Some could argue that 2002 marked the rejuvenation of WVU football. RB Avon Cobourne set the Big East career rushing record with 5,164 yards on the ground in four years with WVU, but he departed in 2003. The Mountaineers went 9-4 in 2002 after posting a 3-9 record in 2001. That “glory period,” one of the best in WVU football history, began 20 years ago during the 2003 season in the unlikeliest of fashions. The Mountaineers earned a spot in the upper echelon of the sport thanks to a decade of Big East success. The Big 12 pool of competition was simply more talented. Hindsight reveals that WVU football’s successful run in the early 21st century ended with the first modern wave of conference realignment. They won 10 games only once more in Holgorsen’s eight years at the helm. In their inaugural Big 12 season, the Mountaineers went 7-6 in 2012, snapping a nine-year run of first- or second-place finishes in their conference. It was also the last time the Mountaineers won a conference title on the gridiron. Holgorsen won 10 games in 2011, something Stewart never accomplished in the three years prior. Head coach Dana Holgorsen appeared to be in prime position to maintain the momentum built by his predecessors Rich Rodriguez and Bill Stewart with the program making a move to the Big 12 Conference for the 2012 season. Twelve years ago, in 2011, West Virginia football won the Big East title for the last time.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |