Football: WVU 5th in AP Poll
January 05, 2006 10:42 AM | General
January 5, 2006
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MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia’s 38-35 upset victory over Georgia in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl in Atlanta propelled the Mountaineers to their first Top-5 finish in the national rankings since 1988 in the final Associated Press Top 25 football poll, released this morning.
Coach Rich Rodriguez’ 11-1 Mountaineers finished fifth in the AP poll behind national champion Texas, USC, Orange Bowl winner Penn State and Fiesta Bowl winner Ohio State. West Virginia finished sixth in the USA Today Coaches Poll behind Texas, USC, Penn State, Ohio State and Peach Bowl champion LSU.
Big East member Louisville finished 19th in the AP poll and 20th in the USA Today poll.
This is the second time Rodriguez has had a WVU team in the final rankings (2002) since he’s been at West Virginia, and it’s just the fourth time in school history the Mountaineers have finished ranked in the Top 10. The previous three times were in 1953 (10th), 1988 (fifth) and 1993 (seventh).
West Virginia’s 11 victories equaled the 1988 and 1993 teams for the most in school history, and its Sugar Bowl win was its first BCS bowl title ever.
Sugar Bowl victim Georgia finished 10th in both polls.
