ALL EYES ON UNIVERSITY'S STINGY DEFENSE LAST YEAR, HAWKS BLANKED WILDCATS 41-0

Publication: THE CHARLESTON GAZETTE
Published: 09/27/2002
Page: 4B
Headline: ALL EYES ON UNIVERSITY'S STINGY DEFENSE LAST YEAR, HAWKS BLANKED WILDCATS 41-0
Byline: RICK RYAN

rickryan@wvgazette.com

A lot of eyes will be fixed on University's defense tonight at Nitro. Because the Hawks were able to do something last year that no one else has - shut out the Wildcats' high-flying offense.

University rolled to a 41-0 victory last year in Morgantown, holding Nitro to 207 total yards while forcing three turnovers and six punts. Derek Midkiff threw for just 74 yards - well under his season average of 281.5 - and tailback Chris McGhee picked up only 85 yards on 26 attempts.

Not since before J.R. House arrived at the school in 1995 had the Wildcats been held without a point. Over its last 60 games, Nitro has managed at least two TDs 58 times and only once was limited to one.

"I think we were able to sack [Midkiff] four or five times and more importantly, hurried him," said University coach John Kelley. "When he had to scramble, it broke off [some patterns]. He probably overthrew some balls and underthrew some."

Kelley, whose 4-0 Hawks share the top ranking in Class AAA with Morgantown and Martinsburg, isn't letting last year's result with Nitro leave his team overconfident.

"I saw Midkiff last week at Ripley and I was impressed with him," Kelley said. "The other thing is being able to contain McGhee, because he worries me to death.

"I don't think we'll be able to shut them out again. They're just too good. And no amount of lead is comfortable with them. That's what's scary. You can be up 21 in the third quarter and think you've got it won. But it can only take them three plays to get 21 points."

The Hawks rely on the running of Brady Jackson (479 yards, 7.9 average, four TDs) and the quick-strike passing attack of Eric Bacha.

Bacha has completed 27-of-59 passes for 601 yards and seven TDs with just one interception. He averages a whopping 22.3 yards per completion. His top targets are Matt Clawges (33.3 per catch, four TDs), Julian Spraggins (18.8, one TD) and Patrick Betoney (15.7, two TDs).

"Our running game has been effective enough to allow us to go over top of people for long pass completions," Kelley said. "We don't have a controlled passing game like Nitro does."

University has outscored its opponents 117-29.