2018 West Virginia Football Schedule:
- September 1: vs Tennessee (in Charlotte, North Carolina); won, 40-14
- September 8: vs Youngstown State; won 52-17
- September 15: at North Carolina State; weather cancellation
- September 22: vs Kansas State; won, 35-6
- September 29: at Texas Tech; won, 42-34
- October 6: vs Kansas; won, 38-22
- October 13: at Iowa State; lost, 30-14
- October 25: vs Baylor; won, 58-14
- November 3: at Texas; won, 42-41
- November 10: vs TCU
- November 17: at Oklahoma State
- November 23: vs Oklahoma
2017 West Virginia Football Results: vs Virginia Tech (FedEx Field, Landover, MD), lost, 31-24; vs East Carolina, won, 56-20; vs Delaware State, won, 59-16; at Kansas, won, 56-34; at TCU, lost, 31-24; vs Texas Tech, won, 46-35; at Baylor, won, 38-36; vs Oklahoma State, lost, 50-39; vs Iowa State, won, 20-16; at Kansas State, won, 28-23; vs Texas, lost, 28-14; at Oklahoma, lost, 59-31; vs Utah (Dallas; Heart of Dallas Bowl), lost, 30-14.
2018 West Virginia Football Media Guide: here
2018 West Virginia Football Video: here
2018 West Virginia Football Media Guide: here
2018 West Virginia Football Video: here
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| Will Grier |
2018 West Virginia Football: West Virginia was chosen to finish second in the standings in the Big 12 football preseason poll, voted by media representatives. Thus far, the Mountaineer are overachieving.
Through seven league contests, the Mountain Men are tied atop the Big 12 standings with the Oklahoma Sooners. Both have 5-1 Big 12 records, with three games remaining. Overall, West Virginia has a 7-1 record. The Mountaineers lone loss has been to Iowa State, a game they lost 30-14.
West Virginia is being led by its offense. Specifically, by redshirt senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Will Grier (#7), who this past week was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club.
Grier also was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after he tied his career-high 28 completions in 42 attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a West Virginia 42-41 Big 12 win over Texas in Austin. He threw touchdown passes of 60, 18 and 33 yards and completed 10 passes of 10 yards or more, four passes of 20 yards or more, three passes of 30 yards or more and had a long of 60 yards. He found nine different receivers in the win. He also ran in the game-winning two-point conversion with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Grier is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, signifying the national player of the year. He also is a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, for the second straight year. The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the best college quarterback, and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
Grier, 6-2, 223 pounds, is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes this season. He has completed 182 of 261 pass attempts for 2,618 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is averaging 32725 passing yards a game. He has thrown seven interceptions.
Grier, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native has thrown for 300 or more yards in 16 of the 19 games he has played at WVU and has thrown multiple touchdown passes 17 times.
West Virginia's offense is averaging nearly 41 points and almost 492 yards per game; 158.4 yards rushing per game and 333.13 passing yards per game. The Mountaineers have scored 40 touchdowns, 29 by passing and 11 by rushing. In the red zone, they have scored 27 of 31 times, including 22 touchdowns. They have thrown only eight interceptions and lost three of 10 fumbles. Mountaineer quarterbacks have been sacked 17 times.
Grier's backup is redshirt sophomore Jack Allison (#11), who has attempted only eight passes this season, completing five of them. He has thrown one touchdown pass and also one interception.
Grier's favorite target is senior wide receiver David Sills V (#13), 6-4, 210 pounds. Sills has caught 423 passes for 626 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has a long reception of 65 yards. Junior wide receive Marcus Simms (#8), 6-foot, 194 pounds, has caught 34 balls for 566 yards and two touchdowns. He has a long reception of 82 yards. Senior wide receiver Gary Jennings, Jr. (#12), 6-2, 215 pounds, has nine receiving touchdowns. He has caught 35 passes for 542 yards, with a long reception of 53 yards.
Wide receiver T.J. Simmons (#1), running back Tevin Bush (#14), running back Kennedy McKoy (#6), tight end/fullback Jovani Haskins (#84), wide receiver Dominique Maiden (#82), running back Leddie Brown (#4), and running back Martell Pettaway (#32) each have one touchdown receiving.
