Top 25 | The Master List | Conference Rankings | Lower Divisions
18
West Virginia
The Mountaineers, with perhaps the best running back in the
nation, won't have much time to rev
up. Game
1 is the test
| |
Zereoue will need a strong start to stand out in a deep
Heisman
field.
(John F. Grieshop/Schwartzman
Sports)
|
In
Morgantown,
W.Va.,
the most popular summer flicks featured not Jim Carrey or
Bruce
Willis but Andy Katzenmoyer and David Boston. Since the beginning
of June, Mountaineers players have been avidly viewing film
of their first 1998 opponent, Ohio State. "I'd be
lying if I said I don't think about that game every
day," says senior guard Bryan
Pukenas.
In that Sept. 5 matchup against the top-ranked
Buckeyes,
West
Virginia coach Don Nehlen will showcase his most talented team
since the '93 bunch that finished 11-1 and ranked No. 7.
Though Ohio State will be a sizable favorite, Nehlen
believes the Mountaineers are catching the Buckeyes at the
right time. "We're
better off playing them first, because maybe we'll have
most of our players then," says Nehlen, who had nine
defensive starters miss games last season because of
injury. "We'll also find out in a hurry if we're any
good at
all."
For star junior tailback Amos Zereoue, the Ohio State game
is an opportunity to get his Heisman Trophy campaign up and
running in front of a prime-time national television
audience. Last year "Famous Amos" rushed for
1,589 yards, third best in the
nation and a Mountaineers record. This year he needs just 25
yards to break the
West Virginia career mark of 2,648 yards, held by Artie Owens.
"He's the complete package," Nehlen says.
"When you add up that he can run with the ball, catch
it and block, too, you've got yourself a pretty good
player."
Zereoue joins eight other returning starters on offense,
including junior quarterback Marc Bulger, who graduated
from the same Pittsburgh high school, Central Catholic, as
Dan Marino. Entering his second season as a starter, the
6'3",
205-pound Bulger looms large for the Mountaineers this
fall—and not just because he has gained 40 pounds
since arriving in Morgantown three years ago. If Bulger
continues to make the strides he did last year, when he
threw for 2,112 yards, the West Virginia
offense will be one of the nation's most
dangerous.
Talented, experienced receivers will take some of the heat
off Zereoue. Senior Shawn Foreman was an All-Big East
selection last season, when he had 65 catches. Senior David
Saunders, who led the conference in receiving two years ago, says
he has
recovered from two damaged ligaments in his left knee that forced
him to sit out all of
1997.
On defense, rush linebacker Gary Stills and nosetackle John
Thornton (both
all-conference picks in '97) form the nucleus of a unit that is
speedier than last year's group. However, the switch of
three players to new positions creates much uncertainty.
Junior Jerry Porter, who had previous tryouts as a receiver
and quarterback, has moved to free safety. Former fullback
Mark Plants and converted safety Barrett Green, both
juniors, have joined the linebacking corps, where they will
be teamed with senior
Damon Cogdell, who is returning from a fractured left hip
that doctors once feared was career-ending. Defensive
coordinator Steve Dunlap hopes he won't have to do any more
reshuffling. "You can't keep moving players around to
different positions,'' he
says. "They don't know what to
do.''
Even if the defense jells, West Virginia must overcome two
other major hurdles to win the Big East
championship: Syracuse and Miami. Since '94, the Mountaineers are 2-6
against these conference rivals. For now, though, all eyes
are on the Buckeyes.
"Starting out with Ohio State is one of the biggest things that
could ever happen to this team," Zereoue says.
"If we want to be on
top, we have to play the
best."
—Dana
Gelin
Fast Facts
1997 record: 7-5 (4-3, tied for 3rd in Big
East)
Final ranking: unranked
| 1997 Averages | Offense | Defense |
| Scoring | 30.0 | 22.7 |
| Rushing Yards | 180.0 | 130.9 |
| Passing Yards | 201.2 | 218.8 |
| Total Yards | 381.2 | 349.7 |
|
Pivotal Players
Tailback
Amos
Zereoue has single-handedly outrushed the opposition 13 times in
his
24-game
career.... Junior placekicker
Jay Taylor is one of the country's best (40 of 40
PATs, 14 of 17 FGs in '97). However,
his performance could suffer now that he has been pressed
into punting
duty.... Rush linebacker
Gary
Stills led the Mountaineers last season with 11
sacks.
Key Games
Schedule strength: 65th of
112
Sept. 5 vs. Ohio State
The last time these two met, in 1987, the Buckeyes won
decisively, 24-3 in
Columbus.
Nov. 7 vs. Syracuse
In their past three games with the Orangemen, the
Mountaineers have been outscored by an average of 25
points.
Bottom Line
Dangerous offense makes West Virginia a contender for the
Big East crown; shaky
D prevents the Mountaineers from winning
it.
Top 25 | The Master List | Conference Rankings | Lower Divisions
|
