1993 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

American college football season

1993 West Virginia Mountaineers football

Big East champion
Lambert-Meadowlands Trophy

Sugar Bowl, L 7–41 vs. Florida

Conference| Big East Conference
Ranking
Coaches| No. 6
AP| No. 7
Record| 11–1 (7–0 Big East)
Head coach|

* Don Nehlen (14th season)

Defensive coordinator| Steve Dunlap (2nd season)
Home stadium| Mountaineer Field

Seasons

<- 1992

1994 ->

1993 Big East Conference football standings

* v
* t
* e

| Conf. |  |  | Overall

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Team | W |  | L |  | T |  |  | W |  | L |  | T
No. 7 West Virginia $  | 7  | - | 0  | - | 0 |  |  | 11  | - | 1  | - | 0
No. 15 Miami (FL) | 6  | - | 1  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 13 Boston College | 5  | - | 2  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
No. 22 Virginia Tech | 4  | - | 3  | - | 0 |  |  | 9  | - | 3  | - | 0
Syracuse | 3  | - | 4  | - | 0 |  |  | 6  | - | 4  | - | 1
Pittsburgh | 2  | - | 5  | - | 0 |  |  | 3  | - | 8  | - | 0
Rutgers | 1  | - | 6  | - | 0 |  |  | 4  | - | 7  | - | 0
Temple | 0  | - | 7  | - | 0 |  |  | 1  | - | 10  | - | 0

* $ - Conference champion

Rankings from AP Poll

The 1993 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University as a member of the Big East Conference during the 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 14th-year head coach Don Nehlen, the Mountaineers compiled an overall record of 11–1 with a mark of 7–0 in conference play, winning the Big East title in the conference first year of round-robin play. West Virginia earned a berth in the Sugar Bowl, where the Mountaineers lost to Florida. The team played home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia.

## Schedule

[edit]

Date| Time| Opponent| Rank| Site| TV| Result| Attendance| Source

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September 4| 1:00 p.m.| Eastern Michigan*| |

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| | W 48–6| 50,483| [1]
September 18| 7:00 p.m.| at Maryland*| |

* Byrd Stadium
* College Park, MD (rivalry)

| | W 42–37| 42,008| [2]
September 25| 1:00 p.m.| Missouri*| |

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| | W 35–3| 53,214| [3]
October 2| 12:00 p.m.| Virginia Tech| No. 25|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV (rivalry)

| BETV| W 14–13| 56,623| [4]
October 9| 12:00 p.m.| No. 17 Louisville*| No. 24|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| | W 36–34| 57,578| [5]
October 23| 12:00 p.m.| Pittsburgh| No. 18|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV (Backyard Brawl)

| BETV| W 42–21| 65,041| [6]
October 30| 7:30 p.m.| at Syracuse| No. 13|

* Carrier Dome
* Syracuse, NY (rivalry)

| ESPN| W 43–0| 49,268| [7]
November 6| 1:00 p.m.| Rutgers| No. 11|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| | W 58–22| 51,339| [8]
November 13| 12:00 p.m.| at Temple| No. 9|

* Veterans Stadium
* Philadelphia, PA

| BETV| W 49–7| 7,128| [9]
November 20| 3:30 p.m.| No. 4 Miami (FL)| No. 9|

* Mountaineer Field
* Morgantown, WV

| ABC| W 17–14| 70,222| [10]
November 26| 4:00 p.m.| at No. 11 Boston College| No. 5|

* Alumni Stadium
* Chestnut Hill, MA

| ESPN| W 17–14| 33,298| [11]
January 1| 8:30 p.m.| vs. No. 8 Florida*| No. 3|

* Louisiana Superdome
* New Orleans, LA (Sugar Bowl)

| ABC| L 7–41| 75,437| [12]

* *Non-conference game
* Homecoming
* Rankings from AP Poll released prior to the game
* All times are in Eastern time

[13]

## Season summary

[edit]

The 1993 season began with an uncertainty at quarterback. Both Darren Studstill and Jake Kelchner were up for the spot, but coach Don Nehlen decided to have a rotation each game while playing freshman Chad Johnston a few games. Star running back Adrian Murrell was replaced that season by Robert Walker and All-American center Mike Compton was replaced by Dale Williams. Tackle Rich Braham provided help to Walker in the run game. Young Aaron Beasley and Mike Logan led the secondary.

