A History of West Virginia Mountaineers Football

The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University (WVU) in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) of college football. West Virginia plays its home games at Milan Puskar Stadium on the campus of West Virginia University in Morgantown, West Virginia. The Mountaineers have a long and storied history, dating back to the late 19th century.

Early Years (1891-1919)

The West Virginia University football program traces its origin back to November 28, 1891, when its first team fell to Washington & Jefferson 72-0 on a converted cow pasture. Despite its humble beginning, West Virginia enjoyed a 25-23-3 overall record prior to 1900, which proved to be a fruitful century of Mountaineer football.

The early 1900s brought about early successes for the program, namely during the 1903 and 1905 seasons when WVU posted records of 7-1 and 8-1 respectively. WVU produced a 6-3 record in the 1904 season, despite losing to Penn State, Pitt, and Michigan by a combined score of 217-0.

The 1908-20 period produced the four-year head coaching tenures of C.A. Lueder (1908-11) and Mont McIntire (1916-17, 1919-20), representing the longest coaching tenures during this early period of Mountaineer football.

That same Mountaineer team also produced West Virginia's first ever Consensus All-American and potential College Football Hall of Fame inductee, Ira Errett Rodgers. Rodgers scored 19 touchdowns and kicked 33 extra points for WVU in 1919 season, leading the nation with 147 total points. Rodgers also threw 11 touchdown passes that season, an unheard of feat at the time and a Mountaineer record until 1949.

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The 1920s: A Period of Success

The Mountaineers enjoyed their first period of success during the 1920s, coinciding with the successful coaching tenures of Clarence Spears (1921-24) and Ira Errett Rodgers (1925-30, 1943-45). Under the tutelage of Spears, West Virginia compiled a 30-6-3 record with its best performance coming in the 1922 season. The 1922 edition of the Mountaineers remains the only team in West Virginia history to produce an unbeaten season, finishing with a 10-0-1 mark. Spears's Mountaineers surrendered only 34 total points in 1922, posting six consecutive shutouts to finish the regular season. The 1922 season also produced notable victories against rival Pitt and against Gonzaga in the East-West Bowl, the program's first bowl game appearance. Offensive tackle Russell Meredith garnered First-Team All-American honors.

The Mountaineers continued their success under Spears in posting subsequent one-loss seasons in 1923 (7-1-1) and in 1924 (8-1), with Spears departing the program for Minnesota thereafter. Ira Errett Rodgers replaced Spears and the Mountaineers posted an 8-1 record in 1925. After a 6-4 finish in 1926 and a 2-4-3 record in 1927, the program produced an 8-2 finish in 1928. Rodgers's first tenure as West Virginia coach ended with records of 4-3-3 in 1929 and 5-5 in 1930.

The 1930s and 1940s: Ups and Downs

Taking over for Rodgers in 1931 was Earle "Greasy" Neale, but his tenure was short-lived as the Mountaineers failed to produce a single winning season under his guise, going a combined 12-16-3 over Neale's three years as coach.

Charles Tallman, an End who achieved All-American status with the Mountaineers in 1923 with the Mountaineers, replaced Neale in 1934 and produced immediate results as the program posted 6-4 records in 1934 and 1936. Although West Virginia posted a 3-4-2 record in 1935, the program produced an All-American in Joe Stydahar, an offensive tackle. "Jumbo Joe" later became both a College Football Hall of Fame and Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee. Despite his winning record, Tallman resigned after the 1936 season to pursue his career in law enforcement as Superintendent of the West Virginia State Police.

Marshall Glenn picked up right where Tallman left off, leading West Virginia to an 8-1-1 record in 1937.

The "Pappy" Lewis Era (1950-1959)

When Art "Pappy" Lewis became West Virginia's head coach in 1950, he remarked that it was the job that he had always wanted. Known by his peers as an exceptional recruiter and by his players as a father figure, Lewis established a family-like atmosphere within the Mountaineer football program. Lewis's Mountaineer teams held true to form, experiencing their most consistent success during the 1950s as it ever had previously. After forgettable campaigns in 1950 and '1951, the 1952 season brought WVU its first winning season since 1948. The Mountaineers finished with a 7-2 record, highlighted by a 16-0 upset victory of No.

Beginning with the 1953 season, the Mountaineers would reel off three consecutive eight-win seasons and five Southern Conference (SoCon) championships in six seasons. In 1953, the Mountaineers finished with an 8-2 record, their first SoCon championship, a No. 10 ranking in the Associated Press (AP) Poll, and a berth in the Sugar Bowl with Georgia Tech.

The 1954 edition of the Mountaineers also finished the regular season with an 8-1 mark, losing their only game to Pitt by a 13-10 score. The Mountaineers did not earn a bowl bid, however, despite winning their second consecutive SoCon title and earning a No. 12 ranking in the AP Poll.

