WVU’s defense intact

MORGANTOWN - When then-No. 8 Pittsburgh strode onto the artificial surface at Mountaineer Field last Friday night, the Panthers weren't only facing their arch rivals in the 102nd edition of the "Backyard Brawl," but a team hungry for a win on Senior Night.

West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart and his No. 24 Mountaineers will face a similar situation when they invade Rutgers Stadium for their noon showdown with the Scarlet Knights.

"We have a tough chore this weekend," said Stewart. "Rutgers is back. They were hitting on all cylinders this past weekend. We could barely get through Louisville at home this season and they just absolutely dismantled them."

Barely got through them is not exactly correct as the old gold and blue kept the Cardinals out of the end zone for a 17-9 victory.

"We are 8-3 and we need to finish strong," added the coach. "That has been our motto all season. After the tough USF loss, we went with the motto, 'Remember November.' We knew it was a four-game season.

"We've been blessed to win two. We lost to the No. 5-ranked team (Cincinnati) at their place by three points. Then, we had an emotional win over a top 10 opponent (Pitt) this week in the Backyard Brawl."

The game has immense meaning to both programs as a WVU win would send the Mountaineers to Jacksonville, Fla., over the holidays for a Jan. 1 bowl, while a victory for the Scarlet Knights would greatly enhance their bowl future, but more importantly, end 14 years of frustration at the hands of their Big East rivals.

"I don't want to gush on them too much, but they are playing football as good as anybody in the league right now," said Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano. "We are certainly going to have to perform our best to have an opportunity to be close in the game."

Rutgers is coming off a win over Louisville and enters its final regular season game with the Big East's top defense. The Scarlet Knights top the league in both total defense, allowing a measly 315.3 yards per game, and scoring defense (16.8 ppg).

Conversely, the Mountaineers rank in the bottom half of the eight-team league in both categories - total defense (340.2 ypg, 5th) and scoring defense (20.7 ppg, 5th).

Numbers which have both taken a downward spiral since the return of all 11 starters from the beginning of the year.

"This is the second game in a row when we've had our entire starting 11 back," said Stewart. "Against Cincinnati and Pitt, West Virginia finally had its starting 11 defenders on the field."

And, it showed as a solid Panther offense, which ranks second in the Big East in total offense (402.7 ypg) and third in scoring (32.2 ppg), to a mere 146 yards on 29 rushes and 179 yards on 16-of-30 passing and a season-low 16 points.

"Our defense was flying around and emotional," added Stewart. "They were assignment-free. They played with such reckless abandon, but they also played smart football."

A repeat performance this Saturday and the Mountaineers will finish the regular season with a 9-3 mark and fans will be able to begin making reservations for Jacksonville.