Run Game Lifts Virginia Past No. 12 Georgia Tech

The Cavaliers (4-2, 1-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) sealed the victory by holding onto the ball for the final 6 minutes, making five first downs to get inside the Yellow Jackets' 5.

But they didn't need to score, and when quarterback Michael Rocco took a knee for a 3-yard loss on the game's final play, thousand of fans surged onto the field at Scott Stadium.

Georgia Tech (6-1, 3-1), off to its best start since 1966, came in with one of the nation's top offenses, but it was held to just two pass completions and a season-low 296 yards by a Virginia defense that made the most of an extra week to prepare for the tricky triple option.

Kevin Parks ran for one touchdown for Virginia, Rocco hit Tim Smith for a 37-yarder and Clifton Richardson had a 22-yard run, all in the first half, as Virginia built a 24-14 lead.

Georgia Tech almost struck very quickly to start the second half, with Tevin Washington running 85 yards on the first play from scrimmage, but the play was called back by a penalty.

The Yellow Jackets then did it the hard way, using 19 plays and converting two fourth-and-1 plays and a fourth-and-5 before Washington scored on a 1-yard run. The fourth-and-5 was initially a fourth-and-10, but defensive tackle Nick Jenkins was called for being offsides, and Washington ran for 23 yards on the next play to the Cavaliers' 5 and scored two plays later.

The teams traded punts the rest of the way until Virginia took over at its 23 with just under 6 minutes left. Jones started with runs of 11 and eight yards, caught an 18-yard pass from Rocco to convert a third-and-6 from the Virginia 49 and the Cavaliers never gave it up.

Virginia gained 407 yards against former coach Al Groh's 3-4 defense.

Washington finished with 115 yards on 26 carries, but was 2-for-8 passing for 24 yards.

The Yellow Jackets erased a 14-0 deficit with two touchdowns in 98 seconds in the second quarter. Washington capped an 80-yard drive with a 7-yard touchdown run, and Rod Sweeting intercepted a Rocco pass three plays later and returned in 32 yards for the tying touchdown.

Freshman David Watford came on at quarterback for one series for Virginia, and led a 72-yard scoring drive with a big assist from Richardson, also a freshman. He bulled his way for a first down on third-and-1, and also carried it the last 22 yards for the go-ahead touchdown.

When Chase Minnifield intercepted a deep pass by Washington on the ensuing series, Rocco came back and led them 41 yards in eight plays to Robert Randolph's 36-yard field goal.

Virginia struck quickly at the start with two touchdowns in the first 8:20.

The Cavaliers drove 73 yards after the opening kickoff, a drive kept alive by Rocco's 14-yard pass to Jones on third-and-4 from the Yellow Jackets' 42 and his 8-yard pass to Tim Smith on third-and-3 from the 23. Two plays later, Parks took it in from the 6, his seventh score.

The Yellow Jackets were penalized twice on their opening series, riling up the small crowd at Scott Stadium, and when Rocco hit Smith for 37 yards and a 14-0 lead, it got really loud.

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Champs Sports Bowl: West Virginia (9-3) vs. NC State (8-4)

The No. 2 bowl in the Big East pecking order is also the second-earliest bowl for the league. West Virginia gets back to action after a few weeks of wild coaching news. Here's a quick preview of Tuesday night's Champs Sports Bowl:

WHO TO WATCH: West Virginia running back Noel Devine. It's the final college game for Devine, who has amassed over 4,000 rushing yards in his career. He hasn't been the same player this year ever since a foot injury against LSU, which was later exacerbated by an ankle problem in the Louisville game. But now he's had a few weeks to heal, and perhaps he's ready to deliver a fitting swan song. When he's right, there's no more explosive player in the country. If he's not himself, then the Mountaineers may turn to Shawne Alston and Ryan Clarke for the bulk of the carries.

WHAT TO WATCH: West Virginia's defense versus NC State quarterback Russell Wilson. The Mountaineers had one of the best defenses in the country this year, not once allowing more than 21 points. That defense will be facing the best quarterback it has seen this year in the dangerous, multi-dimensional Wilson. Add to that the fact that top cornerback Brandon Hogan will miss the game with a torn ACL, and this is arguably the biggest challenge all season for this defense. Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel's 3-3-5 scheme and a ton of veterans has made West Virginia difficult for any quarterback to solve this year. It will be fun to watch how Wilson fares.

