Darryl Talley and Oliver Luck celebrate WVU's 1981 Peach Bowl victory
The West Virginia Mountaineers college football team competes as part of the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS), representing the West Virginia University in the Big 12 Conference (Big 12). Since the establishment of the team in 1891, West Virginia University has appeared in 40 bowl games .[ 1] Included in these games are four appearances in the Peach Bowl , three appearances in the Sugar Bowl , two in the Fiesta Bowl and one in the Orange Bowl .[ 1] [ 2] Throughout the history of the program, eleven separate coaches have led the Mountaineers to bowl games with Don Nehlen having the most appearances (13). West Virginia's overall bowl record is 17–23.
The 2008 Meineke Car Care Bowl between WVU and North Carolina
General
†
Bowl game record attendance
‡
Former bowl game record attendance
*
Interim Head Coach
List of bowl games showing bowl played in, score, date, season, opponent, stadium, location, attendance, head coach and MVP[ A 1]
#
Bowl
Score[ A 2]
Date
Season[ A 3]
Opponent[ A 4]
Stadium
Location
Attendance[ 3]
Head coach
MVP
1
San Diego East-West Christmas Classic
W 21–13
December 25, 1922
1922
Gonzaga Bulldogs
Balboa Stadium
San Diego
N/A
Clarence Spears
–
2
Sun Bowl
W 7–6
January 1, 1938
1937
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Kidd Field
El Paso
12,000 ‡
Marshall Glenn
–
3
Sun Bowl
W 21–12
January 1, 1949
1948
Texas Mines Miners
Kidd Field
El Paso
13,000
Dudley DeGroot
–
4
Sugar Bowl
L 19–42
January 1, 1954
1953
No. 8 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Tulane Stadium
New Orleans
76,000
Art Lewis
–
5
Liberty Bowl
L 6–32
December 19, 1964
1964
Utah Utes
Boardwalk Hall
Atlantic City
6,059 ‡
Gene Corum
–
6
Peach Bowl
W 14–3
December 30, 1969
1969
South Carolina Gamecocks
Grant Field
Atlanta
48,452 ‡
Jim Carlen
Eddie Williams (FB)
7
Peach Bowl
L 13–49
December 29, 1972
1972
NC State Wolfpack
Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta
52,671 ‡
Bobby Bowden
–
8
Peach Bowl
W 13–10
December 31, 1975
1975
NC State Wolfpack
Atlanta Stadium
Atlanta
45,134
Bobby Bowden
Ray Marshall (LB)
9
Peach Bowl
W 26–6
December 31, 1981
1981
Florida Gators
Atlanta–Fulton County Stadium
Atlanta
37,582
Don Nehlen
Mickey Walczack (RB), Don Stemple (DB)
10
Gator Bowl
L 12–31
December 30, 1982
1982
Florida State Seminoles
Gator Bowl
Jacksonville
80,913 ‡
Don Nehlen
Paul Woodside (K)
11
Hall of Fame Classic Bowl
W 20–16
December 22, 1983
1983
Kentucky Wildcats
Legion Field
Birmingham
42,000
Don Nehlen
Jeff Hostetler (QB)
12
Bluebonnet Bowl
W 31–14
December 31, 1984
1984
TCU Horned Frogs
Astrodome
Houston
43,260
Don Nehlen
Willie Drewrey (WR)
13
Sun Bowl
L 33–35
December 25, 1987
1987
No. 11 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Sun Bowl
El Paso
43,240
Don Nehlen
–
14
Fiesta Bowl
L 21–34
January 2, 1989
1988
No. 1 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Sun Devil Stadium
Tempe
74,911 ‡
Don Nehlen
–
15
Gator Bowl
L 7–27
December 30, 1989
1989
No. 14 Clemson Tigers
Gator Bowl
