West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart wanted to accomplish one thing in his first season: Get Jock Sanders the ball.

The first-year coach wanted to improve the Mountaineers’ passing game. Pat White, West Virginia’s quarterback and the 2007 Big East Offensive Player of the Year, is an exceptional rusher, but Stewart wanted a stronger passing game to make the Mountaineers a more balanced team.

Stewart’s goal has been put into action throughout the first eight games of the season. The 5-foot-7 wide receiver Sanders ranks fifth in the Big East in receptions per game. A versatile threat, Sanders is used in the backfield as a rusher and spread out as a receiver. He has rushed for 168 yards on 30 carries and hauled in 35 passes for 263 yards with eight total touchdowns.

‘Sanders gives us an explosive performance out there on the field,’ Stewart said. ‘What he can do I’m sure drives defensive coaches nuts when he is in the slot. I was a defensive coach, and it would have driven me nuts.’

Sanders’ most impressive effort this season came Saturday during the Mountaineers’ 35-13 victory against Connecticut (6-3, 2-2 Big East). Sanders scored three touchdowns in five minutes in the third quarter. West Virginia was trailing by six until the sophomore’s trio of scores (two rushing, one receiving) to cement the Mountaineers’ win.

‘I didn’t realize I would make three consecutive TDs,’ Sanders said. ‘I just thank my O-line and my fullback. I just followed them all the way to get my scores. It felt really great to be a part of a team effort and bring us back from behind.’

Sanders’ impressive efforts also include eight catches for 60 yards and a touchdown in a 27-3 win against Marshall on Sept. 27. Still, White garners most of the attention. The quarterback boasts the best pass efficiency in the Big East, completing 99-of-142 passes with only three interceptions. White ranks sixth in the conference in rushing yards per game, averaging 77.9 yards per contest.

Stewart called White a ‘godsend’ and ‘warrior’ for the Mountaineers.

That’s fine with Sanders. He doesn’t want the attention.

‘I’m grateful for Pat and I like that the attention is sometimes focused on Pat,’ Sanders said. ‘Everyone is paying attention to him in the backfield and nobody is paying any attention to me, so that’s when I get my scores.’

Stewart knows it’s Sanders who helps complete his team’s offense.

‘He’s not a very big man, but he’s quick and has brought a lot to our offense,’ Stewart said.

Stewart said Sanders is a great asset to West Virginia on the field because of his ability to play in different formations.

‘He brings so much to table with his athleticism,’ Stewart said. ‘He’s blocking, blocking hard and making nice catches. He has innate ability to see things that maybe other youngsters would not be able to see on the field.’

Lee shines in Pittsburgh’s 4 OT win

Pittsburgh head coach Dave Wannstedt trusted kicker Conor Lee with the fate of his team. Wannstedt knew Lee, a consistent performer, could deliver in a dire situation.

Lee saved his team in the fourth overtime of Pitt’s win 36-33 against Notre Dame (5-3) Saturday in South Bend, Ind. Lee converted one field goal in regulation and one in each of the subsequent overtimes, including the game-winner – a 22-yarder to give the No. 25 Panthers (6-2, 2-1 Big East) a tough road victory.

‘It gave me a lot of confidence to have Conor there for us,’ Wannstedt said Monday during a teleconference. ‘We were trying to score touchdowns during the overtime periods obviously, but the one thought that never crossed my mind is that if we had to kick a field goal, that we wouldn’t make it. And I think that’s a testament to not just how much confidence I have in Conor but our entire football team.’

The five field goals set a career-high for the redshirt senior. Lee leads the Big East in field goals this season, making 16-of-18. He’s the Big East’s third-leading scorer, tallying 73 points and averaging 9.1 per game for Pittsburgh.

‘Conor has been that guy for us all year,’ Wannstedt said. ‘When we were up in Syracuse, and Syracuse had the lead on us, he kept us within striking distance because of his four field goals. He is a big part of the success we’ve had this year, and I’m proud of him.’UConn’s Brown shut down

Donald Brown, the nation’s leader in rushing yards per game, was stymied in Connecticut’s 35-13 loss to West Virginia (6-2, 3-0 Big East) Saturday.The Mountaineer defense held Brown to 82 rushing yards on 19 carries. The junior tailback has averaged 156.2 yards per game this season.

The 82-yard effort snapped Brown’s streak of eight consecutive games with more than 100 rushing yards. Connecticut committed five turnovers, which led to 21 points in Saturday’s game.

The loss ended the Huskies’ 11-game home winning streak. Connecticut has a bye week and will return to play Nov. 15 against Syracuse at 7 p.m. in the Carrier Dome.

mkgalant@syr.edu

Published on November 4, 2008 at 12:00 pm