WHY TO WATCH: West Virginia is the highest-ranked team in the Big East, and many people think the Mountaineers would have made a better BCS representative for the league than Connecticut, to whom they lost in overtime on the road. Here is their chance to prove it. It will also be the final game before Dana Holgorsen takes over as offensive coordinator/coach-in-waiting, so this marks the end of an era in some ways. The Big East is looking for respect, and so its top-ranked team needs to take care of business against an ACC also-ran.

PREDICTION: This is a tough one because nobody knows exactly how much of a distraction the coaching situation was for this team. Hogan's loss hurts, too. I think Wilson will help NC State exploit West Virginia's defense more than any other team all season, but in the end Geno Smith and the Mountaineers make one more play. Give me West Virginia by a field goal, 26-23.

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Grading the Pitt, West Virginia hires

Whether they like it or not, Mike Haywood and Dana Holgorsen will be linked together for as long as they're both at Pittsburgh and West Virginia, respectively.

Both men were officially hired at rival schools within a 24-hour period. Both are replacing head coaches who were well liked and won games, just not not at a high enough level. So both are expected to win big, right away.

Pitt had at least some interest in Holgorsen, though athletic director Steve Pederson insisted Thursday that he only considered college head coaches. Haywood disclosed that he interviewed for the head coaching job at West Virginia, even though technically there still isn't a vacancy at that position yet.

So which school fared better in this process?

It's an interesting comparison, since there are pluses and minuses to each hire. Haywood has a 10-15 career record and only two years as a head coach, but he has a long track record as an assistant at prestigious programs such as LSU, Texas and Notre Dame. He led the biggest one-season turnaround in the country this season at Miami of Ohio, taking the RedHawks from 1-11 to 9-4 and a MAC title.

Holgorsen was the hot name and has produced eye-popping statistics as an offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State, Houston and Texas Tech. He appears to be the offensive mastermind Mountaineers fans so desperately wanted. Yet he's never been a head coach, has no connection to the area and will spend a year in the potentially awkward succession plan under Bill Stewart.

Haywood fits Pitt's more button-down, conservative philosophy, while Holgorsen is more of a free spirit who should be popular in the party atmosphere of Morgantown.

I'd say West Virginia came out ahead in this process, only because the Mountaineers landed a potential superstar coach whom we know at the very least will put a ton of pressure on opposing defensive coordinators. Haywood should have a smoother transition and won't have to learn how to become a head coach, but Pitt played things safer than its Backyard Brawl rivals.

Truth is, none of us know how these coaching moves will pan out. But how would you grade the hirings by each school, and which side do you think did better?

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West Virginia takes bold, odd step forward

First, let's talk about what every West Virginia fan is dreaming about right now: Dana Holgorsen at the reins of the Mountaineers' offense. [+] Enlarge AP Photo/Sue OgrockiAfter successful stints at Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Houston, Dana Holgorsen will take over the West Virginia offense this season.West Virginia has always recruited as much or more speed at the skill positions than any team in the Big East, and fans quickly grew accustomed to Rich Rodriguez's explosive 40-plus-points-per-game attack. Holgorsen's offenses at Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma State (as documented here) routinely finished among the nation's best while shattering records. The thought of his playcalling skills mixed with players like Geno Smith, Tavon Austin and Ivan McCartney should cause shudders among other league defensive coordinators.

Clearly, first-year athletic director Oliver Luck knew what the fan base wanted and knew what would generate even more interest among the rabid Mountaineers following. In many ways, this looks like a perfect match.

It's just how the matchmaking was done that is a bit troubling.

Bill Stewart was hired in the euphoric haze following his interim coaching victory over Oklahoma in the 2008 Fiesta Bowl. Many thought he was in over his head from the beginning, and he often seemed one catastrophic defeat away from being canned. The wheels for his departure were greased this season after back-to-back losses to Syracuse and Connecticut, two setbacks that ultimately kept West Virginia out of a BCS bowl.

