University of Connecticut Athletics
Fourth-Ranked West Virginia Tops No. 20 Football
11/24/2007 12:00:00 AM | Football
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (November 24, 2007) – West Virginia junior quarterback Patrick White rushed for 186 yards and two touchdowns while freshman Noel Devine had 118 yards for a score to lead the No. 4 ranked Mountaineers to a 66-21 victory over the No. 20 University of Connecticut on Saturday night before a crowd of 59,701 at Mountaineer Field.
West Virginia improves its record to 10-1 on the season and is 5-1 in the BIG EAST. The Mountaineers, who clinch the league's Bowl Championship Series automatic berth with the win, close out their season next Saturday against Pittsburgh.
West Virginia also clinches at least a share of the BIG EAST Championship and a win against the Panthers would make WVU the outright champion.
UConn concludes its regular season with a 9-3 record and a 5-2 mark in the league. The Huskies have clinched a second-place finish in the final conference standings and were picked seventh in the preseason BIG EAST coaches' poll.
The Huskies are bowl eligible and will await word on an invitation to a postseason contest. The latest information on UConn's bowl situation can be found at .
White was also nine of 13 in the air for 107 yards and a touchdown.
West Virginia led UConn at halftime by a 24-14 count as the Huskies scored on their first and last possession of the first half. Despite the 10 point deficit, UConn outgained the Mountaineers by a 261-200 count in the first half.
The Mountaineers were dominant in the second half as they scored three unanswered touchdowns in the second half.
White rushed for the first one on a 24-yard carry on the opening drive of the half while Devine carried the ball 25 yards for the second with 6:35 left in the quarter. The Mountaineers scored on a recovered fumble in the UConn end zone to make it 45-14 after three quarters.
West Virginia scored three touchdowns in the fourth quarter for its final points of the game. UConn redshirt freshman Anthony Davis (Germantown, Md.) caught a two-yard pass from sophomore backup quarterback Dennis Brown (Miami, Fla.) for the final score of the contest.
UConn was led in rushing by sophomore Donald Brown (Atlantic Highlands, N.J.) with 129 yards on 22 carries for one TD. Husky junior quarterback Tyler Lorenzen (Fremont, Iowa) was 14 of 28 in the air for 151 yards.
The Huskies started the opening drive of the game from their own eight-yard line after they were called for a illegal block. Lorenzen was four-of-four in the air on the drive for 64 yards – including a six-yard TD pass to sophomore Brad Kanuch (Johnstown, Pa.). Kanuch also had a 29-yard yard interception in the drive.
The 7-0 lead would not last long as the Mountaineers came right back and scored on a five play-65 yard drive that featured a 49-yard pass from White to senior Darius Reynaud that put the ball on the Husky three. White then scored on a three-yard keeper.
West Virginia made it 14-7 with 7:01 left in the first quarter as White threw a 14-yard TD pass to Reynaud. The one play TD drive was set up after UConn fumbled a punt return.
The Moutaineers scored the next 10 points to make it 24-7 WVU with 3:44 left in the half. Junior Pat McAfee connected on a 46-yard field goal with 10:56 to go and then WVU had a four play-60 yard drive finalized by rushes of 29 and 31 yards by Slaton.
Connecticut closed the gap to 10 points at halftime as it put together a 10 play-77 yard drive as Brown scored on a two-yard TD run. Brown had a total of 62 yards of rushing in that drive.
CONNECTICUT FOOTBALL POSTGAME NOTES
AT WEST VIRGINIA -- NOV. 24, 2007
TEAM NOTES
w UConn dips to 0-4 all-time against the Mountaineers and 0-2 in Morgantown.
w The Huskies wrap up their regular season at 9-3, tying for the winningest regular season in school history with the 1998 and 2003 teams. The 1998 team went on to win a 10th game in the first round of the NCAA Division I-AA Playoffs.
w All three of UConn’s losses this year have come on the road after posting only the second 7-0 home record in BIG EAST history, the other being the 1993 West Virginia Mountaineers.
w The Huskies dip to 2-2 all-time when playing as a ranked team.
w UConn finishes its season at 5-2 in BIG EAST play. The Huskies won a total of six BIG EAST games combined during their first three years in the league.
w UConn allowed 21 points off of turnovers today. Entering the game, UConn had allowed 21 points off of turnovers all season and never more than seven in a single contest.
w Today’s game marks the first time that UConn has allowed at least 50 points in the Division I-A era. The record for most points allowed in all of school history is 69 by Holy Cross in 1919.
w Danny Lansanah’s third quarter interception was UConn’s 22nd as a team this year. Only the 1992 Husky squad (25) intercepted more passes in a single season.
w The Huskies have now scored on their opening drive of eight out of 12 games this year. Coming into today, the Huskies were 7-0 when doing so.
w UConn’s 92-yard scoring drive to open the game was its second-longest drive of the season, trailing only its 95-yard march on last week’s opening drive against Syracuse.
w Tonight’s attendance of 59,701 is the fourth-largest crowd to ever see a UConn football game.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
w Danny Lansanah’s third quarter interception was his fourth of the year and the 10th of his career, tying him for eighth place in school history with a group of players that includes his fellow-captain Darius Butler. The 10 interceptions tie for 11th in BIG EAST history.
w Donald Brown went over 100 rushing yards today for the second time this season and the fifth time in his career. All of them have come in BIG EAST play. Brown’s 44-yard second quarter carry was his second-longest of the year and UConn’s third-longest rush overall this season.
w Robert McClain started today in place of safety Robert Vaughn. It is the first time this season that UConn has altered its defensive starters. Through 11 weeks, UConn was the only team in the nation to start the same defensive alignment for every game.
