Jan. 1
Gator Bowl
West Virginia 38 ... Georgia Tech 35
Down 28-10 in the first half, West Virginia roared back with a
mix of offense, brilliant play from Pat White, and a defense that
stuffed Georgia Tech for the final 28 minutes. The game was all
about the combination of Taylor Bennett, who took over for a
suspended Reggie Ball, and Calvin Johnson with the two hooking up
for touchdown passes of 31 and 48 yards. James Johnson caught a
27-yard pass to give the Yellow Jackets their big lead. And then
White took over, especially in the fourth quarter, with a 57-yard
touchdown pass to Tito Gonzalez, a 14-yard pass to Brandon Myles,
and after a stroke of bad luck with a fumble recovered after a punt
his a Georgia Tech player's leg, a 15-yard run for what would turn
out to be the game-winner. Georgia Tech had one last shot, but
Travis Bell missed a 54-yard field goal attempt. West Virginia star
Steve Slaton was dinged up early with a leg bruise, but Owen Schmitt
took over the rushing load with 109 yards and two touchdown runs.
Player of the game ... West Virginia QB Pat White
completed nine of 15 passes for 131 yards and two touchdown and ran
22 times for 145 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 9-15, 131 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Pat White, 22-145, 1 TD. Receiving:
Brandon Myles, 6-54, 1 TD
Georgia Tech - Passing: Taylor Bennett,
19-29, 326 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Tashard Choice, 27-169, 2 TD. Receiving:
Calvin Johnson, 9-186, 2 TD
Notes & Thoughts ...
Who would've ever thought the Gator Bowl
was going to be this kind of a shootout? Once again, Pat White
proves he's every bit the Heisman-caliber player that Steve Slaton
is, and more so because of the way he runs the offense. On the other
side, if Calvin Johnson wasn't a top three pick before, he is now.
... Give credit to the Mountaineer offensive line for giving White
and Owen Schmitt the room to move. The front five took control of
the game when WVU needed it the most. ... Now it can be asked, why
didn't the Georgia Tech coaching staff get Taylor Bennett more
meaningful work in place of Reggie Ball? 19 of 29 for 326 yards and
three touchdowns?! ... If you combined West Virginia's first half
against Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl, and the second half against
Georgia Tech in the Gator Bowl, you'd have a truly breathtaking
game.
|
2006
Schedule
CFN
Prediction: 10-2
2006 Record:
11-2
Preview
2006 predicted wins
|
|
9/2 |
Marshall
W 42-10 |
| 9/9 |
Eastern Wash W 52-3 |
| 9/14 |
Maryland
W 45-24 |
| 9/23 |
at East Carolina
W 27-10 |
| 10/7 |
at Miss State
W 42-14 |
| 10/14 |
Syracuse
W 41-17 |
| 10/20 |
at Connecticut
W 37-11 |
|
11/2 |
at Louisville W 44-34 |
| 11/11 |
Cincinnati
W 42-24 |
| 11/16 |
at Pitt W 45-27 |
| 11/25 |
South Florida
L 24-19 |
|
12/2 |
Rutgers
W 41-39 3OT |
|
1/1 |
Gator Bowl
Georgia Tech W 38-35 |
|
|
2005
Schedule
CFN
Prediction:
7-4
2005 Record:
11-1
Preview
2005 predicted wins |
|
9/3 |
at Syracuse W 15-7 |
|
9/10 |
Wofford
W 35-7 |
|
9/17 |
at Maryland W
31-19 |
|
9/24 |
East Carolina
W 20-15 |
|
10/1 |
Virginia Tech L 34-17 |
|
10/8 |
at Rutgers
W 27-14 |
|
10/15 |
Louisville W 46-44 3OT |
|
11/2 |
Connecticut
W 45-13 |
|
11/9 |
at Cincinnati
W 38-9 |
|
11/24 |
Pittsburgh
W 45-13 |
|
12/6 |
at South Florida W 28-13 |
|
1/2 |
Sugar Bowl
Georgia W 38-35 |
|
Dec. 2
West Virginia 41 ... Rutgers 39 3OT
West Virginia scored on a perfectly lobbed 22-yard pass from
Jarrett Brown to Brandon Myles for a score in the third overtime,
and then Brown threw a strike for the two point conversion. Rutgers
answered with a one-yard touchdown run from Ray Rice, but he
couldn't hang on to the two-point conversion attempt getting it
knocked away to end the Scarlet Knights' BCS dreams. Brown played in
place of Pat White, who was out with an injured ankle, and played
well highlighted by a 40-yard touchdown run in the third quarter for
a 20-10 lead. Rutgers roared back with 13 straight points starting
off with a 72-yard Tim Brown touchdown catch, but the Mountaineers
were able to force overtime with a 30-yard Pat McAfee field goal in
the final minute. The two teams traded field goals in the first
overtime, and one-yard touchdown runs in the second with Brian
Leonard scoring for Rutgers and Steve Slaton pounding in his second
score of the game.