The first game against Eastern Michigan University was an easy win. The next was against the University of Maryland. Kelchner passed for 270 yards and Harold Kidd grabbed a big interception to seal the win, 42–37. The next week, the Mountaineers blew by the University of Missouri 35–3 in Morgantown. In that game, Mike Collins returned a fumble 97 yards for a score and Vann Washington took an interception 27-yards for another score.

The next week was a close win against Virginia Tech, 14–13. The Mountaineers won, despite turning the ball over five times, when the Tech kicker Ryan Williams missed a 44-yard field goal. The next game was against the University of Louisville, one of the toughest games of the season. Led by Brian Brohm's older brother, Jeff Brohm, the Cardinals were undefeated like the Mountaineers. But Robert Walker score three times, and led the Mountaineers to a close 36–34 win. The win led the Mountaineers into the Top 15 in the country. The next game, against the University of Pittsburgh, had a close first quarter. But Robert Walker rushed for over 150 yards and Mike Baker caught a couple of touchdown passes to pull away and win, 42–21.

The next game was a revengeful game. In 1992, West Virginia played the University of Syracuse, when a massive fight occurred. In a controversial decision, three Mountaineers were ejected, while only one Orangeman was ejected. That led to the Syracuse win. In the '93 version of the game, after missing two field goals, the Mountaineers were up 7–0 at halftime. But in the second half, the Mountaineer exploded. After a 90-yard run by Robert Walker, the Mountaineers won 43–0.

After beating Rutgers and Temple University, the Mountaineers were 9–0. In one of the biggest games in Mountaineer history, the #4 University of Miami came to Morgantown and played before a record Mountaineer Field crowd of 70,222, a mark that still stands today. The game was close, but Robert Walker won the game when he took a run to the sideline in the fourth quarter. Up 17–14, with four minutes left, Jake Kelchner threw a 40-yard bomb to seal the game.

After the game, Jake Kelchner injured his arm and Vann Washington had leg problems. The next game was against Boston College, who was coming off an upset win of their own over then #1 Notre Dame, the Mountaineers were almost taken by surprise. Down 11 points with 13 minutes left, Don Nehlen told defensive coordinator Steve Dunlap to put in Keith Jones and Mike Logan. The next play, Jones hit the fullback, resulting in a fumble which was recovered by the Mountaineers. Darren Studstill drove 63-yards downfield, and hit Eddie Hill for one of the greatest scores in West Virginia history. West Virginia finished the season 11–0, their second undefeated season.

### Sugar Bowl

[edit]

Although the Mountaineers finished the season as one of only two undefeated and untied teams eligible for a bowl game, alongside Coaches' Poll #1 Nebraska, they were denied a chance to play in the Orange Bowl, that year's de facto national championship game. Auburn was also undefeated but was on probation. West Virginia finished second in the final regular-season Coaches' Poll, but was only third in the final regular-season AP Poll behind #2 Nebraska and #1 Florida State. The margin between Florida State and West Virginia was large enough to drop the Mountaineers to third in the "Bowl Poll," a combination of the points from both polls which the Bowl Coalition used to set bowl matchups.

Instead, West Virginia was scheduled to play the Florida Gators in the Sugar Bowl. After an 80-yard drive that led to a touchdown pass, the Mountaineers then stopped the Gators on their first drive. The next Gator drive almost went three-and-out, until a personal foul on Steve Perkins gave Florida the momentum. Jake Kelchner was playing a good game, but then Nehlen surprised many by putting Studstill in. On the Mountaineers' first drive, Studstill threw an interception that the Gators returned for a touchdown. Florida ran off with the game after that, winning 41–7, ending any claim West Virginia might have had at a national championship. Florida State beat the same Florida team on the road by a 33–21 score.

Coach Don Nehlen said of the game, "We had wanted to play Nebraska in the Orange Bowl as the only two undefeated teams, but the Bowl Coalition didn't like the match. Instead, we were slotted to play Texas A&M in the Cotton Bowl Classic. Instead, the Sugar Bowl paid more money so the conference and administration wanted us to play Florida. If we wanted the best chance to win, we should have taken the Cotton; playing a slower, more physical team outdoors would have worked to our advantage a lot more than playing those Florida speed-burners indoors on a smooth surface."

