Liberty Notes

MSNsportsNET.com
September 5, 2009

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Postgame notes following West Virginia's 33-20 season-opening victory over Liberty at Milan Puskar Stadium:


	Jarrett Brown passed for 243 yards and ran for a touchdown to lead West Virginia to a 33-20 victory over Liberty Saturday in Morgantown. All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks

West Virginia game captains for the Liberty game were Nate Sowers, Jarrett Brown, Reed Williams and Selvish Capers. Coach Bill Stewart selects game captains each week. Team captains will be elected at the end of the season.

Josh Jenkins and Joe Madsen were first-time starters today for the Mountaineers. A total of 31 Mountaineer players have made at least one career start, led by Scooter Berry’s 24th start today.

Tyler Bitancurt kicked his first collegiate field goal in the first quarter, a 38-yard make on WVU’s first drive. Bitancurt added a 35-yard field goal and a 45-yard field goal in the second quarter. He added a 36-yard field goal attempt in the third quarter.

Bitcancurt tied a Milan Puskar Stadium record with four field goals. The last time a Mountaineer kicker made four field goals in a game was Pat McAfee against Rutgers in 2006.

Ryan Clarke’s two-yard touchdown run in the first quarter came on his first career carry.

Quarterback Jarrett Brown posted his eighth career rushing touchdown with a 22-yard rush in the second quarter.

Scott Kozlowski’s 40-yard punt in the third quarter was his first punt since the Louisville game in 2006.

Brown went over 200 yards passing for the second time in his career. The other was a 244-yard performance against Rutgers in 2006.

Noel Devine went over 2,000 yards rushing for his career today. He becomes the 15th Mountaineer to rush for 2000 yards in a row.

Robert Sands posted the first interception of his career in the fourth quarter. WVU is 50-3 since 2002 when it wins the turnover battle.

Noel Devine’s 24-yard touchdown run in the fourth quarter was his 11th rushing touchdown of his career. It also put him over 100 yards rushing for the game, the 9th time in his career he went over the century mark.

WVU is 43-9 over the last 52 games.

WVU has won 54 of its last 66 regular-season games. WVU has won 58 of 72 overall games.

Senior quarterback Jarrett Brown is 3-0 as the Mountaineer starter. WVU is 14-2 when Brown throws at least one pass in a game.

WVU is now 94-29-4 in season openers, including 92-18-6 in home openers. The Mountaineers have won six home openers in a row, including 10 of the last 11.

West Virginia’s first play of the year was a 15-yard pass from Brown to Lyons. Five of the Mountaineers’ seven plays on their opening drive were passes; Brown was pressured on another pass attempt and scrambled for four yards on one of the three running plays during the drive.

West Virginia’s redshirt freshman kicker Tyler Bitancurt was tested right off the bat with a 38-yard field goal attempt that split the uprights. He made three more after that of 35, 45 yards and 36 yards.

The kickoff team is still a work in progress. West Virginia’s first kickoff was returned 45 yards by Mike Brown to the Mountaineer 49. That return and a personal foul on Robert Sands led to a Liberty field goal.

Liberty finished the first half with 117 yards in kickoff returns for an average of 29.3 yards per return.

Liberty finished the first quarter 82 total yards and three first downs against West Virginia’s defense. The Flames got 62 yards in the second quarter.

On fourth and two at the West Virginia 20 and Beecher hit an uncovered Brown for a 20-yard touchdown.

On third and three at the Liberty 42, Sanders caught a short pass over the middle that looked like first down yardage but he gave up ground to get more and ended up a yard short of the sticks. Then, Scott Kozlowski’s punt from the Liberty 40 sailed in the end zone give West Virginia a net of just 20 yards.

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