MSNsportsNET
September 4, 1999

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- David Garrard scored on a 1-yard sneak with 56 seconds left, lifting East Carolina to a 30-23 victory over West Virginia on Saturday.

Garrard's score capped a game in which East Carolina rolled up 496 yards against a team that returned eight starters on defense from last year.

Junior tailback Jamie Wilson rushed for a career-high 183 yards on 20 carries and Garrard added 95 on 14. The Pirates, repeatedly benefiting from exhibitions of poor tackling by West Virginia, finished with 327 rushing yards.

West Virginia came in with all five offensive linemen making their first collegiate starts. But the Mountaineers' defense turned out to be a bigger issue.

Attempting to counter West Virginia's defensive struggles was quarterback Marc Bulger, who is closing in on many school passing records.

Bulger opened his senior season by completing a school-record 13 consecutive passes. He wound up with 209 yards on 20-for-30 passing, and he threw for two touchdowns with two interceptions.

Bulger scared the Mountaineers midway through the third quarter when he planted on his left foot while throwing a pass and East Carolina's Devone Claybrooks rolled into the leg, awkwardly twisting it. Bulger was down writhing in pain for two minutes before limping off the field. He stayed on the sidelines for just one play.

Bulger gave the Mountaineers a 23-22 lead with 8:27 left in the game when he lofted a 20-yard pass to the right corner of the end zone, where Khori Ivy outjumped Charlie Robinson and Chris Satterfield for the catch.

East Carolina began the decisive drive after Keith Stokes broke three tackles in a 25-yard punt return that gave the Pirates the ball at their 43. Six plays and numerous broken tackles later -- including one play in which Garrard slipped out of four potential tackles on a 30-yard scramble -- the Pirates had the lead again.

Wilson needed less than a half to establish a career high for rushing yards. His 129 first-half yards included a 32-yard burst late in the second quarter that set up a 1-yard sneak by Garrard, putting the Pirates up 12-7 at halftime.

Another bright spot for the Pirates was redshirt freshman kicker Kevin Miller, who hit field goals from 37, 42 and 43 yards.

The Pirates had a chance to take control early with two long first-quarter drives, but they fumbled both times deep in West Virginia territory. The first was recovered by the Mountaineers' Ryan Brady, and the second resulted in Miller's first field goal.

Scoring Summary

ECU - Miller 37 FG
WVU - Green 2 pass from Bulger (Taylor kick)
ECU - Miller 42 FG
WVU - Taylor 22 FG
ECU - Wilson 10 run (Miller kick)
WVU - Cobourne 1 run (Taylor kick)
ECU - Miller 43 FG
WVU - Ivy 20 pass from Bulger (Pass failed)
ECU - Garrard 1 run (Burns pass from Garrard)

Individual Statistics

Rushing - WV: Cobourne 25-82, Brown, 4-34, Rego 4-22, Bulger 3-minus 30, Total 36-108; ECU: Wilson 20-183, Garrard 14-95, Henry 5-31, Alston 7-22, Team 1-0, Harris 1-minus 4, Total 48-327.

Passing - WV: Bulger 20-30-2-209-2; ECU: Garrard 7-14-1-105-0, Alston 4-5-0-64-0, Total 11-19-1-169-0.

Receiving - WV: Ivy 7-88, Brown 6-48, Becht 3-27, Greene 2-38, Osegueda 1-6, Green 1-2, Total 20-209; ECU: Wilson 3-43, Harris 2-57, Stokes 2-26, Powell 2-17, Floyd 1-21, Burns 1-5, Total 11-169.

Attendance: 47,860