Noel Devine and Jock Sanders remember the high points of their respective careers: winning the Big East and a BCS game.

Back in 2007, the explosive running back Devine and dynamic wide receiver Sanders were freshmen who both contributed in small roles as the Mountaineers rolled to a Big East title. Quarterback Pat White and running back Steve Slaton carried the load for the season, and Devine ran for two touchdowns in the Fiesta Bowl.

But two seasons have passed since those high points. Since there are no BCS bowl games to show for them. Now, at the dawn of their senior years, the two leaders of the Mountaineer offense know that they have to shoulder the heavy lifting. It’s their last chance to win another Big East title.

And they’re channeling the lessons learned from the leaders of the 2007 team to get this season’s team back to a BCS game.

‘Pat and Steve always practiced hard, no matter what the situation was,’ Sanders said. ‘Their minds (were) in it all the time. You could see it on the field because, when they were on the field, they always dominated. We took parts of their games and put them in our games to make ourselves better.’

Both Devine and Sanders had the best seasons of their careers last year. Devine ran for 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns and Sanders caught 72 passes for 688 yards and three touchdowns. It wasn’t enough, though, as the Mountaineers finished second in the Big East and lost in the Gator Bowl to Florida State, while Cincinnati captured the Big East crown.

Sanders believes this year’s Mountaineers can have the same success the team had in his freshman year. He said they are a more complete team this season than last, and the lessons they learned in clock management in late game situations last season will carry over to success this year.

West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart agreed with his star receiver’s sentiments.

‘We’re going to take one game at a time,’ Stewart said in a Big East coaches teleconference Monday. ‘Probably like most teams in America, we’ve set our goals as high as we should.’

There are some differences with this team. A different coach — Stewart was an assistant to then-coach Rich Rodriguez back in 2007, although he did fill in as interim coach during the Fiesta Bowl. A different quarterback situation — Geno Smith has only played in five games, Pat White had two years of experience heading into 2007.

That’s not to say Smith can’t have a breakout season, though. He completed 65.3 percent of his passes last season (32-for-49), and he has two of the best options in the country with Devine and Sanders.

Devine could even be a Heisman Trophy favorite if he has the banner year for which he seems poised.

‘He can win the Heisman, no doubt,’ Sanders said. ‘As a teammate and as a team, we’ve got to help him get that goal. If the team’s not doing well, his Heisman hopes are done.’

Stewart and Sanders both say the biggest change they’ve seen in Devine over his college career is his maturity level. He used to be a quiet freshman who kept to himself, no matter how much coaches and players nagged at him, Sanders said.

Three years later, he’s opened up and taken on a leadership role. Some credit for his growth as a person is also due to Slaton, who is entering his third season as a running back for the Houston Texans, but still keeps in touch with his former teammate.

‘We chat here and there, mostly through e-mail,’ Slaton said. ‘I just tell (Devine) to keep mastering (his) craft, and there is no room for let up.’

Devine and Sanders have gone through the gauntlet of a college football season together three times. That experience gives them a unique relationship that Sanders describes as ‘a brotherly bond.’ They were the only two freshmen skill players to get significant playing time on offense the last time the Mountaineers won the Big East title, and ever since, they’ve been the best of friends. Both players have evolved from talented players to complete players.

They lead by example. They lead vocally. And now, they’re poised to get the Mountaineers back to where they were as freshmen. This time, they’re the leaders.

‘It’s something you can’t even explain,’ Sanders said. ‘(Devine and I are) always on the same page, no matter what. If one of us down, if one of us is down and out, the other one knows instantly.

‘It’s like a brotherly love.’

Edsall faces familiar foe

While Connecticut is preparing for its first-ever meeting with Michigan on Saturday, the Huskies will see a familiar opponent when they walk into the ‘Big House’ in Ann Arbor.

That opponent is Wolverines’ coach Rich Rodriguez, who used to coach West Virginia from 2001-07. Rodriguez had incredible success with the Mountaineers, going 60-26 and winning two BCS bowl games. He was only 8-16 in his first two seasons at Michigan, but perhaps the opener against UConn (Saturday, 3:30 p.m., ABC) could start to change his fortunes with the Wolverines.

UConn and its head coach Randy Edsall have never beaten a Rodriguez-coached team, losing to West Virginia every year from 2004-07.

It hasn’t even been close — Rodriguez’s teams have beaten Edsall’s by an average of 28.75 points, including a 66-21 thrashing in 2007. This matchup could yield a different result, though. Michigan doesn’t have the same personnel West Virginia had. Although it will likely be the same play-calling that shredded Edsall’s defense to the tune of almost 45 points per game, he believes his defense’s experience can limit the damage.

‘(Michigan) averaged almost 30 points a game last year, so not too many people shut them down,’ Edsall said. ‘It’s going to be difficult, but like I said, it does help having some experienced players back on the defensive side of the ball.’

mcooperj@syr.edu

Published on September 1, 2010 at 12:00 pm

Contact Mark: mcooperj@syr.edu | @mark_cooperjr