## Roster

[edit]

1993 West Virginia Mountaineers football team roster

Players  | Coaches
Offense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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WR | `5` | Ed Hill | Sr
QB | `14` | Darren Studstill | Sr
QB | `17` | Jake Kelchner | Sr
WR | `18` | Jay Kearney | Sr
G | `74` | Jim LeBlanc | Sr
OT | `78` | Rich Braham | Sr
TE | `82` | Lovett Purnell | So
Defense | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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DB | `23` | Mike Logan | Fr
CB | `32` | Aaron Beasley | So
DT | `93` | John Browning | So
Special teams | Pos. | # | Name | Class

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P | `16` | Todd Sauerbrun | Jr

Head coach

* Don Nehlen

Coordinators/assistant coaches

* * *

Legend

* (C) Team captain
* (S) Suspended
* (I) Ineligible

* Injured
* Redshirt

## Team players in the NFL

[edit]

Player | Position | Round | Pick | NFL club

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Rich Braham | Center | 3 | 76 | Arizona Cardinals
Jay Kearney | Wide Receiver | 6 | 169 | Green Bay Packers
Darren Studstill | Wide Receiver | 6 | 191 | Dallas Cowboys

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "After winning opener, 48–6, WVU unhappy with open date". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. September 5, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
2. ^ "Terps' Milanovich sets school records in loss". The News and Observer. September 19, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
3. ^ "Snowball effect melts MU". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. September 26, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
4. ^ "Virginia Tech at West Virginia 1993". Daily Press. October 3, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
5. ^ "Mountaineers TB runs for 161 yards". The Miami Herald. October 10, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
6. ^ "W. Virginia thumps Pitt 42–21". Daily Press. October 24, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
7. ^ "Orange feeing empty; Mountaineers hand SU second straight shutout". Press and Sun-Bulletin. October 31, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
8. ^ "West Virginia routs Rutgers". The Courier-News. November 7, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
9. ^ "It's another dreary day for Temple, 49–7". The Philadelphia Inquirer. November 14, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
10. ^ "W. Virginia hands Miami first Big East loss". Fort Worth Star-Telegram. November 21, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
11. ^ "Mountaineers rally to finish 11–0". The Burlington Free Press. November 27, 1993. Retrieved February 4, 2024 - via Newspapers.com.
12. ^ "Florida crashes West Virginia's party, 41–7". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. January 2, 1994. Retrieved November 16, 2023 - via Newspapers.com.
13. ^ "1993 West Virginia Mountaineers Schedule and Results". Sports Reference LLC. Retrieved February 4, 2024.

* v
* t
* e

West Virginia Mountaineers football

Venues|

* Mountaineer Field (1924–1979)
* Milan Puskar Stadium (1980–present)

Bowls & rivalries|

* Bowl games
* Cincinnati
* Marshall: Friends of Coal Bowl
* Maryland
* Old Ironsides
* Penn State
* Pittsburgh: Backyard Brawl
* Syracuse
* Virginia Tech

Culture & lore|

* The Mountaineer
* Marching band
* "Take Me Home, Country Roads"
* 2007 Backyard Brawl

People|

* Head coaches
* NFL draftees
* Statistical leaders

Seasons|

* 1891
* 1892
* 1893
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* 1897
* 1898
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* 1900
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* 1903
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* v
* t
* e

Big East Conference football champions

* West Virginia (1993)
* Miami (FL) (1994)
* Miami (FL) & Virginia Tech (1995)
* Miami (FL) & Syracuse & Virginia Tech (1996)
* Syracuse (1997)
* Syracuse (1998)
* Virginia Tech (1999)
* Miami (FL) (2000)
* Miami (FL) (2001)
* Miami (FL) (2002)
* Miami (FL) & West Virginia (2003)
* Boston College & Pittsburgh & Syracuse & West Virginia (2004)
* West Virginia (2005)
* Louisville (2006)
* Connecticut & West Virginia (2007)
* Cincinnati (2008)
* Cincinnati (2009)
* Connecticut & Pittsburgh & West Virginia (2010)
* Cincinnati & Louisville & West Virginia (2011)
* Cincinnati & Louisville & Rutgers & Syracuse (2012)

National championships in bold
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template
*[Conf.]: Conference record
*[W]: Wins
*[L]: Losses
*[T]: Ties
*[No.]: Number