Connect with us

Virginia

West Virginia’s Top 10 All-Time Wins

Published

on

West Virginia’s Top 10 All-Time Wins


Football season is just around the corner and to help you get fired up for its return, I thought we could take a look back at some of the best wins in West Virginia program history. I’m sure you will all agree exactly with all ten of my selections and the order in which they appear.

Here. We. Go.

WVU kicker Tyler Bitancurt's game-winner vs. Pitt in 2009. WVU Athletics Communications

Just two years removed from the game no one wants to talk about, West Virginia got its revenge on Pitt in the Backyard Brawl. Sure, it wasn’t a game that kept them out of a national championship, but it did keep them from going to a BCS game. Also, many of the players that were involved in that ’07 game were still in the program and were able to get their payback.

WVU RB Quincy Wilson running the ball vs. Virginia Tech. WVU Athletics Communications

The Hokies entered this matchup a perfect 6-0 and had their sights set on a national championship. No one, including the Hokies, expected a 2-4 West Virginia team to show up and dominate one of the nation’s best teams. That loss sent Virginia Tech into a spiral, losing four of its final six games. WVU would go on to win five of its last six.

WVU defeats Penn State in 1984. WVU Athletics Communications

West Virginia lost 27 straight games to Penn State in addition to one tie prior to this game. Nearly 30 years went by before the Mountaineers saw themselves on the right side of the score against the dominant Penn State Nittany Lions. This ended up being one of Joe Paterno’s worst teams, but still, this was a moment Mountaineer fans had been waiting for for almost three decades.

WVU vs. Boston College in 1984. WVU Athletics Communications

“They got Flutie!” – one of the most iconic calls by Jack Fleming. West Virginia’s defense came up strong late in the game and running back John Gay ran in the go-ahead touchdown which would ultimately be the game-winner. WVU fizzled out at the end of the season, but at the time this was a gigantic win for the Old Gold and Blue.

WVU vs. Oklahoma in 1982. ESPN.

The season-opener in 1982 was expected to be a blowout loss on the road against a top-10 Oklahoma team. The Mountaineers had a very young team and had Penn State transfer Jeff Hostetler at quarterback. That day, he made a name for himself and led WVU to a signature 41-27 win over the Sooners. Hostetler threw for 321 yards and four touchdowns that afternoon.

WVU fans storming the field after beating Miami in 199

If you have this one higher on your list, I can’t blame you. To this day, this game featured the largest crowd ever to attend a football game at Mountaineer Field with 70,222 spectators on hand. WVU ripped off nine straight wins to open the season, but this was by far their stiffest challenge yet. Miami had a loaded roster and were playing for a national title berth as well. Robert Walker’s 19-yard touchdown with six minutes and change to go was the deciding factor.

 Steve Slaton runs vs. Georgia. Christopher Gooley-USA TODAY Sports

Christopher Gooley-USA TODAY Sports

SEC speed. That’s all WVU heard about during the month of bowl prep. How could a team from the Big East hang with the speed and athleticism of Georgia? Ask the Bulldogs how this one went. The young duo of Pat White and Steve Slaton caught the nation’s attention with this Sugar Bowl win. WVU caught Georgia off guard and jumped out to a 28-0 lead just a few minutes into the second quarter. The Bulldogs battled back, but were unable to complete the comeback. Phil Brady’s fake punt rush for a first down went down as one of the top plays in program history.

Pat White (5) tries to break free from grasp of Oklahoma Sooners safety. Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports

The win over Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl is a moment Mountaineer fans will never forget. West Virginia lost out on a national championship appearance after falling to a four-win Pitt team and then shortly after, lost head coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan. WVU fans were crushed and lost so much hope in such a short amount of time. Every college football analyst picked Oklahoma to crush West Virginia because of everything the team just went through mentally. They and 84% of the country were wrong. WVU came out with a point to prove and handled the Sooners 48-28. The “leave no doubt” pregame speech from Bill Stewart gives Mountaineer fans chills to this very day.

Advertisement
WVU coach Don Nehlen interviewed after beating Boston College in 1993.