Through seven league contests, the Mountain Men are tied atop the Big 12 standings with the Oklahoma Sooners. Both have 5-1 Big 12 records, with three games remaining. Overall, West Virginia has a 7-1 record. The Mountaineers lone loss has been to Iowa State, a game they lost 30-14.
West Virginia is being led by its offense. Specifically, by redshirt senior quarterback and Heisman Trophy contender Will Grier (#7), who this past week was named the National Offensive Player of the Week by the Maxwell Football Club.
Grier also was named the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week after he tied his career-high 28 completions in 42 attempts for 346 yards and three touchdowns in a West Virginia 42-41 Big 12 win over Texas in Austin. He threw touchdown passes of 60, 18 and 33 yards and completed 10 passes of 10 yards or more, four passes of 20 yards or more, three passes of 30 yards or more and had a long of 60 yards. He found nine different receivers in the win. He also ran in the game-winning two-point conversion with just seconds remaining in the fourth quarter.
Grier is a semifinalist for the Maxwell Award, signifying the national player of the year. He also is a semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award, for the second straight year. The Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Award is presented annually to the best college quarterback, and is the nation's oldest and most prestigious national quarterback award.
Grier, 6-2, 223 pounds, is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes this season. He has completed 182 of 261 pass attempts for 2,618 yards and 28 touchdowns. He is averaging 32725 passing yards a game. He has thrown seven interceptions.
Grier, a Charlotte, North Carolina, native has thrown for 300 or more yards in 16 of the 19 games he has played at WVU and has thrown multiple touchdown passes 17 times.
West Virginia's offense is averaging nearly 41 points and almost 492 yards per game; 158.4 yards rushing per game and 333.13 passing yards per game. The Mountaineers have scored 40 touchdowns, 29 by passing and 11 by rushing. In the red zone, they have scored 27 of 31 times, including 22 touchdowns. They have thrown only eight interceptions and lost three of 10 fumbles. Mountaineer quarterbacks have been sacked 17 times.
Grier's backup is redshirt sophomore Jack Allison (#11), who has attempted only eight passes this season, completing five of them. He has thrown one touchdown pass and also one interception.
Grier's favorite target is senior wide receiver David Sills V (#13), 6-4, 210 pounds. Sills has caught 423 passes for 626 yards and 11 touchdowns. He has a long reception of 65 yards. Junior wide receive Marcus Simms (#8), 6-foot, 194 pounds, has caught 34 balls for 566 yards and two touchdowns. He has a long reception of 82 yards. Senior wide receiver Gary Jennings, Jr. (#12), 6-2, 215 pounds, has nine receiving touchdowns. He has caught 35 passes for 542 yards, with a long reception of 53 yards.
Wide receiver T.J. Simmons (#1), running back Tevin Bush (#14), running back Kennedy McKoy (#6), tight end/fullback Jovani Haskins (#84), wide receiver Dominique Maiden (#82), running back Leddie Brown (#4), and running back Martell Pettaway (#32) each have one touchdown receiving.
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| Kennedy McKoy |
On the ground, the Mountaineers are led by junior running back Kennedy McKoy (#6), 6-foot, 198 pounds. He has carried the ball 81 times for 460 yards. He has scored two rushing touchdowns and has a long run of 38 yards. Junior running back Martell Pettaway (#32), 5-9 210 pounds, has rushed for 399 yards on 62 carries. He has three touchdowns on the ground, with a long run of 55 yards. Freshman running back Leddie Brown, 5-11, 211 pounds, has run for 330 yards on 62 carries. He has four touchdowns and a long run of 47 yards.
Defensively, West Virginia is holding opponents to 22.25 points per game. Opponents are averaging nearly 371 yards per game against the Mountaineers including 137 yards per game on the ground and 233 yards per game through the air. Opponents have scored on 22 of 26 trips inside the red zone, including 16 touchdowns.
Opposing quarterbacks have completed 154 of 249 passes against West Virginia's defense, tossing 12 touchdown passes. Opposing quarterbacks have been sacked 19 times and thrown 10 interceptions.
