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Stewart's gamble on punt paid off
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Coach Bill Stewart went with his instinct and called a fake punt, a play that ended up being the difference in keeping West Virginia unbeaten at home all-time against Rutgers.
Midway through the third quarter the Mountaineers lined up to punt, but Zac Cooper took the snap and ran 18 yards to the Rutgers 27. Had the play failed, Rutgers would have taken over at its 45 with the chance to tie the game.
Instead, West Virginia eventually scored its only touchdown of the second half. Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown finished the drive with a 1-yard scoring run and the Mountaineers won 24-17.
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Cooper wasn't complaining.
"The guys on the left side, the blocks were perfect," he said. "It actually came out exactly as we planned. It was a perfect play and the perfect call by Coach Stew."
It might have been a gutsy call, but Stewart doesn't want to be known as a big risk taker, and that's why he kept starting quarterback Pat White on the sidelines with Rutgers closing a 14-point deficit late in the game.
White, who threw two touchdown passes Saturday, was tackled hard by three players and left the field on his own late in the third quarter with what was described as a slight head injury. Stewart said White could have returned to the game but remained on the sidelines as a precaution.
It turned out to be the right move - barely.
Stewart made another bold move when he had Brown try to run the ball on fourth-and-inches, but he was dropped for a loss and Rutgers took over at the West Virginia 45 with 1:54 left in the game.
"I will always, always play to win the football game. I will never play not to lose. That's why I went for it," Stewart said.
West Virginia lucked out on that one. Rutgers' Mike Teel overthrew one receiver and Mason Robinson dropped Teel's next attempt. On fourth-and-5, Teel's pass was knocked down by Scooter Berry and West Virginia survived.
Another decision Stewart was adamant about was not playing linebacker Reed Williams, whose surgically repaired shoulders are bothering him. Williams was the team's leading tackler last season and was part of the reason the Mountaineers kept opponents out of the end zone over an eight-quarter span until Rutgers scored just before halftime.
"If I wouldn't play my son, I wouldn't play Reed Williams," Stewart said. "I won't play anyone who isn't in good enough physical condition to protect himself. It's a fast, violent game."
Without him, the defense allowed just 270 total yards. Teel finished 14-of-32 for 170 yards and a score, and Jourdan Brooks was limited to 58 yards on 17 carries.
Without an experienced backup running back, Brown was called upon again to help out, lining up alongside White at times for the second straight week in an attempt to confuse the defense.
Brown carried a season-high 14 times for 44 yards and improved to 3-0 against Rutgers. He started for an injured White against Rutgers two years ago and also played a small role in the WVU basketball team's win over the Scarlet Knights in February.
"I felt good. I felt loose," Brown said.
©2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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