Big Dream: A Little Luck
June 12, 2003 02:58 PM | General
1994 Sugar Bowl Notes
Reprinted from 1994 Bowl Guide
SERIES RECORD AGAINST FLORIDA -- This will be West Virginia's second meeting with the Florida Gators, and WVU holds a 1-0 advantage in the series.
That first match-up came in the 1981 Peach Bowl in Atlanta, where West Virginia posted a 26-6 upset win over the Gators. WVU set seven Peach Bowl records as tailback Mickey Walczak caught eight passes and scored a pair of touchdowns. Kicker Paul Woodside added four field goals and quarterback Oliver Luck closed out his WVU career completing 14 of 23 passes for 107 yards. The Mountaineer defense, led by Peach Bowl MVP Don Stemple, held Florida scoreless until the fourth quarter, and left the Gators with -30 yards rushing for the game.
Besides West Virginia's gridiron victory over Florida in the 1981 Peach Bowl, the two schools have met on the athletic battleground in six other sports -- men's basketball, women's basketball, women's gymnastics, men's tennis, volleyball and baseball.
West Virginia holds a 9-6 all-time record in bowl games, dating back to the 1922 East-West Game.
RED HOT -- Having won their last 12 contests, the Mountaineers currently own the nation's longest winning streak. With one more victory, West Virginia will tie the all-time school record of 13 consecutive victories, established over the course of the 1952-53 seasons. Other current win streaks of note around the nation are: Nebraska (11), Auburn (11) and Tennessee (4).
BIG EAST CHAMPS -- With a perfect 7-0 mark in BIG EAST play this season, West Virginia has captured the young league's first-ever title on the field. BIG EAST football competition started with the 1991 campaign, but round-robin play was not instituted until this season.
Mountaineer coach Don Nehlen was the unanimous choice as BIG EAST coach of the year, and offensive tackle Rich Braham, offensive guard Tom Robsock, wide receiver Mike Baker, linebacker Tim Brown and punter Todd Sauerbrun were first team all-BIG EAST selections. Named to the all-BIG EAST second team were defensive backs Mike Collins and David Mayfield, linebacker Wes Richardson, defensive tackle Barry Hawkins, running back Robert Walker and quarterback Jake Kelchner.
West Virginia was selected fourth in preseason balloting but proved the prognosticators wrong on the field. Other schools in the BIG EAST football conference include Miami, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt and Temple.
CAREER RECORD SETTERS -- Several Mountaineers have improved their standing this season among West Virginia's career leaders. Quarterback Darren Studstill is in seventh place among WVU career passers with 3,138 yards, ahead of Fred Wyant (2,663 yards from 1952-55). Studstill has also moved ahead of Wyant (401) for seventh place with 445 career pass attempts; next is Mike Sherwood (573 from 1968-70). Studstill shows 3,738 yards of career total offense, ranking seventh behind Bernie Galiffa (4,294 from 1970-72).
Jake Kelchner is on track to become WVU's career leader for completion percentage (.613), ahead of Mike Sherwood (.574 from 1968-70), and Kelchner will also finish atop the passing efficiency ratings with a 153.5 career rating, ahead of Major Harris (143.3 from 1987-89).
In touchdown receptions, Ed Hill is now tied for eighth with nine total TDs, and Mike Baker's 542 yards of punt returns rank him fifth in that category, behind Leon Jenkins (573 from 1968-71).
Todd Sauerbrun has improved his career punt average; Sauerbrun is averaging 44.7 on 95 punts, ahead of Greg Hertzog's 43.3 school-record average from 1989-90.
On defense, Mike Collins, WVU's career leader with 29 pass break ups, is eighth with seven career interceptions and 14th with 302 career total tackles. Tommy Orr is fifth with 17 career PBU.
Tim Brown now ranks 10th with 17 career tackles for a loss, while Wes Richardson, with 306 career tackles, is 13th among WVU's all-time leaders.
SEASON RECORD SETTERS -- Of course, numerous Mountaineers have put their 1993 efforts among WVU's top 10 season leaders. Robert Walker, with 1,191 yards rushing, is WVU's single-season leader, and his 11 rushing touchdowns tie Undra Johnson (1988) for the fourth-best season in that category.
Todd Sauerbrun should break his own season punting average with a 45.1 mark, better than his 44.3 average last year. Jay Kearney, averaging 27.6 yards per reception, is on pace to top Rich Hollins' mark of 27.1 yards per catch, set in 1982.
Jake Kelchner, with a WVU-best pass efficiency rating of 176.0, ahead of Major Harris (159.17 in 1988), also ranks 10th in season total offense (1,720). Mike Baker, with 38 receptions, ranks ninth in that stat, while Kearney's 691 receiving yards and Baker's 668 yards rank them eighth and ninth in that category.
NCAA LEADERS -- As a team, here's where West Virginia ranked in the final NCAA statistics: second in net punting (41.0), eighth in kickoff returns (24.4), ninth in rushing offense (244.0), 10th in scoring offense (36.5), 10th in scoring defense (15.5), 12th in turnover margin (+1.0), 13th in total offense (463.9) and 18th in rushing defense (120.3).
Individually, Robert Walker finished 14th in rushing (108.3), while David Mayfield was tied for 33rd among interception leaders (0.36). Jake Kelchner, with a pass efficiency rating of 176.0, was just three pass attempts shy of leading the nation in that statistic; the NCAA leader was Fresno State's Trent Dilfer at 173.1. Mountaineer punter Todd Sauerbrun, with an average of 45.1, fell two punts short of the NCAA qualifying minimum. He would have placed third, behind Air Force's Chris Macinnis (47.0) and Auburn's Terry Daniel (46.9).
Kelchner and Sauerbrun were two of four Mountaineers who led the NCAA in an individual statistical category for at least one week this season; the others were Vann Washington (interceptions) and Mike Logan (kickoff returns).
SPECIAL PLAY -- One of the main reasons why West Virginia holds an 11-0 record has been the play of its special teams. From kick returns to kick coverage, West Virginia has been a picture of excellence all season long.
Leading the group has been punter/kicker Todd Sauerbrun. The junior, who earned first team all-BIG EAST honors for his punting and second team merits for his kicking, would rank third nationally in punting if he had enough attempts to qualify. Sauerbrun, who has dropped 11 punts inside the opposition's 20, heads into the bowl with a season average of 45.1. That pace would allow Sauerbrun to break his own school record of 44.3 set last season.
Sauerbrun's punt coverage teammates have also enjoyed a banner season as they have helped West Virginia register a net punting average of 41.0, second best in the nation. Also handling the kickoff duties, Sauerbrun has had 54 of his 75 kickoff attempts go for touchbacks or have been returned from the end zone.
The return units have also been extremely stingy. Beside leading the nation in net punting, West Virginia's kickoff return coverage has allowed opponents on average to start their drives from the 22-yard line. On only one occasion has the opposition started a drive after a kickoff from beyond the 40.
Conversely, the Mountaineers have an average starting position of the 37 following kickoffs. On 11 occasions, the Mountaineers have started drives after kickoffs from the 40 or beyond. Although no Mountaineers have returned kicks for touchdowns this season, Mike Logan, Rahsaan Vanterpool and Mike Baker have been threats every time they have handled the ball. All three of the speed merchants are averaging more than 30 yards per kick return.
WVU IN LOUISIANA -- The Mountaineers first played football in the state of Louisiana in the 1954 Sugar Bowl, where they were handed a 42-19 defeat by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Since then, though, the Mountaineers have fared better in the Bayou State, having posted a 2-1 record against Tulane.
The Mountaineers defeated the Green Wave 35-17 in 1969 before dropping a 14-7 decision in 1974. West Virginia then came back to post a 32-28 victory in 1976 in the Superdome. In four appearances in the state of Louisiana, West Virginia football is 2-2.
ALL-TIME INDOORS -- In 10 previous games played at indoor stadiums, the Mountaineers have posted a 5-5 mark. West Virginia has appeared the most in the Syracuse Carrier Dome, where the Mountaineers have a record of 3-4. West Virginia has recorded wins in both the Superdome and the Astrodome, while dropping the 1964 Liberty Bowl in the Atlantic City Convention Hall.
BOWL GAMES INDOORS -- The 1994 Sugar Bowl will be West Virginia's third bowl game played indoors. The Mountaineers currently hold a 1-1 record in bowl games played indoors.
Current athletic director Ed Pastilong quarterbacked the Mountaineers in their very first indoor bowl game, the 1964 Liberty Bowl at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. Unfortunately for the Pastilong-led Mountaineers, Utah came up a 32-6 winner in that contest, the first college bowl game ever played indoors.
Don Nehlen led the Mountaineers to their first indoor bowl win back in the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Houston Astrodome with a 31-14 victory over TCU.
