Photo by: Steven Prunty
Wednesday Edition of Football Friday - Baylor Preview
October 24, 2018 07:30 PM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – What is it about night college football road games these days?
Just a week and a half ago, then sixth-ranked West Virginia was treated to a pyrotechnic display out in Ames, Iowa, that would make John Leonard Orr smile.
The fireworks began before the game even started when Iowa State ran onto the field underneath shooting flames, and it continued once the all-black-clad Cyclones started playing.
"You were there," quarterback Will Grier said earlier this week. "It was a crazy atmosphere, and it was fun. Every person on that field played hard. They made tackles and they made blocks and it was a tough game. That's what we have to do moving forward."
When it was over, everyone dressed in white was left wondering what in the hell just happened?
Then, last Saturday night, we saw once again what teams can do after dark when Purdue stunned second-ranked Ohio State in similar fashion.
The Boilermakers (decked out in all-black) jumped on Ohio State to the point where the Buckeyes didn't leave West Lafayette – they had to be evacuated. And if I'm not mistaken, Ohio State is one of those football programs that picks its players instead of taking the players it can get.
"That's how you have to play football every week to win," Grier pointed out. "We've got to get our guys motivated to play every snap with that energy (Iowa State) did and like Purdue did. That's how you win in college football – by playing with crazy energy on every snap."
Watching what happened to the Buckeyes on TV at Purdue was reminiscent of the Do Lung Bridge scene in the movie Apocalypse Now. The only thing missing was Lance, although he might have been on the other end of the headsets Urban Meyer was using last Saturday night.
That was what West Virginia encountered when it played out in Ames. Now, the shoe goes on the other foot for the Mountaineers.
It's time for West Virginia to fire up those lights at Milan Puskar Stadium and see what kind of crazy the Mountaineer fans can unleash on Baylor Thursday night.
Night games in Morgantown can get a little weird, too.
Of course you remember what happened when 60,765 assembled at Milan Puskar Stadium to watch West Virginia play Auburn on a Thursday night back in 2008?
Tommy Tuberville sure does.
How about in 2009 when 60,055 came out for a Thursday night game against Colorado? WVU put 35 on the scoreboard against the Buffaloes back when 30 points was rarely a number most fans from Weirton to Welch, Martinsburg to Matewan and all points in between thought possible from their Mountaineers.
How about the Louisville game on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007, when Pat White took off from the 50-yard line with 1:36 left in the game and kept on running right out of the stadium to beat the Cardinals?
There were 60,992 there to celebrate that memorable 38-31 WVU victory.
Or what about what West Virginia did to Maryland on a Thursday night back in 2006 when Steve Slaton kept hitting the circle button like the kids do today on Madden football? That game was over as soon as the Mountaineers ran out of the tunnel, and the 60,513 who showed up for that one couldn't have been more delighted.
And even when the place isn't entirely full, West Virginia has still performed well under the Morgantown weekday lights.
The Mountaineers defeated USF 20-6 on a Thursday night back in 2010 in front 55,000. Frigid temperatures may have scared away 8,000 paying customers, but it didn't affect the players during a Thursday night Backyard Brawl whipping in 2005.
Come to think of it, Pitt didn't show up that night either.
Or what about the Thursday night back in 2004 when 52,909 showed up to watch West Virginia put one on Syracuse, 27-6.
It was the loudest 52,000 you ever heard.
Even way back in 1994, when frigid temperatures and a Thanksgiving holiday recess kept just about everyone away except for the two teams, the Mountaineers blanked 22nd-ranked Syracuse, 13-0, on a late November Thursday night.
Wednesday nights have been special, too. Who will ever forget West Virginia beating third-ranked Virginia Tech 28-7 on a mid-October weekday night back in 2003?
Frank Beamer didn't, which is why he never returned to Morgantown once the longtime annual series with the Hokies concluded in 2005 after Virginia Tech left for the ACC.
In all, West Virginia is an impressive 10-1 in regular season midweek night games at Milan Puskar Stadium dating back to 1994. The Mountaineers have won in good weather, and they've won in bad weather.
Well, the forecast is calling for clear skies and great mid-October football weather when West Virginia takes on Baylor in the first Thursday night football game in Morgantown since 2014.
This is a game the Mountaineers badly need to remain in the Big 12 title hunt, but the 4-3 Bears will not be willing accomplices. We saw that 11 days ago when they took Texas down to the final play of the game.
The players admit they feed off the home-crowd atmosphere, and they're eager to have those pyrotechnics aimed at the other guys this time around.
"Our crowd is awesome and when they're loud and involved and into it it's great for our team," Grier said. "You see that at Penn State and some other great college atmospheres around the country. It affects the game with their energy."
"It's going to be a nice atmosphere from a fan aspect and from a player aspect," linebacker David Long Jr. added. "A lot of people are eager to get back out there just to show everyone that (the Iowa State loss) was just a hiccup in the road and not to get too out of whack with one loss.
"We just had some glitches and we messed up and now we've got to prove ourselves this time around," he concluded.
