-77 against UMass, then a nail biting win against North Carolina State at home to win the East Region, making the first NIT-semifinal appearance since 1981. The semifinal contest against Mississippi State was one of the great wins in Mountaineer history, in which Darris Nichols hit the game-winning three-point shot to win the game 63-62 for the Mountaineers. Two days later in the NIT Championship, the Mountaineers, led by Frank Young's 24 points and Da'Sean Butler's 20 points off the bench, beat Clemson to win the club's second NIT-crown, 78-73.
A few days after WVU's winning the 2007 National Invitation Tournament, Coach Beilein announced he would be leaving the school to accept a head coaching job at the University of Michigan. His official departure on April 4, 2007 was followed a day later by the announcement that Morgantown native Bob Huggins was resigning his post at Kansas State University to take the vacant head coaching job at WVU.
[edit] Notable players
- Willie Akers
- Rudy Baric helped WVU win the NIT Championship
- Babe Barna who played 3-sports
- Eddie Beach who was the first Mountaineer to be selected in the NBA Draft
- John Beilein who was coach from 2002-2007
- Dale Blaney
- Marvin Bolyard who also played baseball
- Leland Eugene Byrd who was also famous as athletic administrator
- Gale Catlett, who later became more notable as WVU's coach
- John Doyle
- Mike Gansey
- Marshall Glenn
- Jack Gocke
- Clyde Green
- Louis Guidi
- Johannes Herber
- Scott Hamilton who helped WVU win the NIT championship
- Roger Hicks who helped WVU win the NIT championship
- Charley Hockenberry
- Bob Huggins as a player from 1975 to 1977 and the present coach
- Rod Hundley
- Greg Jones
- Sam Mandich
- Jim McCormick
- Darris Nichols
- Lee Patton
- Kevin Pittsnogle
- Richard Raese
- Wil Robinson
- Lester Rowe
- Fred Schaus
- Charley Seabright
- Lloyd Sharrar
- Rod Thorn
- Russell Todd
- Jerry West
- Ron 'Fritz' Williams
- Mark Workman
- Frank Young
[edit] Notable Games
- March 2, 1949 against Geneva in Morgantown, West Virginia with a 75-38 win when Fred Schaus scored 1000th career point.
- February 26, 1951 at Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a 72-74 loss when the final basketball game played in Pitt Pavilion was held.
- February 9, 1957 at Richmond in Richmond, Virginia with an 87-81 win when Rod Hundley scored 2000th career point.
- February 11, 1960 at St. John's in New York City with a 73-79 loss when Jerry West scored 2000th career point.
- February 7, 1966, West Virginia defeats #2 Duke 94-90 in Coach Bucky Waters most memorable win.
- January 14, 1970 at Pittsburgh in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with a 67-66 Overtime win when a Pittsburgh fan threw a large dead fish onto the court after a technical foul against Pittsburgh.
- March 3, 1970 against Pittsburgh in Morgantown, West Virginia with an 87-92 loss in the final game in Mountaineer Fieldhouse.
- February 19, 1977, West Virginia's 81-68 upset of the #17 Notre Dame Fighting Irish, who were led by Digger Phelps.
- March 2, 1978, West Virginia upset the #1-seed Rutgers 81-74 in Pittsburgh, with help from sophomore Lowes Moore.
- February 24, 1982, maked West Virginia's 82-77 win over Pitt in front of a school-record 16,704 fans.
- February 27, 1983, West Virginia defeated #1 UNLV at home, 87-78, in what is considered the greatest win in Mountaineer basketball history.
- March 9, 1984, West Virginia tallied a 67-65 win over #15 Temple in the semifinals of the Atlantic 10 tournament.
- December 12, 1988, West Virginia defeats the Pittsburgh Panthers in double-overtime, 84-81.
- December 9, 1989, 97-93 in favor of West Virginia against the Pittsburgh Panthers in an overtime classic.
- February 11, 1998, West Virginia's 80-62 win over #6 UConn.
- February 20, 2001, West Virginia walks away at WVU Coliseum with a double-overtime 107-100 win against Villanova.
- March 19, 2005 in a 111-105 double overtime win against Wake Forest in the second round of the NCAA tournament in Cleveland, Ohio.
- March 18, 2006, West Virginia defeats Northwestern State 67-54 in Kevin Pittsnogle, Mike Gansey, and the other seniors' last win as a Mountaineer. Five days later, in the Sweet 16, the Mountaineers lost to #2-seed Texas, 74-71 on a buzzer beater three point shot.
- February 10, 2007, West Virginia defeated #2 UCLA 70-65 at the WVU Coliseum in front of a national television audience on CBS.
- March 29, 2007, West Virginia defeated Clemson 78-73 to win the University's second NIT Championship crown, the other in 1942. West Virginia was led by senior Frank Young's 24 points (6 of 7 for three pointers) and five rebounds and freshman De'Sean Butler's 20 points to win the championship.
