American college football season
The 1988 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 1988 NCAA Division I-A football season . It was the Mountaineers' 96th overall season and they competed as a Division I-A Independent . The team was led by head coach Don Nehlen , in his ninth year, and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia . They finished the season with a record of eleven wins and one loss (11–1 overall), and a loss against No. 1 Notre Dame in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl for the national championship .
Date Time Opponent Rank Site TV Result Attendance Source September 3 1:00 p.m. Bowling Green No. 16 W 62–1453,515 [ 1]
September 10 1:00 p.m. Cal State Fullerton No. 12 Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV W 45–1054,169 [ 2] [ 3]
September 17 Noon Maryland No. 12 Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (rivalry ) JP Sports W 55–2460,188 [ 4]
September 24 Noon at No. 16 Pittsburgh No. 11 JP Sports W 31–1055,978 [ 5]
October 1 1:00 p.m. at Virginia Tech No. 7 W 22–1050,231 [ 6]
October 8 2:00 p.m. at East Carolina No. 7 W 30–1033,786 [ 7]
October 22 1:00 p.m. Boston College No. 6 Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV W 59–1963,145 [ 8]
October 29 2:30 p.m. Penn State No. 7 Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (rivalry ) CBS W 51–3066,811 [ 9]
November 5 1:30 p.m. at Cincinnati No. 4 W 51–1321,511 [ 10]
November 12 1:00 p.m. at Rutgers No. 4 W 35–2532,517 [ 11]
November 19 6:00 p.m. No. 14 Syracuse No. 4 Mountaineer Field Morgantown, WV (rivalry ) ESPN W 31–965,127 [ 12]
January 2 5:00 p.m. vs. No. 1 Notre Dame No. 3 NBC L 21–3474,911 [ 13]
HomecomingRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
[ 14]
Ranking movementsLegend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking RV = Received votes ( ) = First-place votes Week Poll Pre 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 Final AP 16 16 12 12 11 7 7 6 6 7 4 (2) 4 (1) 4 4 (2) 3 (2) 3 (3) 5 Coaches RV RV 13 11 10 6 6 5 5 6 4 (2) 4 (2) 4 (2) 4 (2) 3 (4) 3 (3) 5
[ 15]
The 1987 season was the beginning of Major Harris as the starting quarterback for West Virginia. Only a redshirt-freshman, Harris led the Mountaineers to a Sun Bowl berth, after a 1–3 start.
The '88 season opened with coach Don Nehlen 's alma mater, Bowling Green . The win marked the beginning of the run, winning 62–14. West Virginia beat their next opponent, Cal-Fullerton , 45–10. West Virginia's first challenge was against the Maryland Terrapins . West Virginia got behind the Terps 14–0, but pulled away at halftime, winning 55–24.
West Virginia's next game was at the Pittsburgh Panthers . The game was a defensive struggle, until running back A.B. Brown , a Pitt transfer, ran a draw for 64-yards and the score. Scoring 14-points in the fourth quarter, the Mountaineers broke away. In the 1988 Backyard Brawl , West Virginia was installed as a one-point underdog by the odds makers. The Mountaineers rolled to a 31–10 victory over Pitt on the way to their first undefeated, untied regular season in school history. West Virginia then traveled to rival Virginia Tech , and won 22–10, even though they produced four fumbles in the game. The next two games, a win at East Carolina , and a 59-point win at Boston College , gave West Virginia a 7–0 record.
Next, the late October matchup vs Penn State at Mountaineer Field is widely regarded as one of the greatest games in Mountaineer football history. Before a nationwide CBS audience, the Mountaineers were up 34–8 before the half. On a draw play, runningback Undra Johnson ran 55 yards for the touchdown to end the half. The game also included a touchdown run by Major Harris, which is remembered in West Virginia lore as "The Run".
The next game was at the Cincinnati Bearcats , where the Mountaineers started slow in the first half. Receiver Reggie Rembert scored three times, and the Mountaineers won by scoring 24 points in the third quarter. The Mountaineers traveled to Giants Stadium to play Rutgers , who had beat Penn St., Boston College, and Michigan State . The Mountaineers played poor, but came out with the win.