Player of the game ... West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown
completed 14 of 29 passes for 244 yards and a touchdown with an
interception and ran 18 times for 73 yards and a score.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Jarrett Brown, 14-29, 244 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 23-112, 2 TD. Receiving:
Dorrell Jalloh, 4-92
Rutgers - Passing: Mike Teel, 19-26, 276
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Ray Rice, 25-129, 2 TD. Receiving:
Kenny Britt, 9-108
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Not only
did West Virginia beat Rutgers without Pat White, it did so with the
passing game as much as the ground attack. While Steve Slaton ran
well, it was the play of Jarrett Brown, who seemed to get better as
the game went on finishing up with two fantastic throws with one for
the team's final touchdown pass and the other for the two-point
conversion. After the South Florida loss, the program needed this
win or else the bowl game would've had more pressure attached to it.
Nov. 25
South Florida 24 ... West Virginia 19
South Florida's defense stunned West Virginia by forcing four
turnovers and holding the Mountaineer rushing offense to 132 rushing
yards. The Bulls overcame an early 6-0 deficit with a fumble
recovery for a score and a ten-yard Matt Grothe run, and went up for
good with a 21-yard Ean Randolph scoring grab. West Virginia came
back with Pat White's second touchdown pass of the game to Brandon
Myles with a 44-yard play with just over five minutes to play, but
its final drive was stopped early on an interception from Trae
Williams off a tipped pass.
Player of the game ... South Florida QB Matt Grothe
completed 22 of 30 passes for 279 yards and a touchdown with two
interceptions and ran 23 times for 47 yards and a score
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 14-22, 178 yds, 2 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Darius Reynaud, 2-67. Receiving:
Brandon Myles, 6-95, 2 TD
South Florida - Passing: Matt Grothe,
22-30, 279 yds, 1 TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Matt Grothe, 23-47, 1 TD. Receiving:
Ean Randolph, 7-65, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... West
Virginia couldn't overcome four turnovers and a lack of a running
game against South Florida, and while Pat White had a decent day,
and he's an efficient passer, the machine breaks down if he and
Steve Slaton aren't running wild. The USF linebackers are smallish,
but fast. In other words, they were great at stopping the
Mountaineer ground game. The team is going to be kicking itself
after this loss; the D played more than well enough to win.
Nov. 16
West Virginia 45 ... Pitt 27
Pitt held a 27-24 halftime lead overcoming three Steve Slaton
touchdowns, including two on passes from Pat White, thanks to a
brilliant 43-yard punt return for a touchdown from Darrell Revis,
two Tyler Palko touchdown passes and two Conor Lee field goals, and
then everything changed. West Virginia dominated the second half
outgaining the Panthers 373 yards to 30 with Slaton tearing off a
55-yard touchdown run and White scoring from 64 and 19 yards out.