[edit] Women's Basketball
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Mike Carey
- Most Victories: 26 in 1992
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
- WNIT Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2004
- All-Americans: 3
- Drafted Players: 2
- Players In The WNBA: 1
[edit] Notable Players
- Kittie Blakemore was the first women's basketball coach at WVU [10]
- Rosemary Kosiorek member of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame [11]
- Cathy Parson who was the first woman to be inducted in the WVU Sports Hall of Fame [12]
- Georgann Wells who was the first woman to dunk in an NCAA Womens Basketball Game
[edit] Cross Country
- Head Coach: Jeff Huntoon
- NCAA Appearances: 2
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2004
- All-Americans: 2
[edit] Notable Players
- Carl Hatfield
- Mike Mosser
- Stan Romanoski who was one of the most successful coaches
[edit] Football
 |
For current news on this topic, see 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team |
- Playing Facility: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
- Head Coach: Rich Rodriguez
- Most Victories: 11 in 1988 (11-1), 1993 (11-1), 2005 (11-1), and 2006 (11-2)
- Bowl Game Appearances: 26
- Last Bowl Game Appearance: 2007 Gator Bowl
- All-Americans: 11
- Drafted Players: 150
- Players Currently In The NFL: 19
- All-Time NFL Players: 132
- Pro Football Hall of Famers: 2
- Big East Champions: 1993, 2003(co), 2004(co), 2005
[edit] History and Coaches
The WVU football program first started in 1891 with a record of 0-1-0. But throughout the years, the program has garnered a 631-437-45 record. Beginning in 1937-1938, West Virginia was classified as a College Division. From 1939-1972, West Virginia was in the University Division. From '73-'77, WVU was Division I, then from '78-present WVU has been Division I-A.
WVU played mainly as an Independent from 1891 to 1990, with intermittent stints in the West Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (1925-1927), and the Southern Conference (1950-1967). Since 1991, after reclassifications as a Division 1 Independent (1973-1977) and a Division 1-A Independent (1978-1990), the team competes in the Big East Conference. WVU had no team in 1892 and 1918. WVU is the winningest college football program that has never won the National Championship.
West Virginia has only had undefeated regular seasons in 1988 when it went to the National Championship in the Fiesta Bowl to face University of Notre Dame and in 1993 when they went to the Sugar Bowl to face University of Florida. However, West Virginia lost both bowl games, 34-21 to Notre Dame, and 41-7 to Florida. Both undefeated regular seasons were under their coach Don Nehlen.
WVU has been Conference champions twelve times (8 in the Southern Conference, four in the Big East Conference). West Virginia's highest coach/AP ranking in program history has been #3, achieved following the 1988 regular season heading in to the Fiesta Bowl and in the poll released on October 29, 2006. WVU has been in bowls 25 times, their record stands at 10-15. Major bowls were the Sugar Bowl (3 times), Peach Bowl (4 times), Fiesta Bowl (1 time), and the Gator Bowl (6 times).
Quarterback Major Harris has been credited as being the Mountaineers' greatest quarterback, while backs Amos Zereoue and Avon Cobourne have been recognized as the greatest rushers. Although, current Mountaineers Pat White and Steve Slaton are fan favorites and are looking to "dethrone" Harris and Zereoue/Cobourne, respectively.
West Virginia's greatest coach, Don Nehlen, credited certain players as being his best after his retirement. "Rich Braham was the best blocking offensive lineman by far." while Ron Wolfley was the "the best blocker in the backfield". Penn State coach Joe Paterno also had to say of Wolfley, "He's the best blocking fullback I've ever seen." Nehlen credits Adrian Murrell as "maybe" the best. "We've had so many good backs at West Virginia that it's hard to narrow it down." Nehlen said, "The most accurate [quarterback] by far was Marc Bulger...The strongest arm was Jeff Hostetler..." Nehlen said of his receivers, "I'd have to say that the best receiver is a toss-up between Jerry Porter and Shawn Foreman, with Reggie Rembert, David Saunders, and Khori Ivy just one iota behind them."
[edit] 1988 Season
The 1987 season was the beginning of Major Harris as the starting quarterback for West Virginia. Only a redshirt-freshman, Harris led the Mountaineers to a Sun Bowl berth, after a 1-3 start.
The '88 season opened with coach Don Nehlen's alma mater, Bowling Green University. The win marked the beginning of the run, winning 62-14. West Virginia beat their next opponent, Cal-State Fullerton, 45-10. West Virginia's first challenge was against the University of Maryland. West Virginia got behind the Terps 14-0, but pulled away at halftime, winning 55-24.
West Virginia's first game was at the University of Pittsburgh. The game was a defensive struggle, until runningback A.B. Brown, a Pitt transfer, ran a draw for 64-yards and the score. Scoring 14-points in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers broke away and won 31-10. West Virginia then traveled to rival Virginia Tech, and won 22-10, although fumbling four times. The next two games, a win at East Carolina University, and a 59-point win at Boston College, gave West Virginia a 7-0 record.
Next, the late October matchup vs Penn State at Mountaineer Field is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in Mountaineer football history. Before a nationwide CBS audience, the Mountaineers were up 34-8 before the half. On a draw play, runningback Undra Johnson ran 55 yards for the touchdown to end the half. The game also included a touchdown run by Major Harris, which is forever remembered in West Virginia lore as "The Run".
The next game was at the University of Cincinnati, where the Mountaineers started slow in the first half. Receiver Reggie Rembert scored three times, and the Mountaineers won by scoring 24 points in the third quarter. The Mountaineers traveled to Giants Stadium to play Rutgers, who had beat Penn St., Boston College, and Michigan State. The Mountaineers played poor, but came out with the win.
