Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
History Comes Alive in Cincinnati!
November 11, 2024 11:12 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – History is alive! The happenings in last Saturday's come-from-behind, 31-24 victory at Cincinnati are living proof.
In the first quarter, senior safety Anthony Wilson Jr. intercepted a Brendan Sorsby pass and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
Three quarters later, Tyrin Bradley Jr. scooped up a backwards Sorsby pass at the 14 and took it into the end zone for the game-sealing score.
Two defensive touchdowns in the same game, one via the pass and the other by way of a fumble recovery.
A listing in the West Virginia game notes indicated that Darwin Cook returned an interception for a 32-yard touchdown and Karl Joseph recovered a fumble in the end zone during the same game against Baylor in 2013.
But … the Joseph fumble recovery was actually during a punt return, which makes that a special teams play and not a defensive touchdown. Semantics, perhaps, and a claim could be made that a punt is an extension of the defense, but for argument's sake, that one goes by the wayside.
Mike Asti tagged me on X about Cody Nespor's correct story on WV Sports Now referencing the 2001 Rutgers game as the last time West Virginia had two defensive touchdowns in the same game, which Blue & Gold News' Kevin Kinder also accurately pointed out during one of his social posts.
In that Rutgers game 23 years ago, safety Shawn Hackett was actually responsible for both defensive touchdowns when he picked off two Scarlet Knights passes for touchdowns of 50 and 10 yards that sunny afternoon in Morgantown.
West Virginia won that game 80-7 – one of just three victories the Mountaineers had that season.
The last time WVU had two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game happened a year prior against Boston College in Morgantown when linebacker Grant Wiley picked off a pass and ran it back 22 yards for a touchdown, and Hackett picked off another and returned it 41 yards for a score.
The last instance when West Virginia scored two defensive touchdowns on fumble recoveries was against Temple in 1996. Safety Charles Emanuel scooped up one and ran it back 17 yards, while cornerback Charles Fisher picked up another and returned it 30 yards.
Here are some more instances of multiple defensive touchdowns dating back to 1965:
1994 vs. Louisiana Tech
Vann Washington 97-yard interception return
Vann Washington 67-yard interception return
1993 vs. Missouri
Vann Washington 27-yard interception return
Michael Collins 97-yard fumble return
1980 vs. Virginia
Delbert Fowler 14-yard fumble return
Darryl Talley 30-yard interception return
1975 vs. Temple
Tommy Pridemore 87-yard interception return
Charles Braswell 63-yard interception return
1967 vs. The Citadel
Baker Brown 48-yard interception return
John Mallory 76-yard interception return
Therefore, what happened on Saturday at Cincinnati has occurred just nine times since 1965, and only the second time it has occurred in a game played on the road.
Who can remember anything else about West Virginia's 30-10 victory over Temple in 1996 before 2,546 at spacious Veteran's Stadium?
Indeed, history is alive, thanks to the Mountaineers' rare two defensive-touchdown effort last Saturday afternoon in the Queen City!
In the first quarter, senior safety Anthony Wilson Jr. intercepted a Brendan Sorsby pass and returned it 79 yards for a touchdown.
Three quarters later, Tyrin Bradley Jr. scooped up a backwards Sorsby pass at the 14 and took it into the end zone for the game-sealing score.
Two defensive touchdowns in the same game, one via the pass and the other by way of a fumble recovery.
A listing in the West Virginia game notes indicated that Darwin Cook returned an interception for a 32-yard touchdown and Karl Joseph recovered a fumble in the end zone during the same game against Baylor in 2013.
But … the Joseph fumble recovery was actually during a punt return, which makes that a special teams play and not a defensive touchdown. Semantics, perhaps, and a claim could be made that a punt is an extension of the defense, but for argument's sake, that one goes by the wayside.
Mike Asti tagged me on X about Cody Nespor's correct story on WV Sports Now referencing the 2001 Rutgers game as the last time West Virginia had two defensive touchdowns in the same game, which Blue & Gold News' Kevin Kinder also accurately pointed out during one of his social posts.
In that Rutgers game 23 years ago, safety Shawn Hackett was actually responsible for both defensive touchdowns when he picked off two Scarlet Knights passes for touchdowns of 50 and 10 yards that sunny afternoon in Morgantown.
West Virginia won that game 80-7 – one of just three victories the Mountaineers had that season.
The last time WVU had two interceptions for touchdowns in the same game happened a year prior against Boston College in Morgantown when linebacker Grant Wiley picked off a pass and ran it back 22 yards for a touchdown, and Hackett picked off another and returned it 41 yards for a score.
The last instance when West Virginia scored two defensive touchdowns on fumble recoveries was against Temple in 1996. Safety Charles Emanuel scooped up one and ran it back 17 yards, while cornerback Charles Fisher picked up another and returned it 30 yards.
Here are some more instances of multiple defensive touchdowns dating back to 1965:
1994 vs. Louisiana Tech
Vann Washington 97-yard interception return
Vann Washington 67-yard interception return
1993 vs. Missouri
Vann Washington 27-yard interception return
Michael Collins 97-yard fumble return
1980 vs. Virginia
Delbert Fowler 14-yard fumble return
Darryl Talley 30-yard interception return
1975 vs. Temple
Tommy Pridemore 87-yard interception return
Charles Braswell 63-yard interception return
1967 vs. The Citadel
Baker Brown 48-yard interception return
John Mallory 76-yard interception return
Therefore, what happened on Saturday at Cincinnati has occurred just nine times since 1965, and only the second time it has occurred in a game played on the road.
Who can remember anything else about West Virginia's 30-10 victory over Temple in 1996 before 2,546 at spacious Veteran's Stadium?
Indeed, history is alive, thanks to the Mountaineers' rare two defensive-touchdown effort last Saturday afternoon in the Queen City!
Players Mentioned
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