1993 Continued

WVU had just taken down 4th ranked Miami in the "Biggest Game in Mountaineer History." The only thing that stood in their way of the Sugar Bowl and a chance to play for the national championship was a trip to Chestnut Hill to face Glenn Foley and the Boston College Eagles.

This game took place on Black Friday... the day after Thanksgiving. I remember heading to my grandmother's house with my Dad to watch the game. The rest of my family headed to the mall to do their traditional shopping. The WVU/BC game started at 4 pm and was being aired on ESPN. However ESPN was broadcasting a Maryland/Georgetown basketball game that went into double overtime and ran well passed 4. We missed the entire first quarter of the game. I remember being as frustrated as I'd ever been. Luckily the entire first half was boring. WVU was being outplayed, but their defense never broke, it only bent. WVU took a 3-0 lead into halftime.

The second half started poorly for WVU. Boston College QB Glenn Foley was picking the Mountaineer defense apart and eventually took advantage of the same types of opportunities they couldn't capitalize on in the first half. Early in the 4th quarter BC Tight End Pete Mitchell scored on a twenty yard pass that gave Boston College a 14-3 lead. Was WVU really going to lose their final game of the season? Was an undefeated regular season going down the drain at the hands of Boston frickin' College? The Mountaineers needed a spark... enter WVU back-up QB Darren Studstill.

The offense suddenly came alive. Studstill engineered a drive that ended with a Rodney Woodard touchdown with just over six minutes left. WVU went for 2, but couldn't convert. With a score of 14-9, the WVU defense needed to stop BC's high powered offense one more time. BC was moving the ball down the field. With each first down WVU's national championship hopes faded. And then it happened.With 2:15 left in the game, BC running back David Greene took the handoff and ran around the right side. WVU defensive lineman Steve Perkins reached in and punched the ball out of Greene's hand. WVU cornerback Mike Logan picked up the ball and returned the fumble ten yards to the WVU 45 yardline. That's the break the Mountaineers needed.

Darren Studstill manufactured another miraculous drive to the Boston College 20 yard line. With a minute and eight seconds remaining Jack Flemming made the following call: "Studstill, firing to the endzone AND A CATCH IN THE ENDZONE, TOUCHDOWN WEST VIRGINIA as the ball is pulled in by Ed Hill!!! Tightly covered, Hill gave the defensive guy a little push, he pulls it in and the Mountaineers take a 15-14 lead... HOLY SMOKES!!!!" That's right, WVU scored a TD with 1:08 left in the game. They tacked on a 2 point conversion to make sure WVU couldn't lose on a Boston College fieldgoal.

The game ended when WVU's Mike Logan claimed his second turnover of the game. Glenn Foley tossed up a hail mary as time expired and the experienced WVU cornerback intercepted the pass in the endzone. WVU had done it! They'd completed their second undefeated regular season in five years.

There's no need to mention the Sugar Bowl, however. :)