The final regular season game of the season was at home, against the University of Syracuse. The Orangemen were 8-2, while the Mountaineers were 10-0. The highlight of the game was a 49-yard interception by Willie Edwards that was taken for a touchdown. The Mountaineers won 31-9, and took a famous lap around the stadium to entertain the 65,000 fans in Morgantown.
[edit] National Championship
West Virginia traveled to the Fiesta Bowl to play the only other undefeated team in the NCAA, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Free-safety Darrell Whitmore was out for the Mountaineers, but Nehlen moved star Bo Orlando from strong safety to free to fill the hole. Nehlen recalled the move as "our first mistake...". "Another mistake I made is that I let the media overrun us."
West Virginia was doomed from the third play of the game. Major Harris separated his shoulder on the third play, and couldn't throw as well for the rest of the game. The pass he threw when separating his shoulder fell off of the receiver's hands, dropping a sure-score. Johnny Stroia and Bobby Kovach were injured for the Mountaineers in that game as well. West Virginia never posed a threat to the Irish for the rest of their game, losing 34-21, and suffered their first loss of the season for the national championship.
[edit] The Team
West Virginia's '88 team was highlighted with an explosive offense, led by Major Harris. Harris, only a sophomore, threw an exceptional deep ball in addition to his remarkable scrambling ability. Runningbacks A.B. Brown, Undra Johnson, Eugene Napoleon, and Criag Taylor at fullback highlighted the run game. The runners were led by Rick Phillips and Brian Smider on the offensive line, along with Stroia and Kovach, while Kevin Koken led the line at center. Early in the season, Keith Winn was moved from receiver to tight end, providing help to the run game, but was more famous as a deep-pass threat. The receivers catching the balls from Harris were led by Reggie Rembert, who was accompanied by Calvin Phillips and Grantis Bell.
Coach Don Nehlen credited West Virginia's '88 team's defense as being the main factor to their success. The linebacking core included Renaldo Turnbull, Dale Jackson, Theron Ellis, and Bobby Pickett. Mike Fox and Chris Parker headed the defensive line, along with Chris Haering. The secondary was one of the best in West Virginia history, led by Bo Orlando and Darrell Whitmore. Orlando had a good pro career with the Houston Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers, while Darrell went pro in baseball. Willie Edwards played corner along with Alvoid Mays, who went pro as well, and Lawrence Drumgoole played solid backup corner.
[edit] 1993 Season
The 1993 season began with an uncertainty at quarterback. Both Darren Studstill and Jake Kelchner were up for the spot, but coach Don Nehlen decided to have a rotation each game. Star runningback Adrian Murrell was replaced that season by Robert Walker and All-American center Mike Compton was replaced by Dale Williams. Guard Rich Braham provided help to Walker in the run game. Young Aaron Beasley and Mike Logan led the secondary.
The first game against Eastern Michigan University was an easy win. The next was against the University of Maryland. Kelchner passed for 270 yards and Harold Kidd grabbed a big interception to seal the win, 42-37. The next week, the Mountaineers blew by the University of Missouri 35-3 in Morgantown. In that game, Mike Collins returned a fumble 97 yards for a score and Vann Washington had an interception taken 27-yards for another score.
The next week was a close win against Virginia Tech, 14-13. The Mountaineers won, even though turning the ball over five times, when the Tech kicker missed a 44-yard field goal. The next game was against the University of Louisville, one of the toughest games of the season. Led by Brian Brohm's older brother, Jeff Brohm, the Cardinals were undefeated like the Mountaineers. But Robert Walker score three times, and led the Mountaineers to a close 36-34 win. The win led the Mountaineers into the Top 15 in the country. The next game, against the University of Pittsburgh, had a close first quarter. But Robert Walker rushed for over 150 yards and Mike Baker caught a couple of touchdown passes to pull away and win, 42-21.
The next game was a revengeful game. In 1992, West Virginia played the University of Syracuse, when a massive fight occurred. In a controversial decision, three Mountaineers were ejected, while only one Orangeman was ejected. That led to the Syracuse win. In the '93 version of the game, after missing two field goals, the Mountaineers were up 7-0 at halftime. But in the second half, the Mountaineer exploded. After a 90-yard run by Robert Walker, the Mountaineers won 43-0.
After beating Rutgers and Temple University, the Mountaineers were 9-0. In one of the biggest games in Mountaineer history, the #4 University of Miami came to Morgantown. The game was close, but Robert Walker won the game when he took a run to the sideline in the fourth quarter. Up 17-14, with four minutes left, Jake Kelchner threw a 40-yard bomb to seal the game.
After the game, Jake Kelchner injured his arm and Vann Washington had leg problems. The next game was against Boston College, where the Mountaineers were almost taken by surprise. Down 11 points with 13 minutes left, Don Nehlen told defensive coordinator Steve Dunlap to put in Charles Emanuel and Mike Logan. The next play, Mike Logan hit the fullback, resulting in a fumble which was recovered by the Mountaineers. Darren Studstill drove 63-yards downfield, and hit Eddie Hill for one of the greatest scores in West Virginia history. West Virginia finished the season 11-0, their second undefeated season.
