Gold-Blue Game recap

Well, another spring, another Gold-Blue game in the books. I do apologize to my awesome readers for taking so long to write this up, but weekends in Morgantown are truly like nothing else. That’s why it took so long to get this up: rest & recovery.

Before the scrimmage started, there was an “Old Timer’s Game” that featured WVU legends such as Major Harris, Quincy Wilson, Rasheed Marshall and Aaron Beasley. I didn’t even bother going to that because of “pre-game activities.”

Shortly before the scrimmage, there was a moment of silence observed for the 29 miners that died in the Upper Big Branch mine disaster earlier this month. The team will wear a 29 emblem on their uniforms this year. After that, Matt Lindamood, Chris Neild, Don Barclay and Noel Devine were presented the Iron Mountaineer Award by strength and conditioning coach Mike Joseph.

Coley White has obviously benefitted from all of the work he has received this spring with Geno Smith being limited, and it also helped that White was the only scholarship QB physically able to perform. My question was, will the coaches now be able to move White to wide receiver in August when true freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson arrive? There were two big hits by the Blue on short pass plays. One was made by linebacker Najee Goode, whose hit forced the football to end up in Jorge Wright’s arms for an interception. The other big hit came from safety Darwin Cook, who nailed Eddie Davis on a short pass over the middle. West Virginia’s two-minute offense resulted in a Noel Devine 7-yard touchdown run. White’s 18-yard touchdown pass to Sanders was his best of the night, the quarterback threading the needle between two defenders in the middle of the end zone on the post pattern to Sanders.

Now, people said attendance would be low because the game was on a Friday night, it was before finals week, etc. Well, it was announced that the attendance figure was: 21,029! I knew it was going to be a big crowd when we showed up and were griping about the event staff not opening the upper deck yet. We bested Rutgers and Pitt’s records in this year’s Spring Games. Rutgers had 20,114 at Rutgers Stadium April 24 (which was also a record for Rutgers.) Pittsburgh was next in line with 6,500 for a game televised by the NFL Network April 17. Let’s all point and laugh at Wannstache and the sPitt Panthers. Once again, we beat Pitt!

All in all, it was a good time at Mountaineer Field on Friday night, and I wouldn’t mind seeing WVU put on another Gold-Blue game next year on a Friday night. Plus, all the proceeds collected from admission and programs went to the WVU Children Hospital.

Here’s the scoring recap
1st Quarter: Shawne Alston one-yard run, Corey Smith extra point (7-0 Blue)

2nd Quarter: Corey Smith 38-yard field goal (10-0 Blue)
2nd Quarter: Noel Devine seven-yard run, Smith kick (17-0 Blue)

3rd Quarter: Stedman Bailey 44-yard pass from Coley White, Smith kick (24-0 Blue)

4th Quarter: Jock Sanders 18-yard pass from Coley White, Smith kick (31-0 Blue)
4th Quarter: Stedman Bailey two-yard pass from Coley White, Smith kick (38-0 Blue)