By John Antonik for
MSNsportsNET.comMORGANTOWN, W.VA. -- The West Virginia Mountaineers sent retiring coach Don Nehlen off in style with a 42-24 win over East Carolina today at Mountaineer Field.
Nehlen, who coached his final home game Saturday, finished his WVU career as he started it -- with a home victory.
Twenty-one years ago Nehlen opened the new stadium with a 41-27 victory over Cincinnati on Sept 12, 1980.
The coach won his 200th career game last weekend at Rutgers, and now shows 201 career wins, moving him into a tie with Vince Dooley and Eddie Anderson for 14th place in NCAA history.
Throughout the game the West Virginia Stadium Vision replayed highlights of past Nehlen games, and broadcast special player announcements to the delight of the loyal 40,389 fans that braved the chilly Morgantown temperatures.
The difference Saturday was the play of juniors Brad Lewis and Antonio Brown, who both had career days against East Carolina's inexperienced secondary.
Lewis, a Shadyside, Ohio, native, completed 12-of-24 passes for a career-high 290 yards and two touchdowns.
Brown, meanwhile, caught six passes for a career-high 179 yards and a touchdown. The flanker accounted for 217 yards of total offense.
The Lewis-to-Brown combination got the scoring started for West Virginia on the game's opening drive.
Lewis hit a wide-open Brown on third and 14, and the Miami, Fla., native, raced 49 yards to the end zone. It was the longest scoring pass play of the year for West Virginia.
"We knew their corners were inexperienced and they were flopping them in and out, so we just took advantage of that," Brown said.
Though senior Jon Ohliger missed the point-after conversion, West Virginia did manage to extend its lead to 9-0 on an Ohliger 28-yard FG.
That field goal was set up by a nifty interception and return by safety Rick Sherrod that positioned the football at the 21-yard line.
"That pick by Sherrod was big," Nehlen mentioned.
East Carolina answered two minutes later when quarterback David Garrard scored on a two-yard burst with 5:23 left in the first quarter.
ECU's score was also set up by a turnover when Pirate linebacker Pernell Griffin knocked the ball loose from Lewis, and Chris Howell pounced on the football at the West Virginia nine.
The Mountaineer defense aided in another score with 13:27 left in the second quarter when East Carolina's high snap was illegally kicked through the end zone by punter Kevin Miller.
West Virginia was awarded the football at the one-yard line, and Avon Cobourne scored on the very next play. A celebration penalty forced Ohliger to try the point after from the 25 yard line and the kicker missed, leaving the score 15-7 in favor of the Mountaineers.
The WVU defense again came up big on ECU's ensuing possession.
Garrard attempted a swing pass to Marcus White in the left flat, but the errant pass bounced on the turf and West Virginia's Jason Davis recovered the pigskin in the end zone for a touchdown.
This time backup kicker Brenden Rauh successfully converted the PAT to give WVU a 22-7 lead.
"I was happy that Rauh made a couple of kicks for us," said Nehlen.
West Virginia expanded its lead with 3:17 to go in the half. WVU's best scoring sortie, an eight-play, 67-yard drive, was culminated by a Wes Ours one-yard plunge. It was Ours' third scoring plunge of the season.
Lewis hit two big passes on the drive -- one went to Khori Ivy for 25 yards to the ECU 42 and another went to Phil Braxton for 28 yards to the Pirate one.
East Carolina's Miller successfully hit a 43-yard FG with 12 seconds left to close the margin to 29-10 at halftime.
East Carolina, which had minus 41 yards rushing at the half, made a game of it in the third quarter. The Pirates sandwiched two long touchdown passes between a Mountaineer 37-yard FG to close the deficit to 32-24.
ECU's first TD came on a 45-yard sideline hookup between Garrard and Marcellus Harris, who juked three WVU defenders for the impressive score.
The second Pirate touchdown came on a flanker reverse and pass. Arnie Powell took a reverse pitch from Garrard and found a wide-open Aaron Harris waiting in the end zone for a 35-yard TD.
Just 1:22 remained on the clock after ECU's second third-quarter score.
The third quarter has been an albatross for the Mountaineers this season. Including today's game, West Virginia has now been outscored a combined 93-47 in the third quarter this season.
West Virginia did recover and started the fourth quarter with a 20-yard Rauh field goal to push the margin back to 11 at 35-24.
The Mountaineers iced the game four minutes later when Lewis hit Ivy for an 18-yard touchdown pass on third and 14.
The 42 points were the most scored by West Virginia this season; WVU is now 86-6-1 when Nehlen's team scores 30 points or more.
Though East Carolina finished with 314 yards, the West Virginia defense played an impressive game.
Linebacker James Davis was unofficially credited with four sacks, which ties a Mountaineer Field record set by Gary Stills against Marshall in 1997.
Davis also led the team with 11 tackles and six tackles for a loss of 38 yards. The Stuart, Fla., native was responsible for 72 minus yards.
After a rough start, ECU's Garrard completed 25-of-41 passes for 280 yards and one touchdown.
Harris led the Pirates with six catches for 114 yards.
The victory improves West Virginia's overall record to 6-4, and assures the Mountaineers of a winning record in Nehlen's final season. The Mountaineers also became bowl-eligible with the triumph.
"I don't know if six will do it or not," said Nehlen of receiving a bowl bid. "I know one thing, if we do go it will give me a chance to lose nine I guess."
The Mountaineers finish the regular season next Friday at Pitt.
East Carolina, which falls to 6-4, will play Southern Mississippi next Friday for the Conference USA regular season championship.
Scoring Summary
WV - Brown 49 pass from Lewis (PAT failed)
WV - Ohliger 28 FG
EC - Garrard 2 run (Mille kick)
WV - Cobourne 1 run (Rauh kick)
WV - Davis fumble recovery in end zone (Rauh kick)
WV - Ours 1 run (Rauh kick)
EC - Miller 43 FG
EC - Harris 45 pass from Garrard (Miller kick)
WV - Rauh 37 FG
EC - Harris 33 pass from Powell (Miller kick)
WV - Rauh 20 FG
WV - Ivy 18 pass from Lewis (Rauh kick)
Individual Statistics
Rushing: EC - Brown 3-16, Garrard 14-3, Henry 13-2, White 1-0, Team 1-minus 20; Total 32-1; WV - Cobourne 27-74, Rego 8-14, Ours 3-8, Brown 2-minus 3, Lewis 6-minus 14; Total 46-79.
Passing: EC - Garrard 25-41-1-280-1, Powell 1-1-0-33-1, Total 26-42-1-313-2; WV - Lewis 12-24-0-290-2, Fazzolari 1-1-0-26-0, Total 13-25-0-316-2.
Receiving: EC - BHarris 6-114, Henry 5-23, Burns 3-25, Copper 2-40, Harris 2-37, Collier 2-29, Stokes 2-25, Powell 2-23, Brown 2-minus 3, Total 26-313; WV - Brown 6-179, Ivy 3-67, Braxton 1-28, Wiley 1-26, Ours 1-13, Berton 1-3, Total 13-316.
Attendance: 40,389
