Here's eer2k's Top 10 List for most underrated WVU football individual performances on offense. We all know Hoss's game at Oklahoma, Geno & Stedman vs. Baylor, Steve Slaton vs. Georgia, Super Steve vs. Louisville, Pat White vs. Oklahoma, Major vs. Penn State, Tavon vs. OU, Tavon vs. Clemson etc. But, how about under the radar incredible performances by a WVU football player? Here's my top ten:
10. Willie Drewery at Pitt, 1984. 4 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD; 74-yard punt return TD. In the early 80s, when I was still a young kid, I learned early that Pitt & Penn State embodied evil. Awful stadium, awful field, Pitt in its heyday. But, WVU's #48, Willie D broke their backs with an electrifying punt return. The WVU faithful went crazy. He was the best player on the field that day in WVU's 28-10 victory.
9. Kay-Jay Harris vs. East Carolina, 2004. All he did was rush for 337 yards on 25 carries (13.5 per carry) with 4TDs, some of them jaw dropping. The reason it's not higher is because the Pirates sucked. Their defense made our 2018 "D" look like the Steel Curtain. But that day, Kay Jay could do no wrong and looked like a Heisman contender. WVU's single game rushing record.
8. Chris Henry at Syracuse, 2003. 6 catches, 209 yards, 2 TD...35 yards per catch. In a game that looked like it was another "Twilight Zone" game in the Carrier Dome for WVU, Chris Henry came up big in the fourth quarter with two monster TD grabs from Rasheed Marshall to give WVU a victory to keep our Big East title hopes alive. He looked like he was simply on another level. And he was. Would've been nice if Rich would've thrown to him more in Blacksburg in '04...but I digress.
7. Robert Walker, at Syracuse, 1993. 26 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD...and one raucous 90-yard TD run where he left a trail of fire and started shooting air pistols at the end zone around the Syracuse 20 yard line. Damn that beatdown of Syracuse in '93 felt good after everything that happened the year prior. Marvin Graves was still their QB, but we had Robert Walker.
6. Clint Trickett, at Maryland 2014. 37 of 49 passing, 511 yards, 4 TDs vs. 1 INT. He was masterful. An absolute masterpiece. And, we only 3 WRs that day caught balls - Kevin White, Mario Alford and Daikiel Shorts. It still took a last second FG to win from Josh Lambert, in typical WVU College Park fashion, but it's always a calming feeling knowing that you have a top level QB behind center on the road.
5. Major Harris vs. Cincinnati 1987. 6 carries, 126 yards, 2 TDs; 9 of 14 passing, 1 TD in a 45-17 win. This was the day. This was the day when we knew...we have something with this kid. 2nd play from scrimmage, we ran a fake reverse and Major kept the ball. He turned the corner, and turned on the burners. 64 yards later, he hit paydirt for a 7-0 WVU lead. And, this was the beginning of something special.
4. Kevin White vs. Baylor, 2014. 8 catches, 132 yards, 2 TDs...but they don't tell the entire story. It was the pass interference calls he drew, again, and again, and again. Baylor just could not check him. Then, you had the one-handed catch gem in the North end zone, which was the cherry on the hot fudge sundae (Nehlen reference).
3. Noel Devine vs. Auburn, 2008. 17 carries, 207 yards, 1 TD. It was great to see WVU invite an SEC power into Morgantown and then watch them be completely unable to stop our run game behind Devine, which also helped set up a backbreaking Pat White play action TD pass to Dorrell Jalloh late in the game.
2. Pat White at USF, 2005. 11 carries, 177 yards, 2 TDs; 5 of 10 passing, 89 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; With the game still up in the air, Pat White blew it wide open in the second half with a 65 yard TD run, and a later 76 yard TD run, zig-zagging through USF defenders like he was on a schoolyard.
1. Amos Zereoue at Notre Dame, 1997. 32 carries, 234 yards, 2 TDs, 1 catch for 12 yards. Yes, we ended up taking the "L" because Nehlen inexplicably went away from Zereoue as we were driving to tie late. But, I've never been at an away game where I saw one of our players receive a standing ovation. And, that is exactly what happened after this one -- the South Bend faithful cheered for Famous Amos as he walked off the field. He was dominant that day under Touchdown Jesus. Bonus points for the great photo of Zereoue diving into the South Bend end zone which used to hang in the Back Door bar in Motown.
