Mountaineers Fall
September 06, 2008 06:13 PM | Football
East Carolina’s defense shut down West Virginia’s high-powered offense and the Pirates were able to capitalize on some early Mountaineer turnovers to defeat No. 8-rated West Virginia, 24-3, Saturday evening at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
West Virginia, 1-1, failed to score an offensive touchdown for the first time since suffering a 45-3 setback at Miami on Oct. 25, 2001 – a span of 79 games. It was East Carolina’s third victory over the Mountaineers in a series that spans 20 games and dates back to 1970.
Pirate quarterback Patrick Pinkney completed 22 of 29 passes for 236 yards and a touchdown, and the ECU offense had a 386-251 advantage in total yardage.
The Pirates finished the game rushing 42 times for 143 yards with Williams leading the way with 69 yards on 17 carries.
West Virginia, 1-1, managed just 251 yards of offense and an average of 4.6 yards per play against the Pirates. The Mountaineers had only 12 first downs and was just 3 of 12 on third-down conversions.
Quarterback Pat White was 11 of 18 passing but netted only 72 yards through the air. Most of White’s passes were at the line of scrimmage where East Carolina defenders were able to tackle the Mountaineer receivers.
White led the Mountaineers with 97 yards rushing on 20 carries, while Noel Devine finished with 94 yards on 12 carries. White was sacked three times.
East Carolina took control of the game from the outset, driving 80 yards on its opening possession and scoring on a Jon Williams 5-yard touchdown run. The Pirates converted a pair of third-down conversions on the drive including a 35-yard pass to a wide-open Jamar Bryant down the near sideline on third and nine to take the football to the Mountaineer seven.
Two plays later, Williams was standing in the end zone.
The Pirates tacked on three more points with 9:14 expired on the clock in the second quarter when Ben Ryan knocked through a 42-yard field goal. The drive began at the Pirate 39 yard line and covered 14 plays before stalling at the WVU 25.
West Virginia followed with its best drive of the first half, reaching the East Carolina nine before stalling. The big play was a 34-yard run by Noel Devine on a draw play that took the football to the Pirate 17. A White sack of seven yards and a screen pass to Devine that lost a yard presented West Virginia with a third and 18 and the Pirate 25.
White managed to elude pressure and run the ball to the ECU nine - two yards short of the first down marker. That forced Pat McAfee to kick of 26 yard field goal.
After a Ryan missed field goal, the Pirates were right back in business after Jock Sanders fumbled a pass out in the flat that Marcus Hands recovered at the West Virginia 35.
Four plays later, Pinkney connected with tight end Alex Taylor on a 13-yard scoring play that gave East Carolina a two-touchdown advantage right before the end of the half. Time ran out on the Mountaineers in the first half with the football at the Mountaineer 38.
West Virginia’s offense appeared to get life at the start of the second half when Devine carried the ball 29 yards to the Pirate 35. But minimal gains by White and Devine forced a third and nine at the Pirate 34 where White was sacked for a four-yard loss.
West Virginia chose to punt the football at the Pirate 38 and McAfee’s kick was fair caught at the ECU 14.
On their ensuing possession the Pirates put the game away with a 12-play drive that covered 84 yards in 6:05. The dagger was a third and 13 at the Mountaineer 44 when Pinkney found Brandon Simmons for 14 yards to the WVU 30.
The Pirates converted another third-down play at the WVU 22 when Jon Williams got eight yards on third and two to place the ball to 14. Two more Williams’ runs got East Carolina’s third touchdown of the game.
West Virginia’s last penetration into ECU territory in the fourth quarter to the Pirate 47 ended when White’s sideline pass to Dorrell Jalloh was stopped five yards short of the sticks on fourth and seven.
West Virginia returns to the road to face a 2-0 Colorado team on Thursday, Sept. 18, in a game that will be televised on ESPN. The Buffs held off Eastern Washington 31-24 earlier today.
SCORING SUMMARY
ECU - Williams 5 run (Ryan kick)
ECU - Ryan 42 FG
WV - McAfee 26 FG
ECU - Taylor 13 pass from Pinkney (Ryan kick)
ECU - Williams 1 run (Ryan kick)