The final regular season game of the season was at home, against the Syracuse Orangemen . The Orangemen were 8–2, while the Mountaineers were 10–0. The highlight of the game was a 49-yard interception by Willie Edwards that was taken for a touchdown. The Mountaineers won 31–9, and took a famous lap around the stadium to entertain the 65,000 fans in Morgantown.
National championship [ edit ]
West Virginia traveled to the Fiesta Bowl to play the only other undefeated team in the NCAA , the Notre Dame Fighting Irish . Free-safety Darrell Whitmore was out for the Mountaineers, but Nehlen moved star Bo Orlando from strong safety to free to fill the hole. Nehlen recalled the move as "our first mistake...". "Another mistake I made is that I let the media overrun us."
West Virginia's offense was doomed from the third play of the game. Major Harris separated his shoulder on the third play when he was slammed to the ground by Irish Linebacker Michael Stonebreaker. He couldn't throw well for the rest of the game. The WVU coaches also abandoned their plans to run a lot of option football out of fear of further injuring Harris. Linemen John Stroia and Bob Kovach were injured for the Mountaineers in that game as well. NG Jim Gray would also suffer an early injury in the game. Notre Dame completely dominated the game. West Virginia only made one serious threat. Willie Edwards (Now coaching at Morgantown High School * class of 1984) picked off a Tony Rice pass in the 3rd quarter. ND led by 13 points at the time. A Harris incompletion and two ND sacks took WVU out of field goal range, and the threat was over. ND opened up a 21-point lead before a late WVU touchdown made the score respectable. WVU lost 34–21, it was their first loss of the season for the national championship.
West Virginia's '88 team was highlighted with an explosive offense, led by Major Harris. Harris, only a sophomore, threw an exceptional deep ball in addition to his remarkable scrambling ability. Running backs A.B. Brown , Undra Johnson , Eugene Napoleon, and Craig Taylor at fullback highlighted the run game. The runners were led by Rick Phillips and Brian Smider on the offensive line, along with Stroia and Kovach, while Kevin Koken led the line at center. Early in the season, Keith Winn was moved from receiver to tight end, providing help to the run game, but was more famous as a deep-pass threat. The receivers catching the balls from Harris were led by Reggie Rembert , who was accompanied by Calvin Phillips and Grantis Bell .
Coach Don Nehlen credited West Virginia's '88 team's defense as being the main factor to their success. The linebacking core included Renaldo Turnbull , Chris Haering , Steve Grant , Dale Jackson, Theron Ellis , and Robert Pickett. Mike Fox and Chris Parker headed the defensive line, along with Chris Haering . The secondary was one of the best in West Virginia history, led by Bo Orlando and Darrell Whitmore . Orlando had a good pro career with the Houston Oilers and Pittsburgh Steelers , while Darrell went pro in baseball. Willie Edwards played corner along with Alvoid Mays , who went pro as well, and Lawrence Drumgoole and David Lockwood played solid backup corner.
Don Nehlen was the head coach while being assisted by assistant head coach, wide receivers coach, and recruiting coordinator Doc Holliday .
1988 West Virginia Mountaineers football team roster
Players
Coaches
Offense
Pos.
#
Name
Class
WR
1
Grantis Bell
Sr
WR
2
Greg Dykes
Jr
WR
3
Ron Weaver
Fr
QB
9
Major Harris
So
WR
11
Wes Jackson
So
QB
12
Chuck LeVinus
Jr
QB
14
Greg Jones
So
WR
15
Jamie LeMon
Sr
WR
16
David Miers
Jr
QB
16
Chris Gray
Fr
QB
17
James Breitbeil
Fr
QB
17
Glen McNew
Fr
WR
19
Greg P. Jones
So
FB
20
Craig Taylor
Sr
RB
28
A. B. Brown
Sr
FB
36
Aaron Evans
So
RB
37
Jim Pastorkovich
Jr
G
74
Larry Cook
So
G
75
John Stroia
Sr
WR
88
Reggie Rembert
Jr
Defense
Special teams
Pos.
