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Post by cviller on Jan 9, 2009 18:01:14 GMT -5
The BCS Debate MetroNews Charleston
College Football season is over. The Florida Gators won the BCS championship game, but fans and experts say due to the BCS system it's not that cut and dry.
Washington Post Sports Writer Steve Yanda says the day after the BCS Championship there should be no leeway on who is the best team in the nation. However, many will stand around the water cooler Friday morning with their own opinion on which team they think should be number one. "This year is a good example of I think of the critical flaw of the BCS. You've got people saying here is my justification for why I think 'X' team should be national champions," say Yanda. "It should be as simple as whoever wins this game tonight is the national champion."
Many fans have several teams who they believe deserved a spot this year, and Yanda says it's the complicated system of the BCS which factors in various polls and computer rankings to determine who goes to the big dance that gets them frustrated.
"There are a lot of variables and I think a lot of people think it would be just simpler if there was some sort of playoff model involved," Yanda explains.
At Embassy Suites in Charleston, there was at least one fan who had thought about this system in-depth. Casey Teegardin of Palm City, Florida says its something he's been passionate about for some time. He even developed a paper around a BCS playoff in college.
"You would take the 12 conference champions and then you would take four at large teams that were next in line according to the AP Poll or Coach's Poll," says Teegardin.
However, others like Jamie Caygle of St. Albans say they don't care how the champion is decided as long there is a good game on TV.
"Either way would be fine because either way you find out and the best thing about it is talking the next day," say Caygle.
Even though the Florida Gators may be the winner last night’s game, Yanda goes on to say more teams may lay claim to title of national champions. The Associated Press still has its poll which may decide on a different number one, not to mention the opinions of people around the nation who may have their own personal rankings expressed via Internet forums and blogs.
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Post by cviller on Jan 9, 2009 17:57:05 GMT -5
Mountaineers Finish 23rd
By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia ended the year right where it began - in the national rankings. The Mountaineers finished ranked 23rd in the final Associated Press top 25 poll announced Friday morning.
West Virginia (9-4) garnered 144 votes, edging 9-4 Michigan State and 10-3 BYU for the 23rd spot.
The only other Big East team to remain in the AP rankings was Cincinnati at No. 17. Pitt fell out of both polls.
Cincinnati was also the only Big East team to finish the season ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches’ poll at 17th. West Virginia (101 points) fell 15 points shy of No. 25 California’s 116 poll points.
West Virginia began the year ranked eighth and remained in the polls for four weeks before falling out after a 17-14 loss at Colorado. WVU briefly made a return to the rankings at 20th on Oct. 26 before losing in overtime to Cincinnati.
This year represents the first time in school history that West Virginia has finished ranked in the top 25 four consecutive years. Former coach Don Nehlen had a run of three straight years in the rankings in 1981, 1982 and 1983, and Art Lewis also had a three-year run in the rankings in 1953, 1954 and 1955.
Overall, this is the 15th time West Virginia finished the season ranked in the Associated Press top 25.
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Post by cviller on Jan 9, 2009 17:47:59 GMT -5
Mountaineers Ranked In Final AP Poll MetroNews Sports
After their 31-30 victory over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl, West Virginia finishes the 2008 football season ranked 23rd in the final Associated Press poll released Thursday night.
Florida finished as the nation’s number one team, winning its second national championship in the last three years after defeating Oklahoma 24-14 Thursday night in the national title game. The Gators received 48 first place votes while second ranked Utah received 16 first place votes. USC also received a first place vote and finished third. Cincinnati was the only other Big East team ranked at number 17. Both Pittsburgh and Rutgers received votes. West Virginia finished just outside the top 25 in the Coaches’ poll at 26th.
