2009 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

Last updated

2009 West Virginia Mountaineers football
West Virginia Mountaineers logo.svg
Gator Bowl, L 21–33 vs. Florida State
Conference Big East Conference
Ranking
BCSNo. 16
CoachesNo. 22
APNo. 25
Record9–4 (5–2 Big East)
Head coach
Offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen
Offensive schemeSpread
Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel
Base defense 3–3–5
Home stadium Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium
(Capacity: 60,000)
Seasons
  2008
2010  
2009 Big East Conference football standings
ConfOverall
Team W L  W L 
No. 8 Cincinnati $  7 0   12 1  
No. 25 West Virginia  5 2   9 4  
No. 15 Pittsburgh  5 2   10 3  
Rutgers  3 4   9 4  
Connecticut  3 4   8 5  
South Florida  3 4   8 5  
Louisville  1 6   4 8  
Syracuse  1 6   4 8  
  • $ BCS representative as conference champion
Rankings from AP Poll

The 2009 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2009. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers finished the season 9–4 (5–2 Big East) and lost in the Gator Bowl 33–21 to Florida State.

Contents

Schedule

DateTimeOpponentRankSiteTVResultAttendance
September 5Noon Liberty * ESPN+ W 33–2057,950 [1]
September 123:30 p.m. East Carolina *
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, West Virginia
ESPN360 W 35–2059,216 [2]
September 197:45 p.m.at Auburn * ESPN2 L 30–4187,451 [3]
October 17:30 p.m. Colorado *
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, West Virginia (Gold Rush)
ESPN W 35–2460,055 [4]
October 10Noonat Syracuse ESPN+W 34–1340,144 [5]
October 173:30 p.m. Marshall *
ESPN+W 24–754,432 [6]
October 24Noon Connecticut Dagger-14-plain.pngNo. 22
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, West Virginia
ESPNU W 28–2458,106 [7]
October 308:00 p.m.at South Florida No. 20ESPN2L 19–3056,328 [8]
November 7Noon Louisville
  • Mountaineer Field
  • Morgantown, West Virginia
ESPN+W 17–955,334 [9]
November 138:00 p.m.at No. 5 Cincinnati No. 23ESPN2L 21–2435,105 [10]
November 277:00 p.m.No. 9 Pittsburgh
ESPN2W 19–1656,123 [11]
December 5Noonat Rutgers No. 23ESPNW 24–2152,534 [12]
January 11:00 p.m.vs. Florida State *No. 17 CBS L 21–3384,129 [13]

Game summaries

Liberty

1234Total
Flames373720
Mountaineers10133733

Jarrett Brown completed 19 of 26 passes for 243 yards and ran for a 22-yard touchdown, and redshirt freshman Tyler Bitancurt kicked four field goals to lead West Virginia to a 33–20 season-opening victory over Liberty.

East Carolina

1234Total
Pirates10100020
Mountaineers7147735

West Virginia was able to overcome a mistake filled day to gain some payback on the East Carolina Pirates. Quarterback Jarrett Brown had a career day completing 24 of 31 passes for 334 yards and 4 touchdowns, including a 58-yard bomb to freshman Tavon Austin. Brown also picked up 73 yards on the ground.

Auburn

1234Total
Mountaineers2109030
Tigers101071441

All-time record: Tied 1-1

This was the second meeting between West Virginia and Auburn, with the Mountaineers winning the first game 34–17 during the 2008 season.

Colorado

1234Total
Buffaloes737724
Mountaineers7771435

All-time record: Tied 1–1

This was the second meeting between West Virginia and Colorado, with the Buffaloes winning the first game 17–14 in overtime during the 2008 season. The game was designated a Gold Rush, meaning that fans attended the game wearing all gold. West Virginia scored early with a Noel Devine 77-yard touchdown run on the second play from scrimmage. Colorado responded with a 36-yard run from tailback Rodney Stewart. They then took the lead by making a 39-yard field goal.(He had missed 2 field goals earlier in the game.)West Virginia responded with a 6-yard touchdown pass from Jarrett Brown to Jock Sanders. Despite 4 fumbles lost in the first half for West Virginia, they still led 14–10 at halftime. The second half started with a 48-yard touchdown pass to receiver Bradley Starks to put the Mountaineers up 21–10, Colorado responded by converting on 4th and 10 for a 26-yard touchdown to trim the lead to 4. In the 4th quarter, freshmen fullback Ryan Clarke rumbled for a 1-yard touchdown run, and later ran for an 8-yard run putting the Mountaineers up 35–17 with 2 minutes to play. Colorado scored the final touchdown of the night with 3 seconds left, but it was too late for any sort of comeback as the Mountaineers won 35–24. Noel Devine had a career-high 220 yards rushing with an average of 10 yards per carry.

Syracuse

1234Total
Mountaineers14130734
Orange006713

WVU jumped out to a 27–0 halftime lead en route to beating the Orange for an 8th straight time. Jarrett Brown completed 22–30 passing for 244 yards and a touchdown pass to Noel Devine, who also had 97 yards on the ground with a touchdown.

Marshall

1234Total
Thundering Herd70007
Mountaineers0371424

Starting QB Jarrett Brown was knocked out of the game on the Mountaineer's opening drive, forcing true freshman Geno Smith to step in. The emotional punch of having Brown out of the game showed as Marshall was able to head into the half with a 7–3 lead. WVU responded by scoring on its first possession of the second half, on the way to 21 second half points. Smith finished 15–21 passing for 147 yards and a touchdown, Noel Devine added 103 yards on the ground scoring 2 touchdowns

Connecticut

1234Total
Huskies7100724
#22 Mountaineers777728

South Florida

1234Total
#20 Mountaineers937019
Bulls10107330

Louisville

1234Total
Cardinals06039
Mountaineers0710017

Cincinnati

1234Total
Mountaineers770721
#5 Bearcats777324

Pittsburgh

1234Total
#8 Panthers0331016
Mountaineers0310619

West Virginia's Tyler Bitancurt kicked a 43-yard field goal as time expired to give WVU a win in the 102nd Backyard Brawl. The 2009 Backyard Brawl, broadcast by ESPN2, was the most watched college football game in the history of ESPN2.

Rutgers

1234Total
#24 Mountaineers1407324
Scarlet Knights3011721

Florida State

1234Total
#18 Mountaineers1400721
Seminoles310101033

2010 Konica Minolta Gator Bowl marked the final game for legendary Florida State coach Bobby Bowden, who also spent six seasons as head coach at West Virginia.

Rankings

Ranking movements
Legend:██ Increase in ranking. ██ Decrease in ranking.
— = Not ranked.
Week
PollPre1234567891011121314Final
AP 2220241825
Coaches 222023231722
Harris Not released2320242518Not released
BCS Not released2321252316Not released

Statistics

WVU Team Statistics Through 6 Games (10/18/09)

WVUOPP
SCORING191 125 
  Points per Game31.8 20.8 
FIRST DOWNS121 95 
  Rushing55 29 
  Passing60 57 
  Penalty6 9 
RUSHING YARDAGE1,108 481 
  Rushing Yards Gained1,279 661 
  Rushing Yards Lost171 180 
  Rushing Attempts223 182 
  Average Per Rush5.0 2.6 
  Average Per Game184.7 80.2 
  Rushing TDs16 4 
PASSING YARDAGE1,451 1,276 
  Comp-Att-Int120–174–6 111–220–9 
  Average Per Pass8.3 5.8 
  Average Per Catch12.1 11.5 
  Average Per Game241.1 212.7 
  Passing TDs9 10 
TOTAL OFFENSE2,559 1,757 
  Total Plays397 402 
  Avg per Play6.4 4.4 
  Avg per Game426.5 292.8 
WVUOPP
KICK RETURNS: #-Yards-TD24–518–0 34–736–0 
KICK RETURN AVERAGE21.6 21.6 
PUNT RETURNS: #-Yards-TD13–160–0 11–111–0 
PUNT RETURN AVERAGE12.3 10.1 
FUMBLES-LOST16–11 8–3 
PENALTIES-Yards36–337 37–305 −0  Avg per Game56.2 50.8 
PUNTS-Yards23–1,065 34–1,410 
  Avg Per Punt46.3 41.5 
  Net Punt Average38.9 35.0 
TIME OF POSSESSION/Game31:32 28:28 
3RD DOWN CONVERSIONS35/76 32/95 
  3rd Down Pct46% 34% 
4TH DOWN CONVERSIONS1/4 4/9 
  4th Down Pct25% 44% 
SACKS BY-Yards14–88 9–89 
TOUCHDOWNS SCORED25 15 
RED-ZONE SCORING20–23 87% 9–12 75% 
FIELD GOALS-ATTEMPTS6–6 7–11 
PAT-ATTEMPTS23–24 96% 14–15 93% 
ATTENDANCE231,653 127,595 
  Games/Avg per Game3/59,074 2/63,798 

Scores by quarter

1234Total
West Virginia59503349191
Opponents37302335125

Offense

Rushing

NameGPAttNetAvgTDLongAvg/G
Noel Devine 6 114 734 6.4 9 77 122.3 
Jarrett Brown 6 50 209 4.2 1 26 34.8 
Jock Sanders 6 11 62 5.9 1 12 10.8 
Ryan Clarke 5 19 61 3.2 5 4 12.2 
Shawne Alston 5 6 18 3.0 0 8 3.6 
Geno Smith 3 7 15 2.1 0 13 5.0 
Tavon Austin 6 2 8 4.0 0 4 1.3 
Coley White 1 3 7 2.3 0 13 7.0 
Mark Rodgers 6 4 5 1.2 0 4 0.8 
Brad Starks 5 2 −3 −1.5 0 2 −0.5 
TEAM5 5 −11 −2.2 0 0 −2.2 
        
