Posted on 01/05/2012 4:43:18 AM PST by MontaniSemperLiberi
After rumbling 99 yards for a touchdown on a fumble recovery in the second quarter, West Virginia safety Darwin Cook banged into Obie, the Orange Bowl mascot, sending them both tumbling to the ground.
That was more resistance than any Clemson tacklers offered Wednesday night.
In a scintillating display of offense while at the same time humiliating showing on defense, the No. 23 Mountaineers crushed the No. 15 Tigers 70-33 in the Orange Bowl at Sun Life Stadium.
There's not enough room here to list all the records West Virginia set. The most amazing was breaking the mark for most points scored in a bowl game. Any bowl game. In college football history.
"I'd be lying if I thought we could come out and score 70," said West Virginia junior quarterback Geno Smith after earning the game’s Most Outstanding Player and saying he won't skip his senior season for the NFL. "But with our offense you never know what can happen."
Smith, from nearby Miramar, Fla., completed 31 of 42 passes for 401 yards and six touchdowns. Both the yards and TDs established new Orange Bowl records. The prior owners? Tom Brady (369 yards in 2000) and Matt Leinart (five touchdowns in 2005).
(Excerpt) Read more at foxsportsflorida.com ...
This is has been that way in regards to the bowl games, and in a special way, the BIG bowl games in the BCS series in regards to the Big East and to a degree, to the ACC because of the thinking that both conferences are simply b-ball conferences that only have gotten interested in football in the last number of years.
Heard on a morning show that there could be a possible court fight in that case starting sometime in July.
Weird.
The sad thing is that they didn’t run up the score. The massive lead was taken entirely in the first half. They cruised for the second half, but Clemson was already behind , 63-20.
Having been born in W by gawd, always have been and will be a fan. It was a game I wish my father was alive to see.
However the QB deciding not to go pro is a wise move. In fact I highly recommend he get a degree and coach or teach. He is not going to be an impact player in the NFL and probably not a starter. Canada? Don’t know.
There could be a court fight, but if WVA signed, then they signed. I’m sure the Big East’s issue is to have a minimum of 8 teams playing next year. They have added about 5 new ones, but I’m not sure when they are available for play.
If that gets worked out, then they might release WVU, but if they don’t then they simply cannot afford to have WVU not honor its contract.
Well not suprised, got an NFL team that is in playoff mode from Atlanta.
Saw the highlights of last night’s game, no wonder Clemson had no chance to win. Even one of the WVU ran down the Orange Bowl mascot when making the touchdown in the process. The mascot got up, waved, and smiled in the video on ESPN.
That and both Big G and GT choked in overtime in their bowl games.
“There were were people sneering West Virginia didn’t even belong.”
I had to hear a lot of that for the past month here in Clemson country. Now we are 3-0 in BCS games over the past six years.
I’m getting a lot of love from Gamecock fans today.
It was 49 - 20 at the half.
I went to bed at the half, confident that the game was no longer in doubt as to whom would dominate in the second half.
Actually 2-1. WVU Men's b-ball beat Rutgers last night.
At the same time WVU has already made, and the BE has accepted, a down payment of $5 million towards its exit fee from the conference.
IMO, the Big East will soon be finished as a football conference.
FWIW, WVA is still Big East and they destroyed Clemson. Cincinnati is Big East and they defeated SEC Vanderbilt.
Boise State will be Big East and demolished Az St.
Louisville is BE and lost in the Belk Bowl by a TD to NC State
Rutgers is BE and defeated Iowa St in the Pinstripe Bowl
Houston will be BE and defeated Penn St in the Ticket City Bowl.
San Diego St will be BE and lost in the Carriers Bowl
SMU will be BE and is playing Pitt who is BE in the Compass Bowl.
The five schools being added are Boise St, SMU, Houston, Central Florida, and San Diego State.
The 3 being lost are Pitt & UConn to the ACC and WVA to the B12.
Those being added rank more highly than those being lost so the BE’s rating as a conference will actually improve.
My sense is that the BE’s price for WVA’s exit will be a smoke-filled-back-room agreement that the B12 will fully support the continuing BCS status of the BE.
You're right. My error.
Mike Leach will still have a major effect in the B12 when WVU gets there. Holgerson coached at TTech under Leach.
The Tech powers would sure have been a lot smarter to hire Holgerson. It was obvious that he wasn’t planning to stay at Okie State very long as offensive coordinator.
Of course I didn’t think they were very smart to fire Leach.
I have mixed feelings about the WVU move. I’m a Big East undergrad (Cincy) and a B12 master degree (Kansas St). As a Cincy native, I was a Bob Huggins (basketball) coach from day 1 of his arrival at UC. He went to K-State and then to WVU.
I hate to see WVU go. It’s a solid school in many ways. The ACC made a mistake choosing UConn over WVU.
Agreed on both counts.
I BELIEVE WVa scored two more touchdowns early in the third quarter, then started cruising.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.