Dec 29, 2002 4 min read

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) – The wheels came off for West Virginia in the second quarter of the Continental Tire Bowl. Breakdowns everywhere buried the 15th-ranked Mountaineers, who couldn’t make up for a 28-10 halftime deficit and lost to Virginia 48-22 on Saturday.

West Virginia (9-4) failed to secure its first 10-win season since 1993. That’s also the last time the Mountaineers finished a season ranked, and Saturday’s loss jeopardized those chances.

It also was a blemish on a six-win turnaround from a year ago, which tied the Mountaineers with Ohio State and California for the best in the nation.

“It’s a bad way to end a good year,” said West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez. “It was a shame we didn’t show our true team today.”

Despite throwing an interception on a flea flicker, Connellsville graduate Phil Braxton ended his Mountaineer career with a solid effort. The senior wide receiver made four receptions for 108 yards, ran the ball twice for 12 yards and returned four kickoffs for 96 yards.

Albert Gallatin graduate Zack Dillow, West Virginia’s starting center, also was playing in his final collegiate game. He helped lead the way for Avon Cobourne, another senior who capped his illustrious career with 117 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns. Cobourne’s first TD gave WVU a 10-7 lead late in the first quarter.

But things came unraveled during the second quarter, when West Virginia gave up a punt return for a score and Virginia got two more touchdowns after converting several fourth downs.

“Our focus just wasn’t there. I don’t know where it was,” said West Virginia defensive tackle David Upchurch. “We had a total mental breakdown in that quarter. It put us in a deficit we couldn’t recover from.”

West Virginia’s ground game churned out 244 yards, but during the quarter the Mountaineer offense, which ranks second in the country in rushing, tried to get fancy and it backfired.

“We had a good week of practices. I thought we were really ready,” running back Quincy Wilson said. “They were flying around. Their linebackers are quick. We just couldn’t break the long runs today.”

The loss was similar to West Virginia’s 48-17 setback earlier in the year to Maryland, a game in which the Terrapins scored in bunches, including a punt-return TD.

“It seems like every ACC team we play, it’s close. Then all of a sudden something stupid happens, it’s just a free-for-all, then we have to play catch-up the whole game,” said West Virginia offensive tackle Lance Nimmo.

“We’re not going to get into a track meet with a team that passes as well as Virginia does. They have a heck of a quarterback. We run the ball. They’re going to win that every time,” he said.

Virginia’s Matt Schaub, the ACC Player of the Year, mixed the pass and run well, using some fakes and trick plays to keep the Mountaineers off balance.

“They threw some stuff at us that we didn’t expect,” linebacker Grant Wiley said. “Sometimes it seemed like we weren’t being very aggressive at all.”

Things fell apart for the Mountaineers when Virginia scored TDs 2:19 apart early in the second quarter. Schaub ran in from 6 yards out on fourth down, and Marques Hagans returned a punt 69 yards for a 21-10 lead.

Braxton then tried to throw a pass but was hit, and the ball floated into the arms of Virginia’s Darryl Blackstock.

The Cavaliers’ drive stalled at the West Virginia 9. Connor Hughes hit the right upright on a 27-yard field goal attempt, but the Mountaineers’ Lance Frazier was offsides, giving Virginia a first down at the 4.

Wali Lundy scored on the next play for a 28-10 lead with 19 seconds left until halftime.

“One game doesn’t determine the outcome for a whole season,” said West Virginia quarterback Rasheed Marshall. “People will look at this game and say, ‘Oh, they lost their last game and they’re in the dumps.’ But you have to realize that we won nine games this year.”