Associated Press Top 25 1 Florida 2 Utah 3 Southern California 4 Texas 5 Oklahoma 6 Alabama 7 TCU 8 Penn State 9 Ohio State 10 Oregon 11 Boise State 12 Texas Tech 13 Georgia 14 Mississippi 15 Virginia Tech 16 Oklahoma State 17 Cincinnati 18 Oregon State 19 Missouri 20 Iowa 21 Florida State 22 Georgia Tech 23 West Virginia 24 Michigan State 25 Brigham Young
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Post by cviller on Jan 5, 2009 16:57:00 GMT -5
Mountaineers Ninth Big East Team Ranked
MetroNews Sports
West Virginia became the ninth Big East team to be ranked this season on Monday, entering the Associated Press poll at number 25. Mountaineer head coach Bob Huggins said that shows just how deep the Big East is. “It’s the best league in the history of college basketball,” Huggins said. “I really believe that you could have like the Big East had at one point in time when they had three teams in the final four.” Other Big East teams in the poll were Pitt at number one, Connecticut at number five, Georgetown at number nine, Syracuse at number 11, Notre Dame at number 13, Marquette and Villanova tied at number 18, and Louisville at number 23. “Most leagues have two or three teams that are very good. This league has nine or 10; it’s brutal,” Huggins said. West Virginia was also ranked 22nd in the ESPN/USA Today coaches; poll. The Mountaineers were ranked for two weeks last season and 22 weeks total since January 3, 2005.
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Post by cviller on Jan 5, 2009 16:52:54 GMT -5
by dave poe, parkersburg news
Although there are still three bowl games to be played -including Ohio State's appearance in tonight's Fiesta Bowl and Thursday night's National Championship game - the six Big East teams who qualified for the postseason have concluded play.
The much-maligned conference came away with a respectable 4-2 record, although league champion Cincinnati laid an egg against Atlantic Coast Conference kingpin Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. Still, the Big East came out 2-1 against the ACC, thanks to West Virginia beating North Carolina and Rutgers beating North Carolina State.
Other Big East wins saw Connecticut handle Buffalo and South Florida downing Memphis.
The four teams that lost bowls to the Big East don't exactly represent a who's who of college football.
The league's other loss was Pitt's 3-0 setback to Oregon State, a team that established its reputation by beating Southern California.
What do these results say?
That the Big East needs West Virginia to be an elite team, otherwise it may not have one.
WVU has carried the conference in recent years. When the Mountaineers stumbled this year, no one was able to step up.
The most likely team to step up? West Virginia. The Mountaineers still are the most consistent program in the league.
I've been asked several times whether WVU's 9-4 final record will be good enough for a Top 25 ranking. It's a close call. West Virginia is aided by its past reputation and by the fact it played in a sold-out bowl game that went down to the wire and was one of the best contests of the entire bowl season. Let's hope the Mountaineers land in the top 25, but it won't be all that surprising if we have to do our Maxwell Smart routine and say, "Missed it by that much.''
Utah's stunning win over Alabama naturally has the Utes saying they should win the national championship, since they will finish as the nation's only undefeated team. Indeed, there is precedent for that as 13-0 BYU was crowned the national champion in 1984 even though its bowl victory was over a 6-5 Michigan team in the Holiday Bowl. Don't look for a repeat this year. The coaches are obligated to select the winner of the National Championship game.
While the writers aren't, it's likely whoever wins Thursday will be No. 1, with USC No. 2 and Utah No. 3.
Utah did win at Michigan - who didn't? - and in addition to Alabama beat five other bowl teams: Air Force, Oregon State, Colorado State, TCU and BYU. That's pretty darn impressive as was Utah's total domination of stunned Alabama.
The Utes were a 10-point underdog in that game, the same margin by which Texas is favored over Ohio State tonight.
Yet, most Buckeye fans I've encountered are approaching the game pessimistically. Perhaps its OSU's recent bowl failures and/or the Big Ten's poor bowl record this season.
I wouldn't go writing off the Buckeyes.
The Big 12 bowl teams haven't been impressive defensively.
Contact Dave Poe at dpoe@newsandsentinel.com
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Post by cviller on Jan 5, 2009 16:36:46 GMT -5
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Post by cviller on Jan 4, 2009 10:14:42 GMT -5
West Virginia's football program received a high-profile commitment Saturday, and this one didn't come in secret. West Virginia's football program received a high-profile commitment Saturday, and this one didn't come in secret.
Quite the contrary, in fact. Michael Carter, a four-star defensive back from Ely High School in Pompano Beach, Fla., made his announcement on national television during the U.S. Army All-America Bowl in San Antonio.