Total6 223 1,108 5.0 16 77 184.7 
Opponents6 182 481 2.6 4 36 80.2 

Passing

NameGPAtt-CompPctYdsTDINTLngAvg/G
Jarrett Brown6 96–140 68.6 1,209 8 558 201.5 
Geno Smith3 23–33 69.7 211 1 133 70.0 
Brad Starks6 1–1 100 31 0 031 5.2 
        
Total6 120–174 69.0 1,451 9 6 58 241.0 
Opponents6 111–220 50.5 1,279 10 9 82 212.7 

Receiving

NameGPNo.YdsAvgTDLongAvg/G
Jock Sanders 5 41 394 9.6 2 38 78.8 
Brad Starks 5 14 296 21.1 1 58 59.2 
Alric Arnett 5 14 194 13.9 2 46 38.8 
Noel Devine 5 11 72 6.5 1 17 14.4 
Tavon Austin 5 8 103 12.9 1 58 20.6 
Wes Lyons 5 6 76 12.7 0 16 15.2 
Tyler Urban 5 4 72 18.0 0 33 14.4 
Will Johnson 5 4 63 15.8 1 33 12.6 
Ryan Clark 5 2 15 7.5 0 9 3.0 
        
Total5 104 1,285 12.4 8 58 257.0 
Opponents5 94 1,127 12.0 10 82 225.4 

Special teams

NamePuntingKickoffs
No.YdsAvgLongTBFCI20BlkdNo.YdsAvgTBOB
Total
NamePunt ReturnsKick Returns
No.YdsAvgTDLongNo.YdsAvgTDLong
Total

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Noel Devine</span> American gridiron football player (born 1988)

Noel Devine is a former American football running back. Devine played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers and holds the record for career-all purpose yardage.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Slaton</span> American gridiron football player (born 1986)

Steve Slaton is an American former professional football player who was a running back in the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the West Virginia Mountaineers, earning consensus All-American honors. He was chosen by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft. Slaton also played for the NFL's Miami Dolphins and the Toronto Argonauts of the Canadian Football League (CFL).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pat White (American football)</span> American football player and coach (born 1986)

Patrick Christian White is an American football offensive assistant for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League (NFL), and former West Virginia University quarterback. He was drafted by the Miami Dolphins in the second round of the 2009 NFL Draft.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Owen Schmitt</span> American football player (born 1985)

Owen Schmitt is a former American football fullback. He was selected by the Seattle Seahawks in the fifth round of the 2008 NFL Draft. He played college football at West Virginia University. Before transferring to the Mountaineers he played at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls.

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The 2007 West Virginia Mountaineers football team began play on September 1, 2007. The team was coached by Rich Rodriguez until he announced on December 16, 2007, that he was leaving West Virginia to coach the Michigan Wolverines. The head coaching position remained vacant after his announcement, with assistant head coach Bill Stewart serving as interim head coach. Stewart was then named head coach on January 3, 2008, after leading the Mountaineers to victory in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl over the #3 Oklahoma Sooners. West Virginia played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.

The 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl was a college football bowl game. It was part of the 2007–2008 Bowl Championship Series (BCS) of the 2007 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Played annually since 1971, first at Sun Devil Stadium on the campus of Arizona State University in Tempe, Arizona through 2006, the game was played at 8 p.m. EST on January 2, 2008, at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. The game featured the fourth ranked (BCS), Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners hosting the ninth ranked (BCS), Big East champion West Virginia Mountaineers. West Virginia defeated Oklahoma by a score of 48–28. The contest was televised on Fox.

The 2008 West Virginia Mountaineers football team competed on behalf of West Virginia University during the 2008 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The team was coached by Bill Stewart, who took over after he led the Mountaineers to a 2008 Fiesta Bowl victory over the #3 Oklahoma Sooners as the interim head coach after the departure of former head coach Rich Rodriguez. The team finished the season with a 9–4 record and a win over North Carolina in the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maryland–West Virginia football rivalry</span> American college football rivalry

The Maryland–West Virginia football rivalry is an American college football rivalry between the Maryland Terrapins and West Virginia Mountaineers. The two schools are strong rivals due to several factors, including similar recruiting areas and the relatively short distance between each other, approximately 210 miles (340 km) apart. The two teams first played in 1919 and the series ran uninterrupted from 1980 to 2007. West Virginia leads the series 28–23–2. The two teams met for the Gator Bowl for a rematch at the end of the 2003 season. Until the series lapsed in 2007, the game was the longest continuously running non-conference game for both schools. The two teams met again in Morgantown in 2015 and in College Park in 2021, with West Virginia and Maryland winning respectively.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jock Sanders</span> American gridiron football player (born 1988)

