1989 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

Schedule

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Season summary

Coming off of its first ever 11-win season and with junior Major Harris returning to lead a potent offense, West Virginia entered the 1989 season ranked 17th in the AP Poll and with high expectations. The Mountaineers started the season accordingly, racing to a 4–0 record and to #9 in the AP Poll. In Week 5 against #10 Pitt, however, West Virginia fell victim to another memorable collapse in the Backyard Brawl. Trailing 31–9 in the 4th quarter, Pitt scored 22 unanswered points and kicked a game-tying field goal as time expired to force a 31–31 tie. The Mountaineers would suffer another heartbreaking result the following week with a 12–10 home loss to Virginia Tech, as well as a 19–9 loss to #16 Penn State in State College. Despite those disappointing defeats, WVU finished the regular season at 8–2–1, a #17 ranking in the AP Poll, and a trip to the Gator Bowl to face #14 Clemson. The Mountaineers faltered, however, losing 27–7 and finished the season at 8–3–1 with a #21 ranking in the final AP Poll.

Roster

Statistical leaders

All stats are courtesy of WVUStats.com unless otherwise cited.

• Passing: :Major Harris - 142/245, 2,058 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
• Rushing: :Major Harris - 155 carries, 936 yards, 6.0 average per carry, six touchdowns :Garrett Ford, Jr. - 148 carries, 733 yards, 5.0 average per carry, six touchdowns
• Receiving: :Reggie Rembert - 47 receptions, 850 yards, 11 touchdowns
• Interceptions: :Preston Waters - 7 interceptions

References

References

1. (September 3, 1989). "Credibility; Second half 'reality' beats BSU". The Muncie Star.
2. (September 10, 1989). "Offense stalls as Terp upset bid fails". The Sunday Star.
3. (September 17, 1989). "W. Virginia runs USC awry 45–21". The Atlanta Journal & Constitution.
4. (September 24, 1989). "Big plays put Mountaineers over the top of Cardinals". Messenger-Inquirer.
5. (October 1, 1989). "Pitt rallies from 22 back to tie". Wisconsin State Journal.
6. (October 8, 1989). "Virginia Tech gets a giant kick out of Thomas' 4 FGs". The Akron Beacon Journal.
7. (October 22, 1989). "Harris, Mountaineers end slump, rip Bearcats 69–3". The Palm Beach Post.
8. (October 29, 1989). "West Virginia gets a scare in 44–30 win". The Pittsburgh Press.
9. (November 5, 1989). "Lions jump on Major mistakes". The Times Leader.
10. (November 12, 1989). "WVU's 21–20 win deflates Rutgers". The Pittsburgh Press.
11. (November 24, 1989). "West Virginia slips past Syracuse". Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
12. (December 31, 1989). "Clemson harasses Harris in coasting to Gator Bowl victory". The Orlando Sentinel.
13. "1989 West Virginia Mountaineers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC.
14. (December 1, 2007). "Tales from the Backyard Brawl". MSN Sportsnet (West Virginia University Athletics).
15. DeVault, Mark. "WVU 1989 Schedule". WVU Stats (West Virginia University Athletics).
16. DeVault, Mark. "WVU 1989 Statistics". WVU Stats (West Virginia University Athletics).