[edit] Sugar Bowl
West Virginia was scheduled to play the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. The Mountaineers first drive went 80-yards and scored on a pass, then stopped the Gators on their first drive. The next Gator-drive almost went three-and-out, until a personal foul on Steve Perkins gave Florida the momentum. Jake Kelchner was playing a good game, but then Don Nehlen surprised many by putting Studstill in. On the Mountaineers first drive, Studstill threw an interception. Florida ran off with the game after that, winning 41-7.
Coach Don Nehlen said of the game, "We had wanted to play Nebraska in the Orange Bowl as the only two undefeated teams, but the bowl coalition didn't like the match. Instead, we were slotted to play Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl. Instead, the Sugar Bowl paid more money so the conference and administration wanted us to play Florida."
[edit] 2005 Season
The 2005 season followed a disappointing 2004 campaign, where the Mountaineers were led to an 8-4 record with Rasheed Marshall, Kay-Jay Harris, Pacman Jones, and Chris Henry, after having National Championship expectations. The '05 season was meant to be a rebuilding season. With Marshall and Harris leaving, the quarterback and halfback positions were open. Adam Bednarik and redshirt-freshman Patrick White were competing for the spot, while Coach Rich Rodriguez was thinking of re-using the '93 quarterback rotation. The halfback spot seemed to be filled by junior Jason Colson, but true freshman Steve Slaton broke out and took the job. Junior Dan Mozes led the offensive line at center. Mike Lorello and Jahmile Addae headed the secondary, while junior Kevin "Boo" McLee led the linebacking core.
The Mountaineers first game was a 15-7 win at the University of Syracuse. Bednarik finished the game with 104 pass yards, while White barely broke the stat sheet. The Mountaineers lacked in the rushing game though, only having 170 yards. Next, the Mountaineers hosted Wofford, which was an easy 35-7 win. Former star of the undefeated '88 team, Darrell Whitmore, came to see Adam Bednarik throw his first career touchdown pass to receiver Darius Reynaud, who had 57 yards and his first career touchdown catch. Pat White led the team in rushing with 107 yards, making his first touchdown run off of a 48-yard dash.
The Mountaineers then traveled to the University of Maryland and won 31-19. Adam Bednarik was injured in the third quarter, and Pat White took over. White scored 24 points in the last quarter, which began his career of starts. Fullback Owen Schmitt led the rushers with 80 yards, while freshman Jason Gwaltney had 44 yards. Then the Mountaineers hosted East Carolina University in as close 20-15 victory. Defensive back Antonio Lewis took a punt 76-yards for a score, while Adam Bednarik led passers with 116 yards and a score and Pat White had a touchdown pass as well.
West Virginia's only loss came to a Virginia Tech team, led by Marcus Vick, who were determined to win the finale of the Black Diamond Trophy rivalry. Although the Mountaineers lost 34-17, the game marked the beginning of the tandem of Pat White and Steve Slaton. Slaton made his first appearance, leading the team with 90 yards on just 11 rushes. White had 85 yards and two touchdown through the air. Vick won the game for the Hokies though, with 177 yards threw the air, and 77 yards on the ground, and totaled 3 touchdowns.
Freshman Steve Slaton made his first ever start the next week against Rutgers, rushing for 139 yards and a touchdown to win 27-14. Pat White saw little playing time, while Bednarik totaled 78 yards and a score.
The next game was one of the greatest in West Virginia history. Milan Puskar Stadium hosted the University of Louisville, led by Brian Brohm and Michael Bush. West Virignia went into the half losing 17-0. The Mountaineers overcame a 17-point deficit, led by Steve Slaton and Pat White, to send the game into overtime. Kicker Pat McAfee made the greatest kick in Mountaineer history, an onside kick that the Mountaineers recovered that led to the game-tying score. West Virginia took it into three overtimes, when Louisville put up the score in the third to make it 46-44. Brian Brohm dropped back on the 2-point conversion, looking for a receiver. He then tried to scramble up the middle, when safety Eric Wicks hit him short of the endzone to win the game. Steve Slaton ran for 188 yards and a Big East record six touchdowns, while Pat White totaled 118 all-purpose yards. Michael Bush scored 4 times for Louisville, but the Mountaineers came out victorious.
Pat White made his first start the next week against UConn, winning 45-13. Steve Slaton totaled 71 yards and a score, while White racked up 106 pass yards and a score and 63 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. Then the Mountaineers traveled to the University of Cincinnati and won 38-0. Slaton rushed for 129 yards and four touchdowns, while White rushed for 111 yards and passed for 100 yards and a score.
Then Pat White broke loose against the University of Pittsburgh in the annual Backyard Brawl. White rushed for a record 220 yards and two scores, while Slaton rushed for 179 yards and two scores. Jahmile Addae also had a key interception of Tyler Palko and took it 40 yards, not for a score though. Then West Virginia capped off the regular season in a win at the University of South Florida. Pat White rushed for 177 yards and two scores and Steve Slaton rushed for 112 yards and a score. Addae made another key interception, marking his last regular season game as a Mountaineer.
