Brawl Bits
November 28, 2009 01:37 PM | General
(1:35 pm)
 |
|
| Tyler Bitancurt |
Bill Stewart had no words of encouragement for Tyler Bitancurt before he ran out onto the field to try his game winning field goal. Stewart was treating Bitancurt like a pitcher going into the ninth inning with a no-hitter – he didn’t want to jinx his freshman kicker.
“I looked at everybody but him,” said Stewart. “I looked at the snapper and said, ‘Well that won’t be bad luck.’ I snapped when I played – nobody else wanted to do it. I wasn’t real good but I’ve been in that situation. Jeremy Kash came right up to me and I said, ‘Knock it in big fella.’”
Before that, Stewart was actually displeased with Bitancurt because of his kickoffs.
“I told him to squib kick before the half and he hit the ball down there like a line drive,” Stewart said. “At the end I said I want you to squib again and he said, ‘I can’t do that the way you want it. Let Josh kick it.’
“That’s a pretty good teammate.”
There are four key parts to a successful field goal: snap, hold, protection and kick. All four were flawless Friday night.
“Cody Nutter who snaps the ball, Jeremy Kash who holds the ball because I benched him last year and his backup dropped the extra point in that 19-15 loss (at Pitt). We would have been going for three that day instead of six. But I’m real proud of Jeremy Kash the way he came back this season.
“And most importantly I’m real proud of Tyler Bitancurt. I personally recruited him and that’s special,” Stewart added.
Stewart had a simple explanation for not trying the field goal at the Pitt 1 on earlier in the game, “I wanted to win,” he said. “I didn’t want to kick field goals against the eighth-ranked team in the country. The coaches were yelling at me. I said, ‘I’m going for the jugular. I don’t care.’ When we scored that touchdown to go up 13-6, I said. “Whoa.’ That made me feel better.”
 |
|
| Noel Devine |
Stewart said the Devine 88-yard touchdown run was an old play from the past.
“It was a trap. Woody Hayes, Frank Kush, Don Nehlen. Trap. We don’t even have it anymore. I’m probably the only coach today who calls a trap in modern day football so you’re looking at a genius,” Stewart said to laughter.
“(Devine) saw the guy squeeze it,” Stewart continued. “A good back has to trust his guard. He saw that guy squeeze and he bounced it (the first time they ran the trap). Chris Beatty told him, ‘Do not bounce that again. If you see a truck, you trust that guard will get movement.’ He trusted and I just closed my eyes. I just heard the crowd and I saw him come out and I said, ‘He’s out!’”
Stewart singled out the big-time tackle made by Keith Tandy on Jonathan Baldwin midway through the third quarter when Tandy was one on one with Baldwin near the sideline. If Tandy doesn’t get Baldwin to the ground he may have taken it all the way.
“That was a big play,” said Stewart.
The view from above was that Robert Sands played his best game of the year for the Mountaineers. It wasn’t a coincidence considering that Sands nearly committed to Pitt before choosing West Virginia.
There were two differences this year from West Virginia’s previous two losses to Pitt in 2008 and 2007. One, West Virginia made the tough yards Friday night, especially the fourth-and-inches run by Ryan Clarke that set up the game-winning field goal. That was something West Virginia worked on religiously last spring.
And two, Pitt was the team that made the critical turnovers this year. Both of Bill Stull’s interceptions led to points for the Mountaineers. West Virginia was miscue free.
How about this for oddball? West Virginia has now defeated Pitt the last three times the Panthers have been nationally ranked in 2009, 2003 and 2002. Plus, including the tie in 1989, the Mountaineers are 4-0-1 in their last five games against nationally ranked Pitt teams.
West Virginia All-Time vs. Ranked Panther Teams
2009, W, 19-16 vs. No. 8 Pitt
2003, W, 52-31 vs. No. 16 Pitt
2002, W, 24-17 vs. No. 17 Pitt
1989, T, 31-31 vs. No. 10 Pitt
1988, W, 31-10 vs. No. 16 Pitt
1982, L, 13-16 vs. No. 2 Pitt
1981, L, 0-17 vs. No. 4 Pitt
1980, L, 14-42 vs. No. 11 Pitt
1979, L, 17-24 vs. No. 12 Pitt
1978, L, 7-52 vs. No. 20 Pitt
1977, L, 3-44 vs. No. 12 Pitt
1976, L, 16-24 vs. No. 1 Pitt
1975, W, 17-14 vs. No. 20 Pitt
1963, L, 10-13 vs. No. 3 Pitt
1959, W, 23-15 vs. No. 20 Pitt
1956, L, 13-14 vs. No. 10 Pitt
1955, L, 7-26 vs. No. 17 Pitt
1953, W, 17-7 vs. No. 17 Pitt
1952, W, 16-0 vs. No. 18 Pitt
1949, L, 7-20 vs. No. 19 Pitt
 |
|
| Don Nehlen |
West Virginia’s victory over eighth-ranked Pitt Friday night at Milan Puskar Stadium was just the ninth time in school history the Mountaineers have defeated a Top 10-ranked team. Bill Stewart owns two of those victories, also beating No. 3-ranked Oklahoma in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Don Nehlen has the most victories over Top 10-ranked teams in school history (three), followed by Stewart and Rich Rodriguez (two each). Gene Corum and Art Lewis had one each.
West Virginia’s Wins Over Top 10-Ranked Teams
Nov. 27, 2009 vs. No. 8 Pitt (19-16)
Jan. 2, 2008 vs. No. 3 Oklahoma (48-28)
Jan. 2, 2006 vs. No. 8 Georgia (38-35)
Oct. 22, 2003 vs. No. 3 Virginia Tech (28-7)
Nov. 20, 1993 vs. No. 4 Miami (17-14)
Oct. 20, 1984 vs. No. 4 Boston College (21-20)
Sept. 11, 1982 vs. No. 9 Oklahoma (41-27)
Nov. 21, 1964 vs. No. 9 Syracuse (28-27)
Oct. 16, 1954 vs. No. 9 Penn State (19-14)
How often has West Virginia run the table at home? Well, this year marks just the sixth time since 1948 that WVU has won all of its home football games. The Mountaineers’ 7-0 record at home this year equals the 1993 team for the most home victories in a single season.
“We’re not as talented maybe as a lot of people and we don’t win very pretty - and we’re going to try and work on that,” said Stewart, “but what we do seem to stumble through and bounce into and roll around in is that we find ways to win.”
Undefeated-Untied Home Seasons Since 1950
1962, 5-0
1969, 5-0
1983, 6-0
1988, 6-0
1993, 7-0
2009, 7-0
“I’ve been here 10 years now and I can’t ever remember that happening,” said Stewart. “That’s a pretty good accomplishment. I know a lot of them aren’t signature wins but they’re wins. The people here in these beautiful hills that support and revere these players appreciate that. That’s a real tribute to our senior class.”