BUDDING STAR -- Sophomore tailback Robert Walker enjoyed a season to remember in 1993. Thrust into the starting position when Jon Jones broke his foot in the season opener, Walker went on to establish a new WVU single-season rushing record with 1,191 yards. The Huntington, W.Va., native also broke the WVU record of four consecutive 100-yard games when he topped the century mark on six straight occasions. Those six 100-yard games also are a new record, breaking the previous mark held by Artie Owens.
Accounting for more than 44 percent of the Mountaineers' rushing total, Walker was sensational down the stretch. In the team's final seven games, playing against the likes of Louisville, Syracuse, Miami and Boston College, Walker averaged 135 yards a game and scored 10 of his 11 touchdowns. In the Syracuse game, Walker carried the ball 26 times for 198 yards and scored on an electrifying 90-yard run.
On the season, Walker has enjoyed 39 runs of more than 10 yards. Broken down that translates into 27 runs of 10-19 yards, seven runs of 20-29 yards, one run of 30-39 yards, two runs of 40-49 yards and two runs of 50 or more yards.
The sophomore, who gained 113 yards against Louisiana Tech in his only game as a freshman, now shows 1,314 career yards on 215 career carries, including 11 touchdowns. Under Don Nehlen, the Mountaineers are 48-9-1 when a WVU back rushes for 100 yards.
DEFENSIVE TRADITION -- West Virginia's 1993 defensive combine compares favorably to Nehlen's two best defensive units of 1982 and 1988.
Led by All-American and future Pro Bowl linebacker Darryl Talley, the 1982 unit allowed just 12.6 points per game on the way to a 9-3 season and a Gator Bowl berth. That team gave up just 129.1 yards rushing and 135.2 yards passing per game.
In 1988, West Virginia's bend-but-not-break defense was led by future NFL players Renaldo Turnbull, Mike Fox, Alvoid Mays and Bo Orlando. That unit allowed 17.3 points per game while creating 36 turnovers to help WVU to the national championship game against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
This season, the Mountaineers have allowed just 15.6 points per game and have held four teams to a touchdown or less. Giving up just 120.3 yards per game rushing, the Mountaineer defense has come up with 31 turnovers this year.
Since Nehlen has taken over the coaching reins at West Virginia in 1980, West Virginia has held 31 teams to a touchdown or less, including six shutouts.
AGAINST THE RUN -- The last Division I-A team to surrender a rushing touchdown this season, West Virginia's run defense has allowed just eight rushing TDs this year. None of those scores was more than six yards; in fact, the average yardage of a rushing touchdown against the Mountaineers was just 2.4 yards.
Permitting 120.3 yards on the ground per game for only 3.4 yards per carry, WVU' defense has recorded 44 tackles for a loss and has forced 11 fumbles.
"D"LIGHTFUL -- Utilizing smaller, quicker players, the Mountaineer defense has come up with several key plays in 1993. Averaging 223 pounds per player (almost four pounds less per player than in 1988), West Virginia's defense has forced 31 turnovers that have resulted in three defensive touchdowns.
Against Missouri, strong safety Mike Collins wrestled the football out of Michael Washington's hands and raced 97 yards for a TD. Five weeks later against Rutgers, safety David Mayfield intercepted a Ray Lucas pass and returned it 82 yards for a score. Those two plays represent two of the 10 longest defensive touchdowns in school history. And a 67-yard interception by Tarris Alexander against Missouri was the third longest non-scoring interception return in Mountaineer history.
In addition, reserve free safety Vann Washington intercepted a Jeff Handy pass for 27 yards and a score to complete West Virginia's scoring in a 35-3 rout of Missouri.
THE BIG THREE -- You probably don't know it. It might come as a surprise. West Virginia has three of the best linebackers in the country in Tim Brown, Wes Richardson and Matt Taffoni.
The trio has accounted for 259 tackles this season, along with 20 tackles for a loss of 86 yards, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and even a blocked kick. Even more impressive are their two-year numbers of 523 tackles and 36 more tackles for a loss. This trio is a big reason why the Mountaineers give up an average of just 15.6 points per game.
Brown, a preseason Butkus Award nominee, flat-out throws his body all over the field. He has accounted for 205 tackles over the last two years after coming to WVU from Hudson Valley Community College.
"We all play very well together and sort of read each other's minds," Brown says. "We have different duties and assignments, but the bottom line is to get to the ball, and I think our entire defense does that very well."
Both Richardson and Taffoni have blood ties to WVU. For four years, Richardson has quietly been one of the best linebackers ever at WVU. The player Coach Don Nehlen says "we could least afford to lose," Richardson has played in every game and recorded a team-leading 110 tackles.
He followed in the footsteps of his older brother Van, who finished 21st in WVU career stops with 262 from 1982-85. Wes is now 13th with 306 career tackles and has recorded more than 100 in a season twice in his career. He doesn't say much, but he sure delivers a big punch.
"I love to win and just play the game," Richardson says. "I always wanted to be a Mountaineer ever since the days of growing up and watching my brother play at Mountaineer Field. It's been a dream come true to follow in his footsteps."
Taffoni follows in the footsteps of his father Joe, an outstanding lineman at West Virginia from 1964-65. The son, like the father, comes ready to play every Saturday.
"It's an honor for me to be playing in a New Year's Day bowl game," Taffoni says. "I knew when I came to West Virginia that I would get the opportunity, and now we want to make the most of it."
Don Nehlen had three pretty good linebackers in the early 1980s by the names of Darryl Talley, Delbert Fowler and Dennis Fowlkes. All three went on to play football on Sundays; the current three just might do the same. You might not have heard of them yet, but their opponents can tell you all about them.
THE SACK IS BACK -- Accounting for just 18 quarterback sacks a year ago, the Mountaineers have made improvement in that category in 1993 with 26. More importantly, West Virginia's top three sack leaders are the heart of the defensive line. Barry Hawkins, Scott Gaskins and Steve Perkins each have recorded four sacks this season. In all, seven different Mountaineers have totalled two or more sacks and 11 players have at least one quarterback sack.
DON'T RANK ON THE RANKING -- Defeating three teams ranked in the final College Football Bowl Coalition Poll (No. 10 Miami, No. 15 Boston College and No. 22 Virginia Tech), West Virginia's 1993 performance will go down in school annals as one of the greatest in its 103-year history.
Including a win over Louisville (No. 25 in CNN/USA Today Coaches Poll), 1993 marks the first time West Virginia has been able to defeat four ranked opponents in one season. On five occasions (1954, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1988), West Virginia has defeated two ranked teams in the same campaign.
Since the Associated Press Top 20 poll was established in 1936, West Virginia has defeated 20 ranked teams, with Coach Don Nehlen winning 11 of those games. Of the 11 wins under Nehlen, 10 have come when West Virginia was also ranked; Nehlen's record at WVU against ranked teams when also ranked is an impressive 10-6-1 (.618). Away from Morgantown, West Virginia is 4-3 when ranked while playing a ranked opponent.
OUT OF NOWHERE -- Not ranked in the preseason, West Virginia has had the longest climb to the top of the polls. Picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST Conference, the Mountaineers did not enter the College Football Bowl Coalition Poll until September 27, after defeating Missouri 35-3. Rising steadily in the ensuing weeks, the Mountaineers' largest jump occurred after the 17-14 defeat of Miami, when WVU went from No. 8 to No. 3 in the poll.
THE CATCH! -- Down 14-9, West Virginia had the football on the Boston College 24 with 1:13 remaining in the game. Coach Don Nehlen called 81 Deep Switch, a read route intended to get single coverage on either flanker Ed Hill (lined up in the slot) or split end Mike Baker (split out wide), who were both running streak routes to the end zone.
The way the play was designed, it was up to quarterback Darren Studstill to find the single coverage. As the play unfolded, BC cornerback Michael Reed and safety Rob Clifford jumped on Baker, who was running to the post. That left Hill (who stands 6-4) in single coverage with 5-10 Eric Shorter in the corner of the end zone. Making the right read, Studstill lofted the ball toward the end zone and Hill beat Shorter to the football for the touchdown and the 15-14 lead, a catch that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest catches in Mountaineer history.
"When Darren threw the ball, I just went up and grabbed it," says Hill. "At the time, I didn't think about streaks or going undefeated. I was just happy we scored the touchdown."
The catch did more than just defeat Boston College. It preserved West Virginia's unbeaten season and propelled the Mountaineers from the Carquest to the Sugar Bowl. It also erased one of the most memorable drops in school history, which also involved Hill.
The senior vividly remembers the blunder.
"We were driving to beat Syracuse in 1991," Hill remembers. "There were about two minutes left in the game (2:03) when we had the ball. All through that drive, Coach Nehlen kept taking me out on passing plays and putting me back in on running plays. I kept pestering him on the sidelines until he finally put me into the game on a passing play with the ball near the 20.