The Mountaineers finished with 641 yards of total offense.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB Steve Slaton
ran 23 times for 215 yards and two touchdowns and caught six passes
for 130 yards and two scores, and Pat White ran 22 times for 220
yards two touchdowns and completed 11 of 16 passes for 204 yards and
two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 11-16, 204 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 23-215, 2 TD. Receiving:
Steve Slaton, 6-130, 2 TD
Pitt - Passing: Tyler Palko, 28-37, 341
yds, 2 TD
Rushing: LaRod Stephens-Howling, 9-35. Receiving:
Oderick Turner, 6-95, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Is there
a better home run hitter in college football than Steve Slaton? When
he gets a sliver of daylight, he's the most breathtaking running in
the game showing his versatility as a receiver as well as a runnier
in the win over Pitt. It's amazing; everyone knows what West
Virginia is going to do, but no one has the speed to stop Slaton and
Pat White. These two are special players who'll each battle it out
for Heisman consideration over the next few seasons. Give credit to
the defense for adjusting to take away Pitt QB Tyler Palko's easy
throws, while not letting the Panther running game breathe. This
offense is going to rip off 400 yards on Rutgers in a few weeks.
Nov. 11
West Virginia 42 ... Cincinnati 21
After getting off to a sluggish start, West Virginia roared
back in a 21-point second quarter with a three-yard Pat White
touchdown run, a 34-yard scoring play from Brandon Myles, and
punctuated with a 65-yard Steve Slaton scoring run. Cincinnati
opened up the second half with a good drive and a 45-yard Derrick
Stewart touchdown catch, but the Mountaineers went on another run
scoring 21 straight in the third quarter highlighted by a five-yard
fumble return for a score from Rayshawn Bolden. With the game well
out of reach, Cincinnati got two Nick Davila to Connor Barwin
touchdowns in the fourth quarter.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB Steve Slaton
ran 12 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 7-13, 98 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 12-148, 2 TD. Receiving:
Brandon Myles, 2-64, 1 TD
Cincinnati - Passing: Nick Davila, 10-17,
166 yds, 2 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Greg Moore, 10-33. Receiving: Connor
Barwin, 5-67, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It was almost like West
Virginia was still hung over from the Louisville game for about a
quarter, and then it exploded on Cincinnati getting the running game
going for 313 yards thanks mostly to the big runs from Steve Slaton,
while Pat White had an efficient all-around game. The defense made
several personnel changes after the loss to Louisville, and they all
appeared to work with playing well up until garbage time with
consistent, attacking pressure that forced four turnovers. The one
problem was with penalties committing 12 for 102 yards.
Nov. 2
Louisville 44 ... West Virginia 34
In a shootout with the two teams combining for 1,008 yards,
Louisville turned the game around early in the second half with a
13-yard fumble recovery for a touchdown by Malik Jackson and a
40-yard punt return for a score from Trent Guy. Each offense was
unstoppable as West Virginia, even without a banged up Steve Slaton
in the third quarter, ran for 318 yards with Pat White scoring four
times. Louisville got two Anthony Allen touchdown runs and kept the
pressure up in the second half with a seven-yard Mario Urrutia
touchdown catch. Slaton tore off a 42-yard run for an early 7-3
lead, but suffered an arm injury that kept him out for two drives.
Player of the game ... Louisville QB Brian Brohm
completed 19 of 26 passes for 354 yards and a touchdown and, in a
losing cause, West Virginia QB Pat White, who completed 13 of 20
passes for 222 yards and ran 23 times for 125 yards and four
touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 13-20, 222 yds
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 18-156, 1 TD. Receiving:
Darius Renaud, 4-78
Louisville - Passing: Brian Brohm, 19-26,
354, 1 TD
Rushing: Kolby Smith, 13-73. Receiving:
Harry Douglas, 6-116
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
Quarter by Quarter Game
Notes ... Even in defeat, West Virginia might have won over some
people with its offense. Pat White was tremendous having to handle
all the pressure with Steve Slaton banged up early in the second
half. The defense, however, was non-existent with the linebackers
seemingly always out of position on the midrange throws. Now that
the national title dream is gone, there still can't be any room for
a letdown. A BCS at-large slot is still extremely possible, and even
a share of the Big East title isn't out of the question if the
Cardinals lose along the way. Is it possible UL could lose at
Rutgers and at Pitt? WVU has to be prepared for the possibility.