[edit] Sugar Bowl
The Mountaineers were the underdog in the matchup against the #8 Georgia Bulldogs in the Sugar Bowl, which was relocated to Atlanta, Georgia after Hurricane Katrina. The Mountaineers turned heads when they scored four unanswered touchdowns against the Bulldog defense. The Mountaineers went into halftime, leading 31-21. The 52-points in the first half set a BCS record. The Mountaineers scored again on a Slaton run, giving the Mountaineers a 38-28 advantage. The Bulldgos scored again on a 43 yard pass from D.J. Shockley. Then, in one of the greatest plays in West Virginia history, the game was sealed. Punter Phil Brady lined up in Georgia territory, ready to punt to the Bulldogs with less than two minutes left. He took the snap, then burst on a run. He ran for the first down, then slid down infront of two Bulldogs. The run sealed the game, for the Bulldogs had no time outs left.
Steve Slaton's 204 yards broke Tony Dorsett's Sugar Bowl record. Jahmile Addae capped of an impressive career by causing a fumble that led to a Mountaineer score. Mike Lorello also caused a fumble to cap his career. Pat White threw for 120 yards a, as well as rushing for 77 yards. D.J. Shockley tallied 277 yards and three scores too.
The win marked the biggest bowl win in Mountaineer history, after upsetting the #8 Dawgs.
[edit] The Team
The team was led by senior defensive backs Addae and Lorello on the defensive side of the ball, and junior center Mozes on the offensive side. The season marked the beginning of the Steve Slaton and Pat White duo, and marked an impressive season for fullback Owen Schmitt.
Steve Slaton totaled 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns in the late games he played in. Slaton was named First-team All-freshman team, Big East rookie of the year, ECAC rookie of the year, second-team All-Big East, and Nokia Sugar Bowl MVP. Slaton was also a finalist for the Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award. Slaton's 1,128 yards is third for a freshman in West Virginia history also.
Pat White only had 828 yards passing and eight scores, but he totaled 952 yards rushing with 7 scores.
[edit] Trivia
- Doug Flutie, with his Boston College team, was never able to defeat WVU in his tenure there.
- Jeff Hostetler, a former WVU star QB, married the daughter of his coach, Don Nehlen.
[edit] Rivalries
- West Virginia vs Pittsburgh in the Backyard Brawl
- West Virginia vs Syracuse in the battle for the Ben Schwartzwalder Trophy
- West Virginia vs Maryland
- West Virginia vs Marshall in The Friends of Coal Bowl for the Governor's Trophy (although this rivalry is newer and fails to carry the same heat as more-established rivalries.)
- West Virginia vs Louisville (another newer rivalry)
- West Virginia vs Virginia Tech in the Battle for the Black Diamond Trophy (ended run in 2005 season)
- West Virginia vs Penn State, though they have not played since the 1992 season
[edit] 2006 Season Results
|
For current news on this topic, see 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team |
| Date | W/L | Opponent | WVU | Opp. | Notes |
| September 2 | W | vs. Marshall | 42 | 10 | Friends of Coal Bowl |
| September 9 | W | vs Eastern Washington | 52 | 3 | |
| September 14 | W | vs. Maryland | 45 | 24 | |
| September 23 | W | @ East Carolina | 27 | 10 | |
| October 7 | W | @ Mississippi State | 42 | 14 | |
| October 14 | W | vs. Syracuse | 41 | 17 | |
| October 20 | W | @ Connecticut | 37 | 11 | |
| November 2 | L | @ Louisville | 34 | 44 | |
| November 11 | W | vs Cincinnati | 42 | 24 | |
| November 16 | W | @ Pittsburgh | 45 | 27 | Backyard Brawl |
| November 25 | L | vs South Florida | 19 | 24 | |
| December 2 | W | vs Rutgers (3 OT) | 41 | 39 | |
| January 1 | W | vs Georgia Tech | 38 | 35 | Gator Bowl (Jacksonville, FL) |
[edit] 2007 Schedule
|
For current news on this topic, see 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team |
| Date | W/L | Opponent | WVU | Opp. | Notes |
| September 1 | vs. Western Michigan | ||||
| September 8 | @ Marshall | Friends of Coal Bowl | |||
| September 13 | @ Maryland | ESPN | |||
| September 22 | vs East Carolina | ||||
| September 28 | @ South Florida | ||||
| October 6 | @ Syracuse | ||||
| October 19 | vs Mississippi State | ||||
| October 27 | @ Rutgers | ||||
| November 8 | vs Louisville | ESPN | |||
| November 17 | @ Cincinnati | ||||
| November 24 | vs Connecticut | ||||
