Monday, January 01, 2007

Big East now 3 for 3 in Bowl games with 2 to go

The West Virginia Mountaineers’ leading rusher all season, Steve Slaton, carried the ball only three times for eleven yards and their defense gave up 333 yards in the air to the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Gator Bowl today. Taylor Bennett was 20-for-30 for those 333 yards and threw for three touchdowns. Sophomore Bennett made only his second career start replacing academically ineligible, senior Reggie Ball.

Despite all that, West Virginia came away with a 38-35 victory. The win was the result of overcoming an 18 point deficit with a 21 point, come from behind, burst in the third quarter that was aided by a muffed kickoff by the Yellow Jackets Tony Clark. That error after the second WVU TD of the period, along with an unsportsmanlike penalty, gave the Mountaineers a first and ten on the Georgia Tech 20. Two plays later, Patrick White rushed 15 yards for a WVU touchdown. Pat McAfee’s extra point made it 38-35 and that’s the way it ended.

(Game Story and stats hereand here.)

The victory gives the Big East three wins in three attempts before Tuesday tonight’s Orange Bowl in which Louisville faces Wake Forest.

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