"So Darren (Studstill) threw a perfect pass to me in the end zone and I dropped the pass. Syracuse ran out the clock and won the game 16-10."
Hill's drop put West Virginia at 6-5 instead of 7-4, which may have been good enough for a bowl bid. Ironically, according to Hill, the drop at Syracuse is more memorable to him than the catch at Boston College.
"To be honest, I will probably remember the drop more than I will the catch," he says. "That was the turning point in my football career here at West Virginia. I grew up a great deal after that game and it helped me as a person as well."
That it did.
Since that drop in 1991, Hill has caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games, which includes the great 24-yarder against Boston College, his only catch of that BIG EAST title game. He snared a team-best 43 passes as a junior and has totalled 23 catches this year. Of his 78 career passes entering the Sugar Bowl, he will forever be remembered by Mountaineer fans for that one catch he made.
Hill will always remember the one he dropped.
100-YARD RECEIVERS UNDER NEHLEN -- A total of 15 players have gained at least 100 yards receiving on 31 occasions under Coach Don Nehlen. Jay Kearney (1992-93) leads the list of Nehlen players with five 100-yard receiving performances.
KELCHNER FOR GOVERNOR -- Jake Kelchner for governor of West Virginia? Sounds strange, but the senior quarterback will probably receive several write-in votes in the next gubernatorial election. Matching Major Harris and, much earlier, Jerry West in popularity, Kelchner has captured the hearts of Mountaineers everywhere.
Maybe West Virginians identify with his toughness. Or maybe it's his carefree attitude. More than likely, though, it's the fact that he absolutely refuses to lose, no matter how battered or beaten up his body may be.
"I've just always loved to win, loved to compete and loved to be the best," the quarterback says.
For a team that was average over the last couple of years, Kelchner has been a God-send. West Virginia is 14-3-2 in games when Kelchner plays, despite the fact that he often plays injured.
But that is nothing new. If you talk to one of the hundreds of Berwick, Pa., fans who travel to all of West Virginia's games, home or away, it's almost as if their hometown hero plays better hurt.
They talk about Kelchner playing an entire basketball season with a broken toe. Or how he tossed two touchdown passes against Aliquippa in the Pennsylvania state title game after missing practice the week of the game due to three broken knuckles on his left hand. Incidentally, Aliquippa was ranked No. 2 in the nation that year and had a pretty good player in current Los Angeles Ram Sean Gilbert.
Kelchner's injury dossier also includes a broken collarbone as a redshirt freshmen at Notre Dame, a swollen bursar sac in his elbow last year and the pulled hamstring this year. He has been injured so much that he is running out of places to get hurt. More likely he will find a way to hurt the opposition.
SNAKE BITES -- Despite falling just three attempts shy of claiming the NCAA passing efficiency title with a 176.0 rating, quarterback Jake Kelchner is still well on his way to becoming the most accurate passer in Mountaineer history. Completing an amazing 66 percent of his passes this season, the Snake has yet to complete less than half of his passes in a game this year. He has posted three games of 70 percent or better passing accuracy; his lowest completion percentages of the year were 50 percent against Virginia Tech (8-16) and Miami (6-12).
In 19 games as a Mountaineer, Kelchner has failed to complete at least half his passes on just three occasions. For his career, the Berwick, Pa., native has completed 61.3 percent of his passes (163-266), 3.9 points better than Mike Sherwood's school best of 57.4.
MOUNTAINEERS ON NETWORK TELEVISION -- In 17 previous appearances on ABC, West Virginia holds a 5-12 record, including a 3-7 mark in games on ABC during the Don Nehlen era. Under Nehlen, the Mountaineers hold a 17-18-1 overall record on national television including a 3-0 mark this year. All-time, West Virginia is 21-26-1 in nationally televised games dating back to the 1954 Sugar Bowl.
This year, the Mountaineers defeated Syracuse 43-0 on ESPN, Miami 17-14 on ABC and Boston College 17-14 on ESPN. Counting two additional games on the BIG EAST Network, the Mountaineers are a perfect 5-0 on live TV in 1993, having defeated Virginia Tech 14-13 and Pitt 45-21.
MOUNTAINEERS IN PRO STADIUMS -- During the Don Nehlen era, the Mountaineers hold a 10-4 mark in stadiums that also house professional football teams. That mark includes games played at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, the Houston Astrodome, Miami's Orange Bowl (when it was the home of the Dolphins), Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and Tempe's Sun Devil Stadium.
The Mountaineers are 1-0 in pro stadiums this season with a 49-7 victory over Temple at Veterans Stadium.
Overall under Nehlen, the Mountaineers are 2-1 in bowl games played in a pro facility and 4-2 all-time.
BIG FINISH MOUNTAINEERS -- On the year, West Virginia has outscored its opponents in every quarter on its way to racking up 401 total points. The Mountaineers have started slow at times, though, and have outscored their opponents only 86-41 in the first quarter before coming back for a 95-28 margin in the second quarter. The Mountaineers are averaging 16.5 points in the first half of play compared to just 6.3 for their opponents.
In the third quarter, West Virginia holds a 101-41 advantage over its opponents and a 119-61 edge in the final stanza. All told, West Virginia is averaging 36.5 points per game while giving up only 15.6.
IN THE RED ZONE -- When the Mountaineers have a first down inside the opponents' 20-yard line, West Virginia has scored 39 out of 53 times for a 73.6% success rate. Of those scores inside the 20, 24 have been touchdowns on running plays and nine have been touchdown passes. Of the missed opportunities on first-and-10 inside the 20, three were missed field goals, one was a blocked field goal, one was due to a fumble, one was due to an interception and five occurred at the end of the game.
RESPECTABLE -- There has been a lot of trash talk about West Virginia's strength of schedule over the last few weeks, but the bottom line is that the Mountaineer slate is a respectable one.
West Virginia has played five opponents who have been nationally ranked this season in Virginia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, Miami and Boston College; four of those are bowl teams.
Louisville was undefeated at 5-0 when West Virginia beat the Cardinals and the Mountaineers handed Miami its first loss ever in the BIG EAST. West Virginia also won at Boston College just a week after the Eagles defeated Notre Dame at South Bend. West Virginia's 43-0 win at Syracuse came after the Orangemen were a preseason top five pick by the Associated Press and a contender for the national championship.
Much also has been said about the strength of the BIG EAST, but the conference has posted solid numbers. The eight teams in the BIG EAST compiled a non-conference mark of 22-10-1 and the four BIG EAST bowl teams turned in a 14-2 mark outside of the league.
SPREADING THE WEALTH -- West Virginia quarterbacks Jake Kelchner and Darren Studstill found plenty of targets as 15 different Mountaineers caught passes during 1993. Per game, the WVU quarterbacks have hit an average of 7.2 different targets.
For the year, West Virginia quarterbacks threw the ball 239 times and completed 152 aerials for a 64 percent completion rate. Kelchner and Studstill threw for 2,419 yards and 19 touchdowns. Leading the way in receptions and touchdowns was "Mr. Excitement" Mike Baker with 38 catches for 668 yards and five touchdowns followed by Jay Kearney with 25 catches and Ed Hill with 23.
Kearney, with his team-leading 27.6 yards per catch for the season, has a chance to eclipse Rich Hollins's 11-year record of 27.1 yards per reception. On the year, the Baker-Hill-Kearney trio has accounted for 86 receptions, 1,787 yards and 13 touchdowns.
TOTAL YARDS -- Leading the BIG EAST in scoring offense at 36.5 points per game, the Mountaineers rang up the big numbers in total offense as well during 1993. Failing to gain more than 300 total yards against only Miami (272) and Boston College (281), West Virginia had a 14-game streak of gaining at least 300 yards per game dating back to the 1992 Syracuse contest.
West Virginia topped 500 total yards against five teams in 1993: Maryland (542), Pitt (574), Syracuse (654), Rutgers (552) and Temple (614). And the Mountaineers, averaging 463.9 yards per game this season, just missed the school-record average of 465.9 yards per game set in 1988.
OH, BROTHER! -- It was a West Virginia first on September 25 when the Mountaineers hosted the Missouri Tigers. In the 35-3 rout, not only did two Washington brothers score, but they did so on opposite sides of the ball.
Sophomore tight end Charles Washington got the WVU scoring started on the day with a four-yard reception from Jake Kelchner for his first collegiate touchdown.
"When the play was called in the huddle, I knew that there was a good chance that the ball was coming my way," Charles said. "When Jake released the ball, it felt like it took years to reach me, and that the entire stadium was silent. I was glad when I pulled the ball in and got the score. That really felt good."
But the West Virginia victory soon became a family affair as younger brother Vann got in on the action in the fourth quarter.
