Gearing Up
December 31, 2003 05:04 PM | General
December 31, 2003
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – With the bulk of the preparation for the 2004 Toyota Gator Bowl completed, West Virginia spent most of Wednesday in team meetings and attending functions.
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| Pfc. Jessica Lynch meets with West Virginia players Brian King, Lance Frazier, Quincy Wilson and Coach Rich Rodriguez. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) | |
Wednesday morning Pfc. Jessica Lynch was on hand to meet the team before Coach Rich Rodriguez and captains Quincy Wilson, Grant Wiley and Lance Frazier attended a news conference at the Adam's Mark Hotel in downtown Jacksonville. The team then joined Maryland for the 2004 Gator Bowl luncheon. Afterward, West Virginia had a brief walkthrough outside Alltel Stadium.
"Being in this bowl is an honor for us," said Rodriguez. "We feel this is one of the best bowl year-in and year-out. The experience we've had here the past five days is everything we thught it would be and more."
The team will have an early evening dinner and then watch movies in their rooms the rest of the evening.
Thursday’s Gator Bowl is set to kickoff at 12:45 pm and will be televised on NBC.
West Virginia (8-4) is looking for its first bowl win since 2000 when the Mountaineers defeated Mississippi 49-38 in the Music City Bowl in Don Nehlen’s last game.
West Virginia lost 34-7 to Maryland earlier this year and has dropped three straight since Coach Ralph Friedgen took over the program in 2001.
Maryland (9-3) is vying for its third straight 10-win season.