In 1955, the Mountaineers engineered yet another eight-win season and SoCon championship, but upset losses to Pitt and Syracuse doomed West Virginia's shot at a bowl bid. Despite its disappointing finish, WVU produced two All-American offensive linemen and future College Football Hall of Fame inductees in Bruce Bosley and Sam Huff.

Despite finishing with a modest 6-4 record in 1956, West Virginia won its fourth consecutive SoCon title with a 5-0 record in conference play. The 1957 season resulted in a 7-2-1 record and a 3-0 mark in Southern Conference play. Although the Mountaineers once again compiled an undefeated SoCon record, they were not awarded the conference championship, as VMI earned the title with a 9-0-1 overall record and 6-0 record in SoCon play.

In 1958, the Mountaineers had their first losing season in eight years, but their 4-0 record in SoCon play earned them a 5th conference title in six seasons. The 1958 season was the final season that West Virginia would win a conference championship under Lewis's tenure. The Mountaineers finished 3-7 in 1959, losing the final five games of the season by a combined score of 24-140. Lewis resigned as head coach afterward.

The 1960s: From Rock Bottom to Revival

After Lewis's departure, the program hit an all-time low in 1960 under first-year head coach Gene Corum, posting its worst season to date: 0-8-2. The Mountaineers were simply outclassed by their opponents, being outscored 40-259 on the season. The Mountaineers rebounded, however, and by 1962 were back to their winning ways, posting an 8-2 record and 4-0 conference record. Despite their undefeated conference record, once again the SoCon crown eluded the Mountaineers in favor of the VMI Keydets and their 6-0 record in conference play.

West Virginia did not have to wait long for its next SoCon title, however, as the program won the title in the 1964 and 1965 seasons consecutively. The Mountaineers finished 7-4 in 1964 and participated in the Liberty Bowl against Utah, West Virginia's first bowl game in 11 years as well as the first major college football bowl game ever played indoors and to be broadcast nationwide in the United States. Corum's tenure ended thereafter, posting a 29-30-2 record over his six seasons as head coach.

Following the 1965 season, Jim Carlen took over for Corum as head coach. After a 3-5-2 finish in 1966, Carlen guided the Mountaineers to their 8th and final SoCon championship in 1967. West Virginia left the Southern Conference thereafter, participating as an independent until 1991. Carlen's Mountaineers would produce subsequent winning seasons in 1968 and 1969, posting records of 7-3 and 10-1, respectively.

The 1969 edition of the Mountaineers was the most successful West Virginia team since the 1922 season. Not only did the Mountaineers win 10 games, but they earned their first bowl game victory since 1948 with a Peach Bowl victory over No. 19 South Carolina, as well as a No. 18 final ranking in the Coaches Poll. The dynamic rushing tandem of running back Bob Gresham (1,155 yards and 9 touchdowns) and fullback Jim Braxton (843 yards, 12 touchdowns) led the Mountaineers. Gresham became the second Mountaineer to ever rush for more than 1,000 yards (Garrett Ford, Sr. was the first with 1,068 yards in 1966). At the conclusion of the 1969 season, Carlen departed West Virginia for Texas Tech.

The Bobby Bowden Era (1970-1975)

It appeared that the Bobby Bowden era of Mountaineer football could not have begun more smoothly early in the 1970 season, or so it seemed. The Mountaineers were 4-1 to start the season and led arch rival Pitt 35-8 at halftime in week six. What transpired was one of the most infamous collapses in Backyard Brawl and West Virginia football history. The Mountaineers surrendered 28 unanswered points, losing to the Panthers 36-35 and leading Bowden to remark that he had "embarrassed the whole state of West Virginia" in the process. Despite the disappointment of the Pitt defeat, West Virginia went on to finish the 1970 season with an 8-3 record.

The Mountaineers continued their winning ways under Bowden in 1971 and 1972, posting records of 7-4 and 8-4 respectively. The 1972 West Virginia team earned the program's first trip back to a bowl game in three years, participating once again in the Peach Bowl against North Carolina State. The season also witnessed the offensive prowess of running back Kerry Marbury and wide receiver Danny Buggs.

The 1973 and 1974 seasons, however, were not successful campaigns for the Mountaineers, as they finished with records of 6-5 and 4-7. Despite the disappointment of those seasons, Danny Buggs earned All-American status for his contributions in both campaigns.

The 1975 season was successful as the Mountaineers compiled a 9-3 record, a 13-10 Peach Bowl victory over North Carolina State, and a final ranking of No. 17 in the Coaches Poll and No. 20 in the AP Poll. Additionally, the Mountaineers upset the No. 20 Pitt Panthers 17-14 on a game-winning field goal in the closing seconds in yet another memorable chapter of the Backyard Brawl. Bowden later described the victory as one of the most exciting ones of his coaching career. Following the 1975 season, Bowden left WVU to become the head coach at Florida State, where he would become the second winningest coach in NCAA Division I-A/FBS history.