Oct. 20
West Virginia 37 ... Connecticut 11
West Virginia broke a 3-3 tie with a 27 straight points
highlighted by a 45-yard touchdown run from Pat White, a career-long
48-yard field goal from Pat McAfee, and a 52-yard touchdown catch
from Rayshawn Bolden. UConn managed to tie it early in the second
quarter on a 29-yard Tony Ciaravino field goal and got a five-yard
D.J. Hernandez scoring run, but the Mountaineers were never in
danger after the White run. Steve Slaton capped things off with a
56-yard touchdown run late in the fourth.
Player of the
game ...
West Virginia QB Pat White completed 9 of 14 passes for 156 yards
and a touchdown with an interception and ran 15 times for 102 yards
and a score.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat
White, 9-14, 156 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 19-128, 1 TD Receiving:
Rayshawn Bolden, 3-95, 1 TD
Connecticut - Passing: Matt Bonislawski, 8-20,
58 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Terry Caulley, 13-35 Receiving:
Terry Caulley, 4-27
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Is there
a reason Steve Slaton and Pat White were still in the game late in
the fourth quarter against Connecticut? The two Heisman candidates,
along with the rest of the Mountaineers, have two weeks off before
the showdown with Louisville, but the only thing that could derail
the West Virginia train is an injury to one of these two; someone
else needs some carries down the stretch. This might not have been
the team's sharpest all-around game, but the defense stuffed the
UConn ground game and it was never really close. Now the team can
finally do what it wants to and fully focus on Louisville.
Oct. 14
West Virginia 41 ... Syracuse 17
West Virginia ran for 457 yards and five touchdowns with QB
Pat White tearing of scoring runs from 69, 40, 32 and 12 yards and
Steve Slaton running for a 52-yard score. Syracuse played well in
the first half with Perry Patterson rushing for a score and hitting
Mike Williams for a 47-yard touchdown to be down three at halftime,
and then White took over with three of his touchdown runs coming in
the third quarter.
Player of the
game ...
West Virginia QB Pat White completed 12 of 19 passes for 99 yards
and an interception and ran 15 times for 247 yards and four
touchdowns
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat
White, 12-19, 99 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Pat White, 15-247, 4 TD Receiving:
Darius Reynaud, 7-55
Syracuse - Passing: Perry Patterson, 9-21, 146
yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Delone Carter, 13-58 Receiving: Mike
Williams, 3-99, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Pat White
and the running game will get all the attention after rolling over
Syracuse, but the defense deserves a little bit of credit clamping
down in the second half and not allowing any more points. What's
most exciting for the near-future was a pass rush that had been
missing all season long. White continues to be tremendously
efficient throwing the ball, but eventually, he's going to have to
throw it to set up the run, and not vice versa.
Oct. 7
West Virginia 42 ... Mississippi State
14
West Virginia ran over Mississippi
State for 314 yards and five rushing touchdowns before capping
things off with a 50-yard punt return for a score from Vaughn
Rivers. Mississippi State was able to go on one nice drive
culminating in a one-yard Anthony Dixon scoring run, but that was
about it for the offense. Pat White and Own Schmitt each ran for two
scores, with a 46-yard dash from White breaking the game open in the
fourth quarter. and Steve Slaton tore off an 11-yard scoring dash.
Player of the
game ...
West Virginia RB
Steve Slaton ran 26 times for 185 yards and a touchdown
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat
White, 6-9, 92 yds
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 26-185, 1 TD Receiving:
Darius Reynaud, 2-41
Mississippi State - Passing: Omarr Conner,
10-19, 135 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Arnil Stallworth, 9-40 Receiving: Tony Burks,
4-118
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ...
