Instant Analysis: Connecticut-West Virginia

The Connecticut Huskies competed with the West Virginia Mountaineers on Saturday afternoon in Morgantown. Unfortunately for Randy Edsall’s upstart outfit, however, the closeness of competition applied only to yards, and not points… and that was just for a half.

The simple story of this Big East-deciding battle was that UConn strained and struggled to earn the yards it gained, while the Mountaineers easily amassed points in bunches after struggling for most of the first half. One team from New England had to labor for every crust of bread, while another club from Appalachia could hit home runs and ring up big numbers on a handful of plays. The Huskies played with passion and purpose, but the Mountaineers posed a potent powder keg of an offense that proved to be far too lethal for the visiting team.

And so, with the runaway romp, West Virginia clinches the Big East for the second time in the past three seasons, while remaining in position to punch a ticket for New Orleans on Jan. 7 in the BCS title game. One more win against Pittsburgh on Dec. 1 (an authoritative display would be recommended, but probably not necessary for the ‘Eers), and Rich Rodriguez’s crew will likely bolt for the Big Easy. In a year when Big East rivals Louisville and Rutgers experienced precipitous falls from grace, the men from Morgantown stayed atop the college football mountain. It’s a credit to everyone around a program that has clearly shown considerable staying power in this tremendously competitive sport. And with one more victory, West Virginia won’t just be able to demonstrate its consistency: the Mountaineers could become No. 1 in the country.