"I was fortunate enough to grab an interception in our first two games and Charles was really happy for me. When he scored, the only thing I thought of was that I was proud that he got his chance and did well," Vann says. "He kept telling me that I had two interceptions and it was time for me to get one in for the score. I had no idea that it would come in the same game. When you think of it, that's pretty amazing."
Vann took a Jeff Handy pass and returned it 27 yards for the final score of the day and guess who was the first to greet him when he came off the field.
"I remember running over and hugging him," Charles says. "I look out for my little brother, and I knew he would do well. He's a great athlete and I'm sure that won't be his last score."
"When my brother ran up to hug me on the sideline, that was one of the proudest days of my life," Vann, who followed his brother to WVU from Jefferson High in Monticello, Fla., says. "Then it dawned on me that we both scored and I couldn't wait to get home and call Mom and Dad."
Sure, there have been brothers who have scored in the same game before, but try to find another brother duo that has scored for the same team and on opposite sides of the ball.
West Virginia's Washington brothers can brag about that one for a lifetime.
ROBERT WALKER -- Sophomore Robert Walker came to West Virginia with dreams of being an outstanding defensive player. Instead, he's now the school's all-time single-season rushing leader.
The Huntington, W.Va., native was recruited to play either defensive back or tailback. Spending most of his first two years at tailback, Walker was ready to make the move to the defensive side of the ball when injuries to veteran performers allowed him to showcase his talents in the '92 finale against Louisiana Tech. But 113 yards later, Walker stayed on offense.
This year as a sophomore, Walker was content to play and learn behind veteran Jon Jones before getting his chance next season. But when Jones suffered a fractured leg in the opener against Eastern Michigan, the job became his.
Now, 1,191 yards later, Walker is WVU's sixth 1,000-yard runner and its single-season rushing leader. After limited action in three of WVU's first four games, he became the first Mountaineer back ever to rush for 100 yards or more in six consecutive games and has accounted for 44 percent of the Mountaineer running game.
"It was one of my goals to rush for 1,000 yards, but I didn't think it would be this year. This was supposed to be Jon Jones' year, and I wanted to learn from him," says Walker. "He didn't deserve what happened, but he has been a great influence on my life and career."
Ironically, it was another of Walker's tailback mentors, Adrian Murrell, who was supposed to break Bob Gresham's 24-year-old record last season before succumbing to injury just 10 yards short. Murrell has gone on to play for the New York Jets; Walker has led the Mountaineers to an undefeated season.
MOUNTAINEER CLUB -- Admittance to the Mountaineer Club is the highest honor a West Virginia football player can receive. It means he has graded at least 80% in at least eight of West Virginia's 11 games this season. Mountaineer Club members for 1993 include: Mike Baker, Aaron Beasley, Rich Braham, Tim Brown, Mike Collins, Charles Emanuel, Jim Freeman, Scott Gaskins, Dan Harless, Barry Hawkins, Ed Hill, Jay Kearney, Jake Kelchner, Harold Kidd, Jim LeBlanc, Mike Logan, David Mayfield, Tommy Orr, Steve Perkins, Maurice Richards, Wes Richardson, Nate Rine, Tom Robsock, Todd Sauerbrun, Matt Taffoni, Keith Taparausky, Mark Ulmer, Robert Walker, Vann Washington, Darrick Wiley, Dale Williams and Rodney Woodard.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST RELIEF PITCHER -- His fastball is average, he doesn't throw a slider and his off-speed stuff often sails over the opposition.
That doesn't matter, though, because Darren Studstill is, without question, the best relief pitcher in all of college football. Unfortunately, it's taken West Virginia fans the better part of five years to realize that Studstill is a first-rate college quarterback.
"It seemed like every time I came into a game the last couple of years, I would get booed," the senior remembers.
Last year in the third game of the season against Maryland, the booing came to a climax. Down 17-14 to the Terrapins at halftime, Studstill replaced an injured Jake Kelchner for the second half. Falling behind 33-14 after the three quarters, West Virginia fell victim to a deafening chorus of boos, primarily targeted at Studstill and Coach Don Nehlen for playing him.
Then with 14:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, Studstill began a comeback that ranks as the biggest in school history. Engineering an 11-play drive, he culminated the march with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Murrell.
Two series later, Studstill was at it again, this time directing a nine-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a beautiful six-yard scoring strike to Ed Hill.
Down 33-28 with 3:21 left, West Virginia had one last crack at Maryland. After three unsuccessful plays, WVU was faced with a fourth-and-11 deep in its own territory. Using his uncanny ability to avoid oncoming rushers, Studstill hit Jay Kearney down the middle for 21 yards and a Mountaineer first down. Three plays later Studstill found Adrian Murrell 20 yards downfield for the winning touchdown.
"That game was my proudest moment," Studstill recalls. "The fans were booing and it was just a tough situation. I just kept fighting and we were able to turn the game around."
It wasn't Studstill's first great moment. Just a year prior, he engineered a fourth-quarter comeback against Boston College, culminating with a spectacular 40-yard touchdown pass to Mike Beasley with 24 seconds remaining to produce a 31-24 Mountaineer victory.
With those two miracle performances in mind, Studstill's Boston College achievements of a month ago seem almost instinctive. It was Studstill who, again, led WVU from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Eagles 17-14 in a game that put WVU in the Sugar Bowl.
The gifted signal caller has no simple explanation for his late-game heroics. "I can't really explain it," he says. "I've been in certain situations and I just try to stay calm."
Ranked among West Virginia's all-time top passers with 3,138 yards and 27 TD passes, Studstill has accomplished all of this despite starting only 16 games over four years. And classier than his critics, he holds no grudges.
"As a whole, our fans have rallied behind us this year and have been great," he says. "I just wish that before fans pass judgement that they would try to understand what we are going through out there."
And remember the reliever who has put out the fire.
ALL-AMERICAN WALK-ON -- Mountaineer left tackle Rich Braham is no Rudy. An unrecruited walk-on from University High School in Morgantown, Braham did more than just make the Mountaineer team -- he became one of college football's finest offensive linemen.
According to the senior co-captain, his career at West Virginia has been a dream come true.
"It's been a great feeling for me to start at the bottom and to end up on top," says the senior, who was voted the Mountaineers' most valuable player by his teammates this season. "I set goals for myself after each season and I kept reaching them."
Beginning with earning a scholarship after his redshirt year, Braham then worked his way as a freshman into a starting berth at left tackle. This year, that climb culminated when Braham was selected for the Kodak All-America team.
"Being an All-American is just a dream for me," he says. "My whole career at West Virginia has been great and I have nothing but good things to say about the coaching staff for the way they have treated me."
A legitimate NFL prospect, Braham distinctively remembers when he finally felt like he had made the grade.
"I knew I belonged here after the last practice of my first year," he remembers. "Mike Fox (now with the New York Giants) beat the crap out of me all year and I never quit. After the last practice, he came over to me and told me that I was going to be a good football player. That's when I realized that I was good enough to play Division I football."
Mike Fox was right.
LEAVING IN STYLE -- When senior Mike Collins was selected as captain of the 1993 football squad, it became the latest high point in a long line of successes.
Over the last five seasons, Collins has evolved from a marginal college prospect to a critically acclaimed strong safety. As a four-year starter, he has established a new Mountaineer record for pass breakups and etched his name on the top 10 career lists for tackles and interceptions. But Collins came to West Virginia to accomplish another task.
The year was 1988. The Mountaineers had enjoyed their best season in history and banged on the door for a national title, while some 250 miles down the road, Collins was finishing an all-state career at Huntington High, in the backyard of Marshall, a perennial Division I-AA contender.
When WVU coach Don Nehlen extended an invitation to join the Mountaineers, Collins was only too happy to accept, to keep the West Virginia team he grew up watching on the path to national success.
"I came to West Virginia with the expectation of being in a bowl game five years in a row," says Collins, a redshirt freshman when the Mountaineers made their last bowl appearance at the 1989 Gator Bowl. "Unfortunately, that dream hasn't worked out the way that I envisioned.
"The one thing that the seniors wanted to do heading into this season was to get this program the national respect it had before we got here."
Going 11-0 and playing in the Sugar Bowl has certainly done that. After Mike Collins gives it his all one last time in New Orleans, he can proudly leave the Superdome and leave West Virginia football the way he found it -- as a national contender.
Return to Big Dream, a Little Luck
Reprinted from 1994 Bowl Guide
SERIES RECORD AGAINST FLORIDA -- This will be West Virginia's second meeting with the Florida Gators, and WVU holds a 1-0 advantage in the series.