Perfection is not easy. It’s happened just twice in the history of the program and this win over Boston College sealed the deal for an undefeated campaign in 1993. They had to earn this one with backup QB Darren Studstill leading the way. He engineered a 77-yard scoring drive and just as BC threatened to answer, Steve Perkins forced a fumble which was recovered by Mike Logan. Studstill threw up a jumpball to Ed Hill in the end zone who came down with the game-winning catch. WVU should have secured a spot in the national championship game once again, but a one-loss Florida State team got in instead.

WVU beats Syracuse to finish undefeated in 1988. WVU Athletics Communications

I’ll be honest, it’s very hard to peg the best win of all-time. You could make a case for really any of these victories I have listed in the top five. But I’m going with the ’88 win over Syracuse. Why? It gave West Virginia it’s first-ever perfect season. The first time you do something of that magnitude, it has to be recognized as the top moment in program history, at least until you win a national title. WVU had a fairly favorable schedule to this point in the season, but Syracuse was no slouch by any means. West Virginia silenced all the doubters pounding Syracuse and securing a spot in the Fiesta Bowl to take on Notre Dame for the national championship. The other wins were great, but can you really put anything else above the one that punched your ticket to the title game? I don’t think so.

READ MORE ABOUT WVU ATHLETICS

It’s Time to Retire Pat White’s Number

Ranking the Tip Five West Virginia QBs Since 2000

1988 vs. 2007: Who Was the Best WVU Football Team Ever?



Source link

Advertisement

Virginia

Colorado, Deion Sanders to hire former highly-touted DC as defensive assistant

Published

on

Colorado, Deion Sanders to hire former highly-touted DC as defensive assistant


Colorado is expected to hire former Virginia Tech defensive coordinator Chris Marve as its next linebackers coach, according to CBS Sports. Marve served as the Hokies DC from 2022-2024.

Marve has previous experience on defensive staffs at Vanderbilt, his alma mater, Mississippi State, Florida State and Virginia Tech. He’s been in the coaching industry since 2014 when he was brought on as a defensive assistant with the Commodores.

By the time he left his alma mater in 2018, he had worked his way up to inside linebackers coach. He was brought on at Mississippi State in 2019 as the Bulldogs’ defensive run game coordinator and linebackers coach. His run there lasted one year before moving on to coach at Florida State for two seasons as the Seminoles’ linebackers coach.

ACC foe Virginia Tech would poach him away ahead of the 2022 season, where he stayed until he was fired following the 2024 season. He spent the 2025 season away from college football, and will now get another shot by joining Deion Sanders’ staff in 2026.

Advertisement

His playing days spanned from 2007-2011, where he has a three-time All-SEC linebacker for the Vanderbilt Commodores. Marve also earned Freshman All-American honors in 2008.

He’ll join a Buffaloes program that finished the 2025 season with a 3-9 record, which included a 1-8 record vs. conference opponents. This came in the fallout of their 9-win season led by current Cleveland Browns QB Sheduer Sanders and Heisman Trophy winner Travis Hunter.

Colorado wide receiver Dre’lon Miller plans to enter NCAA Transfer Portal

Colorado wide receiver Dre’lon Miller plans to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal, per On3’s Pete Nakos. He caught 20 passes for 158 yards and a touchdown this past season.

His 2024 season was a bit better. Miller caught 32 passes for 277 yards and three touchdowns prior. He’s shown he can get the job done when there’s some solid quarterback play on offense.

Miller played high school football at Silsbee (Silsbee, TX), where he was a four-star prospect. He was the No. 141 overall recruit in the 2024 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Ranking, a weighted algorithm that complies all major recruiting media services.

Advertisement

Time will tell where he ends up next. There will certainly be plenty of interest in his services when the time comes.

To keep up with the latest players on the move, check out On3’s Transfer Portal wire. The On3 Transfer Portal Instagram account and Twitter account are excellent resources to stay up to date with the latest moves.





Source link

Continue Reading

Virginia

Virginia Democratic operative arrested on child pornography charges

Published

on

Virginia Democratic operative arrested on child pornography charges


WARNING: This story contains material some readers may find disturbing due to its graphic content. Reader discretion is advised.

RICHMOND, Va. — A Virginia Democratic operative is accused of distributing child pornography.

Randon Alexander Sprinkle, 30, allegedly engaged in conversations with an undercover FBI agent in May of this year through the Jack’d app under the name “Randy.”

The 9-page affidavit states that Sprinkle asked the agent to move their conversation to Telegram, where he allegedly wrote “mostly into young, rape, incest – you?”

