2011 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

Schedule

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Rankings

Preseason

Coaching changes

On December 16, 2010, West Virginia announced the hiring of former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen replaces Jeff Mullen as offensive coordinator and will take over as the Mountaineers head coach in 2012.

On January 5, 2011, the Mountaineers announced the hiring of three offensive coaches; Robert Gillespie (Running Backs), Bill Bedenbaugh (Offensive Line), and Shannon Dawson (Inside-Receivers).

On March 10, it was announced that lone offensive staff holdover Lonnie Galloway (Outside-Receivers) has left West Virginia to take a coaching job at Wake Forest.

On March 28, West Virginia University announced the hiring of Daron Roberts as an assistant coach. Roberts will be working with wide receivers and special teams.

On June 10, West Virginia University announced that Bill Stewart had resigned as head coach and that Dana Holgorsen would assume the position effective immediately. Holgorsen has stated he will serve as his own offensive coordinator but that he was unsure who would fill the extra spot on the coaching staff.

On July 8, Holgorsen hired Alex Hammond as recruiting coordinator.

The Mountaineers have retained the entire 2010 defensive coaching staff for the 2011 season.

Key losses

• Noel Devine – RB
• Jock Sanders – WR
• Eric Jobe – OL
• Scooter Berry – DT
• Chris Neild – DT
• Pat Lazear – LB
• J.T. Thomas – LB
• Anthony Leonard – LB
• Brandon Hogan – CB
• Robert Sands – S
• Benji Powers- DB

2011 recruits

Spring Game

The 2011 Gold-Blue Spring Game took place on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 7 p.m. at Mountaineer Field. Over 22,000 fans attended to see the Gold team defeat the Blue team 83–17. The game was televised statewide on West Virginia Media stations.

Polls

The Mountaineers were picked to win the Big East Conference by the media at conference media day, picking up 21 out of 24 first place votes.

Game summaries

Marshall

Morgantown, WV

WVU picked up the win in a game that was delayed a total of 4 hours, 22 minutes and called with 14:36 left in the 4th quarter. Following a 3rd quarter Tavon Austin kickoff return for a touchdown that gave the Mountaineers a 27–13 lead with five minutes to play in the third quarter, the game experienced a lightning delay that lasted 3 hours, 6 minutes. Once resuming play a Vernard Roberts one-yard touchdown run extended the WVU lead to 34–13 early in the fourth quarter, after which the game was once again delayed for lightning. It was ultimately agreed to by both teams to end the game. Geno Smith lead the game for WVU going 26–35 for 246 yards and two touchdowns.

Norfolk State

Morgantown, WV

The Mountaineers overcame a sluggish first half exploding for 45 second half points and ending the game with 533 yards of total offense. Geno Smith went 20–34 for 371 yards and 4 TDs passing. As a team WVU passed for 431 yards, the most since 1998.

Maryland

College Park, MD

The Mountaineers got off to a fast start, building a 27–10 halftime lead behind the arm of junior quarterback Geno Smith and rushing touchdowns from freshmen Vernard Roberts and Andrew Buie. The lead was built to 24, 34–10, in the third quarter on a Smith connection to high school teammate Stedman Bailey. Maryland scored 21 unanswered points to bring the game to within 3 points, 34–31, before the Mountaineers added another field goal to build their lead to 6, 37–31. The Terrapins drove down the field in an attempt to take the lead, but quarterback Danny O'Brien was intercepted by Eain Smith with 1:13 remaining in the game to seal it for the Mountaineers.

LSU

Morgantown, WV

ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Morgantown for the first time.

Despite outgaining the Tigers 533–366, West Virginia was unable to overcome poor tackling and special teams play. The Mountaineers also committed four turnovers. West Virginia's Geno Smith set school records for completions (38), attempts (65) and passing yards (463) against LSU's highly regarded defense.

Bowling Green

Morgantown, WV

West Virginia put together its most complete game of the season as the running game that had struggled in past weeks exploded to the tune of 360. True freshman Dustin Garrison set a school record for most rushing yards by a freshman with 291, good enough for a tie for the second most total in school history. WVU's 643 yards of total offense were a Mountaineer Field record.

