MORGANTOWN - Give Pat White credit for being a stand-up guy.
MORGANTOWN - Give Pat White credit for being a stand-up guy.
There were plenty of reasons West Virginia couldn't manage to beat Pitt in Friday's 101st Backyard Brawl. In no particular order, they included:
An inability to handle Pitt running back LeSean McCoy, a problem in which the Mountaineers weren't alone this season.
Another frustrating display of trying to convert a yard or two after having already successfully navigated much longer distances.
Yet another slow start from a team that was fortunate not to be trailing by three touchdowns at halftime.
And a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions thrown by White - one of which was ultimately inconsequential, the other the most significant play of the day.
Given all of those problems, however, it is difficult to zero in on the last one and point fingers, especially at a guy who has been most responsible for every good thing that has happened in West Virginia's program over the past four years.
And so no one was doing it except White.
"You can't blame Pat,'' said Jock Sanders. "He threw two interceptions. Last week [in a 35-21 win at Louisville] he had four or five touchdowns. He had a great game last week and not so good this week. He's like any quarterback. He's frustrated.''
Indeed, White was frustrated following the Mountaineers' 19-15 loss at Pitt. He ran 12 times for 93 yards and completed 15-of-28 passes for 143 yards. By the standards of many, that would be a terrific game.
But not by White's standards, especially with that last interception still fresh in his mind.
"It was a dumb play,'' he said. "It was a play a good quarterback shouldn't make.''
MORGANTOWN - Give Pat White credit for being a stand-up guy.
There were plenty of reasons West Virginia couldn't manage to beat Pitt in Friday's 101st Backyard Brawl. In no particular order, they included:
An inability to handle Pitt running back LeSean McCoy, a problem in which the Mountaineers weren't alone this season.
Another frustrating display of trying to convert a yard or two after having already successfully navigated much longer distances.
Yet another slow start from a team that was fortunate not to be trailing by three touchdowns at halftime.
And a pair of fourth-quarter interceptions thrown by White - one of which was ultimately inconsequential, the other the most significant play of the day.
Given all of those problems, however, it is difficult to zero in on the last one and point fingers, especially at a guy who has been most responsible for every good thing that has happened in West Virginia's program over the past four years.
And so no one was doing it except White.
"You can't blame Pat,'' said Jock Sanders. "He threw two interceptions. Last week [in a 35-21 win at Louisville] he had four or five touchdowns. He had a great game last week and not so good this week. He's like any quarterback. He's frustrated.''
Indeed, White was frustrated following the Mountaineers' 19-15 loss at Pitt. He ran 12 times for 93 yards and completed 15-of-28 passes for 143 yards. By the standards of many, that would be a terrific game.
But not by White's standards, especially with that last interception still fresh in his mind.
"It was a dumb play,'' he said. "It was a play a good quarterback shouldn't make.''
Indeed, the interception by Pitt's Jovani Chappel in the fourth quarter was a game changer. The pick came deep in West Virginia territory and the Panther defensive back - who had been replaced in the starting lineup to start the game - returned the ball to the West Virginia 16-yard line. McCoy scored two plays later, beginning Pitt's comeback from a 15-7 deficit.
Forget for a moment, though, the conventional wisdom that West Virginia's play calling was flawed, that the Mountaineers lost the game because the offensive staff refused to allow White to run the ball more or that the general play-calling was inept. Even with the plays that were called, the game could have been won - perhaps handily - had it not been for a handful of otherwise largely forgotten plays that White did make.
Near the end of a textbook drive to start the second half, White threw a perfect pass into the end zone to Dorrell Jalloh, usually the most sure-handed receiver on the team. Jalloh dropped it, forcing the Mountaineers - down 7-3 at the time - to settle for a Pat McAfee field goal.
Leading 15-7 with nine minutes to play, West Virginia had the ball at its own 16 after forcing a Pitt punt - the fifth Pitt possession of the second half that had ended with either a punt or a turnover. The momentum was still heavily in WVU's favor. On first down, White rolled left and threw the ball to a ridiculously wide-open Ricky Kovatch - who dropped the ball. Two plays later, White threw his fateful pass to Chappel.
Was West Virginia's play-calling flawed? Probably. When White carries the ball only 12 times just one week after carrying more than twice as many times for more than twice as many yards, that is certainly suspect.
Still, if Jalloh catches the touchdown pass to start the second half, perhaps West Virginia dominates even more than it did during that stretch. As it was, the Mountaineers scored three of the first five times they had the ball after halftime and everything was set up for the same kind of second-half roll the Mountaineers have gone on not only this season, but in two other games against Pitt in the past four years.
As for the pass to Kovatch, yes, he had just one other catch all season, that having come earlier in the day. He was not exactly a go-to receiver, but some of the best plays offenses run are the ones no one expects. If Kovatch catches that one pass and gains a first down, the worst-case scenario is that White's poor throw that Chappel caught comes further down the field, not giving the Panthers a point-blank chance to score. The best-case scenario is that it kick-starts a drive that all but wraps up the game for the Mountaineers.
Still, none of that really matters much to White, who is so used to making big plays that save the Mountaineers that when he makes one that ultimately hurts them he feels entirely responsible.
"My mistakes hurt us, the two interceptions,'' White said. "If I don't throw a pick we win the game.''
Then again, if he doesn't do anything else, the Mountaineers aren't even in the game.
Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
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Pat did have a bad game by his standards. He looked slow and indecisive for the most part. If there's one game for which all of the Mounties should have been fired up to play this year, it was this one. It looked like the emotional Louisville win drained them. Now I have to listen to those Pittsburgers carp for another year.
God Bless you, Pat White. My heart breaks watching you try to completely carry your offense while the coaching staff looks on wondering what to do. My only wish is that your team is able to step up around you and help you win the next two games. It will still be disappointing looking back on this season, but at least then the team can send you to the NFL on a high note.