Jock Sanders is a former American professional gridiron football slotback and running back. He has played for the Ottawa Redblacks of the Canadian Football League (CFL). He was signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers as an undrafted free agent in 2011 before joining the BC Lions practice squad. He played for the Saskatchewan Roughriders for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. He signed a contract extension with the Calgary Stampeders on February 4, 2015, and was released on June 14, 2015. He played college football at West Virginia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 LSU Tigers football team</span> American college football season

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jarrett Brown</span> American football player (born 1987)

Jarrett Brown is a former American football quarterback. He played college football at West Virginia, and was signed by the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent following the 2010 NFL Draft. He served as the starting quarterback for the West Virginia Mountaineers at West Virginia University during the 2009 season after three seasons as the backup to Pat White. He was also a member of the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, BC Lions and Spokane Shock. In 2019, he signed with the West Virginia Roughriders.

The 2010 Gator Bowl game was a post-season college football bowl game between the ]West Virginia University Mountaineers representing the Big East, and the Florida State University Seminoles from the ACC, and was played on Friday, January 1, 2010, at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florida. It was the 65th edition of the bowl game. This edition's full name was the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl after its sponsor, Konica Minolta.

The 2010 West Virginia Mountaineer football team represented West Virginia University in the college football season of 2010. The Mountaineers were led by head coach Bill Stewart and played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. They were members of the Big East Conference. They finished the season 9–4, 5–2 in Big East play to share the conference title with Connecticut and Pittsburgh. They were invited to the Champ Sports Bowl where they were defeated by North Carolina State 7–23.

The 2010 Connecticut Huskies football team represented the University of Connecticut in the 2010 NCAA Division I FBS football season as a member of the Big East Conference. The team was coached by Randy Edsall and played its home games at Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Connecticut. The Huskies finished 8–5, 5–2 in Big East play to share the conference title with Pittsburgh and West Virginia. Due to victories over both schools, the Huskies earned the Big East's automatic bid to a BCS game, and were invited to the Fiesta Bowl where they were defeated by Big 12 champion Oklahoma 48–20. It was the first major-bowl appearance in the program's 115-year history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Marshall Thundering Herd football team</span> American college football season

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Geno Smith</span> American football player (born 1990)

Eugene Cyril Smith III is an American football quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football at West Virginia, leading the Mountaineers to multiple bowl games, breaking numerous passing records, and garnering multiple awards before getting drafted by the New York Jets in the second round of the 2013 NFL Draft.

The 2011 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season as members of the Big East Conference. The Mountaineers were led by Dana Holgorsen, who was in his first season as head coach. West Virginia played their home games on Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia. They finished the season 10–3, 5–2 in Big East play to earn a share of the Big East Conference championship with Cincinnati and Louisville. The Mountaineers, in their final season in the Big East before moving to the Big 12 the following season, earned the league's automatic berth in the BCS due to being the highest ranked of the Big East champions in the final BCS rankings. They were invited to the Orange Bowl for the first time ever where they defeated Clemson 70–33. This was the third victory for West Virginia in three BCS games played in the BCS era, while the 70 points in the Orange Bowl set a record for most points scored in a bowl game.

The 2012 Discover Orange Bowl was a postseason college football bowl game on Wednesday, January 4, 2012, at Sun Life Stadium, now known as Hard Rock Stadium, in Miami Gardens, Florida. The West Virginia Mountaineers defeated the Clemson Tigers by a score of 70–33. West Virginia tied or broke eight separate team and individual bowl game records, while the combined 69 points West Virginia and Clemson scored in the first half set another new record. The game was part of the 2011–2012 Bowl Championship Series of the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season and was the concluding game of the season for both teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">West Virginia Mountaineers football statistical leaders</span>

The West Virginia Mountaineers football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the West Virginia Mountaineers football program in various categories, including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, all-purpose yardage, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. The Mountaineers represent West Virginia University in the NCAA's Big 12 Conference.

References

  1. "Liberty Flames vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 20, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  2. "East Carolina Pirates vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  3. "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Auburn Tigers Box Score". ESPN. Archived from the original on April 29, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  4. "Colorado Buffaloes vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  5. "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  6. "Marshall Thundering Herd vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  7. "Connecticut Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  8. "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. South Florida Bulls Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  9. "Louisville Cardinals vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  10. "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  11. "Pittsburgh Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". ESPN. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  12. "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Box Score". ESPN.com. Retrieved March 29, 2010.
  13. "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Florida State Seminoles Box Score". ESPN. Archived from the original on March 20, 2010. Retrieved March 29, 2010.