Countdown to Kickoff
October 13, 2006 10:38 AM | General
October 13, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia (5-0) plays host to Syracuse (3-3) on Saturday, Oct. 14, for a 2006 homecoming game at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000) in Morgantown. Kickoff is set for noon. The game will be televised as the Big East game of the week (Dave Sims, John Congemi and Quint Kessenich). Sirius Satellite Radio users can access the game at channel 152; Internet users can follow the game on CSTV All Access.
No tickets remain for the game. The winner of Saturday’s game receives the Floyd “Ben” Schwartzwalder trophy, initiated in 1993 to honor the memory of the former West Virginia graduate and hall of fame Syracuse coach. The trophy was first presented in 1994.
Here is Saturday’s Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – West Virginia and Syracuse have played to a 5-5 tie in series play over the last TEN years. Syracuse owns the overall series record by a 30-23 count, although West Virginia has taken the last four games.
9 – West Virginia’s defense ranks NINTH in the country in scoring defense permitting just 12.2 points per game. WVU is also ninth in pass efficiency defense with a 97.60 rating.
8 – This week is West Virginia’s EIGHTH straight week in the Top 10 dating back to last year. It is WVU’s second longest tenure in the Top 10; the longest was a 12-week streak in 1988.
7 – In five games this year the WVU defense has permitted just SEVEN first-quarter points. The Mountaineers are outscoring their opponents 70-7 in the first quarter this year.
6 – After going sack-less in its first five games, the Mountaineer defense recorded SIX sacks in last week’s 42-14 win at Mississippi State.
5 – The Mountaineers have won their first FIVE games for the first time under Coach Rich Rodriguez and the first time since 1996 when WVU began the year 7-0. It’s the 12th time in school history a Mountaineer team has started the year 5-0.
4 – Steve Slaton has run for more than 100 yards in FOUR of five games this year. Slaton’s season high was 203 yards in the season opener against Marshall.
3 – Mountaineer running back Steve Slaton ranks THIRD in the nation in rushing averaging 153.6 yards per game. Slaton has rushed for 972 yards in his last 21 quarters of action.
2 – West Virginia’s 12 straight wins dating back to last year is the nation’s SECOND longest winning streak trailing just Ohio State with 13 consecutive wins.
1 – WVU is ranked FIRST in the Big East and second in the country in rushing averaging 302.6 yards per game.
Enjoy the game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete post-game coverage.
