Robert Sands News

A few minutes after one o'clock Friday afternoon, the pre-game tributes to legendary Coach Bobby Bowden will give way to a football game.

While the rest of the Gator Bowl world is focused on the final game in the career of Florida State head coach Bobby Bowden, the Mountaineers are worried about...the Mountaineers.

WVU defensive back Robert Sands, who grew up in Miami, is no fan of Florida State.

Perhaps there was no one better. Scratch that -- there was definitely no one better.

West Virginia University Football Coach Bill Stewart has announced the team award winners for the 2009 season.

Associated PressWest Virginia's Steve Slaton was an All-American in 2006. Jeff Gentner, Str Coaches have come and gone at West Virginia, eight in the past 50 years.

Given that they combined to account for more than 50 percent of West Virginia's total offense this season, it came as little surprise that Noel Devine and Jock Sanders were named the team's offensive co-players of the year Tuesday.

Ten West Virginia football players made the all-Big East teams announced Wednesday, including five defenders and both specialists.

West Virginia linebacker Reed Williams was in New York on Tuesday, being recognized by the National Football Foundation during the 2009 College Football Hall of Fame new conference at the Waldorf-Astoria. Williams was named a scholar-athlete finalist.

Rutgers freshman Mohamed Sanu was too old to play football in his senior year of high school, so he opted to attend college for the spring semester where he was able to work out with the football team.

With the 19-16 victory Nov. 27 against Pitt, West Virginia polished off its home schedule a spotless 7-0 -- something the program hadn't done since 1993.

Brian Kelly wants no part of a piece of the Big East Conference title. He wants it all.

Much has been made in recent weeks of the regained health of West Virginia's football defense.

For their efforts in a 19-16 win against rival Pitt on Friday, two West Virginia players -- kicker Tyler Bitancurt and safety Robert Sands -- received Big East player of the week honors today.

By JIM BUTTA, jbutta@newsandsentinel.com AND STEVE HEMMELGARN, shemmelgarn@newsandsentinel.com MORGANTOWN-When one team plays another more than 100 times, one would believe that anything that could happen in a game would have.

West Virginia placekicker Tyler Bitancurt carved his name among the legends of The Backyard Brawl history on Friday night with his last-second, game-winning 43-yard field goal.

The uniform of the day for the West Virginia University Mountaineers was blue tops and blue pants, blue on blue as it were, which in retrospect is terribly fitting.

Noel Devine rushed for 134 yards and Tyler Bitancurt kicked four field goals, including a 43-yarder as time expired to lift West Virginia to a 19-16 win over No.

Today, 7 p.m. - Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, W.Va. TV: ESPN2 Favorite: Pick'em Records: Pitt 9-1, 5-0 Big East; West Virginia 7-3, 3-2 Last meeting: Pitt won, 19-15, last season at Heinz Field and leads the all-time series, 61-37-3. Outlook: The Panthers, vying for their seventh consecutive win, have put together their best 10-game start since ...

The starting defensive lineup most figured would lead West Virginia when fall camp ended in August finally started a game together at Cincinnati.