WVU Sports: A History Of Heartbreaking Defeat
By Phil Poling
On The Gridiron
The most memorable injury to a WVU player is undoubtedly Major Harris in the 1989 Fiesta Bowl. On the third play of the game, Harris was drove into the ground by a Notre Dame player and injured his non-throwing shoulder. The Mountaineers were 11-0 heading into the game, and lost 34-21. WVU started the game slow, not getting a first down until the second quarter, and it wasn’t until the last play of the 1st that they reached midfield. The Irish were blessed with a healthy Tony Rice that day and crushed the dreams of Mountaineer fans.
Another big-time football loss was Karl Joseph midway through the 2015 season. After leading the nation with five interceptions through four games, Joseph tore his ACL in practice and was shut down for the year. WVU was 3-1 when Joseph suffered his injury, but lost three consectuive games without their leader. The defense deeply missed his ball-hawking and hard-hitting abilities, but also his leadership skills. They finished the season 8-5 and Joseph was taken 15th overall in the NFL Draft by the then-Oakland Raiders.
On The Hardwood
Both the injuries above were devastating, but neither were as emotional as Da’Sean Butler’s ACL tear in the Final Four. I remember watching the game, thinking before the injury, “OK, we’re about to come back. Any minute now Da’Sean is going to takeover like he always does.”
And then it happened.
Hollywood couldn’t write a more tear-jerking scene. This was such a raw, emotional moment that showed us the side of a player/coach relationship few get the chance to witness. When Huggins is leaning over top of him, holding his head – it’s just an image that’s impossible to forget.
West Virginia was down 15 at the time, but with Butler playing you never thought the ‘Eers were out of any game. Chants of “Da’Sean Butler!” will forever ring in my head when I see that image of he and Huggy Bear.