It's almost like West Virginia is just
out to go through the exercise of seeing how many rushing yards it
can hang up; the offense is that effective. Mississippi State has a
relatively decent run defense, but the Mountaineers ripped through
it like it wasn't even there. The coaching staff has to be ticked
off at the 11 penalties for 132 yards, but everything else clicked.
It would be nice if Pat White and Steve Slaton got a little more
rest in blowout games, but WVU didn't have this one in hand until
the fourth quarter.
Sept. 23
West Virginia 27 ... East Carolina 10
Pat White threw for 216 yards with
two touchdown passes and a five-yard run in a tougher fight than
most expected. The dagger came on a brilliant play by Darius
Reynaud, who took a White pass and weaved his way down the field 60
yards for a score to make it 24-10 in the fourth quarter. East
Carolina battled with a 47-yard touchdown catch from Aundre Allison
and a 27-yard field goal from Robert Lee. West Virginia "only" ran
for 153 yards, but the defense held East Carolina to 41 yards on the
ground.
Player of the
game ...
West Virginia QB
Pat White completed 17 of 24 passes for 216 yards and two touchdowns
and ran 11 times for 39 yards and another score.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing: Pat
White, 17-24, 216 yds, 2 TDs, 3 INTs
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 24-80 Receiving: Darius
Reynaud, 5-110, 1 TD
East Carolina - Passing: James Pinkney, 20-40,
247 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Brandon Fractious, 6-13 Receiving: Phillip
Henry, 6-54
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... West
Virginia showed it can do more than just run the ball with a
brilliant day from Pat White against the East Carolina defense.
While White and Steve Slaton get all the publicity, Darius Reynaud
deserves just as much attention for his ability to change a game in
a heartbeat. His speed and moves will force defenses to keep an eye
on him all year long, and that will give Slaton more room to move.
Mississippi State can't beat West Virginia, but it has a strong
enough run defense to provide a bit of a test for the attack.
Sept. 14
West Virginia 45 ... Maryland 24
West Virginia got out to a stunning
28-0 first quarter lead highlighted by breathtaking touchdown runs
from 38 and 37 yards from Steve Slaton and a five-yard touchdown
catch from Darius Reynaud. Slaton almost had a third score, but he
fumbled into the end zone. It was West Virginia's night as Brad
Palmer recovered. Maryland had a few chances to make things
interesting, but West Virginia kept answering. A 28-yard Dan Ennis
field goal got the Terps within 21 with : 49 to play in the first
half, but Reynaud returned the ensuing kickoff for a score. The
Mountaineers outgained the Terps 340 yards to 122 on the ground.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB Steve Slaton
ran 21 times for 195 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: West Virginia - Passing:
Pat White, 6-9, 43 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 21-195, 2 TD Receiving:
Darius Reynaud, 4-28, 1 TD
Maryland - Passing:
Sam Hollenbach, 24-45, 211 yds, 2
TD, 2 INT
Rushing: Lance Ball, 12-50, 1 TD. Receiving: Joey
Haynos, 8-51, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... Was the
win over Maryland a case of getting so hyped early that it couldn't
keep up the intensity? Even with Steve Slaton flashing his
unbelievable wheels and Pat White coming through with another
efficient passing day, there are things to be concerned about. The
ten penalties weren't just too many, they were silly. For a team
this efficient, converting two of eight third down chances isn't a
plus. Maryland had a shot to get back in it after the first quarter
after the Mountaineer offense struggled to get back on track; a
better opponent would've been able to make a game of it. At this
point, it's about improving each week to be next to flawless by the
time the Louisville game rolls around.