That first match-up came in the 1981 Peach Bowl in Atlanta, where West Virginia posted a 26-6 upset win over the Gators. WVU set seven Peach Bowl records as tailback Mickey Walczak caught eight passes and scored a pair of touchdowns. Kicker Paul Woodside added four field goals and quarterback Oliver Luck closed out his WVU career completing 14 of 23 passes for 107 yards. The Mountaineer defense, led by Peach Bowl MVP Don Stemple, held Florida scoreless until the fourth quarter, and left the Gators with -30 yards rushing for the game.
Besides West Virginia's gridiron victory over Florida in the 1981 Peach Bowl, the two schools have met on the athletic battleground in six other sports -- men's basketball, women's basketball, women's gymnastics, men's tennis, volleyball and baseball.
West Virginia holds a 9-6 all-time record in bowl games, dating back to the 1922 East-West Game.
RED HOT -- Having won their last 12 contests, the Mountaineers currently own the nation's longest winning streak. With one more victory, West Virginia will tie the all-time school record of 13 consecutive victories, established over the course of the 1952-53 seasons. Other current win streaks of note around the nation are: Nebraska (11), Auburn (11) and Tennessee (4).
BIG EAST CHAMPS -- With a perfect 7-0 mark in BIG EAST play this season, West Virginia has captured the young league's first-ever title on the field. BIG EAST football competition started with the 1991 campaign, but round-robin play was not instituted until this season.
Mountaineer coach Don Nehlen was the unanimous choice as BIG EAST coach of the year, and offensive tackle Rich Braham, offensive guard Tom Robsock, wide receiver Mike Baker, linebacker Tim Brown and punter Todd Sauerbrun were first team all-BIG EAST selections. Named to the all-BIG EAST second team were defensive backs Mike Collins and David Mayfield, linebacker Wes Richardson, defensive tackle Barry Hawkins, running back Robert Walker and quarterback Jake Kelchner.
West Virginia was selected fourth in preseason balloting but proved the prognosticators wrong on the field. Other schools in the BIG EAST football conference include Miami, Boston College, Virginia Tech, Syracuse, Rutgers, Pitt and Temple.
CAREER RECORD SETTERS -- Several Mountaineers have improved their standing this season among West Virginia's career leaders. Quarterback Darren Studstill is in seventh place among WVU career passers with 3,138 yards, ahead of Fred Wyant (2,663 yards from 1952-55). Studstill has also moved ahead of Wyant (401) for seventh place with 445 career pass attempts; next is Mike Sherwood (573 from 1968-70). Studstill shows 3,738 yards of career total offense, ranking seventh behind Bernie Galiffa (4,294 from 1970-72).
Jake Kelchner is on track to become WVU's career leader for completion percentage (.613), ahead of Mike Sherwood (.574 from 1968-70), and Kelchner will also finish atop the passing efficiency ratings with a 153.5 career rating, ahead of Major Harris (143.3 from 1987-89).
In touchdown receptions, Ed Hill is now tied for eighth with nine total TDs, and Mike Baker's 542 yards of punt returns rank him fifth in that category, behind Leon Jenkins (573 from 1968-71).
Todd Sauerbrun has improved his career punt average; Sauerbrun is averaging 44.7 on 95 punts, ahead of Greg Hertzog's 43.3 school-record average from 1989-90.
On defense, Mike Collins, WVU's career leader with 29 pass break ups, is eighth with seven career interceptions and 14th with 302 career total tackles. Tommy Orr is fifth with 17 career PBU.
Tim Brown now ranks 10th with 17 career tackles for a loss, while Wes Richardson, with 306 career tackles, is 13th among WVU's all-time leaders.
SEASON RECORD SETTERS -- Of course, numerous Mountaineers have put their 1993 efforts among WVU's top 10 season leaders. Robert Walker, with 1,191 yards rushing, is WVU's single-season leader, and his 11 rushing touchdowns tie Undra Johnson (1988) for the fourth-best season in that category.
Todd Sauerbrun should break his own season punting average with a 45.1 mark, better than his 44.3 average last year. Jay Kearney, averaging 27.6 yards per reception, is on pace to top Rich Hollins' mark of 27.1 yards per catch, set in 1982.
Jake Kelchner, with a WVU-best pass efficiency rating of 176.0, ahead of Major Harris (159.17 in 1988), also ranks 10th in season total offense (1,720). Mike Baker, with 38 receptions, ranks ninth in that stat, while Kearney's 691 receiving yards and Baker's 668 yards rank them eighth and ninth in that category.
NCAA LEADERS -- As a team, here's where West Virginia ranked in the final NCAA statistics: second in net punting (41.0), eighth in kickoff returns (24.4), ninth in rushing offense (244.0), 10th in scoring offense (36.5), 10th in scoring defense (15.5), 12th in turnover margin (+1.0), 13th in total offense (463.9) and 18th in rushing defense (120.3).
Individually, Robert Walker finished 14th in rushing (108.3), while David Mayfield was tied for 33rd among interception leaders (0.36). Jake Kelchner, with a pass efficiency rating of 176.0, was just three pass attempts shy of leading the nation in that statistic; the NCAA leader was Fresno State's Trent Dilfer at 173.1. Mountaineer punter Todd Sauerbrun, with an average of 45.1, fell two punts short of the NCAA qualifying minimum. He would have placed third, behind Air Force's Chris Macinnis (47.0) and Auburn's Terry Daniel (46.9).
Kelchner and Sauerbrun were two of four Mountaineers who led the NCAA in an individual statistical category for at least one week this season; the others were Vann Washington (interceptions) and Mike Logan (kickoff returns).
SPECIAL PLAY -- One of the main reasons why West Virginia holds an 11-0 record has been the play of its special teams. From kick returns to kick coverage, West Virginia has been a picture of excellence all season long.
Leading the group has been punter/kicker Todd Sauerbrun. The junior, who earned first team all-BIG EAST honors for his punting and second team merits for his kicking, would rank third nationally in punting if he had enough attempts to qualify. Sauerbrun, who has dropped 11 punts inside the opposition's 20, heads into the bowl with a season average of 45.1. That pace would allow Sauerbrun to break his own school record of 44.3 set last season.
Sauerbrun's punt coverage teammates have also enjoyed a banner season as they have helped West Virginia register a net punting average of 41.0, second best in the nation. Also handling the kickoff duties, Sauerbrun has had 54 of his 75 kickoff attempts go for touchbacks or have been returned from the end zone.
The return units have also been extremely stingy. Beside leading the nation in net punting, West Virginia's kickoff return coverage has allowed opponents on average to start their drives from the 22-yard line. On only one occasion has the opposition started a drive after a kickoff from beyond the 40.
Conversely, the Mountaineers have an average starting position of the 37 following kickoffs. On 11 occasions, the Mountaineers have started drives after kickoffs from the 40 or beyond. Although no Mountaineers have returned kicks for touchdowns this season, Mike Logan, Rahsaan Vanterpool and Mike Baker have been threats every time they have handled the ball. All three of the speed merchants are averaging more than 30 yards per kick return.
WVU IN LOUISIANA -- The Mountaineers first played football in the state of Louisiana in the 1954 Sugar Bowl, where they were handed a 42-19 defeat by the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Since then, though, the Mountaineers have fared better in the Bayou State, having posted a 2-1 record against Tulane.
The Mountaineers defeated the Green Wave 35-17 in 1969 before dropping a 14-7 decision in 1974. West Virginia then came back to post a 32-28 victory in 1976 in the Superdome. In four appearances in the state of Louisiana, West Virginia football is 2-2.
ALL-TIME INDOORS -- In 10 previous games played at indoor stadiums, the Mountaineers have posted a 5-5 mark. West Virginia has appeared the most in the Syracuse Carrier Dome, where the Mountaineers have a record of 3-4. West Virginia has recorded wins in both the Superdome and the Astrodome, while dropping the 1964 Liberty Bowl in the Atlantic City Convention Hall.
BOWL GAMES INDOORS -- The 1994 Sugar Bowl will be West Virginia's third bowl game played indoors. The Mountaineers currently hold a 1-1 record in bowl games played indoors.
Current athletic director Ed Pastilong quarterbacked the Mountaineers in their very first indoor bowl game, the 1964 Liberty Bowl at the Atlantic City Convention Hall. Unfortunately for the Pastilong-led Mountaineers, Utah came up a 32-6 winner in that contest, the first college bowl game ever played indoors.
Don Nehlen led the Mountaineers to their first indoor bowl win back in the 1984 Bluebonnet Bowl at the Houston Astrodome with a 31-14 victory over TCU.
BUDDING STAR -- Sophomore tailback Robert Walker enjoyed a season to remember in 1993. Thrust into the starting position when Jon Jones broke his foot in the season opener, Walker went on to establish a new WVU single-season rushing record with 1,191 yards. The Huntington, W.Va., native also broke the WVU record of four consecutive 100-yard games when he topped the century mark on six straight occasions. Those six 100-yard games also are a new record, breaking the previous mark held by Artie Owens.