Advertisement

The arrest has prompted swift condemnation from elected officals who worked with Sprinkle in various capacities.

Richmond City Council Vice President Katherine Jordan said Sprinkle served as her 2024 campaign treasurer, handling campaign forms, events and financial reporting.

“What has been alleged is disgusting and abhorrent,” Jordan said in a statement. “I’m shocked and sickened.”

1st District Council member Andrew Breton also used Sprinkle’s services for campaign finance reports and event logistics.

“The allegations are shocking and disturbing. I am grateful that law enforcement is involved, and that justice is taking its course,” Breton said.

Advertisement

Congresswoman Jennifer McClellan, who has appeared in several photos with Sprinkle that he posted on X, also responded through spokesman Jared Leopold.

“Congresswoman McClellan is shocked by these appalling accusations which should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Leopold stated.

Sprinkle previously served as a leader in the Young Democrats of Virginia and held a financial director position with the Democratic Part of Virginia.

He has also been photographed with Governor-elect Abigail Spanberger. Spanberger’s representatives have not responded to requests for comment.

The FBI affidavit confirms that 68 files were extracted during a forensic sweep of Sprinkle’s electronic devices, some with disturbing titles. Legal expert Ed Riley said the investigation may have uncovered evidence of distribution through peer-to-peer networks where individuals exchange illegal video files and images.

Advertisement

If convicted on the single charge of distribution of child pornography, Sprinkle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison, with potential sentencing up to 20 years.

“If they find the images and they can connect you to the images, you’re not dealing with the merits of the case anymore. You’re dealing with the resolution that it’s going to be,” Riley said.

Sprinkle is currently being held at the Northern Neck Regional Jail in Warsaw.

This is a developing story. Email the CBS 6 Newsroom if you have additional information to share.

📲: CONNECT WITH US

Advertisement

Blue Sky | Facebook | Instagram | X | Threads | TikTok | YouTube

This story was initially reported by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy. To learn more about how we use AI in our newsroom, click here.





Source link

Continue Reading

Virginia

Penn State transfer opens the door for a James Franklin reunion at Virginia Tech

Published

on

Penn State transfer opens the door for a James Franklin reunion at Virginia Tech


Things are beginning to slow down for James Franklin since being hired at Virginia Tech in November. Sure, you can say that it never really slows down for a college football coach, but since signing his contract in Blacksburg, he has made major strides in recruiting, bringing the Hokies from near the bottom of the FBS to a Top 25 class with the Class of 2026.

Franklin has also been building his first staff at Virginia Tech. In both cases, recruiting and coaching additions, he has gone back to his Penn State roots to pluck both recruits and coaches. Heck, he is even reportedly bringing back former Virginia Tech head coach Brent Pry, who was fired in September to open the door for Franklin to come to Tech, as his defensive coordinator.

The transfer portal opens up next month, and there are going to be several needs that Franklin and his staff are going to have to address. There are going to be several portal targets, and one of them announced he was leaving Penn State and made it clear that he was thankful for Franklin for his time in State College. Is it a sign of things to come when he enters the portal?

Advertisement

Penn State transfer Chaz Coleman opens door for reunion with James Franklin

It was reported by Hayes Fawcett of Rivals and On3 that five-star Penn State edge Chaz Coleman was entering the transfer portal. Coleman quoted the post on X, formerly known as Twitter, and made it a point to thank Franklin and his staff for believing in him.

“After much thought and consideration, I have decided to enter the transfer portal this coming January to pursue other opportunities. I’d like thank James Franklin and his staff for believing in me and teaching me what it means to believe in myself,” Coleman wrote.

Coleman becomes one of the most coveted players when the portal opens, and the Warren, Ohio native will have no shortage of suitors. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound edge rusher played well as a freshman for the Nittany Lions with eight tackles in five games. Several of the top programs are going to be in on him. Don’t be surprised if Ohio State makes a major push for him.

Advertisement

As far as Virginia Tech goes, does Franklin get in the mix? That remains to be seen, but stranger things have happened. He would be a tremendous get for the Hokies, who need help along the defensive side of the ball along the line. Did he call out Franklin by coincidence, or is there an underlying message there? Most likely the first one, but we’ll see.





Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Advertisement

Trending