#
Name
Class
K
8
Charlie Baumann
Sr
P
10
Greg Hertzog
So
P
18
Lance Carion
Sr
K
19
Brad Carroll
So
Head coach
Coordinators/assistant coaches
Legend
(C) Team captain
(S) Suspended
(I) Ineligible
Injured
Redshirt
Bowling Green Falcons at No. 16 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Falcons
0
7
0 7 14
No. 16 Mountaineers
24
17
7 14 62
at Mountaineer Field , Morgantown, WV
Date : September 3Game time : 1:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 84 °F (29 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: 9 MPHGame attendance : 53,515Source :
Game information
First quarter
13:45 WVU TD - Willie Edwards 0-yard fumble return (Baumann PAT)
10:00 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 41-yard field goal
6:09 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B" Brown 4-yard run (Baumann PAT)
1:32 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 9-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Second quarter
13:40 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 6-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
6:49 WVU TD - Major Harris 5-yard run (Baumann PAT)
2:35 BGSU TD - Mike McGee 1-yard run (Zeller PAT)
1:26 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 47-yard field goal
Third quarter
6:41 WVU TD - Eugene Napoleon 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
13:03 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 6-yard run (Baumann PAT)
7:32 WVU TD - Barry Browning 2-yard run (Baumann PAT)
0:06 BGSU TD - Mike McGee 1-yard run (Zeller PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 6/9, 90 yards, TD
BGSU – Jett Duffey: 11/33, 128 yards, INT
Top rushers
WVU – Major Harris: 7 carries, 73 yards, 1 TD
BGSU – Mike McGee: 16 carries, 56 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
WVU – Reggie Rembert: 4 receptions, 53 yards, 1 TD
BGSU – Ken Rankin: 3 receptions, 46 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Bowling Green
First downs
25
21
Total yards
541
267
Rushing yards
367
61
Passing yards
174
206
Turnovers
1
2
Time of possession
29:41
30:19
Vs. Cal State Fullerton [ edit ]
Cal State Fullerton Titans at No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Titans
0
0
0 10 10
No. 12 Mountaineers
3
21
14 7 45
at Mountaineer Field , Morgantown, WV
Date : September 10Game time : 1:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 74 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 7 MPHGame attendance : 54,196Source :
Game information
First quarter
5:52 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 28-yard field goal
Second quarter
11:33 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B" Brown 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
8:44 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
3:38 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B" Brown 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Third quarter
3:18 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
1:49 WVU TD - Calvin Phillips 37-yard pass from Greg Jones (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
9:58 CSUF FG - Stan Lambert 29-yard field goal
6:16 WVU TD - Tim Williams 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
0:51 CSUF TD - John Gibbs 12-yard pass from Carlos Siragusa (Lambert PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 7/11, 166 yards, INT
CSUF – Dan Speltz: 5/12, 44 yards, TD
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 24 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD
CSUF – Mike Pringle: 19 carries, 100 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Calvin Phillips: 5 receptions, 190 yards, TD
CSUF – Rocky Palamara: 2 receptions, 28 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Cal State Fullerton
First downs
23
9
Total yards
514
175
Rushing yards
226
119
Passing yards
188
56
Turnovers
2
2
Time of possession
30:45
29:15
Maryland Terrapins at No. 12 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Terrapins
14
7
3 0 24
No. 12 Mountaineers
7
17
10 21 55
at Mountaineer Field , Morgantown, WV
Date : September 17Game time : NoonGame weather : Temperature: 66 °F (19 °C) • Weather: Light rain and fog • Wind: 5 MPHGame attendance : 60,188TV announcers (JP Sports ) : Steve Martin (play-by-play), Bob Casciola (color commentator)Source :
Game information
First quarter
14:04 UM TD - Mike Beasley 11-yard run (Plocki PAT)
10:58 UM TD - Mike Beasley 74-yard run (Plocki PAT)
3:35 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 4-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Second quarter
13:46 WVU TD - Keith Winn 20-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
9:51 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 39-yard field goal
