game-by-game recaps game 9 [ November 5, 2011 · Morgantown, W.Va . ]
Louisville #24/21
WEST VIRGINIA
38 35
L
Mountaineer Football
[ geno smith ]
ouisville won for the first time in Morgantown since 1990 and broke a four-game losing streak to West Virginia with a 38-35 victory over the Mountaineers. Two fumbles and special teams’ miscues proved too much for West Virginia to overcome, even though the warm, sunny November day started off brightly for the Mountaineers. Brad Starks returned the game’s opening kickoff 62 yards to the Louisville 30-yard line to set up the game’s first score. Three plays later, WVU quarterback Geno Smith hit receiver Tavon Austin for a 25-yard scoring toss and a 7-0 lead. However, it took Louisville just 2:38 to answer, as the Cardinals marched 73 yards to tie the game on Jeremy Wright’s eight-yard run. The scoring drive was highlighted by a 55-yard run by tailback Dominique Brown. Louisville took its first lead of the game with 5:44 left in the first on Senorise Perry’s 13-yard run that ended a 78-yard drive. A 37-yard completion from quarterback Teddy Bridgewater to Eli Rogers provided the spark for the Cardinals. The Mountaineers tied the game at 14-14 at the 12:18 mark of the second quarter, when Stedman Bailey hauled in a five-yard pass from Smith, as the Mountaineers drove 76 yards for their second score. West Virginia recaptured the lead with 5:44 left in the first half, when Shawne Alston powered through for a two-yard scoring run, and a 21-14 WVU lead. But Louisville was able to tie the game at the half, taking advantage of an 11-yard shanked punt by the Mountaineers. Six plays later, the game was tied at 21-21, when Bridgewater connected with Rogers. The Mountaineers intercepted Bridgewater on the opening possession of the third quarter, but could not come away with any points, as Tyler Bitancurt missed a 32-yard field goal. Later, the Cardinals put up the only points in the third quarter, when kicker Chris Philpott converted on a 39-yard field goal, as Louisville regained the lead for good at 24-21. West Virginia mounted a drive late in the third, but was stopped at the Cardinal six-yard line as the third quarter ended. To start the fourth, Bitancurt’s 23-yard field goal to tie was blocked and returned 82 yards for a touchdown by Andrew Johnson. Instead of the game being tied, West Virginia found itself down, 31-21, with 14:42 left in the game. Two possessions later, the Mountaineers closed the gap to 31-28, when Alston rushed in from seven-yards out to end an impressive 96-yard, eightplay drive that was aided by a 46-yard completion from Smith to receiver Ivan McCartney. Trailing by three with 8:53 left, the Mountaineers needed a stop on defense and could not get one. The Cardinals converted on third-and-seven and fourth-and-one to keep the ball for 7:11, resulting in a three-yard touchdown run by Brown and a 38-28 margin. WVU added a score late, when Smith found Bailey in the corner of the end zone, but the Cardinals recovered the onside kick to end any comeback hopes. Smith finished with 410 yards passing, as Bailey (118 Yards) and Austin (90 yards) were his favorite targets. Darwin Cook led the defense with 10 stops. Bruce Irvin had a game-high two sacks and three TFL’s. For the Cardinals, Bridgewater passed for 246 yards, while Brown rushed for 69 and Rogers had 69 yards receiving. Hakeem Smith led the defense with 10 tackles. The Mountaineers rushed for 123 yards and passed for 410 to total 533 yards of offense. The Cardinals finished with 105 yards on the ground and 246 via the pass for 351 yards of total offense.
Scoring and Statistical Summary 1 2 3 4 F Louisville 14 7 3 14 38 7 14 0 14 35 West Virginia 1st 2nd 3rd 4th
WVU LOU LOU WVU WVU LOU LOU LOU WVU LOU WVU
Tavon Austin 25 pass from Geno Smith (Tyler Bitancurt kick) Jeremy Wright 8 rush (Chris Philpott kick) Senorise Perry 13 rush (Philpott kick) Stedman Bailey 5 pass from Smith (Bitancurt kick) Shawne Alston 2 rush (Bitancurt kick) Eli Rogers 4 pass from Teddy Bridgewater (Philpott kick) Philpott 39 FG Andrew Johnson 82 blocked FG return (Philpott kick) Alston 7 rush (Bitancurt kick) Brown 3 rush (Philpott kick) Bailey 1 pass from Smith (Bitancurt kick)
LOU WVU
First Downs 15 28 Rushes/Yards 33/105 34/123 Passing Yardage 246 410 21/27/1 31/44/0 Passes Punts 6/203/33.8 3/62/20.7 Fumbles/Lost 0/0 3/2 Return Yardage 221 249 Penalties/Yards 3/25 5/30 Time of Possession 30:46 29:14 WVU RUSHING: Garrison 13-64, Alston 11-45; WVU PASSING: Smith 31-44-0-410; WVU RECEIVING: Bailey 8-118, Austin 7-90; WVU TACKLES (TFL/QS): Cook 10 (1/0), Miller 8, Goode 8 (2/1); WVU INTERCEPTIONS: Goode. LOU RUSHING: Brown 14-69; LOU PASSING: Bridgewater 21-27-1246; LOU RECEIVING: Rogers 5-63; LOU TACKLES (TFL/QS): Smith 10, Evans 9; LOU INTERCEPTIONS: None. Attendance - 57,287
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