| December 1 | vs Pittsburgh | Backyard Brawl |
[edit] Current NFL Players
- Jahmile Addae
- Anthony Becht
- Rich Braham
- John Browning
- Marc Bulger
- James Davis
- Jason Davis
- Lance Frazier
- Barrett Green
- Kay-Jay Harris
- Chris Henry
- Adam "Pacman" Jones
- Antwan Lake
- Mike Logan
- Mike Lorello
- Rasheed Marshall
- Alton McCann
- Corey McIntyre
- Anthony Mims
- Rod Olds
- Jerry Porter
- Todd Sauerbrun
- Gary Stills
- Jay Taylor
- John Thornton
- Mike Vanderjagt
- Quincy Wilson
[edit] Pro Football Hall of Famers
[edit] Notable players
- Jahmile Addae
- Roger Alford
- Tommy Allman
- Tim Agee
- Russ Bailey
- Mike Baker
- Babe Barna who played 3-sports
- Quentin Barnette who was also famous as a football & basketball coach and a professor
- Aaron Beasley
- Anthony Becht
- Grantis Bell
- Paul Bischoff
- Bruce Bosley
- Terry Bowden
- Rich Braham
- Jim Braxton
- A.B. Brown
- Danny Buggs
- Marc Bulger
- Todd Campbell
- Derek Christian
- Harry Clarke
- Avon Cobourne
- Mike Collins
- Mike Compton
- Carl Crennel
- Canute Curtis
- Travis Curtis
- Eric deGroh
- Willie Drewrey
- John Doyle
- Willie Edwards
- Shawn Foreman
- Garrett Ford
- Delbert Fowler
- Dennis Fowlkes
- Mike Fox
- Marshall Glenn
- Barrett Green
- Chris Haering
- Major Harris
- George Henshaw
- Ken Herock
- Charley Hockenberry
- Jeff Hostetler
- Chuck Howley
- Sam Huff
- Brad Hunt
- Khori Ivy
- James Jett
- Undra Johnson
- Chad Johnston
- Adam "Pac-Man" Jones
- Brain Jozwiak
- Jake Kelchner
- Kevin Koken
- Gene Lamone
- Bill Legg
- Brad Lewis
- Dave Lockwood
- Mike Logan
- Mike Lorello
- Oliver Luck
- Rasheed Marshall
- Walter Mahan
- John Mallory
- Sam Mandich
- Joe Marconi
- Homer Martin
- Ross McHenry
- Kevin "Boo" McLee
- Russ Meredith
- Darrell Miller
- Dan Mozes
- Gary Mullen
- Adrian Murrell
- Steve Newberry
- Lance Nimmo
- Mike Nixon (assistant coach)
- Bob Orders
- Bo Orlando
- Wes Ours
- Artie Owens
- Solomon Page
- Rick Phillips
- Jerry Porter
- Tom Pridemore
- Pat Randolph
- Mark Raugh
- John Ray
- Reggie Rembert
- Rich Rodriguez (current head coach)
- Todd Sauerbrun
- David Saunders
- Charley Seabright
- Owen Schmitt
- Floyd Schwartzwalder
- Mike Sherwood
- Steve Slaton
- Henry Slay
- Fred Smalls
- Clarence Spears (head coach)
- Gary Stills
- Darren Studstill
- Darryl Talley
- John Thornton
- Renaldo Turnbull
- Mike Vanderjagt
- Jimmy Walthall
- Patrick White
- Darrell Whitmore
- Eric Wicks
- Grant Wiley
- Quincy Wilson
- Ron Wolfley
- Paul Woodside
- Fred Wyant
- Amos Zereoue
[edit] Don Nehlen's Team Captains
- 1980: Gordon Gordon, Fulton Walker
- 1981: Oliver Luck, Calvin Turner
- 1982: Mark Raugh, Darryl Talley
- 1983: Jeff Hostetler, Dave Oblak
- 1984: Ron Wolfley, Dave Preston, Tom Bowman
- 1985: Brian Jozwiak, Fred Smalls
- 1986: John Holifield, Jeff Lucas
- 1987: Brad Hunt, Harvey Smith
- 1988: Kevin Koken, Bo Orlando, Robert Pickett, John Stroia
- 1989: Chris Haering, Renaldo Turnbull, Adrian Moss
- 1990: Rico Tyler, Dale Wolfley, Jim Gray, Sam Wilson
- 1991: Steve Grant, John Ray
- 1992: Mike Compton, Lorenzo Styles, Boris Graham, Rick Dolly
- 1993: Mike Collins, Rich Braham, Tim Brown
- 1994: Matt Taffoni, Tom Robsock
- 1995: Aaron Beasley, Buddy Hager, Lovett Purnell, Rob Keys
- 1996: Charles Emanuel, Chad Johnston
- 1997: Shawn Foreman, Henry Slay
- 1998: Shawn Foreman, Bryan Pukenas
- 1999: Anthony Becht, Marc Bulger, Barrett Green
- 2000: Khori Ivy, Tanner Russell, Kyle Kayden, Chris Edmonds
[edit] Notable Games
- 1973, West Virginia 20, Miami 14: Backup quarterback Ben Williams led the Mountaineers to the upset at Miami, ending with a 32-yard bomb to win the game for the Mountaineers.
- 1975, Peach Bowl, West Virginia 13, NC State 10: Bobby Bowden was coaching West Virginia when Lou Holtz was coaching NC State. The game was won by West Virginia when Scott MacDonald, a tight end, caught a 50 yard pass. Bill Cowher, later famous for coaching the Pittsburgh Steelers, was playing linebacker for NC State.
- 1980, West Virginia 41, University of Cincinnati 27: Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium hosts its first game. Also, the Flying WV logo makes its debut while John Denver makes a live appearance.
- 1982, West Virginia 41, No. 9 Oklahoma 27: West Virginia opened their season off upsetting Oklahoma as an underdog. Jeff Hostetler helped win the game with his passing game. After the game, West Virginia players were escorted by police onto the bus, out of Norman, Oklahoma.