The Frank Cignetti Years (1976-1979)

Under the direction of Frank Cignetti, the Mountaineers endured four consecutive losing seasons. West Virginia completed the 1976 season with a 5-6 record, losing four of its final six games. The disappointment of 1976 was realized again the following season, as the Mountaineers posted another 5-6 finish in 1977. After a promising 4-1 start to the season, including an upset road victory over No. 11 Maryland, WVU lost five of its final six games. The Mountaineers finished 2-9 in 1978, being outscored 364-167. It was later revealed that Cignetti had suffered from a rare form of cancer during the season, nearly losing his life on the operating table during a procedure to remove his spleen in the winter of 1978. The 1979 season was Cignetti's final with the program. Despite the program's losing seasons during Cignetti's tenure, Cignetti managed to land prized recruit and future Consensus All-American linebacker Darryl Talley, as well as standout quarterback and future Athletic Director Oliver Luck and running back Robert Alexander.

The Don Nehlen Era (1980-2000)

In the wake of Frank Cignetti's firing, the West Virginia Athletic Department determined that a full rebuild was in order. On December 10, 1979, West Virginia introduced Don Nehlen as its new head coach, the 30th coach in the program's history. Coinciding with Nehlen's hire was the construction of the second incarnation of Mountaineer Field, the program's current home stadium. Nehlen brought several changes to the Mountaineer football program, including a new logo and color scheme that remains in use to this day. The result was consistency and success for the program during his two-decade tenure at West Virginia.

After a 6-6 campaign in 1980, Nehlen's 1981 Mountaineer team produced the first of 15 winning seasons under his direction. It also marked the first of three consecutive nine-win seasons and four consecutive bowl game appearances for the Mountaineers. Led by senior quarterback Oliver Luck's 2,448 yards passing and 16 touchdowns, the 1981 team posted a 9-3 record and earned a trip back to the Peach Bowl, where they defeated the Florida Gators 26-6. WVU also finished ranked in the polls for the first time since 1975, coming in at No. 17 and No.

The 1982 Mountaineers experienced similar success. Sparked by their come-from-behind upset victory over No. 9 Oklahoma to open the season, the Mountaineers finished with a 9-2 record, remaining ranked in the AP poll throughout the season en route to a Gator Bowl berth with Bobby Bowden and Florida State. Despite its Gator Bowl loss, West Virginia once again finished the season 9-3 and ranked 19th in both final polls. The team also produced the program's first Consensus All-American since 1955 in senior linebacker Darryl Talley.

The Mountaineers won their first six games at the outset of the 1983 season, attaining a No. 4 ranking in the AP Poll. With a 41-23 upset loss to 1983 in week 8, however, West Virginia's hopes of an undefeated season collapsed. WVU lost three of its final five regular season games before defeating Kentucky in the Hall of Fame Classic to finish the season at 9-3. It was the third consecutive season for WVU to finish ranked, coming in at No. 16 in both the AP and Coaches Polls.

Although the 1984 season had all off the makings of a memorable one for West Virginia, the Mountaineers experienced another letdown. WVU started the season with a 7-1 record, posting an upset victory over No. 4 Boston College and its first victory over Penn State in 25 meetings along the way. The Mountaineers were upset in each of their final three regular season games, however, losing to Virginia, Rutgers and Temple. WVU rebounded to defeat Texas Christian in the Bluebonnet Bowl, finishing the season at 8-4 with a No. 21 ranking in the final Coaches poll. The Mountaineers also produced three All-Americans in return specialist Willie Drewrey, kicker Paul Woodside, and tight end Rob Bennett.

After four consecutive seasons of bowl berths and finishes in at least one of the polls, West Virginia went on a two-year drought in 1985 and 1986, finishing those seasons with records of 7-3-1 and 4-7 (Nehlen's first of only four losing seasons) respectively. The shortcomings of those seasons came to a head in 1987, where the Mountaineers endured a season of growing pains and near-misses.

Conference Affiliations

From 1891 to 1949, West Virginia competed as a football independent. The Mountaineers saw modest success during this period and made appearances in bowl games in both 1922 and 1948. From 1950 to 1967, West Virginia was a member of the Southern Conference and won the conference championship nine times. The membership of the SoCon fluctuated wildly at times during West Virginia's tenure, and by 1968 they chose to leave the conference and become a football independent once more. Between 1968 and 1990, the Mountaineers again competed as an independent and played in ten separate bowl games under three head coaches: Jim Carlen, Bobby Bowden and Don Nehlen. From 1991-2011, West Virginia competed in the Big East Conference, winning seven conference championships, and appearing in four Bowl Coalition and Bowl Championship Series games. Since 2012, West Virginia has competed as a member of Big 12 Conference.

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