Countdown to Kickoff
November 17, 2007 12:23 PM | General
November 17, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Cincinnati’s Nippert Stadium is the site of tonight’s key Big East Conference football match up between No. 5-rated West Virginia and No. 21 Cincinnati.
The surging Bearcats come into the game having won their last two games against South Florida and Connecticut to get back into the Big East race.
West Virginia (8-1) controls its own destiny for a Big East title if it can win out against Cincinnati, Connecticut and Pitt.
ESPN (Mike Patrick, Todd Blackledge and Holly Rowe) will televise the game in primetime at 7:45.
Here is tonight’s Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – Cincinnati’s starting cornerback duo of Mike Mickens and DeAngelo Smith have combined for TEN interceptions this year, picking off five each.
9 – New Bearcats coach Brian Kelly has won NINE of his first 11 games at Cincinnati including an International Bowl game triumph last year. Kelly is 11th among active coaches with a career .731 winning percentage.
8 – Cincinnati has won just EIGHT games against nationally teams in its history, posting an 8-60 all-time record. Tonight is the first time this season the Bearcats play host to a nationally rated team.
7 – Patrick White ranks SEVENTH in school history in career touchdown passes with 32. White needs three TD passes to move ahead of Mike Sherwood into sixth place with 34.
6 – West Virginia boasts SIX players that have made 10 or more consecutive starts heading into tonight’s Cincinnati game: Keilen Dykes (40), Eric Wicks (34), Ryan Stanchek (30), Steve Slaton (29), Greg Isdaner (21) and Patrick White (10).
5 – West Virginia’s pass defense has allowed FIVE touchdown passes of 38 yards or longer this year including a 61-yard TD pass at Syracuse. The two longest touchdown passes allowed by the WVU defense have come on the road.
4 – The Mountaineers have won FOUR times on the road already with victories at Marshall, Maryland, Syracuse and Rutgers. WVU’s only loss this season was a 21-13 decision at South Florida on Sept. 28.
3 – Cincinnati ranks THIRD in the nation in turnover margin at plus-1.60. The Bearcats have forced four or more turnovers in five of 10 games this year.
2 – West Virginia scored all 42 of its points last year against Cincinnati in TWO quarters of play. The Mountaineers posted 21-point second and third quarters to record a 42-24 victory over the Bearcats in Morgantown.
1 – Quarterback Patrick White ranks FIRST in Big East history in quarterback rushing yards with 2,974 heading into the Cincinnati game.
Enjoy the game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete post-game coverage.