Sept. 9
West Virginia 52 ... Eastern Washington 3
West Virginia rolled up 591 yards of total offense with Steve
Slaton rumbling for a 49-yard touchdown and a 17-yard score for a
14-0 first quarter lead. Eastern Washington went on its best drive
of the day culminating with a 25-yard Brett Bergstrom field goal,
but that was the only time the Mountaineers didn't dominate. Jarrett
Brown threw a five-yard touchdown pass and ran for a seven-yard
score on the way to 38 unanswered points to close things out.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB Steve Slaton
ran eight times for 105 yards and two touchdowns
Stat Leaders: Eastern Washington - Passing:
Matt Nichols, 13-25, 90 yds, 1 INT
Rushing: Ryan Cole, 17-60. Receiving:
Tim Calhoun, 3-27
West Virginia - Passing: Jarrett Brown,
11-15, 129 yds, 1 TD
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 8-105, 2 TD. Receiving:
Brandon Myles, 4-10, 1 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... West
Virginia got to empty the bench against Eastern Washington getting
just about everyone a little bit of playing time, and that's what
games like these are for. Pat White and Steve Slaton are in
midseason form, so there was no reason to get them more than a
little bit of work. This was a great chance for backup QB Jarrett
Brown to get in some good work in, and he was sharp against the poor
EWU defense both with his arm and his legs. There's no stopping this
running game, and at the moment, there's no stopping White and the
passing attack.
Sept. 2
West Virginia 42 ... Marshall 10
Steve Slaton ran for 203 yards and two touchdowns and Pat
White connected with Brandon Myles for two touchdowns as West
Virginia coasted to a surprisingly easy win. The Mountaineers tore
off 312 rushing yards and were never threatened holding on to the
ball for over 32 minutes. Marshall was down 21-0 before getting its
only touchdown on a 21-yard Matt Morris touchdown catch.
Player of the game ... West Virginia RB Steve Slaton
ran 33 times for 203 yards and two touchdowns.
Stat Leaders: Marshall - Passing: Bernard
Morris, 12-22, 168 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Rushing: Ahmad Bradshaw, 18-70. Receiving:
Matt Morris, 3-63, 1 TD
West Virginia - Passing: Pat White,
10-14, 168 yds, 2 TD
Rushing: Steve Slaton, 33-203, 2 TD. Receiving:
Brandon Myles, 3-33, 2 TD
Whoopty doo. What does it all mean Basil? ... West
Virginia took a dangerous rivalry game and disposed of Marshall with
brutal efficiency. All questions about Pat White's improve passing
accuracy were answered, at least early on, with the sophomore
showing great touch and nice poise. To nitpick, it would've been
nice to have seen more involved in the running game; Slaton and
White got 40 of the 52 carries. By design, the workload needs to be
decreased for both of them next week against Eastern Washington.
2006 West Virginia Preview
West
Virginia Preview |
Offense
|
Defense
|
Depth
Chart
|
Further Analysis
Everyone take a big, deep breath when it comes to all the
rush of Mountaineer love out there. Remember, we've been through
this before.
West Virginia has been the fashionable preseason national title pick
before by many, mostly because of one or two game schedules
coinciding with a decent, veteran team, but this year's version is
seen as something different. It's exciting, it's experienced, and
yes, there's the one or two game schedule that makes it easy to get
fired up about the possibilities.
However, don't forget that in the recent history of West Virginia
football, when the glaring spotlight was on, this program has only
played one half of amazing football and had mega-problems every
other time the world was watching.
The second half of last year's Sugar Bowl once Georgia realized
it had to start playing, the three previous bowl games (all losses),
the 1994 Sugar Bowl, the 1989 Fiesta Bowl, the 2-11 bowl record
since 1987 ... let's just wait and see a little bit before really
thinking West Virginia can get the job done when it has to deal with
expectations and pressure.
However, things appear to
be different this time around. Those past teams were above-average and
didn't really play anyone. This team is the real deal, and it doesn't
play anyone.
There's no more
exciting backfield tandem in America than quarterback Pat White and
running back Steve Slaton. The offensive line that flat-out pantsed the
Georgia defensive line in the Sugar Bowl should be almost as good this
season. The underrated and unnoticed defense should be fantastic up
front, and the kicking game should grow into one of the best in the
country with two terrific young specialists.