Connecticut

Morgantown, WV

Syracuse

Syracuse, NY

Rutgers

Piscataway, NJ

Geno Smith threw two second-half touchdowns to help West Virginia (6–2, 2–1 Big East) post its 17th straight win over Rutgers. WVU trailed 31–21 at the halftime, fighting both the Scarlet Knights offense, and harsh weather conditions. The Mountaineer defense allowed a season-high 31 points in the first half, but shutout Rutgers in the second. The Mountaineers won their first conference road game of the season, and became bowl-eligible in the process. Smith finished 20–33 for 218 yards, and two touchdowns, while Shawne Alston ran for a career-high 110 yards and two scores on 14 carries

Louisville

Morgantown, WV

Cincinnati

Cincinnati, OH

West Virginia blocked a game-tying field goal attempt as time expired to secure the win over the #23 ranked Bearcats, WVU's first road win over a team ranked in the AP Top 25 since their last win in Cincinnati during the 2007 season.

Pittsburgh

Morgantown, WV

South Florida

Tampa, FL

Orange Bowl

Miami Gardens, FL Main article: 2012 Orange Bowl

Geno Smith tied a record for any bowl game with six touchdown passes, including four to Tavon Austin, and No. 23 West Virginia set a bowl scoring record by beating No. 14 Clemson 70–33 on Wednesday in the Orange Bowl. Darwin Cook's 99-yard fumble return for a touchdown was one of the Mountaineers' five TDs in the second quarter, including three in the final 2:29 for a 49–20 lead. It was the highest-scoring half by a team in a bowl game. Austin's four TD receptions tied a record for any bowl game, and Smith broke Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record with 407 yards passing. West Virginia's point total broke the bowl record established six nights earlier when Baylor beat Washington 67–56 in the Alamo Bowl.

Personnel

Coaching staff

Roster

References

References

1. (September 10, 2011). "West Virginia Wakes Up in Second Half to Win Easily". [[ESPN]].
2. (September 10, 2011). "Geno Smith Throws for 388 Yards as West Virginia Survives Maryland". [[ESPN]].
3. (September 24, 2011). "LSU Tigers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". [[ESPN]].
4. (September 10, 2011). "Dustin Garrison Boosts West Virginia Past Bowling Green". [[ESPN]].
5. (October 8, 2011). "Connecticut Huskies vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". [[ESPN]].
6. (October 22, 2011). "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange Box Score". [[ESPN]].
7. (October 29, 2011). "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Rutgers Scarlet Knights Box Score". [[ESPN]].
8. (November 5, 2011). "Louisville Cardinals vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". [[ESPN]].
9. (November 12, 2011). "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats Box Score". [[ESPN]].
10. (November 25, 2011). "Pittsburgh Panthers vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Box Score". [[ESPN]].
11. (December 1, 2011). "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. South Florida Bulls Box Score". [[ESPN]].
12. (January 4, 2012). "West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Clemson Tigers Box Score". [[ESPN]].
13. Dunlap, Colin. (December 14, 2010). "Holgorsen to Become WVU Head Coach in 2012". [[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]].
14. (January 5, 2011). "WVU Hires 3 Offensive Assistants". [[USA Today]].
15. Bennett, Brian. (March 10, 2011). "West Virginia Loses Receivers Coach". [[ESPN]].
16. (March 28, 2011). "Roberts Joins Grid Staff". West Virginia University Department of Athletics.
17. Cullen, Garrett. (June 10, 2011). "A New Era". [[West Virginia MetroNews]].
18. Adelson, Andrea. (June 10, 2011). "Comments from Luck, Holgorsen". [[ESPN]].
19. Vingle, Mitch. (July 8, 2011). "Holgorsen Names Recruiting Coordinator". [[The Charleston Gazette]].
20. Adelson, Andrea. (August 2, 2011). "West Virginia Picked as Preseason Favorite". [[ESPN]].
21. (September 4, 2011). "No. 24 W. Virginia Gets Best of Marshall in Storm-Shortened Opener". [[ESPN]].
22. Antonik, John. (September 4, 2011). "West Virginia 34, Marshall 13". West Virginia University Department of Athletics.
23. Antonik, John. (September 17, 2011). "Smith's Pick Seals It". West Virginia University Department of Athletics.
24. Adelson, Andrea. (September 18, 2011). "'College GameDay' Headed to WVU-LSU". [[ESPN]].
25. (October 29, 2011). "Geno Smith Accounts for 3 TDs in 2nd Half to Lead WVU's Comeback". [[ESPN]].
26. (January 5, 2012). "W. Va. Crushes Clemson 70–33 in Orange Bowl". [[CBS News]].
27. (January 6, 2012). "Football: Two Changes to Orange Bowl Stats". West Virginia University Department of Athletics.