- 1982, West Virginia 19, Maryland 18: A week after the win at Oklahoma, kicker Paul Woodside kicks four field goals, while Maryland fails the game-winning two-point conversion due to a Darryl Talley blitz.
- 1983, West Virginia 24, Pittsburgh 21: With Jeff Hostetler passing for a touchdown with 6:27 left in the game and then run around the right side for a six-yard score, West Virginia lifted themselves over Pittsburgh and into the Number 7 spot in the polls. This was West Virginia's first victory over Pittsburgh in seven years.
- 1984, West Virginia 21, No. 4 Boston College 20: West Virginia entered the half trailing 20-6. Their second half ended with 15 points to come from behind to upset Boston College. This would be the fourth straight time that Boston College Heisman winner Doug Flutie had failed to defeat West Virginia.
- 1984, West Virginia 17, No. 19 Penn State 14: Only a week after upsetting Boston College, West Virginia upset then ranked 19, Penn State. West Virginia runningback Pat Randolph scored in what Jack Fleming called, “The most important 22 yards a Mountaineer running back has ever gained!” That would be the first time West Virginia had beat Penn State since 1955 and it lifted West Virginia to 12 in the polls.
- 1988, West Virginia 51, Penn State 30: West Virginia, ranked 7 at the time, scored 41 points in the first half to roll over the Nittany Lions. It was the most first half points ever allowed by a Joe Paterno coached team and the most ever had scored in its history. West Virginia's win was also credited widely to Major Harris, who had a touchdown run which is forever known in West Virginia history as "the Play".
- 1993, West Virginia 17, No. 4 Miami 14: With a school record 70, 222 fans attenting to watch West Virginia, the Mountaineers came from behind to defeat Miami. Robert Walker of West Virginia scored the game winning touchdown in the 4th quarter to help Number 9 West Virginia advance in the polls.
- 1993, West Virginia 17, No. 11 Boston College 14: Edd Hill, a receiver of West Virginia, scored the game winning touchdown with a leaping catch in the endzone in the final seconds for No. 5 West Virginia to win their final regular season game. West Virginia advanced to the Sugar Bowl, only to lose to No. 8 Florida.
- 1998, West Virginia 35, No. 15 Syracuse 28: Marc Bulger of West Virginia passed a touchdown to receiver David Saunders to score the winning touchdown. Donovan McNabb, quarterback of the Orangemen, couldn't take the ball downfield and West Virginia pulled out a win.
- 1993, West Virginia 35, University of Missouri 3: Mike collins led West Virginia's blowout of the Missouri team by ripping the ball from the Mizzou back and taking it 97-yards for the score.
- 1994, West Virginia 21, No. 17 Boston College 20: WVU linebacker Matt Taffoni on fourth and inches with 1:17 left in the game, to capp a huge comeback against the ranked Boston College team.
- 1997, West Virginia 30, No. 19 Virginia Tech 17: Amos Zereoue ran for 153 yards with the Big East title on the line, to upset to Number 19 Hokies and end the 3 game losing streak to VT.
- 1998, West Virginia 35, No. 15 Syracuse 28: Ending a two-game losing streak, the Mountaineers upset the Orangemen, who were led by Donovan McNabb, at Mountaineer Field. The Orangemen finished the season by winning the Big East title, with the loss to West Virginia their only conference loss.
- 2000 Music City Bowl, West Virginia 49, Ole Miss 38: West Virginia scored 25 first half points to upset favored Mississippi in coach Don Nehlen's last game coaching West Virginia. West Virginia's Brad Lewis, quarterback, scored a bowl-record 5 touchdown passes and their whole offense racked up 432 total yards on offense.
- 2002, West Virginia 37, East Carolina University 17: Avon Cobourne rushed for 260 yards to gain the all-time rushing record at West Virginia, while Quincy Wilson ran for 198 yards to beat ECU.
- 2002, West Virginia 21, No. 13 Virginia Tech 18: Quincy Wilson rushed for 125 yards and a touchdown and West Virginia held Virginia Tech on the goalline to win the game. It was West Virginia's first victory over a nationally ranked team on the road since defeating Boston College 17-14 in 1993, and the first win over a ranked team since defeating Syracuse 35-28 in 1998.
- 2003, West Virginia 28, No. 3 Virginia Tech 7: West Virginia's victory was the biggest in school history. No. 3 Virginia Tech was the highest ranked team West Virginia had beaten on the football field and was Rich Rodriguez' first win over a Top 10 team. Virginia Tech's only score was on a controversial fumble return Touchdown. (Some fans refer the final score to the game as 28-"7", or West Virginia 28 - Referees 7 - Virginia Tech 0)
- 2005 West Virginia 46, No. 19 Louisville 44: West Virginia was down 24-7 late in the fourth quarter, and nobody had picked them to win the game. Adam Bednarik, the then starting quarterback for the Mountaineers, injured his foot late in the fourth, and redshirt freshman Pat White took over on a fourth-and-ten. He, along with RB Steve Slaton, engineered 3 scoring drives for the Mountaineers in the last 7 minutes, tying the game 24-24. In a triple-overtime thriller, the Mountaineers prevent Louisville's two-point conversion try, and win it 46-44.