Carter is a 5-foot-11, 160-pound cornerback who had scholarship offers from many of the top programs in the country. He apparently chose West Virginia over Minnesota. Florida, Miami and Georgia, among others, had recruited him.
Rated a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Carter's commitment could pay dividends quickly if he shows he is able to adapt to the college game. The weakest spot on West Virginia's defense next season figures to be at cornerback, where Ellis Lankster has used up his eligibility and Brandon Hogan's status remains a mystery.
Rivals rates Carter as the No. 12 cornerback in the country. According to that scouting service, Carter would be the fifth four-star recruit (out of five stars) to commit to the Mountaineers.
The others are high school quarterback Eugene Smith and high school wide receivers Logan Heastie and Deon Long, along with junior college defensive end Tevita Finau.
Carter is the 20th recruit to commit to West Virginia. With the exception on Finau, who has reportedly already signed a junior college letter of intent, none of the commitments are binding until players sign beginning Feb. 4.
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Post by cviller on Jan 3, 2009 9:03:35 GMT -5
Seton Hall Preview By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
GAME NOTES
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia players admit they have not seen anything quite like Seton Hall so far this year.
The Pirates (9-4, 0-1) are difficult to scout because they are a perimeter-oriented team that likes to drive to the basket and kick out to the wing for 3-point shots.
“They are just a different team,” said West Virginia junior forward Da’Sean Butler. “They run and if they don’t have an open lay up they shoot 3s. Hopefully we can contain them with our half-court defense.”
“They don’t have as much structure,” explained West Virginia coach Bob Huggins. “They run some sets but they kind of run their sets to get you moving so they can break you down off the dribble. They are really good in transition and they play with numbers. They use their press to speed people up.”
Recently Seton Hall has been using a four-guard lineup with one big player, but Huggins expects 6-foot-9-inch, 265-pound senior John Garcia to be available for Saturday’s game.
“They were playing two bigs and three guards and then when Garcia got hurt they started playing four guards. They’re supposed to get Garcia back,” Huggins said. “(Mike) Davis has played pretty well for them but I don’t know what Bobby (Gonzalez) will do.”
It will be important for West Virginia to handle the basketball on offense and get back in transition on defense. It will also be important for the Mountaineers to stop dribble penetration and cover the wings.
“You have to pick your poison because three is more than two,” said center Wellington Smith. “With those guys you have to stop the ball and then get to their 3-point shooters. (Jeremy) Hazell is a really good 3-point shooter and so is (Robert) Mitchell.”
Hazell, a 6-5 guard, is averaging 22.5 points per game and has made a team-best 40 3s. The next closest player is Mitchell, a 6-6 transfer from Duquesne, who has made 12 3s and is averaging 16.2 points per game.
“He gets a lot of stuff done,” Huggins said of Mitchell. “He’s averaging eight rebounds per game. He’s not a lot thicker than Devin (Ebanks) is. He handles the ball and he can shoot the 3. He’s been really good for them.”
Six-foot guard Eugene Harvey shows averages of 12.8 points and 4.7 assists per game.
“He was the guy I looked up to when I was younger,” said WVU’s freshman point guard Truck Bryant. “He’s a good player and I’ve got a big task on my hands.”
Bryant is one of five players from the New York City metropolitan area returning home on Saturday. Da’Sean Butler and Wellington Smith have both had strong performances there in the past and Smith said it’s simply a case of not trying to do too much in front of friends and family.
“When it comes down to it if you’re not doing what you’re supposed to do then you’re coming out of the game,” Smith explained. “You learn quickly.”
“Since our freshmen year we’ve always worried about the team first when we go home,” added Butler. “People are always telling you do this and do that and they don’t even know how to play. They are just throwing information at you. They don’t know the schemes or anything.
“We’ve just got to stay focused for the game because that’s the most important thing right now.”
Huggins said he’s not worried about the younger guys returning to New York. Earlier this year the freshmen had an opportunity to play Davidson at Madison Square Garden.
“That’s a huge reason why they want to play in the Big East is to be able to get back home and play,” Huggins said.
West Virginia (10-2) is heading to Seton Hall with some momentum. The Mountaineers knocked off then-15th-ranked Ohio State 76-48 in Columbus and have won four in a row since a 68-65 loss to Davidson in the Jimmy V Classic on Dec. 9.