10. Willie Drewery at Pitt, 1984. 4 catches, 63 yards, 1 TD; 74-yard punt return TD. In the early 80s, when I was still a young kid, I learned early that Pitt & Penn State embodied evil. Awful stadium, awful field, Pitt in its heyday. But, WVU's #48, Willie D broke their backs with an electrifying punt return. The WVU faithful went crazy. He was the best player on the field that day in WVU's 28-10 victory.
9. Kay-Jay Harris vs. East Carolina, 2004. All he did was rush for 337 yards on 25 carries (13.5 per carry) with 4TDs, some of them jaw dropping. The reason it's not higher is because the Pirates sucked. Their defense made our 2018 "D" look like the Steel Curtain. But that day, Kay Jay could do no wrong and looked like a Heisman contender. WVU's single game rushing record.
8. Chris Henry at Syracuse, 2003. 6 catches, 209 yards, 2 TD...35 yards per catch. In a game that looked like it was another "Twilight Zone" game in the Carrier Dome for WVU, Chris Henry came up big in the fourth quarter with two monster TD grabs from Rasheed Marshall to give WVU a victory to keep our Big East title hopes alive. He looked like he was simply on another level. And he was. Would've been nice if Rich would've thrown to him more in Blacksburg in '04...but I digress.
7. Robert Walker, at Syracuse, 1993. 26 carries, 198 yards, 2 TD...and one raucous 90-yard TD run where he left a trail of fire and started shooting air pistols at the end zone around the Syracuse 20 yard line. Damn that beatdown of Syracuse in '93 felt good after everything that happened the year prior. Marvin Graves was still their QB, but we had Robert Walker.
6. Clint Trickett, at Maryland 2014. 37 of 49 passing, 511 yards, 4 TDs vs. 1 INT. He was masterful. An absolute masterpiece. And, we only 3 WRs that day caught balls - Kevin White, Mario Alford and Daikiel Shorts. It still took a last second FG to win from Josh Lambert, in typical WVU College Park fashion, but it's always a calming feeling knowing that you have a top level QB behind center on the road.
5. Major Harris vs. Cincinnati 1987. 6 carries, 126 yards, 2 TDs; 9 of 14 passing, 1 TD in a 45-17 win. This was the day. This was the day when we knew...we have something with this kid. 2nd play from scrimmage, we ran a fake reverse and Major kept the ball. He turned the corner, and turned on the burners. 64 yards later, he hit paydirt for a 7-0 WVU lead. And, this was the beginning of something special.
4. Kevin White vs. Baylor, 2014. 8 catches, 132 yards, 2 TDs...but they don't tell the entire story. It was the pass interference calls he drew, again, and again, and again. Baylor just could not check him. Then, you had the one-handed catch gem in the North end zone, which was the cherry on the hot fudge sundae (Nehlen reference).
3. Noel Devine vs. Auburn, 2008. 17 carries, 207 yards, 1 TD. It was great to see WVU invite an SEC power into Morgantown and then watch them be completely unable to stop our run game behind Devine, which also helped set up a backbreaking Pat White play action TD pass to Dorrell Jalloh late in the game.
2. Pat White at USF, 2005. 11 carries, 177 yards, 2 TDs; 5 of 10 passing, 89 yards, 1 TD, 1 INT; With the game still up in the air, Pat White blew it wide open in the second half with a 65 yard TD run, and a later 76 yard TD run, zig-zagging through USF defenders like he was on a schoolyard.
1. Amos Zereoue at Notre Dame, 1997. 32 carries, 234 yards, 2 TDs, 1 catch for 12 yards. Yes, we ended up taking the "L" because Nehlen inexplicably went away from Zereoue as we were driving to tie late. But, I've never been at an away game where I saw one of our players receive a standing ovation. And, that is exactly what happened after this one -- the South Bend faithful cheered for Famous Amos as he walked off the field. He was dominant that day under Touchdown Jesus. Bonus points for the great photo of Zereoue diving into the South Bend end zone which used to hang in the Back Door bar in Motown.