Just a week and a half ago, then sixth-ranked West Virginia was treated to a pyrotechnic display out in Ames, Iowa, that would make John Leonard Orr smile.
The fireworks began before the game even started when Iowa State ran onto the field underneath shooting flames, and it continued once the all-black-clad Cyclones started playing.
"You were there," quarterback Will Grier said earlier this week. "It was a crazy atmosphere, and it was fun. Every person on that field played hard. They made tackles and they made blocks and it was a tough game. That's what we have to do moving forward."
When it was over, everyone dressed in white was left wondering what in the hell just happened?
Then, last Saturday night, we saw once again what teams can do after dark when Purdue stunned second-ranked Ohio State in similar fashion.
The Boilermakers (decked out in all-black) jumped on Ohio State to the point where the Buckeyes didn't leave West Lafayette – they had to be evacuated. And if I'm not mistaken, Ohio State is one of those football programs that picks its players instead of taking the players it can get.
"That's how you have to play football every week to win," Grier pointed out. "We've got to get our guys motivated to play every snap with that energy (Iowa State) did and like Purdue did. That's how you win in college football – by playing with crazy energy on every snap."
Watching what happened to the Buckeyes on TV at Purdue was reminiscent of the Do Lung Bridge scene in the movie Apocalypse Now. The only thing missing was Lance, although he might have been on the other end of the headsets Urban Meyer was using last Saturday night.
That was what West Virginia encountered when it played out in Ames. Now, the shoe goes on the other foot for the Mountaineers.
It's time for West Virginia to fire up those lights at Milan Puskar Stadium and see what kind of crazy the Mountaineer fans can unleash on Baylor Thursday night.
Night games in Morgantown can get a little weird, too.
Of course you remember what happened when 60,765 assembled at Milan Puskar Stadium to watch West Virginia play Auburn on a Thursday night back in 2008?
Tommy Tuberville sure does.
How about in 2009 when 60,055 came out for a Thursday night game against Colorado? WVU put 35 on the scoreboard against the Buffaloes back when 30 points was rarely a number most fans from Weirton to Welch, Martinsburg to Matewan and all points in between thought possible from their Mountaineers.
How about the Louisville game on Thursday, Nov. 8, 2007, when Pat White took off from the 50-yard line with 1:36 left in the game and kept on running right out of the stadium to beat the Cardinals?
There were 60,992 there to celebrate that memorable 38-31 WVU victory.
Or what about what West Virginia did to Maryland on a Thursday night back in 2006 when Steve Slaton kept hitting the circle button like the kids do today on Madden football? That game was over as soon as the Mountaineers ran out of the tunnel, and the 60,513 who showed up for that one couldn't have been more delighted.
And even when the place isn't entirely full, West Virginia has still performed well under the Morgantown weekday lights.
The Mountaineers defeated USF 20-6 on a Thursday night back in 2010 in front 55,000. Frigid temperatures may have scared away 8,000 paying customers, but it didn't affect the players during a Thursday night Backyard Brawl whipping in 2005.
Come to think of it, Pitt didn't show up that night either.
Or what about the Thursday night back in 2004 when 52,909 showed up to watch West Virginia put one on Syracuse, 27-6.
It was the loudest 52,000 you ever heard.
Even way back in 1994, when frigid temperatures and a Thanksgiving holiday recess kept just about everyone away except for the two teams, the Mountaineers blanked 22nd-ranked Syracuse, 13-0, on a late November Thursday night.
Wednesday nights have been special, too. Who will ever forget West Virginia beating third-ranked Virginia Tech 28-7 on a mid-October weekday night back in 2003?
Frank Beamer didn't, which is why he never returned to Morgantown once the longtime annual series with the Hokies concluded in 2005 after Virginia Tech left for the ACC.
In all, West Virginia is an impressive 10-1 in regular season midweek night games at Milan Puskar Stadium dating back to 1994. The Mountaineers have won in good weather, and they've won in bad weather.
Well, the forecast is calling for clear skies and great mid-October football weather when West Virginia takes on Baylor in the first Thursday night football game in Morgantown since 2014.
This is a game the Mountaineers badly need to remain in the Big 12 title hunt, but the 4-3 Bears will not be willing accomplices. We saw that 11 days ago when they took Texas down to the final play of the game.
The players admit they feed off the home-crowd atmosphere, and they're eager to have those pyrotechnics aimed at the other guys this time around.
"Our crowd is awesome and when they're loud and involved and into it it's great for our team," Grier said. "You see that at Penn State and some other great college atmospheres around the country. It affects the game with their energy."
"It's going to be a nice atmosphere from a fan aspect and from a player aspect," linebacker David Long Jr. added. "A lot of people are eager to get back out there just to show everyone that (the Iowa State loss) was just a hiccup in the road and not to get too out of whack with one loss.
"We just had some glitches and we messed up and now we've got to prove ourselves this time around," he concluded.
Players Mentioned
QB
/ Football
LB
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