First of all, I'm not mad at all the people who left Mountaineer Field early. I feel pity for them...it's a shame. They missed one of the greatest comebacks in Mountaineer history...and maybe one of the greatest games. Not the greatest of all time or anything...but it's up there. WVU comes back from 17 down in the 4th quarter...that doesn't happen often. And they continue to find a way to win without a passing game. If either quarterback could throw the ball, can you imagine how dangerous we might be.
Anyway, despite the fact the defense gave up nearly 300 yards in the first half, they managed to hold Louisville to only 17 points. That's pretty amazing. The defense did a lot of bending but never broke and they deserve a lot of credit for that. The offense was nowhere to be found though. And, the touchdown at the end of the first half was a shot through the heart...or so I thought.
I don't know what happened in the second half...it was a blur. We continued playing "small ball" by running and not doing a whole lot. The touchdown out of the locker room was big but UL came right back down to go up by 17. That's when a lot -- and I mean A LOT -- of people left. What a shame. But then something amazing happened and we mounted a comeback of monumental proportions. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. Who woke up this team all the sudden? The onsides kickoff call was amazing...great coaching. The defense stood tall when they had to do so. Louisville basically folded.
The overtimes were great...the crowd was in a frenzy. The place was electric. It was awesome. So, now we control the Big East. If we win out, a 10-1 record is great and a Sugar Bowl or Fiesta Bowl berth is at hand. And, who knows, that could turn out alright. WVU gained some respect and maybe the Big East did too.
The downside: There were a lot of great games this weekend so the 3OT thriller didn't get the press it probably should have. The media still gives us no credit. I read more articles about Louisville not being able to play on the road then I did about WVU's great home win. One line that really fired me up talked about how WVU managed to avoid falling into a first place tie with Rutgers and Pittsburgh atop the Big East rather than talk about how we took control of the Big East. Why does the media put a negative spin on everything the Mountaineers do?
I read an article about the thousands of Mountaineer fans that rushed the field after the game. Where were they? I missed us rushing the field somehow. Why is it necessary to continue to perpetuate the stereotype that Mountaineer fans are out of control at any win that means anything. Fans didn't rush the field and the writer of that story should be smacked for saying so.
I thought the Louisville fans were nice and respectful. They were quiet during the Alma Mater and they applauded Don Nehlen. You won't get that out of Pitt fans. Unfortunately Mountaineer fans weren't that respectful...I saw more than one beer can fly into the see of red as they walked towards the stadium. That's not the type of rep we need...at least, not against the Cardinals. When it is towards Pitt or VTech fans, I can overlook those things...even though they still aren't right.
Overall, it was a great game and a great night. I feel sorry for the fans that left...they missed out on one of the greatest at Mountaineer Field. Now we can't have a letdown against USF or they will beat us...ask Louisville.
Other news:
- USC defeated Notre Dame in case you hadn't heard. Oh, how could you not have? I saw more coverage on that game than I have the entire Iraq operation. Give me a break! I hate USC and ND.
- Penn State lost in a great game. I'm disappointed by that. But can you imagine getting to play Penn State in the BCS bowl? Wouldn't that be awesome?
- Marshall won. Wow...over UAB. Wow.
- The White Sox are advancing to the World Series for the first time since 1959. I just hope the Astros can get there too.
- Tommy Maddox is horrible.
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