Jacksonville
82,911 ‡
Don Nehlen
Mike Fox (LB)
16
Sugar Bowl
L 7–41
January 1, 1994
1993
No. 8 Florida Gators
Louisiana Superdome
New Orleans
75,437
Don Nehlen
–
17
Carquest Bowl [ A 5]
L 21–24
January 2, 1995
1994
South Carolina Gamecocks
Joe Robbie Stadium [ A 6]
Miami Gardens
50,833
Don Nehlen
–
18
Gator Bowl
L 13–20
January 1, 1997
1996
No. 12 North Carolina Tar Heels
Alltel Stadium [ A 7]
Jacksonville
52,103
Don Nehlen
David Saunders (WR)
19
Carquest Bowl [ A 5]
L 30–35
December 29, 1997
1997
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Pro Player Stadium [ A 6]
Miami Gardens
28,262
Don Nehlen
–
20
Insight.com Bowl
L 31–34
December 26, 1998
1998
No. 23 Missouri Tigers
Arizona Stadium
Tucson
36,147
Don Nehlen
Marc Bulger (QB)
21
Music City Bowl
W 49–38
December 28, 2000
2000
Ole Miss Rebels
Adelphia Coliseum
Nashville
47,119
Don Nehlen
Brad Lewis (QB)
22
Continental Tire Bowl [ A 8]
L 22–48
December 28, 2002
2002
Virginia Cavaliers
Ericsson Stadium [ A 9]
Charlotte
73,535 ‡
Rich Rodriguez
–
23
Gator Bowl
L 7–41
January 1, 2004
2003
No. 23 Maryland Terrapins
Alltel Stadium [ A 7]
Jacksonville
78,892
Rich Rodriguez
Brian King (DB)
24
Gator Bowl
L 18–30
January 1, 2005
2004
No. 17 Florida State Seminoles
Alltel Stadium [ A 7]
Jacksonville
70,112
Rich Rodriguez
Kay-Jay Harris (RB)
25
Sugar Bowl [ A 10]
W 38–35
January 2, 2006
2005
No. 8 Georgia Bulldogs
Georgia Dome
Atlanta
74,458
Rich Rodriguez
Steve Slaton (RB)
26
Gator Bowl
W 38–35
January 1, 2007
2006
Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium [ A 7]
Jacksonville
67,704
Rich Rodriguez
Pat White (QB)
27
Fiesta Bowl
W 48–28
January 2, 2008
2007
No. 3 Oklahoma Sooners
University of Phoenix Stadium
Glendale
70,016
Bill Stewart *
Pat White (QB), Reed Williams (LB)
28
Meineke Car Care Bowl [ A 8]
W 31–30
December 27, 2008
2008
North Carolina Tar Heels
Bank of America Stadium [ A 9]
Charlotte
73,712 †
Bill Stewart
Pat White (QB)
29
Gator Bowl
L 21–33
January 1, 2010
2009
Florida State Seminoles
Jacksonville Municipal Stadium [ A 7]
Jacksonville
84,129 †
Bill Stewart
Noel Devine (RB)
30
Champs Sports Bowl
L 7–23
December 28, 2010
2010
NC State Wolfpack
Florida Citrus Bowl
Orlando
48,962
Bill Stewart
–
31
Orange Bowl
W 70–33
January 4, 2012
2011
No. 14 Clemson Tigers
Sun Life Stadium [ A 6]
Miami Gardens
67,563
Dana Holgorsen
Geno Smith (QB)
32
Pinstripe Bowl
L 14–38
December 29, 2012
2012
Syracuse Orange
Yankee Stadium
Bronx
39,098 ‡
Dana Holgorsen
–
33
Liberty Bowl
L 37–45
December 29, 2014
2014
Texas A&M Aggies
Liberty Bowl Stadium
Memphis
51,282
Dana Holgorsen
–
34
Cactus Bowl
W 43–42
January 2, 2016
2015
Arizona State Sun Devils
Chase Field
Phoenix
39,321
Dana Holgorsen
Skyler Howard (QB), Shaq Petteway (LB)
35
Russell Athletic Bowl
L 14–31
December 28, 2016
2016
Miami Hurricanes
Camping World Stadium
Orlando
48,625
Dana Holgorsen
–
36
Heart of Dallas Bowl
L 14–30
December 26, 2017
2017
Utah Utes
Cotton Bowl
Dallas
20,507
Dana Holgorsen
–
37
Camping World Bowl
L 18–34
December 28, 2018
2018
No. 17 Syracuse Orange
Camping World Stadium