Accounting for more than 44 percent of the Mountaineers' rushing total, Walker was sensational down the stretch. In the team's final seven games, playing against the likes of Louisville, Syracuse, Miami and Boston College, Walker averaged 135 yards a game and scored 10 of his 11 touchdowns. In the Syracuse game, Walker carried the ball 26 times for 198 yards and scored on an electrifying 90-yard run.
On the season, Walker has enjoyed 39 runs of more than 10 yards. Broken down that translates into 27 runs of 10-19 yards, seven runs of 20-29 yards, one run of 30-39 yards, two runs of 40-49 yards and two runs of 50 or more yards.
The sophomore, who gained 113 yards against Louisiana Tech in his only game as a freshman, now shows 1,314 career yards on 215 career carries, including 11 touchdowns. Under Don Nehlen, the Mountaineers are 48-9-1 when a WVU back rushes for 100 yards.
DEFENSIVE TRADITION -- West Virginia's 1993 defensive combine compares favorably to Nehlen's two best defensive units of 1982 and 1988.
Led by All-American and future Pro Bowl linebacker Darryl Talley, the 1982 unit allowed just 12.6 points per game on the way to a 9-3 season and a Gator Bowl berth. That team gave up just 129.1 yards rushing and 135.2 yards passing per game.
In 1988, West Virginia's bend-but-not-break defense was led by future NFL players Renaldo Turnbull, Mike Fox, Alvoid Mays and Bo Orlando. That unit allowed 17.3 points per game while creating 36 turnovers to help WVU to the national championship game against Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl.
This season, the Mountaineers have allowed just 15.6 points per game and have held four teams to a touchdown or less. Giving up just 120.3 yards per game rushing, the Mountaineer defense has come up with 31 turnovers this year.
Since Nehlen has taken over the coaching reins at West Virginia in 1980, West Virginia has held 31 teams to a touchdown or less, including six shutouts.
AGAINST THE RUN -- The last Division I-A team to surrender a rushing touchdown this season, West Virginia's run defense has allowed just eight rushing TDs this year. None of those scores was more than six yards; in fact, the average yardage of a rushing touchdown against the Mountaineers was just 2.4 yards.
Permitting 120.3 yards on the ground per game for only 3.4 yards per carry, WVU' defense has recorded 44 tackles for a loss and has forced 11 fumbles.
"D"LIGHTFUL -- Utilizing smaller, quicker players, the Mountaineer defense has come up with several key plays in 1993. Averaging 223 pounds per player (almost four pounds less per player than in 1988), West Virginia's defense has forced 31 turnovers that have resulted in three defensive touchdowns.
Against Missouri, strong safety Mike Collins wrestled the football out of Michael Washington's hands and raced 97 yards for a TD. Five weeks later against Rutgers, safety David Mayfield intercepted a Ray Lucas pass and returned it 82 yards for a score. Those two plays represent two of the 10 longest defensive touchdowns in school history. And a 67-yard interception by Tarris Alexander against Missouri was the third longest non-scoring interception return in Mountaineer history.
In addition, reserve free safety Vann Washington intercepted a Jeff Handy pass for 27 yards and a score to complete West Virginia's scoring in a 35-3 rout of Missouri.
THE BIG THREE -- You probably don't know it. It might come as a surprise. West Virginia has three of the best linebackers in the country in Tim Brown, Wes Richardson and Matt Taffoni.
The trio has accounted for 259 tackles this season, along with 20 tackles for a loss of 86 yards, four interceptions, three fumble recoveries and even a blocked kick. Even more impressive are their two-year numbers of 523 tackles and 36 more tackles for a loss. This trio is a big reason why the Mountaineers give up an average of just 15.6 points per game.
Brown, a preseason Butkus Award nominee, flat-out throws his body all over the field. He has accounted for 205 tackles over the last two years after coming to WVU from Hudson Valley Community College.
"We all play very well together and sort of read each other's minds," Brown says. "We have different duties and assignments, but the bottom line is to get to the ball, and I think our entire defense does that very well."
Both Richardson and Taffoni have blood ties to WVU. For four years, Richardson has quietly been one of the best linebackers ever at WVU. The player Coach Don Nehlen says "we could least afford to lose," Richardson has played in every game and recorded a team-leading 110 tackles.
He followed in the footsteps of his older brother Van, who finished 21st in WVU career stops with 262 from 1982-85. Wes is now 13th with 306 career tackles and has recorded more than 100 in a season twice in his career. He doesn't say much, but he sure delivers a big punch.
"I love to win and just play the game," Richardson says. "I always wanted to be a Mountaineer ever since the days of growing up and watching my brother play at Mountaineer Field. It's been a dream come true to follow in his footsteps."
Taffoni follows in the footsteps of his father Joe, an outstanding lineman at West Virginia from 1964-65. The son, like the father, comes ready to play every Saturday.
"It's an honor for me to be playing in a New Year's Day bowl game," Taffoni says. "I knew when I came to West Virginia that I would get the opportunity, and now we want to make the most of it."
Don Nehlen had three pretty good linebackers in the early 1980s by the names of Darryl Talley, Delbert Fowler and Dennis Fowlkes. All three went on to play football on Sundays; the current three just might do the same. You might not have heard of them yet, but their opponents can tell you all about them.
THE SACK IS BACK -- Accounting for just 18 quarterback sacks a year ago, the Mountaineers have made improvement in that category in 1993 with 26. More importantly, West Virginia's top three sack leaders are the heart of the defensive line. Barry Hawkins, Scott Gaskins and Steve Perkins each have recorded four sacks this season. In all, seven different Mountaineers have totalled two or more sacks and 11 players have at least one quarterback sack.
DON'T RANK ON THE RANKING -- Defeating three teams ranked in the final College Football Bowl Coalition Poll (No. 10 Miami, No. 15 Boston College and No. 22 Virginia Tech), West Virginia's 1993 performance will go down in school annals as one of the greatest in its 103-year history.
Including a win over Louisville (No. 25 in CNN/USA Today Coaches Poll), 1993 marks the first time West Virginia has been able to defeat four ranked opponents in one season. On five occasions (1954, 1982, 1983, 1984 and 1988), West Virginia has defeated two ranked teams in the same campaign.
Since the Associated Press Top 20 poll was established in 1936, West Virginia has defeated 20 ranked teams, with Coach Don Nehlen winning 11 of those games. Of the 11 wins under Nehlen, 10 have come when West Virginia was also ranked; Nehlen's record at WVU against ranked teams when also ranked is an impressive 10-6-1 (.618). Away from Morgantown, West Virginia is 4-3 when ranked while playing a ranked opponent.
OUT OF NOWHERE -- Not ranked in the preseason, West Virginia has had the longest climb to the top of the polls. Picked to finish fourth in the BIG EAST Conference, the Mountaineers did not enter the College Football Bowl Coalition Poll until September 27, after defeating Missouri 35-3. Rising steadily in the ensuing weeks, the Mountaineers' largest jump occurred after the 17-14 defeat of Miami, when WVU went from No. 8 to No. 3 in the poll.
THE CATCH! -- Down 14-9, West Virginia had the football on the Boston College 24 with 1:13 remaining in the game. Coach Don Nehlen called 81 Deep Switch, a read route intended to get single coverage on either flanker Ed Hill (lined up in the slot) or split end Mike Baker (split out wide), who were both running streak routes to the end zone.
The way the play was designed, it was up to quarterback Darren Studstill to find the single coverage. As the play unfolded, BC cornerback Michael Reed and safety Rob Clifford jumped on Baker, who was running to the post. That left Hill (who stands 6-4) in single coverage with 5-10 Eric Shorter in the corner of the end zone. Making the right read, Studstill lofted the ball toward the end zone and Hill beat Shorter to the football for the touchdown and the 15-14 lead, a catch that will forever be remembered as one of the greatest catches in Mountaineer history.
"When Darren threw the ball, I just went up and grabbed it," says Hill. "At the time, I didn't think about streaks or going undefeated. I was just happy we scored the touchdown."
The catch did more than just defeat Boston College. It preserved West Virginia's unbeaten season and propelled the Mountaineers from the Carquest to the Sugar Bowl. It also erased one of the most memorable drops in school history, which also involved Hill.
The senior vividly remembers the blunder.
"We were driving to beat Syracuse in 1991," Hill remembers. "There were about two minutes left in the game (2:03) when we had the ball. All through that drive, Coach Nehlen kept taking me out on passing plays and putting me back in on running plays. I kept pestering him on the sidelines until he finally put me into the game on a passing play with the ball near the 20.
"So Darren (Studstill) threw a perfect pass to me in the end zone and I dropped the pass. Syracuse ran out the clock and won the game 16-10."