0:49 UM TD - Neil O'Donnell 7-yard run (Plocki PAT)
0:08 WVU TD - Major Harris 3-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Third quarter
12:38 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 41-yard field goal
7:57 UM FG - Dan Plocki 45-yard field goal
2:37 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B." Brown 5-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
14:40 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
9:42 WVU TD - Bo Orlando 58-yard interception return (Baumann PAT)
1:19 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 5-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 6/11, 150 yards, TD, INT
UM – Neil O'Donnell: 4/13, 71 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 17 carries, 89 yards, TD
UM – Mike Beasley: 7 carries, 95 yards, 2 TD
Top receivers
WVU – Jamie LeMon: 3 receptions, 65 yards
UM – Ricky Johnson: 3 receptions, 16 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Maryland
First downs
28
14
Total yards
540
287
Rushing yards
347
188
Passing yards
193
99
Turnovers
3
4
Time of possession
31:36
28:24
No. 11 West Virginia Mountaineers at No. 16 Pittsburgh Panthers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 11 Mountaineers
10
0
7 14 31
No. 16 Panthers
0
7
3 0 10
at Pitt Stadium , Pittsburgh, PA
Date : September 24Game time : NoonGame weather : Temperature: 65 °F (18 °C) • Weather: Cloudy • Wind: 10-15 MPHGame attendance : 55,978TV announcers (JP Sports ) : Steve Martin (play-by-play), Bob Casciola (color commentator)Source :
Game information
First quarter
5:20 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 33-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
2:49 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 31-yard field goal
Second quarter
8:31 PITT TD - Henry Tuten 23-yard pass from Darnell Dickerson (Kaplan PAT)
Third quarter
10:23 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B." Brown 64-yard run (Baumann PAT)
5:04 PITT FG - Scott Kaplan 34-yard field goal
Fourth quarter
14:06 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 20-yard run (Baumann PAT)
2:41 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 5/12, 61 yards, TD, INT
PITT – Darnell Dickerson: 12/25, 150 yards, TD, INT
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 17 carries, 110 yards, TD
PITT – Adam Walker: 17 carries, 39 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Reggie Rembert: 2 receptions, 45 yards, TD
PITT – Henry Tuten: 7 receptions, 103 yards, TD
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Pittsburgh
First downs
19
16
Total yards
322
257
Rushing yards
261
81
Passing yards
61
176
Turnovers
1
3
Time of possession
27:03
32:57
No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers at Virginia Tech Hokies – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 7 Mountaineers
9
3
3 7 22
Hokies
0
3
7 0 10
at Lane Stadium , Blacksburg, VA
Date : October 1Game time : 1:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 73 °F (23 °C) • Weather: Sunny, clear • Wind: 5 MPH SWGame attendance : 50,231Referee : C.C. DaileySource :
Game information
First quarter
9:49 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 8-yard run (Baumann failed)
3:00 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 19-yard field goal
Second quarter
14:20 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 37-yard field goal
7:05 VT FG - Chris Kinzer 28-yard field goal
Third quarter
11:09 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 29-yard field goal
2:29 VT TD - Jock Jones 0-yard fumble return (Kinzer PAT)
Fourth quarter
10:11 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B." Brown 5-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 12/21, 205 yards, 2 INT
VT – Will Furrer: 5/21, 39 yards, INT
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 23 carries, 191 yards, TD
VT – Ralph Brown: 19 carries, 73 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Jamie LeMon: 4 receptions, 51 yards
VT – Lamar Smith: 2 receptions, 2 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Virginia Tech
First downs
22
8
Total yards
518
194
Rushing yards
313
107
Passing yards
205
87
Turnovers
6
1
Time of possession
33:33
26:27
No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers at East Carolina Pirates – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 7 Mountaineers
10
7
6 7 30
Pirates
0
10
0 0 10
at Dowdy–Ficklen Stadium , Greenville, NC
Date : October 8Game time : 2:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 63 °F (17 °C) • Weather: Sunny and cool • Wind: 10 MPHGame attendance : 33,786Source :
Game information
First quarter