On the ground, West Virginia's opponents have scored 10 rushing touchdowns and fumbled the ball 15 times, losing four of them to the Mountaineers.
Defensively, West Virginia is holding opponents to 22.25 points per game. Opponents are averaging nearly 371 yards per game against the Mountaineers including 137 yards per game on the ground and 233 yards per game through the air. Opponents have scored on 22 of 26 trips inside the red zone, including 16 touchdowns.
Opposing quarterbacks have completed 154 of 249 passes against West Virginia's defense, tossing 12 touchdown passes. Opposing quarterbacks have been sacked 19 times and thrown 10 interceptions.
On the ground, West Virginia's opponents have scored 10 rushing touchdowns and fumbled the ball 15 times, losing four of them to the Mountaineers.
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| David Long, Jr. |
West Virginia's defense is led by redshirt junior linebacker David Long, Jr. (#11), 5-11, 221 pounds. He has 78 tackles, including 13.5 tackles for a loss, and four sacks. Sophomore safety Kenny Robinson, Jr. (#2), 6-2, 198 pounds, has 55 tackles and two interceptions. Redshirt junior cornerback Josh Norwood (#4), 5-10, 174 pounds, has 37 tackles. Redshirt senior safety Dravo Askew-Henry (#6), 6-foot, 202 pounds, has two interceptions. Junior linebacker JoVanni Stewart (#9), 5-8, 191 pounds, has two sacks. Redshirt junior cornerback Keith Washigton, Jr (#28), 6-foot, 180 pounds, has two interceptions. Redshirt senior defensive lineman Kenny Bigelow, Jr. (#40), 6-4, 307 pounds, has two sacks. Freshman defensive lineman Dante Stills (#55), 6-4, 289 pounds, has two sacks.
Sophomore cornerback Derrek Pitts (#1), redshirt sophomore linebacker Dylan Tonkery (#10), junior defensive lineman Reese Donahue (#46), senior defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose (#5), redshirt freshman linebacker Exree Loe (#17), junior linebacker Adam Hensley (#45) and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jeffery Pooler Jr. (#13) each have one sack.
Redshirt junior cornerback Hakeem Bailey (#24), redshirt senior safety Toyous Avery, Jr. (#30), redshirt junior linebacker Shea Campbell (#34) and senior defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose (#5) each have one interception.
West Virginia's punter is redshirt senior Billy Kinney (#15). He has punted 23 times for an average of 42.04 yards per punt. He has a long punt of 54 yards. He has had one punt blocked.
The Mountaineers' field goal kicker is redshirt sophomore Evan Staley (#30). He has converted nine of 13 field goal attempts, with a long field goal of 49 yards. He has not had a field goal attempt blocked.
Sophomore cornerback Derrek Pitts (#1), redshirt sophomore linebacker Dylan Tonkery (#10), junior defensive lineman Reese Donahue (#46), senior defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose (#5), redshirt freshman linebacker Exree Loe (#17), junior linebacker Adam Hensley (#45) and redshirt sophomore defensive lineman Jeffery Pooler Jr. (#13) each have one sack.
Redshirt junior cornerback Hakeem Bailey (#24), redshirt senior safety Toyous Avery, Jr. (#30), redshirt junior linebacker Shea Campbell (#34) and senior defensive lineman Ezekiel Rose (#5) each have one interception.
West Virginia's punter is redshirt senior Billy Kinney (#15). He has punted 23 times for an average of 42.04 yards per punt. He has a long punt of 54 yards. He has had one punt blocked.
The Mountaineers' field goal kicker is redshirt sophomore Evan Staley (#30). He has converted nine of 13 field goal attempts, with a long field goal of 49 yards. He has not had a field goal attempt blocked.
West Virginia Football: West Virginia University's (WVU) first football team was formed in 1891. It played its first football game on November 28 of that year, when it fell to Washington & Jefferson, 72-0. Dana Holgorsen is the team's head coach, the 33rd in the program's history.
With a 744–491–45 record as of the conclusion of the 2017 season, WVU ranks 14th in victories among NCAA FBS programs, as well as the most victories among those programs that never claimed or won a National Championship. The Mountaineers have registered 82 winning seasons in their history, including one unbeaten season (10–0–1 in 1922) and five 11-win seasons (1988, 1993, 2005, 2006, 2007). The Mountaineers have won 15 conference championships, including eight Southern Conference titles and seven Big East Conference titles.
From 2002–2011, the Mountaineer football program yielded its most prolific era to date, producing a 95–33 record. During that span WVU participated in 10 bowl games, finished ranked in at least one of the AP or Coaches Polls on seven occasions, won six Big East Conference titles, and produced three BCS bowl game victories. In 2012, West Virginia left the Big East and with TCU joined Big 12.
Former coaches at West Virginia include Bobby Bowden, who went on to fame and fortune as Florida State's head coach. Bowden replaced Jim Carlen, who departed West Virginia at the end of the 1969 season for Texas Tech.
It appeared that the Bowden era of Mountaineer football could not have begun more smoothly early in the 1970 season. The Mountaineers were 4–1 to start the season and led arch rival Pittsburgh 35–8 at halftime in week six. What transpired was one of the most infamous collapses in West Virginia football history. The Mountaineers surrendered 28 unanswered points, losing to the Panthers 36–35 and leading Bowden to remark that he had "embarrassed the whole state of West Virginia." Despite the disappointment of the Pitt defeat, West Virginia went on to finish the 1970 season with an 8–3 record. Bowden coached at West Virginia through the 1975 season, after which he left for Florida State. In six seasons with the Mountaineers, Bowden produced a 42–26 record, good for fifth all-time in the program.
The longest-serving and most successful coach in Mountaineer history is Don Nehlen, who coached from 1980 through the 2000 season. He posted a 149-93-4 record during his tenure.
After Nehlen's retirement, the Mountaineers welcomed its 31st coach, Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez's tenure began ignominiously, as the 2001 Mountaineers finished 3–8, its worst record since 1978. The failures of 2001, however, set the stage for the emergence of the most successful era in Mountaineer football history. Rodriguez won 60 games, becoming the program's second all-time leader in wins. Rodriguez left West Virginia for Michigan after leading the Mountaineers to a 10-1 regular-season record in 2007. He left prior to West Virginia meeting No. 3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
Bill Stewart took the reins of the Mountaineers in the 2008 season. At the end of the 2010 season, prior to West Virginia's Champs Sports Bowl match up with North Carolina State, then WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck announced the hiring of Dana Holgorsen as West Virginia's "coach-in-waiting." Holgorsen, who had been Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator prior to going to West Virginia, served as the Mountaineers' offensive coordinator during the 2011 season and replaced Stewart as head coach in 2012.
With a 744–491–45 record as of the conclusion of the 2017 season, WVU ranks 14th in victories among NCAA FBS programs, as well as the most victories among those programs that never claimed or won a National Championship. The Mountaineers have registered 82 winning seasons in their history, including one unbeaten season (10–0–1 in 1922) and five 11-win seasons (1988, 1993, 2005, 2006, 2007). The Mountaineers have won 15 conference championships, including eight Southern Conference titles and seven Big East Conference titles.
From 2002–2011, the Mountaineer football program yielded its most prolific era to date, producing a 95–33 record. During that span WVU participated in 10 bowl games, finished ranked in at least one of the AP or Coaches Polls on seven occasions, won six Big East Conference titles, and produced three BCS bowl game victories. In 2012, West Virginia left the Big East and with TCU joined Big 12.
Former coaches at West Virginia include Bobby Bowden, who went on to fame and fortune as Florida State's head coach. Bowden replaced Jim Carlen, who departed West Virginia at the end of the 1969 season for Texas Tech.
