WVU 9 and 4 Pat White 4 and 0 in BOWLS WOW What a ride!

Some days are just special. Some time periods are just special. Some eras are special but one thing that is unequivocally true is what Weezie said in the post below: PAT WHITE IS SPECIAL. WVU finished this season with a record of 9-4, and a win in the MCCBOWL in Charlotte NC (Immage by AP). That after the previous 3 seasons of double digit wins was some what of a disappointment, but the way it ended sure was sweet! After the ACC raid the Big East conference was left for dead. Sports aficionados insisted with regularity that with the defections of Miami, Va Tech and BC that the Big East Conference didn't even warrant a its automatic BCS Bowl Bid. Then a funny thing happened on the way to the grid iron season of 2005. Adam Bednarick and co-starter Pat White took the helm away from a very accomplished WVU QB, Rasheed Marshall. For the first part of that season the Mountaineers came out of the gate with win after win. New comers White, Slaten, Reynaud, and Schmitt were becoming household names in the making. You see with one blemish on the season being a 34- 17 defeat at the hands of the most hated traitors Va Tech, the team became something special. Adam and Pat were splitting the responsibilities at QB and things were going well the Mountaineers were climbing into the top 25. Then came a game against Big East Newbie Louisville who was touted as the prohibitive favorite to win the Big East Title. They had super-star qb Brian Brohm and one of the most formidable running back tandems and receiving corps in the nation. And for 3 quarters and 4 minutes they simply dominated the Mountaineers. The Mountaineers were trying to drive down the field with Adam Bednarick at the helm and then he was injured. Well we had a co-starter waiting for a chance to play, his name was Pat White. He proceeded to come into the game and lead the team to one of the most amazing wins in WVU regular season history. Yes he had a little help from one of his best friends Steve Slaten who only scored 6 touchdowns, but it was Pat White who gave the spark to the engine that would be a dominant force in the Big East and a perennial top 10 team. WVU would go on to win its first Bowl Game in the Rich Rod era. It was just one of the small bowls, the Sugar Bowl against a week team the SEC Champ Georgia Bulldogs, who by the way were expected to demonstrate to the Little East just what SEC speed was all about. Apparently Pat White and Steve Slaten didn't get the memo that SEC had superior speed because guess what WVU ran all over the cow puppies for a Sugar Bowl win of 38-35. The following season expectations were again high for the Mountaineers. They had a tough regular season ending it with two losses but were able to get the bid to the Gator Bowl. They were to play the team steeling ACC conference Runner Up Georgia Tech. Well Steve Slaten got injured prior to the game and thus the responsibility was left to Pat White and company to bring home a victory against another team from Georgia in their back yard of Jacksonville Fla. Turns out that the score 38-35 was the mark at the end of that game as well with WVU again winning. With two 11 win seasons under their belt next came the year that ended the Rod Era and began the Stew saga. It ended with WVU losing two key games one to South Florida and the game that ended with Rod leaving a loss to our most hated spitt kittycats in a game that was to be a laugher the Eers just couldn't get it done. But because they had already won the Big East Championship they got the nod to play in the Fiesta Bowl. For the Eers to win this Bowl game hell was going to have to become a little chilly as it were, according to the college football experts. In fact, the only place in America that thought the Eers even belonged on the field with the Sooners were the Mountaineer Faithful. Again the team apparently didn't get the memo about them losing because alas they destroyed the Big 12 Champ Sooners 48 28. Pat winning his second Bowl game MVP and tying the record for most Bowl wins by a starting QB. Well that brings us to the end of 2008. As was stated below in Weezie's post the Eers played in the Car Care Bowl. In a game where the Mountaineer faithful were to get to see just one more demonstration of Pat White's might. He lead the Mountaineers to a come from behind 31 30 victory over the Tar Heels of UNC. This establishing a record that can never be bested for a starting QB a forth BOWL WIN. (Image by Streeter Lecka / Getty Images) I post this in awe of that accomplishment. Not only was this the "!" of a career of "!!!'s" but it left me with tears falling down my cheeks for as Pat demonstrated his greatness on the field for one last time as a Mountaineer he ended his career with the same humbleness that he began it. He simply stated that he was overwhelmed by the support and that "once a Mountaineer always a Mountaineer!" He left the field the greatest QB nay the best player to ever where the old Gold and Blue. He was and is, in the words of Tina Turner, "simply the best!!!" Thanks PAT and thanks Seniors for being the winningest class in School history. You are loved and you will be missed.

DAGEEK

P.S. The Roundballers squeaked out a victory on Pat White day as well winning a game against 13th ranked OSU. :)