University of Louisville
WEST VIRGINIA
Louisville Drops to West Virginia, 35-21
November 22, 2008 | Football
Nov. 22, 2008
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Louisville, Ky. (AP) - West Virginia's Pat White broke the NCAA record for most career rushing yards by a quarterback in leading the Mountaineers to a 35-21 win over Louisville on Saturday.
White ran for 200 yards and three touchdowns to give him 4,292 yards for his career, breaking the record of 4,289 set by former Missouri quarterback Brad Smith between 2002-05.
Noel Devine added 154 yards rushing for West Virginia (7-3, 4-1 Big East), which ran for 376 yards while averaging nearly 10 yards a carry to send Louisville (5-6, 1-5) to its fourth straight loss.
The rushing mark wasn't the only record White took down on Saturday. He added two passing touchdowns to bring his career total for touchdowns accounted for to 98, eclipsing the Big East record of 96 held by former Syracuse quarterback Donovan McNabb.
Louisville quarterback Hunter Cantwell threw for 276 yards with a touchdown but also threw three interceptions. Brock Bolen ran for 77 yards and a touchdown in his final home game and the Cardinals put up 474 yards of total offense.
Louisville will need to win its season finale at Rutgers on Dec. 4 to avoid its first losing season since 1997.
The Mountaineers-Cardinals matchup had become one of the Big East's best since Louisville joined the conference in 2005.
Not this time.
West Virginia kept its hopes for a second straight Big East crown alive thanks mostly to White, who had touchdown runs of 66, 43 and 7 yards against a team that has never figured out a way to slow him down.
The Mountaineers scored 14 points in less than two minutes early in the second half to take a 21-7 lead. White hit Dorrell Jalloh on a 28-yard score to put the Mountaineers up 14-7.
West Virginia's Ellis Lankster stripped Louisville wide receiver Chris Vaughn three plays later and the Mountaineers recovered at the Louisville 43. It took White 28 seconds to put the Mountaineers up two scores as he raced around left end 43 yards for a touchdown.
The score tied McNabb's mark for career touchdowns accounted for. White didn't waste a lot of time breaking it, scoring on a nifty 7-yard touchdown run that put the Mountaineers up 28-14 with 2:23 remaining in the third quarter.
Louisville failed to convert a fourth down on its next drive and West Virginia put it out of reach behind White, who sprung Devine for a 27-yard gain with a heady block on a Louisville defender, then hit Jock Sanders for a 25-yard score that made it 35-14 with 8:46 remaining.
The Cardinals cut the lead to 14 as Cantwell hit Josh Chichester for a 17-yard score with 5:56 left, but the Mountaineers recovered the ensuing onside kick and West Virginia's defense made it stand up from there.
West Virginia had several chances to take control in the first half, but self-destructed in Louisville territory. Kicker Pat McAfee missed a 21-yard field goal and the Mountaineers couldn't take advantage of a 79-yard run by Devine, the longest non-scoring run in school history.
Louisville cornerback Johnny Patrick chased Devine down on the play at the Louisville 6, and the Mountaineers couldn't capitalize. Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown was stopped on 3rd-and-goal from the 1 and Louisville escaped when Devine's knee touched down inches short of the end zone of fourth down on the final play of the half.