Hill's drop put West Virginia at 6-5 instead of 7-4, which may have been good enough for a bowl bid. Ironically, according to Hill, the drop at Syracuse is more memorable to him than the catch at Boston College.
"To be honest, I will probably remember the drop more than I will the catch," he says. "That was the turning point in my football career here at West Virginia. I grew up a great deal after that game and it helped me as a person as well."
That it did.
Since that drop in 1991, Hill has caught at least one pass in 22 consecutive games, which includes the great 24-yarder against Boston College, his only catch of that BIG EAST title game. He snared a team-best 43 passes as a junior and has totalled 23 catches this year. Of his 78 career passes entering the Sugar Bowl, he will forever be remembered by Mountaineer fans for that one catch he made.
Hill will always remember the one he dropped.
100-YARD RECEIVERS UNDER NEHLEN -- A total of 15 players have gained at least 100 yards receiving on 31 occasions under Coach Don Nehlen. Jay Kearney (1992-93) leads the list of Nehlen players with five 100-yard receiving performances.
KELCHNER FOR GOVERNOR -- Jake Kelchner for governor of West Virginia? Sounds strange, but the senior quarterback will probably receive several write-in votes in the next gubernatorial election. Matching Major Harris and, much earlier, Jerry West in popularity, Kelchner has captured the hearts of Mountaineers everywhere.
Maybe West Virginians identify with his toughness. Or maybe it's his carefree attitude. More than likely, though, it's the fact that he absolutely refuses to lose, no matter how battered or beaten up his body may be.
"I've just always loved to win, loved to compete and loved to be the best," the quarterback says.
For a team that was average over the last couple of years, Kelchner has been a God-send. West Virginia is 14-3-2 in games when Kelchner plays, despite the fact that he often plays injured.
But that is nothing new. If you talk to one of the hundreds of Berwick, Pa., fans who travel to all of West Virginia's games, home or away, it's almost as if their hometown hero plays better hurt.
They talk about Kelchner playing an entire basketball season with a broken toe. Or how he tossed two touchdown passes against Aliquippa in the Pennsylvania state title game after missing practice the week of the game due to three broken knuckles on his left hand. Incidentally, Aliquippa was ranked No. 2 in the nation that year and had a pretty good player in current Los Angeles Ram Sean Gilbert.
Kelchner's injury dossier also includes a broken collarbone as a redshirt freshmen at Notre Dame, a swollen bursar sac in his elbow last year and the pulled hamstring this year. He has been injured so much that he is running out of places to get hurt. More likely he will find a way to hurt the opposition.
SNAKE BITES -- Despite falling just three attempts shy of claiming the NCAA passing efficiency title with a 176.0 rating, quarterback Jake Kelchner is still well on his way to becoming the most accurate passer in Mountaineer history. Completing an amazing 66 percent of his passes this season, the Snake has yet to complete less than half of his passes in a game this year. He has posted three games of 70 percent or better passing accuracy; his lowest completion percentages of the year were 50 percent against Virginia Tech (8-16) and Miami (6-12).
In 19 games as a Mountaineer, Kelchner has failed to complete at least half his passes on just three occasions. For his career, the Berwick, Pa., native has completed 61.3 percent of his passes (163-266), 3.9 points better than Mike Sherwood's school best of 57.4.
MOUNTAINEERS ON NETWORK TELEVISION -- In 17 previous appearances on ABC, West Virginia holds a 5-12 record, including a 3-7 mark in games on ABC during the Don Nehlen era. Under Nehlen, the Mountaineers hold a 17-18-1 overall record on national television including a 3-0 mark this year. All-time, West Virginia is 21-26-1 in nationally televised games dating back to the 1954 Sugar Bowl.
This year, the Mountaineers defeated Syracuse 43-0 on ESPN, Miami 17-14 on ABC and Boston College 17-14 on ESPN. Counting two additional games on the BIG EAST Network, the Mountaineers are a perfect 5-0 on live TV in 1993, having defeated Virginia Tech 14-13 and Pitt 45-21.
MOUNTAINEERS IN PRO STADIUMS -- During the Don Nehlen era, the Mountaineers hold a 10-4 mark in stadiums that also house professional football teams. That mark includes games played at Giants Stadium in New Jersey, Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Fulton County Stadium in Atlanta, the Houston Astrodome, Miami's Orange Bowl (when it was the home of the Dolphins), Riverfront Stadium in Cincinnati and Tempe's Sun Devil Stadium.
The Mountaineers are 1-0 in pro stadiums this season with a 49-7 victory over Temple at Veterans Stadium.
Overall under Nehlen, the Mountaineers are 2-1 in bowl games played in a pro facility and 4-2 all-time.
BIG FINISH MOUNTAINEERS -- On the year, West Virginia has outscored its opponents in every quarter on its way to racking up 401 total points. The Mountaineers have started slow at times, though, and have outscored their opponents only 86-41 in the first quarter before coming back for a 95-28 margin in the second quarter. The Mountaineers are averaging 16.5 points in the first half of play compared to just 6.3 for their opponents.
In the third quarter, West Virginia holds a 101-41 advantage over its opponents and a 119-61 edge in the final stanza. All told, West Virginia is averaging 36.5 points per game while giving up only 15.6.
IN THE RED ZONE -- When the Mountaineers have a first down inside the opponents' 20-yard line, West Virginia has scored 39 out of 53 times for a 73.6% success rate. Of those scores inside the 20, 24 have been touchdowns on running plays and nine have been touchdown passes. Of the missed opportunities on first-and-10 inside the 20, three were missed field goals, one was a blocked field goal, one was due to a fumble, one was due to an interception and five occurred at the end of the game.
RESPECTABLE -- There has been a lot of trash talk about West Virginia's strength of schedule over the last few weeks, but the bottom line is that the Mountaineer slate is a respectable one.
West Virginia has played five opponents who have been nationally ranked this season in Virginia Tech, Louisville, Syracuse, Miami and Boston College; four of those are bowl teams.
Louisville was undefeated at 5-0 when West Virginia beat the Cardinals and the Mountaineers handed Miami its first loss ever in the BIG EAST. West Virginia also won at Boston College just a week after the Eagles defeated Notre Dame at South Bend. West Virginia's 43-0 win at Syracuse came after the Orangemen were a preseason top five pick by the Associated Press and a contender for the national championship.
Much also has been said about the strength of the BIG EAST, but the conference has posted solid numbers. The eight teams in the BIG EAST compiled a non-conference mark of 22-10-1 and the four BIG EAST bowl teams turned in a 14-2 mark outside of the league.
SPREADING THE WEALTH -- West Virginia quarterbacks Jake Kelchner and Darren Studstill found plenty of targets as 15 different Mountaineers caught passes during 1993. Per game, the WVU quarterbacks have hit an average of 7.2 different targets.
For the year, West Virginia quarterbacks threw the ball 239 times and completed 152 aerials for a 64 percent completion rate. Kelchner and Studstill threw for 2,419 yards and 19 touchdowns. Leading the way in receptions and touchdowns was "Mr. Excitement" Mike Baker with 38 catches for 668 yards and five touchdowns followed by Jay Kearney with 25 catches and Ed Hill with 23.
Kearney, with his team-leading 27.6 yards per catch for the season, has a chance to eclipse Rich Hollins's 11-year record of 27.1 yards per reception. On the year, the Baker-Hill-Kearney trio has accounted for 86 receptions, 1,787 yards and 13 touchdowns.
TOTAL YARDS -- Leading the BIG EAST in scoring offense at 36.5 points per game, the Mountaineers rang up the big numbers in total offense as well during 1993. Failing to gain more than 300 total yards against only Miami (272) and Boston College (281), West Virginia had a 14-game streak of gaining at least 300 yards per game dating back to the 1992 Syracuse contest.
West Virginia topped 500 total yards against five teams in 1993: Maryland (542), Pitt (574), Syracuse (654), Rutgers (552) and Temple (614). And the Mountaineers, averaging 463.9 yards per game this season, just missed the school-record average of 465.9 yards per game set in 1988.
OH, BROTHER! -- It was a West Virginia first on September 25 when the Mountaineers hosted the Missouri Tigers. In the 35-3 rout, not only did two Washington brothers score, but they did so on opposite sides of the ball.
Sophomore tight end Charles Washington got the WVU scoring started on the day with a four-yard reception from Jake Kelchner for his first collegiate touchdown.
"When the play was called in the huddle, I knew that there was a good chance that the ball was coming my way," Charles said. "When Jake released the ball, it felt like it took years to reach me, and that the entire stadium was silent. I was glad when I pulled the ball in and got the score. That really felt good."
But the West Virginia victory soon became a family affair as younger brother Vann got in on the action in the fourth quarter.