Orlando
41,125
Dana Holgorsen
–
38
Liberty Bowl
W 24–21
December 31, 2020
2020
Army Black Knights
Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium
Memphis
8,187
Neal Brown
T. J. Simmons (WR)
39
Guaranteed Rate Bowl
L 6–18
December 28, 2021
2021
Minnesota Golden Gophers
Chase Field
Phoenix
21,220
Neal Brown
–
40
Duke's Mayo Bowl
W 30–10
December 27, 2023
2023
North Carolina Tar Heels
Bank of America Stadium
Charlotte
42,925
Neal Brown
Garrett Greene (QB)
^ Statistics correct as of 2011–12 NCAA football bowl games .
^ Results are sortable first by whether the result was a West Virginia win, loss or tie and then second by the margin of victory .
^ Links to the season article for the West Virginia team that competed in the bowl for that year.
^ Links to the season article for the opponent that West Virginia competed against in the bowl for that year when available or to their general page when unavailable.
^ a b The Champs Sports Bowl has been known as: the Blockbuster Bowl (1990–1993); Carquest Bowl (1994–1997); Micron PC Bowl (1998); MicronPC.com Bowl (1999–2000); Visit Florida Tangerine Bowl (2001); Mazda Tangerine Bowl (2002–2003); Champs Sports Bowl (since 2004).[ 4]
^ a b c Originally called Joe Robbie Stadium, in 1996 it was renamed Pro Player Stadium after naming rights were sold, and it retained the Pro Player moniker through the 2005 season. Today it is known as Sun Life Stadium.[ 5] [ 6]
^ a b c d e Originally called Alltel Stadium (1997–2006) and Jacksonville Municipal Stadium (1995–1996, 2007–2009), in 2010 it was renamed EverBank Field.[ 7]
^ a b The Belk Bowl has been known as: the Continental Tire Bowl (2002–2004) and the Meineke Car Care Bowl (2005–2010).[ 8]
^ a b Originally called Ericsson Stadium, in 2004 it was renamed Bank of America Stadium.[ 9]
^ The 2006 Sugar Bowl was played at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta due to lingering effects of Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and the Louisiana Superdome.[ 10]
General
National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). "Bowl/All-Star Game Records" (PDF) . 2011 NCAA Division I Football Records . NCAA.org. Retrieved December 18, 2011 .
Specific
^ a b Bowl/All-Star Game Records, p. 29
^ Bowl/All-Star Game Records, p. 31
^ Bowl/All-Star Game Records, pp. 32–38
^ Bowl/All-Star Game Records, p. 9
^ "Joe Robbie gets a name change" . TimesDaily . Florence, Alabama. August 26, 1996. Retrieved December 18, 2011 .
^ Lefton, Terry (January 18, 2010). "Dolphins sell stadium naming rights to Sun Life" . South Florida Business Journal . bizjournals.com. Retrieved December 18, 2011 .
^ "EverBank puts name on Jags' stadium" . ESPN.com . Associated Press. July 27, 2010. Retrieved December 18, 2011 .
^ Bowl/All-Star Game Records, p. 10
^ Spanberg, Erik (January 16, 2004). "Panthers sign BofA for stadium naming rights" . Charlotte Business Journal . Retrieved December 18, 2011 .
^ Bowl/All-Star Game Records, p. 33
# - denotes National Championship Game.
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