9:31 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 49-yard field goal
2:38 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 5-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Second quarter
13:26 WVU TD - Adrian Moss 18-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
7:00 ECU FG - Robb Imperato 22-yard field goal
0:14 ECU TD - Walter Wilson 33-yard pass from Travis Hunter (Imperato PAT)
Third quarter
1:46 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 26-yard run (Baumann failed)
Fourth quarter
13:25 WVU TD - Major Harris 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 8/12, 126 yards, TD
ECU – Charlie Libretto: 8/22, 88 yards, 2 INT
Top rushers
WVU – Undra Johnson: 25 carries, 167 yards, 2 TD
ECU – Tim James: 15 carries, 50 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Adrian Moss: 5 receptions, 85 yards, TD
ECU – Walter Wilson: 4 receptions, 91 yards, TD
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
East Carolina
First downs
21
18
Total yards
390
310
Rushing yards
264
127
Passing yards
126
187
Turnovers
3
2
Time of possession
27:49
32:11
Boston College Eagles at No. 6 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Eagles
9
3
7 0 19
No. 6 Mountaineers
7
17
14 21 59
at Mountaineer Field , Morgantown, WV
Date : October 22Game time : 1:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 43 °F (6 °C) • Weather: Cloudy, rainy • Wind: 15 MPHGame attendance : 63,145Source :
Game information
First quarter
11:18 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 16-yard run (Baumann PAT)
7:38 BC FG - Brian Lowe 36-yard field goal
3:51 BC TD - Ed Toner 37-yard run (pass failed)
Second quarter
9:51 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 6-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
6:39 BC FG - Brian Lowe 32-yard field goal
2:53 WVU TD - Grantis Bell 61-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
0:08 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 28-yard field goal
Third quarter
13:30 WVU TD - Major Harris 9-yard run (Baumann PAT)
6:57 BC TD - Mike Sanders 14-yard run (Lowe PAT)
4:09 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
14:29 WVU TD - Major Harris 13-yard run (Baumann PAT)
7:24 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 33-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
3:07 WVU TD - Jamie LeMon 24-yard pass from Greg Jones (Baumann PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 15/21, 297 yards, 3 TD, INT
BC – Michael Power: 12/29, 155 yards, INT
Top rushers
WVU – Undra Johnson: 23 carries, 111 yards, TD
BC – Mike Sanders: 23 carries, 142 yards, TD
Top receivers
WVU – Calvin Phillips: 4 receptions, 83 yards
BC – Tom Waddle: 6 receptions, 62 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Boston College
First downs
29
24
Total yards
575
363
Rushing yards
254
164
Passing yards
321
199
Turnovers
3
2
Time of possession
28:23
31:37
Penn State Nittany Lions at No. 7 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
Nittany Lions
0
8
6 16 30
No. 7 Mountaineers
14
27
0 10 51
at Mountaineer Field , Morgantown, WV
Date : October 29Game time : 2:30 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Sunny and pleasant • Wind: 10 MPHGame attendance : 66,811TV announcers (CBS ) : Brent Musburger (play-by-play), Pat Haden (color commentator) and John Dockery (sideline reporter)Source :
Game information
First quarter
13:17 WVU TD - Major Harris 26-yard run (Baumann PAT)
6:42 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 40-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
Second quarter
12:06 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 24-yard field goal
9:20 WVU TD - Calvin Phillips 49-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
6:55 PSU TD - Sam Gash 3-yard run (Davis pass good)
2:45 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 2-yard run (Baumann PAT)
1:01 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 24-yard field goal
0:03 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 55-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Third quarter
4:55 PSU TD - Sam Gash 3-yard run (Sacca pass failed)
Fourth quarter
13:13 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 39-yard field goal
7:44 PSU TD - Lance Longeran 12-yard run (Smith pass good)
2:32 WVU TD - Terry Smith 40-yard pass from Lance Longeran (Brown run good)
1:31 WVU TD - Eugene Napoleon 69-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 12/20, 230 yards, 2 TD
PSU – Lance Longeran: 6/9, 129 yards, TD
Top rushers
WVU – Undra Johnson: 13 carries, 105 yards, TD
PSU – Gary Brown: 19 carries, 76 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Calvin Phillips: 4 receptions, 114 yards, TD