Yet Stewart still managed to win nine games for a third straight year and earn a share of a Big East title, with a 10th win possible in the Champs Sports Bowl. Exactly one week ago, West Virginia sent out a press release touting its recognition for graduating 90 percent of its football players.

That left Luck in an odd position: How do you fire a loyal servant whose record and achievements belie his perception among the fans? Hence this awkward succession plan, in which Holgorsen will serve as an offensive coordinator for one year until Stewart retires after the 2011 season.

Make no mistake: the 59-year-old Stewart wasn't interested in retiring. He sure isn't thrilled about grooming his own successor. Yet he was left with little choice.

The 2011 season will be fascinating to watch, as Holgorsen acts as the coach-in-waiting that Stewart didn't hire, perhaps with a few of Holgorsen's guys on the offensive staff. The entire defensive staff, led by coordinator Jeff Casteel, will be allowed to remain if they so choose. That could create a majorly awkward transition, if not outright tension. I can't help but think of the internal struggles at Florida State in Bobby Bowden's last year when Jimbo Fisher was the chosen successor, or the staff chemistry problems in Steve Kragthorpe's first year at Louisville when he was forced to retain several of Bobby Petrino's former assistants.

Holgorsen can use a bit of seasoning on the job; he's only 39 and his lone coaching stints west of the Mississippi River came at his first stops at Valdosta State and Wingate. He needs time to learn the unique culture of West Virginia, and he hasn't been known as an ace recruiter during his career.

Still, I think Luck would have been better off just biting the bullet and forcing Stewart out now if he knew he wanted to go another direction. Let Holgorsen bring in his own staff, learn on the job as he needs to and get on with moving forward. How weird will it be, for example, if West Virginia goes 12-0 next year and still pushes Stewart aside? Or what if staff chemistry problems lead to a disappointing 2011, putting Holgorsen in a hole before he ever moves into the big office?

The only way this works in 2011 is if Stewart is humble enough to set his own ego aside and truly show Holgorsen the ropes. With other coaches, I'd give that little chance. But Stewart is such a genuine and loyal guy that maybe he can actually make it happen, despite how heartbroken he must be right now about losing his dream job.

One thing's clear: the Mountaineers are going to be a whole lot of fun to watch on offense in 2011 and beyond. They will also have a fascinating subplot thanks to this new, odd relationship.

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Holgorsen officially headed to West Virginia

Dana Holgorsen's stay in Stillwater is officially a short one.

The former Cowboys offensive coordinator will be West Virginia's offensive coordinator in 2011 before taking over for Bill Stewart as head coach in 2012.

"I think the transition year for coach Holgorsen will be very beneficial to the football program, and the opportunity to learn from coach Bill Stewart should not be underestimated," West Virginia athletics director Oliver Luck said in a release. "Coach Holgorsen is one of the top coaches in college football. His success at Texas Tech, Houston and Oklahoma State speaks for itself. We know that coach Holgorsen will bring a high-powered offense that will be incredibly entertaining to watch at Milan Puskar Stadium."

Holgorsen, a finalist for the 2010 Broyles Award as college football's top assistant coach, helped Oklahoma State rank third nationally in scoring offense and first nationally in total offense in his first and only season with the Cowboys.

Quarterback Brandon Weeden, running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Justin Blackmon were only the second trio in NCAA history with at least 3,000 passing yards, 1,5000 rushing yards and 1,500 receiving yards in the same season.

"I look forward to the opportunity to join West Virginia University as offensive coordinator for the 2011 season,” Holgorsen said in a statement. "It will be a privilege to work alongside two great football coaches in Bill Stewart and Jeff Casteel. Naturally, I am excited about succeeding coach Stewart in 2012 and becoming the head coach of the Mountaineers and leading the West Virginia football program to even greater heights. My goal is to win a national championship at West Virginia University, and I firmly believe that coach Stewart has built a solid foundation, which will allow us to compete with the very best in the country."

After Holgorsen takes over as head coach in 2012, Stewart will remain at West Virginia in an administrative role.

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