It appeared that the Bowden era of Mountaineer football could not have begun more smoothly early in the 1970 season. The Mountaineers were 4–1 to start the season and led arch rival Pittsburgh 35–8 at halftime in week six. What transpired was one of the most infamous collapses in West Virginia football history. The Mountaineers surrendered 28 unanswered points, losing to the Panthers 36–35 and leading Bowden to remark that he had "embarrassed the whole state of West Virginia." Despite the disappointment of the Pitt defeat, West Virginia went on to finish the 1970 season with an 8–3 record. Bowden coached at West Virginia through the 1975 season, after which he left for Florida State. In six seasons with the Mountaineers, Bowden produced a 42–26 record, good for fifth all-time in the program.
The longest-serving and most successful coach in Mountaineer history is Don Nehlen, who coached from 1980 through the 2000 season. He posted a 149-93-4 record during his tenure.
After Nehlen's retirement, the Mountaineers welcomed its 31st coach, Rich Rodriguez. Rodriguez's tenure began ignominiously, as the 2001 Mountaineers finished 3–8, its worst record since 1978. The failures of 2001, however, set the stage for the emergence of the most successful era in Mountaineer football history. Rodriguez won 60 games, becoming the program's second all-time leader in wins. Rodriguez left West Virginia for Michigan after leading the Mountaineers to a 10-1 regular-season record in 2007. He left prior to West Virginia meeting No. 3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl.
Bill Stewart took the reins of the Mountaineers in the 2008 season. At the end of the 2010 season, prior to West Virginia's Champs Sports Bowl match up with North Carolina State, then WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck announced the hiring of Dana Holgorsen as West Virginia's "coach-in-waiting." Holgorsen, who had been Oklahoma State's offensive coordinator prior to going to West Virginia, served as the Mountaineers' offensive coordinator during the 2011 season and replaced Stewart as head coach in 2012.
West Virginia Football Stadium: West Virginia plays its home football games in Morgantown, on the health sciences campus of West Virginia University, at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium, which opened on September 6, 1980. On that dedication day, fans were surprised when singer John Denver made an appearance and led fans in the singing of his hit song, "Take Me Home, Country Roads." The song has been played at every Mountaineers home game since 1972.
The seating area of the facility was renamed "Milan Puskar Stadium" in 2004, after a $20 million donation to the university by Morgantown resident Milan Puskar, the founder of Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
The original Mountaineer Field was located on the school's main campus, but it could not be expanded or modernized due to the proximity of campus buildings and roads near the stadium. It seated 38,000 when it was last used in 1979. The new stadium was originally to be called Mountaineer Stadium, but the fans ignored this and called it New Mountaineer Field, with the "new" eventually falling into disuse. Mountaineer Field was constructed in 1980 on the former site of a golf course between the Law School and Medical School buildings. The stadium's original cost was $22 million. There are 12 luxury seats on the first level of the press box, 18 in the north end zone, and 648 club seats in the north end zone called "Touchdown Terrace."
The stadium seats 60,000 people. The attendance record was set on November 20, 1993, when 70,222 fans packed the stadium to watch the No. 9 Mountaineers defeat No. 4 Miami.
Mountaineer Field has hosted non-university football games. One notable game was an NFL pre-season game on August 22, 1998, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons.
The seating area of the facility was renamed "Milan Puskar Stadium" in 2004, after a $20 million donation to the university by Morgantown resident Milan Puskar, the founder of Mylan Pharmaceuticals.
The original Mountaineer Field was located on the school's main campus, but it could not be expanded or modernized due to the proximity of campus buildings and roads near the stadium. It seated 38,000 when it was last used in 1979. The new stadium was originally to be called Mountaineer Stadium, but the fans ignored this and called it New Mountaineer Field, with the "new" eventually falling into disuse. Mountaineer Field was constructed in 1980 on the former site of a golf course between the Law School and Medical School buildings. The stadium's original cost was $22 million. There are 12 luxury seats on the first level of the press box, 18 in the north end zone, and 648 club seats in the north end zone called "Touchdown Terrace."
The stadium seats 60,000 people. The attendance record was set on November 20, 1993, when 70,222 fans packed the stadium to watch the No. 9 Mountaineers defeat No. 4 Miami.
Mountaineer Field has hosted non-university football games. One notable game was an NFL pre-season game on August 22, 1998, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Atlanta Falcons.
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