Turning Point
October 23, 2003 01:09 PM | General
October 23, 2003
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Travis Garvin said his big brother Kerry Ducre was with him every step of the way during his Mountaineer Field-record 93-yard touchdown reception Wednesday night.
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| West Virginia University great Danny Buggs embraces Garvin in the locker room after the game. Buggs owns the school record for the longest TD catch of 96 yards against Penn State in 1973. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
Ducre was murdered a couple of weeks ago in Garvin’s hometown of Bradenton, Fla., just days after spending a month in Morgantown with Travis in an attempt to get his life turned around. Garvin says dealing with the pain of the loss of Kerry was a turning point in his life.
“This has made me more focused,” Garvin said. “It lets me know what I’ve got to do and where I need to go in my life and my purpose for living.”
Just as the loss of his big brother was a turning point in Travis’ life, Garvin’s 93-yard third-quarter touchdown catch against Virginia Tech was the turning point in the game -- and perhaps the season for a surging WVU team.
Garvin’s touchdown catch helped West Virginia (3-4/2-1) upset Virginia Tech, 28-7 in what is being considered one of the biggest victories in school history. West Virginia's win against the No. 3-rated Hokies marked the highest ranked Associated Press team the Mountaineers have defeated in school history. It was also the first time in school annals that a WVU team upset a nationally ranked opponent while sporting a losing record.
Just prior to Garvin’s remarkable play, the undefeated Gobblers were gaining momentum after cutting West Virginia’s lead to 14-7 at halftime.
A fumbled punt by Pac-Man Jones backed West Virginia up to its own six yard line and Tech was prepared to force WVU to a three-and-out series and take over the football in great field position with an opportunity to tie the game.
“We were kind of backed up a little bit and we needed to get momentum back on our side because of (Virginia Tech’s) fumble return. I think that kind of broke their back a little bit,” Garvin said softly.
Garvin says West Virginia coaches detected a soft spot in the Virginia Tech defense from video tape study.
“We’ve been watching film for the last two weeks and we’ve seen those match ups when they give us man-to-man. We knew they couldn’t match up with us even though they’ve got some great athletes. We’ve got great athletes too and we should be able to beat them man on man,” said Garvin.
Garvin explained that when Virginia Tech rolled its safety over top of him in the slot he usually blitzed the quarterback. It was up to the WVU offensive line to adjust their protection to account for him and for quarterback Rasheed Marshall to recognize the blitzer and get the ball to Garvin downfield in single coverage.
“If they would have given us a different coverage Rasheed would have checked off. But since they were in something we wanted he didn’t have to check off,” said Garvin.
At the time of Garvin’s play, West Virginia was in a second and long situation at its own seven – a good time for Tech to bring pressure and either create a sack, a turnover or a third and long.
“This time he came over top and was man-up; they didn’t have any help over top. Once we knew they were man-up Coach Rod just told Rasheed to take the chance, he did, and it worked,” Garvin said.
Travis said the pass was something Coach Rich Rodriguez said to look for when the team was huddled up on the sideline before going back out onto the field.
“Coach Rod in the huddle said, ‘Travis if they give us man-to-man coverage just beat them.’ Rasheed just put it up there and I was able to run under it. Rasheed made a great throw and the rest was history.”
Garvin caught the football at about the West Virginia 35 and out-raced two Virginia Tech defenders the entire length of the field for the longest touchdown catch in Mountaineer Field history.
“It was right there,” said Garvin. “He hit me right in stride and we worked on that all week and it paid off.”
The senior said the play was open at other times, too, “It was open like two or three other times. Either the protection broke down or Rasheed missed me.”
Garvin’s scoring play was just three yards shy of Danny Buggs’ 96-yard touchdown catch at Penn State in 1973.
Wednesday night Buggs was in Morgantown to see the play in person.
Garvin says Kerry Ducre was with him, too.
“I know my big brother was watching over me,” said Garvin. “He has always been there in my life for me and he will always continue to be in my life. Everything in life happens for a reason and there might be a reason for me to wake and get my purpose in life together,” said Garvin.
To this point, Garvin admits his catch and West Virginia’s subsequent win against Virginia Tech was the biggest highlight of his career.
“It was the biggest game of my life and it was the biggest win I’ve ever had in my life,” he admitted. “I can’t even describe it. It was so loud out there. I remember on third down it was so loud in the stadium it was the loudest thing I’ve ever heard in my life. My ears are still ringing.
“I love the fans here. The fans here are beautiful. They are unbelievable,” Garvin added. “They kept us in the game and took those guys out of the game. They were the 12th man (last night).”