PSU – Terry Smith: 4 receptions, 84 yards, TD
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Penn State
First downs
25
25
Total yards
563
393
Rushing yards
322
200
Passing yards
241
193
Turnovers
0
3
Time of possession
29:26
30:34
No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers at Cincinnati Bearcats – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 4 Mountaineers
14
10
24 3 51
Bearcats
6
7
0 0 13
at Riverfront Stadium , Cincinnati, OH
Date : November 5Game time : 1:30 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Weather: wet, threat of rain • Wind: 15 MPHGame attendance : 21,511Source :
Game information
First quarter
11:34 UC FG - Phil Insalaco 36-yard field goal
8:36 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 14-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
6:12 WVU TD - Grantis Bell 40-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
0:37 WVU FG - Phil Insalaco 25-yard field goal
Second quarter
11:23 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 42-yard field goal
7:33 UC TD - Leonard Cry 16-yard pass from Don Hoog (Insalaco PAT)
0:42 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 68-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
Third quarter
13:45 WVU TD - Anthony "A.B." Brown 41-yard run (Baumann PAT)
6:45 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 51-yard run (Baumann PAT)
4:45 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 35-yard field goal
2:46 WVU TD - Jamie LeMon 15-yard pass from Greg Jones (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
3:05 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 27-yard field goal
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 6/13, 180 yards, 3 TD, INT
UC – Don Hoog: 11/25, 96 yards, TD, 2 INT
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 15 carries, 70 yards, TD
UC – Al McKinney: 26 carries, 116 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Calvin Phillips: 3 receptions, 77 yards
UC – Roosevelt Mukes: 3 receptions, 39 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Cincinnati
First downs
23
20
Total yards
498
304
Rushing yards
269
205
Passing yards
229
99
Turnovers
2
4
Time of possession
28:09
31:51
No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers at Rutgers Scarlet Knights – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 4 Mountaineers
7
14
7 7 35
Scarlet Knights
7
3
3 12 25
at Giants Stadium , East Rutherford, NJ
Date : November 12Game time : 1:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 47 °F (8 °C) • Weather: Sunny • Wind: 6 MPHGame attendance : 32,517Source :
Game information
First quarter
13:56 WVU TD - Darrell Whitmore 34-yard interception return (Baumann PAT)
13:43 RU TD - Ron Allen 92-yard kickoff return (Sclafani PAT)
Second quarter
7:06 RU FG - Carmen Sclafani 35-yard field goal
6:10 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 48-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
1:31 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 2-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Third quarter
9:03 RU FG - Carmen Sclafani 40-yard field goal
4:40 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
13:09 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 18-yard run (Baumann PAT)
7:33 RU TD - Michael Botti 2-yard run (Tarver run failed)
0:35 RU TD - Vince Hall 3-yard pass from Tom Tarver (Tarver pass failed)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 7/14, 130 yards, TD
RU – Tom Tarver: 9/12, 131 yards, TD
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 22 carries, 111 yards
RU – Michael Botti: 23 carries, 75 yards, TD
Top receivers
WVU – Calvin Phillips: 2 receptions, 29 yards
RU – Michael Botti: 3 receptions, 18 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Rutgers
First downs
22
16
Total yards
423
284
Rushing yards
293
87
Passing yards
130
197
Turnovers
1
4
Time of possession
29:28
30:32
No. 14 Syracuse Orangemen at No. 4 West Virginia Mountaineers – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 14 Orangemen
0
3
0 6 9
No. 4 Mountaineers
7
7
7 10 31
at Mountaineer Field , Morgantown, WV
Date : November 19Game time : 6:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 49 °F (9 °C) • Weather: Rainy • Wind: no windGame attendance : 65,127TV announcers (ESPN ) : Denny Schreiner (play-by-play), Stan White (color commentator), John Snyder (sideline reporter)Source :
Game information
First quarter
8:52 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 3-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Second quarter
7:56 SU FG - Kevin Greene 43-yard field goal
1:07 WVU TD - Craig Taylor 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
