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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 a National Championship, ahead of Miami University and the University of Arkansas. 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 or AP ranking has been #3, (following the 1988 regular season, Week 10 of 2006, and the 2007 preseason.) WVU has participated in 25 bowl games; their record stands at 11-15. Major bowls include the Sugar Bowl (3 times), Peach Bowl (4 times), Fiesta Bowl (1 time), and the Gator Bowl (6 times). The , the Mountaineers started the season as the #3-ranked team, the highest preseason ranking in school history. West Virginia unveiled a new, gold uniform design for the 2007 Season . The uniform has a gold top (instead of blue) with blue stripes (instead of gold). The tops have only been featured with a white bottom (which features a gold stripe). The uniform is currently being featured as the alternative home uniform. Running back Steve Slaton sported the uniform when he attended the 2007 Playboy All-American honoring at the Playboy Mansion at the beginning of the pre-season. http://www.broncosports.com/PhotoAlbum.dbml?ATCLID=879132&SPSID=48553&SPID=4061&DB_OEM_ID=9900&PALBID=11377 http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u162/prestonco/454024.gif?t=1179372180 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 next 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, even though they produced four fumbles in the game. 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. 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's offense was doomed from the third play of the game. Major Harris separated his shoulder on the third play when he was slammed to the ground by Irish Linebacker Michael Stonebreaker. He couldn't throw well for the rest of the game. Linemen John Stroia and Bob Kovach were injured for the Mountaineers in that game as well. Notre Dame completely dominated the game. West Virginia only made one serious threat. Willie Edwards picked off a Tony Rice pass in the 3rd quarter. ND led by 13 points at the time. A Harris incompletion and two ND sacks took WVU out of field goal range, and the threat was over. ND opened up a 27 point lead before two late WVU touchdowns made the score respectable. WVU lost 34-21, it was their first loss of the season for the national championship. 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. 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 while playing freshman Chad Johnston a few games. 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. 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." 2005 season See Also: 2005 West Virginia Mountaineers football team 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. Mountaineer Field 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 for a score. 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. 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 Bulldogs 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, and then burst on a run. He ran for the first down, and then slid down in front 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. 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. RIVALRIES Current
Former
2006 SEASON RESULTS See Also: 2006 West Virginia Mountaineers football team 2007 SCHEDULE CURRENT NFL PLAYERS : Jahmile Addae : Anthony Becht : Marc Bulger : James Davis : Jason Davis : Barrett Green : Kay-Jay Harris : Chris Henry : Adam "Pacman" Jones : Antwan Lake : Mike Logan : Mike Lorello : Rasheed Marshall : Alton McCann : Corey McIntyre : Kevin "Boo" McLee : Dan Mozes : Jerry Porter : Jeremy Sheffey : Todd Sauerbrun : Gary Stills : Jay Taylor : John Thornton : Mike Vanderjagt : Quincy Wilson PRO FOOTBALL HALL OF FAMERS : Sam Huff : Joe Stydahar NOTABLE GAMES
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