Temple Postgame Notes
November 03, 2002 07:02 PM | General
By WVU Sports Communications for MSNsportsNET.com
November 3, 2002
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – By no means was Miquelle Henderson’s six-catch, 54-yard performance Saturday against Temple earth shattering, but it was a positive step for a West Virginia receiver corps that has had little to no production in recent weeks.
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| West Virginia sophomore wide receiver Miquelle Henderson ranks sixth in the Big East with 3.78 receptions per game. |
Against Miami on Oct. 26, West Virginia wide receivers accounted for just two catches for 13 yards. Henderson, West Virginia’s top receiver now with 34 catches for 371 yards and two touchdowns, didn’t catch a pass against Miami and posted just three catches for 34 yards in his last three games coming into Saturday’s Temple game.
Henderson ranks sixth this week in the Big East with 3.78 receptions per game.
Here are more postgame notes following West Virginia’s 46-20 win at Temple:
* Although West Virginia only managed 230 yards rushing against Temple Saturday, the Mountaineers maintained their national lead in rushing with an average of 297.3 yards per game.
West Virginia also holds high national rankings in turnover margin (5th, 1.6 topg), rushing defense (13th, 96.8 ypg) total offense (17th, 424.2 ypg), total defense (17th, 305.3 ypg) and scoring offense (19th, 33.9 ppg).
* West Virginia got most of its total yardage before halftime. The Mountaineers gained 226 of their 304 total yards before the break: “In the second half we really played poorly,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. “It was a good lesson not to relax. Hopefully we’ll learn from that.”
* West Virginia held Temple to just 52 rushing yards Saturday. It was the fifth time in nine games the Mountaineers have held their opponents to less than 100 yards rushing in a game.
“Defensively we were getting people around the ball and maybe causing a little confusion,” said Rodriguez. “When you cause a little confusion and get people around the ball, a lot of times good things will happen for you defensively.”
* The Mountaineers forced five Temple turnovers – the eighth time in nine games West Virginia has had at least two or more turnovers in a game. The only game West Virginia did not force a turnover was at Wisconsin on Sept. 7. Through nine games, West Virginia owns an impressive 26-13 turnover margin.
* Avon Cobourne’s two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter was his 11th of the season. The 11 touchdowns scored by Cobourne this year is a career high for touchdowns in a season. Cobourne added a one-yard touchdown run later in the first for his 12th rushing touchdown this season. Cobourne now has 37 career rushing touchdowns and is five shy of Ira Rodgers’ school-record of 42 established from 1915-19.
* With his 94 rushing yards against Temple, Avon Cobourne moved up six spots into 20th place on the all-time NCAA career rushing leaders list. He passed Lorenzo White (Michigan State), Darrell Thompson (Minnesota) and Kevin Faulk (Louisiana State), Terry Miller (Oklahoma State), Marshall Faulk (San Diego State) and Thurman Thomas (Oklahoma State).
* Cobourne’s 1,271 yards no rank him fourth on the WVU single season list. The single season rushing record is 1,589 yards by Amos Zereoue in 1997.
* The multiple touchdowns by Cobourne marked the eighth time in his career that he rushed for more than one touchdown in a game.
* Jermaine Thaxton’s forced fumble in the first quarter was his third of the season. The fumble recovery on the same play was the first of his career.
* Jahmile Addae’s interception in the first quarter was his fourth of the season and fourth of his career.
* The 21 points scored by West Virginia in the first quarter is a season high. The previous best was 14 points scored in the first quarter against Tennessee-Chattanooga and Cincinnati.
* Quincy Wilson’s two touchdown runs give him six this season and seven for his career. Wilson’s two touchdowns against Temple were the first time in his career he has scored twice in one game.
* Todd James’ 41-yard field goal in the second quarter was a career best.
* Grant Wiley’s interception in the second quarter was his second of the season and sixth of his career.
* James Davis’ forced fumble in the second quarter was his first of the season and second of his career. The result of the play was a safety, the second by WVU this season. Tim Love forced a safety at Rutgers earlier this season.
* Rasheed Marshall’s 28-yard touchdown run was his longest run of the season and ninth touchdown of the year. The touchdown also marked the fourth game in a row that Marshall scored on a rushing touchdown. Marshall added his 10th rushing touchdown of the season in the third quarter.
The 10 rushing touchdowns by Marshall are the most all-time in a season by a WVU quarterback.
* Rasheed Marshall’s 98 yards rushing is a career best. His previous best was 95 rushing yards against Temple last season.
* West Virginia’s 33 first half points was the most points scored by the Mountaineers in the first half since the first game of the season when WVU led UTC, 35-0, at halftime.
* Lance Frazier’s interception in the third quarter was his first of the season and third of his career.
* Adam Jones’ interception in the third quarter was the first of his career. He becomes the 10th different Mountaineer to pick off a pass this season.
* West Virginia has now won 16 games in a row when scoring 30 points or more in a game. Dating back to 1980, the Mountaineers hold a 94-6-1 record when scoring 30 or more.
