2008, 24-3 WVU loss
Let’s get this one out of the way quickly. This could easily be one of the most disappointing losses in WVU football history. It wasn’t as heart-wrenching as the 13-9 loss to Pitt, which happened the season before this one, but it was certainly a head-scratcher.
The Mountaineers came into the game ranked No. 8 in the country. The hype of the previous season, despite missing out on a gift-wrapped berth in the national title game, was still riding high. The Mountaineers steamrolled Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl and were not missing much from the previous season.
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But Bill Stewart was the new head coach and the team wasn’t prepared for what should have been an easy road win at East Carolina. The Mountaineers won the previous week over Villanova in Stewart’s full-time head coaching debut with the WVU football team, but nothing went right for the team that day against the Pirates.
With such a prolific offense with Noel Devine and Pat White leading the way, to not make it in the end zone was a major letdown. This was not a game the Mountaineers should have lost. And, it was not a game in which they should have been blown out.