Alex Ruoff scored 17 points against Ohio State to lead four double-digit scorers. Ruoff leads the team with a 17- points-per-game average. Butler is averaging 15.6 points per game while Bryant is scoring at an 11.3 clip.
West Virginia is averaging 74.8 points per game and is holding its opponents to 55.4 points and 39.2 percent shooting. Teams are shooting just 27.4 percent against the Mountaineers from behind the 3-point arc.
“We’ve had a week to work,” said Huggins. “It’s not like a regular week with the holiday and everything, but I think we’re fine. We’ll be ready to go.”
West Virginia has won three out of its last four games played in New Jersey. The Mountaineers have not faced the Pirates in the Prudential Center, although West Virginia played a pair of games in the arena last year in the Legends Classic.
Tip off is set for 4 pm and the game will be televised on the Big East Network locally on FSN Pittsburgh.
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Post by cviller on Dec 30, 2008 11:54:17 GMT -5
Mountaineers look to 2009 with hope, but holes to fill
By Mike Casazza Daily Mail sports writer
MORGANTOWN -- If nothing else, Saturday's victorious Meineke Car Care Bowl performance pulled back the curtain and allowed for a peek into West Virginia University's football future.
What you saw was something you won't see again.
Gone is the esteemed quarterback and greatest player in school history, the kicker and punter who played in more games and scored more points than anyone else before him, the best offensive lineman, the steady center, the most responsible receiver, the best defensive player and the top cornerback.
WVU has, in the past few years, suffered losses to graduation and to the NFL, but hardly in such a way that it costs so many areas so many good players.
And so it is that things will change, although, in truth, we saw a coaching staff attempt to transition to -- or at least prepare for -- the future at times this season.
The results were mixed in a 9-4 season, but nothing next year will be entirely new.
The Mountaineers will look to pass more and rely less upon the run.
The option will be just that and the pass will have to do just that. They'll try to incorporate the tight end and the quirky H-back. They'll go away from two-back sets in the shotgun and move toward four and five receiver sets as a staple. Newcomers will have to not only play, but make a difference.
And all of that covers just the offense.
There seems to be great peace of mind on defense, and probably rightfully so. Two starters and a third part-time starter graduate, but everyone else who did something of significance will return.
Upward and onward?
That's one of a few questions that must be asked in the WVU offseason and will be answered in 2009.
"It's a long time between now and when we play for keeps again," defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel said. "A lot of things are going to happen between now and then. Obviously, it's a better situation to have eight or nine guys back than it is to replace eight or nine guys like we did this year, but whether that translates into success is all speculative and the kids understand that."
So what does happen? Begin at linebacker, where Reed Williams will return from a medical redshirt in the middle. Yet Casteel grew fond of Anthony Leonard and Pat Lazear in the middle. Neither is likely to unseat Williams, but each is obviously good enough to play.
But where? The solution may be at the strong side position, where the graduation of Mortty Ivy creates a massive void. Lazear and Leonard could slide there, or maybe even Williams, but Casteel wants to make sure he doesn't weaken one position by strengthening another.
J.T. Thomas has the weak side and developed a knack for knifing through the defensive line. There may not be a deeper position on the team with Lazear and/or Leonard backing up somewhere and Ovid Goulbourne and Najee Goode hungry for more time after getting tastes this season.
There are options to replace Ellis Lankster at cornerback, namely Keith Tandy, who started for Brandon Hogan in the bowl, although the future of the position may hinge on Hogan's health. Kent Richardson and Guesly Dervil have played before, but not for a while, and Coach Bill Stewart remains high on junior college transfers Brantwon Bowser and Chaz Russell, who redshirted this season.
The secondary is otherwise covered. The three starting safeties -- Quinton Andrews, Sidney Glover and Robert Sands -- return as do backups Boogie Allen, Nate Sowers and Eain Smith.
There are few concerns on the defensive line. End Scooter Berry was everything people expected and Stewart said Chris Neild and Julian Miller ended the season a year ahead of where he'd hoped they'd be. Larry Ford and Zac Cooper were useful situational players and the entire group gets a boost from a newcomer.
