Football: WVU 24th in Coaches' Poll
August 06, 2010 10:49 AM | General
August 6, 2010
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| Noel Devine |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia is tied with Utah for 24th in the preseason USA Today Coaches’ Top 25 football poll, released today.
The Mountaineers are coming off a 9-4 season in 2009 that featured an eighth consecutive bowl appearance against Florida State in the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl.
Coach Bill Stewart has 19 starters returning this fall, including Heisman Trophy candidate Noel Devine, who rushed for a career-best 1,465 yards and scored 13 touchdowns as a junior in 2009. Defensively, WVU has nine starters returning from a unit that ranked 31st in the country in scoring defense.
All eyes will be on sophomore quarterback Geno Smith, a former Parade All-American who is expected to take over the quarterbacking duties in 2010. Smith completed 32 of 49 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown in five games last year as a true freshman.
Two Mountaineer opponents were in the preseason coaches’ poll: Pitt (Nov. 26) begins the year ranked 15th and LSU (Sept. 25) is ranked 16th. This marks the 14th time West Virginia has made the preseason poll and the fifth since 2004. In 2008, Stewart’s first season coaching the Mountaineers, WVU began the year ranked No. 8.
West Virginia opens the 2010 season on Saturday, Sept. 4 against Coastal Carolina at Milan Puskar Stadium. Tickets are still available for all games and can be purchased online at WVUGAME.com or by calling the Mountaineer Ticket Office toll-free at 1-800-WVU GAME.