But this is West Virginia.
In 2004 when Miami and Virginia Tech left the Big East, Rasheed Marshall
and the boys were supposed to make a sleeper run for the national title
game. It blew it's shot at the BCS by losing to Pitt in the
regular-season finale and finished 8-4. Can this program actually get
the job done when people are paying attention and when it's expected to
win?
All West Virginia has to do is win, keep winning, and do what it did last year, and
then all doubters will believe.
Sort of.
This my be a top ten-caliber team, but it's not good enough to get through the ACC,
SEC, Big Ten, Pac 10, or Big 12 South without two losses. While other national title contenders are playing other big boys, West
Virginia plays three teams that went to bowls last year, and two of them
are South Florida and Rutgers. You'll have to forgive fans of Florida,
Texas, Ohio State, LSU, USC, and Notre Dame if they're going to scream
and yell in the debate about who deserves what at the end of the year.
If West Virginia wants to sit at the adult table and be considered a
real national title team, then it has to blow (almost) everyone out this
year. A real national title-caliber team wins every game on this
schedule in a walk except for ...
The
Schedule: ... November 2nd at Louisville. Oh sure, Maryland,
Connecticut, and Pitt should be better, but come on. If those are three
of your four toughest games, you know this has to be your year. Outside
of the battle with the Cardinals for the Big East title and the Backyard
Brawl against the Panthers, the road slate is a joke playing at East
Carolina, Mississippi State and Connecticut. Potentially dangerous games
against Syracuse, South Florida and Rutgers are at home.
Best
Offensive Player: Sophomore RB Steve Slaton. It just goes to show
what a bunch of hooey the recruiting world is. It's not that Slaton
wasn't considered a good prospect, but he certainly didn't come with the
credentials of a freshman superstar and potential Heisman candidate. He
was fantastic in the two biggest games of the year (Louisville and
Georgia) showing a breathtaking blend of speed and power. Anything less
than 1,500 yards this year will be a disappointment.
Best
Defensive Player: Senior LB Kevin McLee. "Boo" is one of the Big
East's most productive all-around defensive players. He's built like a
smallish defensive end, but he moves like a safety. As the leader of a
fantastic linebacking corps, he should be a lock for All-Big East honors
again.
Key player
to a successful season:
Sophomore QB Pat White. One
of the nation's best running quarterbacks should be an improved passer
after struggling a bit last year with his consistency. He not only has
to be a bit more productive if the Mountaineers want to take the next
step, but he also has to be durable with top backup Adam Bednarik having
problems with an injured shoulder.
The season
will be a success if ... West Virginia plays for the national title. It'll be favored
in every game but one. Good teams dream about having a schedule like the
one the Mountaineers have this season, but it'll have to get by ...
Key game:
November 2nd at Louisville. It's the Big East version of Oklahoma
vs. Texas, Ohio State vs. Michigan, and this year, Notre Dame vs. USC.
The winner will likely be the Big East champion, and if things break
like they're supposed to, and the Cardinals win the home game against
Miami, it will be for an unbeaten regular season and a shot at the BCS
title.
2005 Fun
Stats:
- First quarter
scoring: West Virginia 98 - Opponents 30
- Rushing yards: West Virginia 3,536 - Opponents 1,668
- Fumbles: Opponents 35 (lost 14) - West Virginia 18 (lost 10)
The Last Time West Virginia…
…played in a bowl game…2005 (Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia)
…missed a bowl game…2001
…pitched a shutout…2005 (Cincinnati)
…was shutout…2001 (Virginia Tech)
…scored 50 points…2004 (East Carolina)
…went undefeated…1922
…won a conference title…2005 (Big East)
…had a 3,000-yard passer…1998 (Marc Bulger)
…had a 1,000-yard rusher…2005 (Steve Slaton)
…had a 1,000-yard receiver…2003 (Chris Henry)
…had a first-round draft choice…2005 (CB Adam Jones)