What about those newcomers?
It begins with junior college defensive lineman Tevita Finau, who signed last winter and was projected to not just play or start, but to star. He's expected to enroll in January and be ready for spring practice.
High school receivers Logan Heastie and Deon Long and quarterback Geno Smith are also looking to arrive next month to get their head start. All three should be prepared to play in their first season. Running back Shawne Alston (5-foot-11, 220 pounds) and potential fullback Branko Busick may also get a look right away.
As for some redshirts, big tailbacks Zach Hulce and Terence Kerns and fullback Ryan Clarke may be needed to solve short-yardage woes. Receivers Gino Crump and J.D. Woods could earn a spot in the spring. Defensive lineman Joe Rhein was the scout team player of the year and may get a look on the offensive line. Linebackers Ja'tavious Miller and Donovan Miles were highly regarded players who should jump in somewhere next year, and quarterback Coley White did nothing but generate confidence from the coaches.
Who kicks?
With one field goal and two key second-half punts in the bowl win, Pat McAfee proved again the value of points and field position. He handled all the kicking duties the past 2 ½ seasons and was asked who would follow him.
"I don't know," he said. "It's going to be a big offseason."
Scott Kozlowski, who was the punter and lost the job to McAfee after one bad kick at Louisville in 2006, is the favorite for that as well as the slam-dunk spring practice story, though Greg Pugnetti has a good reputation.
WVU signed Paul Woodside pupil Tyler Bitancurt last winter and he figures to battle walk-on Ben Rios.
In truth, though, the player at both or either may not even be on the roster yet. The Mountaineers have a strong walk-on program and are after a few prospects in each spot.
What changes does Stewart make?
As the season progressed, he put his self-described stamp on things with discipline and demeanor, but also hinted there was more.
"There's a method to my madness that will become clear in a year or two," he said.
It's unlikely he'll make any changes to his coaching staff after one season, although other schools have already and will continue to come after his assistants. If anything, he may delegate more or less, be it on special teams or offense, to devote more attention to certain areas.
If he wants the program to reflect his philosophy and he sees an area of concern, he may take greater control there. If something is fine, he may lessen his involvement there and increase it elsewhere.
Overall, he wasn't satisfied with a 9-4 record, but was content with what he accomplished during a transition year, going so far as to point out very few transitions produce such success.
Still, he recognizes the compliments and complaints and the standard he lives up to as coach.
"About half of them would like to hang me and the other half would like to make me governor when Joe Manchin leaves at this point because we won (Saturday), but I'm not mad at any of them," he said. "You know why? Because I'm one of them. They have such a passion for football at West Virginia and all they want is for us to be the best. I want to be the best with them."
How good can WVU be in 2009?
It begins with the schedule. Pitt and Connecticut figure to be among the Big East favorites. The Mountaineers play host to both, as well as Colorado and East Carolina, two teams they lost to this season. WVU travels to Auburn, which just went 5-7, fired its coach and hired one that went 2-10 at Iowa State, as well as Big East champion Cincinnati and troublesome South Florida.
The Mountaineers should be good defensively, which is a bonus for an offense that remains an unknown.
The offensive line loses three starters, but Eric Jobe played four games at center for Mike Dent and Don Barclay was on the field a lot as a backup. He and Josh Jenkins, who will apply for a medical redshirt, could play guard or tackle and WVU loses one of each -- left tackle Ryan Stanchek and right guard Jake Figner. Left guard Greg Isdaner and right tackle Selvish Capers will return.
The running game needs players like Kerns, Hulce, Mark Rodgers and maybe Alston to either spell Noel Devine or offer a different type of back -- or both.
Dorrell Jalloh and Tito Gonzales are losses at receiver, but that position should be strong with Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks ready to take control of the outside spots and Jock Sanders firm in the slot. If Wes Lyons can stay healthy and if Heastie and Long can play well right away, the passing attack is enabled.
That said, the offense literally rests in the hands of quarterback Jarrett Brown, who, quite frankly, has been waiting for this occasion and must now live up to it in his senior season.
Contact sportswriter Mike Casazza at mi...@dailymail.com or (304) 319-1142. His blog is at blogs.dailymail.com/wvu.
