Countdown to Kickoff
November 07, 2008 04:02 PM | General
November 7, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia puts its undefeated Big East record on the line Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium when the 6-2 Cincinnati Bearcats visit for a 7 pm game to be televised nationally on ESPNU (Clay Matvick and David Diaz-Infante).
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| The only known picture of the most famous kick in WVU history shows Bill McKenzie's game-winner sailing through the air. It happened 33 years ago to the day.
Submitted photo |
Cincinnati bounced back from its 40-16 loss at Connecticut to defeat South Florida 24-10 in Cincinnati on Thursday, Oct. 30. Cincinnati has had 10 days to prepare for the Mountaineers, which won their fifth in a row with a 35-13 win at Connecticut a week ago.
West Virginia and Cincinnati have hooked up 16 times on the gridiron with the Mountaineers claiming 14 of those contests. There was one tie in Morgantown in 1940. Cincinnati’s lone victory in the series also came in Morgantown in 2003, 15-13.
Here is Saturday’s Countdown to Kickoff:
10 – West Virginia has won TEN times in football games played on November 8. The most famous of those victories was a 17-14 win over Pitt in 1975 on the final play of the game when Bill McKenzie kicked a 38-yard field goal with no time on the clock. The only known picture of McKenzie’s boot was sent to the Sports Communications Office recently by Dr. Carolyn Atkins, who snapped a photo of McKenzie’s kick as the ball sailed toward the bowl end of old Mountaineer Field. Saturday is the 33rd anniversary of one of the most famous plays in school history.
9 – The Mountaineers have lost only NINE night games this decade, going 26-9 during that span of time.
8 – Sophomore Jock Sanders leads West Virginia with EIGHT touchdowns. Sanders shows five TD catches and three rushing scores with three touchdowns coming in last Saturday’s win at Connecticut.
7 – SEVEN West Virginia players have 12 or more consecutive starts heading into Saturday’s game against Cincinnati. Offensive tackle Ryan Stanchek leads the way with 42 straight starts, followed by 33 from offensive guard Greg Isdaner, and 21 each from center Mike Dent and linebacker Mortty Ivy.
6 – The Mountaineers have lost only SIX games with Pat White as the starting quarterback. West Virginia is 31-6 in games White has started since his freshman season in 2005.
5 – Cincinnati has won FIVE of its last six games including a 24-10 win over South Florida on Thursday, Oct. 30. The Bearcats have surrendered only 72 points in their six victories as compared to 92 points in their two losses to Oklahoma and Connecticut.
4 – West Virginia has only lost FOUR times in its last 24 Big East games dating back to 2005. Two of those losses have come in Morgantown.
3 – In West Virginia’s last THREE games against Cincinnati the Mountaineers have averaged more than 300 yards and four touchdowns per game on the ground.
2 – West Virginia has overcome halftime deficits in each of its last TWO games against Auburn and Connecticut. In both victories the Mountaineer defense pitched second-half shutouts.
1 – West Virginia quarterback Pat White is ranked FIRST in the Big East in passing efficiency with a 148.1 rating. Second is Cincinnati’s Tony Pike with a 147.3 passer rating.
Enjoy Saturday’s game and be sure to stop back afterward for complete post-game coverage.