- 2006 Sugar Bowl, West Virginia 38, Georgia 35: In what is considered one of the biggest upsets in the history of BCS bowl games, West Virginia scored 21 points in the first quarter (and 28 points in the first 20 minutes) to jump ahead early. Steve Slaton, a true freshman running back, won the MVP award and broke Tony Dorsett's Sugar Bowl record of 204 rushing yards. The play of the game was when in the 4th quarter Rich Rodriguez called a fake punt which caught the Bulldogs punting unit off-guard to get the first down and run out the clock to win.
- 2006 #15 West Virginia 41, #13 Rutgers 39: After losing to Louisville and USF, West Virginia had a chance to finish 2nd in the Big East with a win at Louisville. After beating Louisville, but losing to Cincinnati, Rutgers needed to win this to have a chance to win the Big East, if Louisville lost. Louisville didn't lose, and Rutgers didn't win. Losing to West Virginia in three overtimes, on the 2-point conversion pass to Ray Rice, much in the same fashion that Louisville lost to WVU in the 2005 matchup. Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown filled in for an injured Pat White (football player), Brown totaled 244 pass yards and a score, and 73 yards rushing and a rushing touchdown. Steve Slaton rushed for 112 yards and two touchdowns.
- 2007 Gator Bowl, West Virginia 38, Georgia Tech 35: It was the sixth time WVU had played in the Gator Bowl but just the first win. Owen Schmitt and Pat White stepped up as Slaton would sit out after only 3 carries. Schmitt ran 52 yards on WVU's first play of the game. He would score twice before halftime to cut the deficeit to 11. Georgia Tech took an 18 point lead with an early 2nd half TD 35-17. White stepped up and would throw for 2 TDs and run for another in a 9 minute span to give WVU a 38-35 lead and the win.
[edit] Gymnastics
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Linda Burdette
- Most Victories: 26 in 1992
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 3
- AIAW Appearances: 1
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2000
- All-Americans: 4
[edit] Notable Gymnasts
- Bill Bonsall first WVU gymnastic coach
- Shari Retton
[edit] Rifle
- Playing Facility: WVU Shell Building
- Head Coach: Marsha Beasley
- Most Victories: 19 in 1964
- NCAA Appearances: 24
- NCAA Team Championships: 13
- National Individual Champions: 20
- NCAA All-Americans: 65
- Olympians: 12
[edit] Notable Riflemen
- Bruce Meredith
- Jack Writer
[edit] Men's Soccer
- Playing Facility: Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium
- Head Coach: Marlon LeBlanc
- Most Victories: 15 in 2006
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 9
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2006
- All-Americans: 5
- Mountaineer Professionals: 12
[edit] Notable Men's Soccer Players
- Devon McTavish
- Nick Noble
- Joe Okhakhu
- Aaron Pitchkolan
- Jarrod Smith
[edit] Women's Soccer
- Playing Facility: Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium
- Head Coach: Nikki Izzo-Brown
- Most Victories: 18 in 2002
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 7
- Last NCAA Appearance: 2006
- All-Americans: 3
- Academic All-American: 4
- Mountaineer Professionals: 2
[edit] Men's Swimming
- Playing Facility: WVU Natatorium
- Head Coach: Sergio Lopez
- Most Victories: 13 in 2007
- Big East Conference Champions: 2007
- NCAA Qualifiers: 19
- NCAA All-Americans: 2
- Olympians: 1
[edit] Women's Swimming
- Playing Facility: WVU Natatorium
- Head Coach: Sergio Lopez
- Most Victories: 9 in 1990
- NCAA Qualifiers: 14
- NCAA All-Americans: 4
- Olympians: 1
[edit] Notable Women's Swimmers
- Kim Kaufman
[edit] Women's Tennis
- Playing Facility: Mountaineer Tennis Courts
- Head Coach: Marc Walters
- Most Victories: 21 in 1990
[edit] Women's Track
- Head Coach: Jeff Huntoon
- Olympians: 2
- NCAA National Champions: 2
- NCAA All-Americans: 13
[edit] Notable Players
- Connie Ellerbe
[edit] Women's Volleyball
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Veronica Hammersmith
- Most Victories: 35 in 1979
- NCAA Tournament Appearances: 0
- Last NCAA Appearance: NA
- NIT Appearances: 1
- All-Americans: 0
- All-East: 2
[edit] Wrestling
- Playing Facility: WVU Coliseum
- Head Coach: Craig Turnbull
- Most Victories: 14 in 1976 and 1990
- NCAA Individual Appearances: 67
- Best NCAA Finish: 6th in 1991
- All-Americans: 16
- National Champions: 3
- EWL Champions: 18
[edit] Notable Wrestlers
- Dominic Black
- Scott Collins
- Steve Harrick
- Floyd Schwartzwalder
- Greg Jones
- Vertus Jones
- Brandon Rader
[edit] Pageantry
- Team Colors: Old Gold and Blue
- Fight Song: Hail West Virginia! (Take Me Home, Country Roads is local song)
- Nickname: Mountaineers
- Mascot: The Mountaineer
- Marching Band: Mountaineer Marching Band, known as "The Pride of West Virginia." Well-known for their formation of the West Virginia state outline.