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Post by cviller on Dec 29, 2008 20:00:55 GMT -5
Ohio State has no business being ahead of us. The way we beat their ass, NO WAY!
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Post by cviller on Dec 29, 2008 19:54:19 GMT -5
Rutgers defeated North Carolina State 29 - 23 in the Birmingham Bowl at Old Legion Field in Birmingham Alabama.
At first I thought Rutgers had a very large crowd at the game, however it turns out all the fans from BOTH schools were setting on the same side of the field. Both schools fans were wearing red.
The Old Grey Lady (the stadium) is falling a part. The camera crew did a good job of never showing the press box side of the field.
I remember being at the stadium in 1983 when the Mountaineers beat Kentucky 20 - 16 in the Hall of Fame Bowl. Two touchdowns from the arm of Jeff Hostetler and two field goals by Paul Woodside.
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Post by cviller on Dec 29, 2008 14:25:45 GMT -5
It's the Big East against another North Carolina team.
Rutgers vs North Carolina State on ESPN at 3 pm today (Monday). in the Birmingham Bowl.
GO BIG EAST!!!
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Post by cviller on Dec 28, 2008 10:28:36 GMT -5
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Post by cviller on Dec 28, 2008 10:09:37 GMT -5
By Mitch Vingle Sports Editor
COLUMBUS, Ohio - If the Big East was seeking an early season signature win, West Virginia's 76-48 thumping of No. 15 Ohio State would make John Hancock proud.
The game was televised by CBS. The win came before 19,049 in a packed Value City Arena. WVU, picked to finish ninth in the Big East preseason poll, routed an Ohio State team picked to finish fourth in the Big Ten.
"Hopefully it means a lot,'' said Mountaineer forward Da'Sean Butler, who had 16 points. "[Ohio State is] a very good team. I know they'll win a lot in the Big Ten. Honestly, they played a good game. We just played really good today. We hit a lot of shots.''
West Virginia converted just 4-of-20 3-point attempts, but converted 47.7 percent overall. The Mountaineers have now defeated two Big Ten teams this season (the other: Iowa).
"[Conference pride] is in the back of your head,'' said WVU guard Alex Ruoff. "You think about the teams we're going to have to play - Connecticut, Georgetown - and if we're not able to play with this kind of team, we don't stand a chance.''
Butler was more emphatic.
"It definitely comes into play,'' he said. "We're the best conference in the country. I guess it showed. We were picked to finish, what, last in the Big East. So if we can beat a team like this, it says a lot for our conference.''
nn
Mountaineer coach Bob Huggins is usually stoic in his post-game press conferences. But he admitted winning at Ohio State was a treat. Huggins coached 16 seasons at Cincinnati. In that span, OSU wouldn't play the Bearcats.
Perhaps more important to him, though, was winning in front of his family and friends. Huggins went to high school in the Buckeye state - where he played hoops for his father - and coached at Walsh, Akron and was an assistant at Ohio State under Eldon Miller.
"It's always fun to play well in front of friends and family,'' Huggins said. "I had a lot of friends and family here. Four sisters and two brothers and their spouses and siblings and tons of friends. I mean, I spent the majority of my life here.''
Overall, though?
"[The win] means we have two days off then get ready to play in the Big East,'' said the coach. "But it's a quality win. It means those talking heads on television can't say we don't have a quality win. Other than that, though, it's just fun to win.''
nn
Huggins wasn't the only one with Ohio roots on the floor for WVU. Ruoff spent some of his early years in the Buckeye state. Cam Thoroughman, who had six points, five rebounds and four fouls in 14 minutes of play, is from Portsmouth. Guard Will Thomas is from East Cleveland.
"Coming from Ohio - we have a couple from here - it means a lot,'' Ruoff said. "Growing up, watching Cincinnati and Ohio State ... but for us as a program and team, it's something we can really build on. This is a true road win that's going to come up in March.''
nn
Ohio State coach Thad Matta and his players were blunt after the WVU rout.
"We weren't very good,'' Matta said. "West Virginia had a lot to do with it.''
Later, he called the loss "reality. We got beat today and that's the reality.''
"I can't say much,'' said OSU guard Evan Turner. "We were bad on offense and defense and didn't play up to our abilities. West Virginia took advantage of all of our mistakes.''