"I was fortunate enough to grab an interception in our first two games and Charles was really happy for me. When he scored, the only thing I thought of was that I was proud that he got his chance and did well," Vann says. "He kept telling me that I had two interceptions and it was time for me to get one in for the score. I had no idea that it would come in the same game. When you think of it, that's pretty amazing."
Vann took a Jeff Handy pass and returned it 27 yards for the final score of the day and guess who was the first to greet him when he came off the field.
"I remember running over and hugging him," Charles says. "I look out for my little brother, and I knew he would do well. He's a great athlete and I'm sure that won't be his last score."
"When my brother ran up to hug me on the sideline, that was one of the proudest days of my life," Vann, who followed his brother to WVU from Jefferson High in Monticello, Fla., says. "Then it dawned on me that we both scored and I couldn't wait to get home and call Mom and Dad."
Sure, there have been brothers who have scored in the same game before, but try to find another brother duo that has scored for the same team and on opposite sides of the ball.
West Virginia's Washington brothers can brag about that one for a lifetime.
ROBERT WALKER -- Sophomore Robert Walker came to West Virginia with dreams of being an outstanding defensive player. Instead, he's now the school's all-time single-season rushing leader.
The Huntington, W.Va., native was recruited to play either defensive back or tailback. Spending most of his first two years at tailback, Walker was ready to make the move to the defensive side of the ball when injuries to veteran performers allowed him to showcase his talents in the '92 finale against Louisiana Tech. But 113 yards later, Walker stayed on offense.
This year as a sophomore, Walker was content to play and learn behind veteran Jon Jones before getting his chance next season. But when Jones suffered a fractured leg in the opener against Eastern Michigan, the job became his.
Now, 1,191 yards later, Walker is WVU's sixth 1,000-yard runner and its single-season rushing leader. After limited action in three of WVU's first four games, he became the first Mountaineer back ever to rush for 100 yards or more in six consecutive games and has accounted for 44 percent of the Mountaineer running game.
"It was one of my goals to rush for 1,000 yards, but I didn't think it would be this year. This was supposed to be Jon Jones' year, and I wanted to learn from him," says Walker. "He didn't deserve what happened, but he has been a great influence on my life and career."
Ironically, it was another of Walker's tailback mentors, Adrian Murrell, who was supposed to break Bob Gresham's 24-year-old record last season before succumbing to injury just 10 yards short. Murrell has gone on to play for the New York Jets; Walker has led the Mountaineers to an undefeated season.
MOUNTAINEER CLUB -- Admittance to the Mountaineer Club is the highest honor a West Virginia football player can receive. It means he has graded at least 80% in at least eight of West Virginia's 11 games this season. Mountaineer Club members for 1993 include: Mike Baker, Aaron Beasley, Rich Braham, Tim Brown, Mike Collins, Charles Emanuel, Jim Freeman, Scott Gaskins, Dan Harless, Barry Hawkins, Ed Hill, Jay Kearney, Jake Kelchner, Harold Kidd, Jim LeBlanc, Mike Logan, David Mayfield, Tommy Orr, Steve Perkins, Maurice Richards, Wes Richardson, Nate Rine, Tom Robsock, Todd Sauerbrun, Matt Taffoni, Keith Taparausky, Mark Ulmer, Robert Walker, Vann Washington, Darrick Wiley, Dale Williams and Rodney Woodard.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL'S BEST RELIEF PITCHER -- His fastball is average, he doesn't throw a slider and his off-speed stuff often sails over the opposition.
That doesn't matter, though, because Darren Studstill is, without question, the best relief pitcher in all of college football. Unfortunately, it's taken West Virginia fans the better part of five years to realize that Studstill is a first-rate college quarterback.
"It seemed like every time I came into a game the last couple of years, I would get booed," the senior remembers.
Last year in the third game of the season against Maryland, the booing came to a climax. Down 17-14 to the Terrapins at halftime, Studstill replaced an injured Jake Kelchner for the second half. Falling behind 33-14 after the three quarters, West Virginia fell victim to a deafening chorus of boos, primarily targeted at Studstill and Coach Don Nehlen for playing him.
Then with 14:48 remaining in the fourth quarter, Studstill began a comeback that ranks as the biggest in school history. Engineering an 11-play drive, he culminated the march with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Adrian Murrell.
Two series later, Studstill was at it again, this time directing a nine-play, 73-yard drive that ended with a beautiful six-yard scoring strike to Ed Hill.
Down 33-28 with 3:21 left, West Virginia had one last crack at Maryland. After three unsuccessful plays, WVU was faced with a fourth-and-11 deep in its own territory. Using his uncanny ability to avoid oncoming rushers, Studstill hit Jay Kearney down the middle for 21 yards and a Mountaineer first down. Three plays later Studstill found Adrian Murrell 20 yards downfield for the winning touchdown.
"That game was my proudest moment," Studstill recalls. "The fans were booing and it was just a tough situation. I just kept fighting and we were able to turn the game around."
It wasn't Studstill's first great moment. Just a year prior, he engineered a fourth-quarter comeback against Boston College, culminating with a spectacular 40-yard touchdown pass to Mike Beasley with 24 seconds remaining to produce a 31-24 Mountaineer victory.
With those two miracle performances in mind, Studstill's Boston College achievements of a month ago seem almost instinctive. It was Studstill who, again, led WVU from 11 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Eagles 17-14 in a game that put WVU in the Sugar Bowl.
The gifted signal caller has no simple explanation for his late-game heroics. "I can't really explain it," he says. "I've been in certain situations and I just try to stay calm."
Ranked among West Virginia's all-time top passers with 3,138 yards and 27 TD passes, Studstill has accomplished all of this despite starting only 16 games over four years. And classier than his critics, he holds no grudges.
"As a whole, our fans have rallied behind us this year and have been great," he says. "I just wish that before fans pass judgement that they would try to understand what we are going through out there."
And remember the reliever who has put out the fire.
ALL-AMERICAN WALK-ON -- Mountaineer left tackle Rich Braham is no Rudy. An unrecruited walk-on from University High School in Morgantown, Braham did more than just make the Mountaineer team -- he became one of college football's finest offensive linemen.
According to the senior co-captain, his career at West Virginia has been a dream come true.
"It's been a great feeling for me to start at the bottom and to end up on top," says the senior, who was voted the Mountaineers' most valuable player by his teammates this season. "I set goals for myself after each season and I kept reaching them."
Beginning with earning a scholarship after his redshirt year, Braham then worked his way as a freshman into a starting berth at left tackle. This year, that climb culminated when Braham was selected for the Kodak All-America team.
"Being an All-American is just a dream for me," he says. "My whole career at West Virginia has been great and I have nothing but good things to say about the coaching staff for the way they have treated me."
A legitimate NFL prospect, Braham distinctively remembers when he finally felt like he had made the grade.
"I knew I belonged here after the last practice of my first year," he remembers. "Mike Fox (now with the New York Giants) beat the crap out of me all year and I never quit. After the last practice, he came over to me and told me that I was going to be a good football player. That's when I realized that I was good enough to play Division I football."
Mike Fox was right.
LEAVING IN STYLE -- When senior Mike Collins was selected as captain of the 1993 football squad, it became the latest high point in a long line of successes.
Over the last five seasons, Collins has evolved from a marginal college prospect to a critically acclaimed strong safety. As a four-year starter, he has established a new Mountaineer record for pass breakups and etched his name on the top 10 career lists for tackles and interceptions. But Collins came to West Virginia to accomplish another task.
The year was 1988. The Mountaineers had enjoyed their best season in history and banged on the door for a national title, while some 250 miles down the road, Collins was finishing an all-state career at Huntington High, in the backyard of Marshall, a perennial Division I-AA contender.
When WVU coach Don Nehlen extended an invitation to join the Mountaineers, Collins was only too happy to accept, to keep the West Virginia team he grew up watching on the path to national success.
"I came to West Virginia with the expectation of being in a bowl game five years in a row," says Collins, a redshirt freshman when the Mountaineers made their last bowl appearance at the 1989 Gator Bowl. "Unfortunately, that dream hasn't worked out the way that I envisioned.
"The one thing that the seniors wanted to do heading into this season was to get this program the national respect it had before we got here."
Going 11-0 and playing in the Sugar Bowl has certainly done that. After Mike Collins gives it his all one last time in New Orleans, he can proudly leave the Superdome and leave West Virginia football the way he found it -- as a national contender.
Return to Big Dream, a Little Luck
TV Highlights: Morgantown Regional vs. Binghamton
Saturday, May 30
NCAA Regional - WVU Baseball | May 29
Saturday, May 30
NCAA Regional - WVU Baseball | May 28
Thursday, May 28
WVU Wrestling: Built to Contend. Building to Win.
Wednesday, May 27
