West Virginia Hopes for Encore to Its Surprising 1988 Season

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. —  The college football world awaits an encore.

Without one, West Virginia University’s miraculous season of a year ago will become just a memory, and its chance to be mentioned in the same breath as such Eastern football powers as Penn State and Pittsburgh will fade with it.

“It’s show time again,” said starting senior tailback Eugene Napoleon. “Everybody thought last year was a fluke. We know that. Now, if we do it again in 1989, then the Beast of the East has declared a permanent residence in the state of West Virginia.”

It will be tough. The 17th-ranked Mountaineers (1-0), who play the University of Maryland (0-1) Saturday at Byrd Stadium, have lost 13 starters from last year’s team -- nine on offense, including the entire offensive line, and four on defense. The 1988 Mountaineers went 11-1 and lost to Notre Dame in the Sunkist Fiesta Bowl, 34-21, in a game that decided the national championship.

The schedule also has improved this season. Gone are Bowling Green and California State Fullerton. Added are South Carolina and Louisville to traditional Eastern powers Penn State, Pittsburgh and Syracuse.

Problems?

“Five years ago, we knew we were going to have a good football team because of that recruiting class,” said West Virginia Coach Don Nehlen, entering his 10th season. “We also knew that some day, all those seniors were going to leave. We have prepared for that.

“I’m anxious to see if our program can handle it. We’ve worked hard in recruiting every year. I’m anxious to see if we can reload. I think we’ll be all right. We’ll show up for some games even if I have to shave my head and go out there and catch some passes myself.

“Plus, I think we have a pretty darn good quarterback, you know.”

The entire nation knows.

Last year, quarterback Major Harris finished fifth in the Heisman Trophy voting and is the top returning vote-getter. Now a junior, he is one of the top contenders at his position, along with Notre Dame’s Tony Rice.

Mountaineers players say Harris, 6-foot-1, 207 pounds, is the great equalizer. Last year he had to play with other superstars.

This year it’s Harris’ show.

And you haven’t seen anything yet, his teammates say.

“He makes everybody play better,” said Mountaineers junior offensive guard Dale Wolfley. “It’s his attitude, his desire and hustle. As an offensive lineman, I would love to see him win the Heisman, because a piece of that would belong to all of us.”

“He’s going to get better, believe me,” said Nehlen. “I don’t want Major to think he has to do it all, but we’re going to ask more from him this year than last season.”

Again, an encore is demanded.

Last year, Harris piled up 2,525 yards in total offense. He carried 134 times for 610 years and completed 105 of 186 passes for 1,915 yards and 14 touchdowns.

A versatile performer, he can run the option or throw on the run. Or pass from the pocket. Or turn a broken play into a touchdown.

“Major Harris is the most explosive player in the country,” said Maryland Coach Joe Krivak. “And it’s not just because we’re playing them. He can make something out of nothing faster than you can blink an eye. He can do it going to his right, left or falling while on one foot.”

(Optional add end)

Still, a national championship seems a remote possibility for West Virginia, but make no mistake, this team still has a lot of talent.

Junior backup quarterback Greg Jones, a transfer from the University of Miami, could start for most other Division I schools. Junior Reggie Rembert, at 6-6, 200, is one of the premier wideouts in the country, and fellow receiver James “The” Jett is one of the best-looking freshmen in the East. Nehlen says the tight-end position, with 6-5, 250-pound senior Adrian Moss the starter, is the strongest it ever has been.

Tailbacks Anthony Brown and Undra Johnson are gone, but Napoleon gained 241 yards on 44 carries last season as the No. 3 rusher. And while the offensive line is new, the unit played on every third series in every game a year ago.

Defensively, the Mountaineers are just as strong as last season, with six starters back. The linebacking should be the strength of the unit with Renaldo Turnbull and Lonnie Brockman on the outside and Chris Haering and Theron Ellis on the inside.

West Virginia will have three games televised on the Jefferson-Pilot network this season and another on ESPN. The Mountaineers, said Athletic Director Ed Pastilong, also will add Purdue, Ohio State and Florida State to its schedule in the next three years.

“That season brought us to the front of a lot of people’s attention,” said Pastilong. “The fact that we got to play Notre Dame for the national championship did that. We’ve been a well-established program for a long time. Now people know we have the ability to compete for the national championship.”

Or do they?

“We have to prove it one more time,” said Napoleon. “One more time.”