Third quarter
8:34 WVU TD - Willie Edwards 49-yard interception return (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
10:10 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 28-yard field goal
5:49 WVU TD - Undra Johnson 1-yard run (Baumann PAT)
3:41 SU TD - Robert Moore 16-yard pass from Todd Philcox (Philcox pass failed)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 8/16, 114 yards
SU – Todd Philcox: 11/22, 121 yards, TD, 4 INT
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 19 carries, 103 yards
SU – Daryl Johnston: 10 carries, 79 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Keith Winn: 3 receptions, 44 yards
SU – Deval Glover: 4 receptions, 51 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Syracuse
First downs
24
19
Total yards
426
316
Rushing yards
312
189
Passing yards
114
127
Turnovers
1
6
Time of possession
32:08
27:52
Vs. Notre Dame (Sunkist Fiesta Bowl)[ edit ]
Sunkist Fiesta Bowl: No. 3 West Virginia Mountaineers vs. No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish – Game summary
Quarter
1
2
3 4 Total
No. 3 Mountaineers
0
6
7 8 21
No. 1 Fighting Irish
9
14
3 8 34
at Sun Devil Stadium , Tempe, AZ
Date : January 2Game time : 1:00 p.m.Game weather : Temperature: 55 °F (13 °C) • Weather: Cloudy, light rain • Wind: 5 MPHGame attendance : 74,911TV announcers (NBC ) : Dick Enberg (play-by-play), Merlin Olsen (color commentator), Reggie Rucker (sideline reporter)Source :
Game information
First quarter
10:25 ND FG - Billy Hackett 45-yard field goal
4:34 ND TD - Anthony Johnson 1-yard run (Graham rush failed)
Second quarter
9:41 ND TD - Rodney Culver 5-yard run (Ho PAT)
6:18 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 29-yard field goal
1:48 ND TD - Raghib Ismail 29-yard pass from Tony Rice (Ho PAT)
0:00 WVU FG - Charlie Baumann 31-yard field goal
Third quarter
5:34 ND FG - Reggie Ho 32-yard field goal
3:36 WVU TD - Grantis Bell 17-yard pass from Major Harris (Baumann PAT)
Fourth quarter
13:05 ND TD - Frank Jacobs 3-yard run (Rice rush good)
1:14 WVU TD - Reggie Rembert 3-yard run (Rembert pass good)
Top passers
WVU – Major Harris: 13/26, 166 yards, TD, INT
ND – Tony Rice: 7/11, 213 yards, 2 TD, INT
Top rushers
WVU – Anthony "A.B." Brown: 11 carries, 49 yards
ND – Tony Rice: 13 carries, 75 yards
Top receivers
WVU – Grantis Bell: 4 receptions, 44 yards, TD
ND – Derek Brown: 2 receptions, 70 yards
Statistics
Statistics
West Virginia
Notre Dame
First downs
19
19
Total yards
282
455
Rushing yards
108
242
Passing yards
174
213
Turnovers
1
1
Time of possession
23:17
36:43
^ "Nehlen perfect in 9 openers at WVU" . The Roanoke Times & World-News . September 4, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ Robyn Norwood (September 11, 1988). "Fullerton Gets Its Guarantee, 45-10" . The Los Angeles Times . Los Angeles, California. p. III-9. Retrieved February 12, 2017 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Titans take what solace they can in 45–10 loss to West Virginia" . The Los Angeles Times . September 11, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Maryland's early blitz can't stop West Virginia" . The Charlotte Observer . September 18, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Ex-Panthers help WVU batter Pittsburgh, 31–10" . Fort Myers News-Press . September 25, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "W. Virginia 5–0 after sloppy win" . The Atlanta Journal & Constitution . October 2, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "West Virginia runs past East Carolina, 30–10" . The News and Observer . October 9, 1988. Retrieved March 5, 2021 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Harris-led WVU routs BC, 59–19" . The Pittsburgh Press . October 23, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Mountaineers bury Nittany Lions" . The Orlando Sentinel . October 30, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "W. Virginia survives mild UC uprising" . The Cincinnati Enquirer . November 6, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "West Virginia rips Rutgers" . Asbury Park Press . November 13, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "W. Virginia ends perfect season" . The Tampa Tribune . November 20, 1988. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "Defense, Rice lead Irish to 8th title" . Detroit Free Press . January 3, 1989. Retrieved February 2, 2024 – via Newspapers.com .
^ "1988 West Virginia Mountaineers Schedule and Results" . Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 2, 2024 .
^ "West Virginia 1988 AP Football Rankings" . collegepollarchive.com . Retrieved August 26, 2018 .
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