"We didn't match West Virginia's toughness today,'' said Buckeye guard Jeremie Simmons.
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Post by cviller on Dec 27, 2008 22:41:02 GMT -5
In front of the largest ever crowd for the Meineke Car Care Bowl West Virginia overcame a career game by North Carolina wide receiver Hakeem Nicks to win 31-30.
Nicks finished wit 215 yards receiving and three receiving touchdowns, both bowl records.
But it was Pat White’s day as the senior quarterback won his fourth straight bowl game by throwing for 332 yards and three touchdowns. He also rushed for 48 yards on 24 carries.
It was an offensive shootout as both teams combined for 825 yards and seven touchdowns.
West Virginia jumped out to an early 7-0 lead after North Carolina self destructed with two penalties on its first possession. Pat White connected with Jock Sanders for a 22 yard gain and Dorrell Jalloh bulled ahead for another nine on a bubble screen to set up Noel Devine’s 18-yard touchdown run.
On North Carolina’s next possession the Mountaineers got their first taste of Hakeem Nicks who caught a 73-yard touchdown pass that skipped through the hands of cornerback Ellis Lankster. Cornerback Keith Tandy, who was filling in for an ailing Brandon Hogan, caught up to Nicks, but couldn’t pull him down before he stretched the ball across the goal line.
The Mountaineers answered right back with a 65 yard drive that featured a 16 yard run by White on 3rd and eight. White finished it off with a 44-yard scoring strike to Alric Arnett who pulled the ball in one handed. That gave WVU a 14-7 lead.
It took North Carolina just one play to answer back. This time on a trick play. Receiver Cooter Arnold took the ball on an end around and pulled up for a pass to Nicks that covered 66 yards for another touchdown.
The pinball game continued with a 65-yard drive by West Virginia. Devine rushed for 18 yards to set up a 35-yard touchdown pass from White to Bradley Starks for a 21-14 lead.
A 46 yard kickoff return by Greg Little put the Tar Heels in West Virginia territory. A nine yard run by Shaun Draughns and a nine yard pass to Hakeem Nicks followed by a 23 yard run on an end around put the ball on the two yard line. That’s when West Virginia’s defense came alive, stopping North Carolina on four straight plays for a goal line stand that held UNC out of the end zone.
But on the next play Devine couldn’t get out of the end zone on first down and it was ruled a safety cutting the Mountaineer lead to 21-16.
A Kendrick Burney return of 50 yards and another 16 yards end around by Greg Little set up a 25-yard touchdown pass from Yates to Nicks to give UNC the 23-21 lead.
The teams traded punts before West Virginia launched a six minute drive that took them inside the ten yard line with less than a minute left in the half. But UNC safety Deunta Williams intercepted White in the end zone to end the scoring threat.
West Virginia got the ball to start the second half and drove 65 yards on 11 plays in a drive that was almost identical to the one that ended the first half. This time Pat McAfee kicked a 25-yard field goal to give WVU the 24-23 lead. The drive featured two nice catches by freshman Tyler Urban of 19 and 23 yards.
More big passes to Nicks, including a spectacular catch on a third down for eight yards, set up a Yates four-yard touchdown run. He reached the ball across the goal line to cap an eight play, 62 yard drive that gave the Tar Heels a 30-24 lead.
Both offenses sputtered throughout the 4th quarter, which featured an Arnett fumble recovered by Deunta Williams at the North Carolina 41. The Tar Heels had to punt, but Jock Sanders fielded the kick inside the five and the Mountaineers were pinned at the four-yard line. The Mountaineers drove out near midfield and went for it on 4th down but White was sacked.
On the next possession Draughns fumbled on the 30-yard line and WVU capitalized on two big pass plays, a 41 yard pass to Sanders and a 20 yard touchdown pass from White to Arnett that gave WVU a 31-30 lead with 7:14 to play.
North Carolina got the ball back with about three minutes to play but a Pat Lazear interception ended any scoring chance and sealed the win for the Mountaineers, 31-30.
West Virginia finishes the season 9-4 on the year and head coach Bill Stewart becomes the first coach in Mountaineer history to win nine games in his first season.
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