WVU vs. AUBURN: NOT JUST ANOTHER THURSDAY IN MORGANTOWN

Pat White takes on home state team on national TV


By Matt Whitfield

Pat White is Alabama’s two-time reining amateur athlete of the year; yet he plays football at West Virginia University. In Alabama, football is a way of life, most of the time you grow up rooting for Alabama or Auburn, and if ever you get the chance to play for either school you generally go there. Pat White is a rare exception to the rule, and this Thursday the home state school that offered him a scholarship will have the chance to beat him in what will be his final Thursday night game in Morgantown.

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If Pat White is excited, he doesn’t always let you know it. When asked about the Auburn game this Thursday, White responded by saying, “I am excited that I have another great opportunity to step on the football field and play football.” But to say this is just another game to White is an understatement. The game, which was originally scheduled to be played in Auburn, would have been a homecoming game for the Daphne native. Disappointed, White saw this year’s game get switched to Morgantown but added, “I have a lot of family coming to the game, so they’ll see it.” Pat White may act as if he’s just playing in another game but in reality there’s a lot more riding on the line.

With the win Thursday the Mountaineers would be thrust back in the national spotlight with a 5-2 record and more importantly morale would be high going into big games against South Florida and Pittsburgh. A victory for White would be another way of proving a point to the various in-state and SEC programs that only thought of him as a wide receiver.

If West Virginia is to defeat Auburn they will need Pat White, who was knocked out of the Rutgers game and missed the Syracuse game, to be on his A game. West Virginia fans should expect White to pass a lot more often against a stout Auburn defense that’s has been allowing only 13 points a game and has just given up three rushing touchdowns this season . Jock Sanders, and Alric Arnett, the team’s two leading wide receivers should see plenty of balls thrown their way.

If Auburn is to win they’ll need seldom used QB Kodi Burns to play like he’s started all season long. Burns has a balanced wide receiving group with 5 wide receivers, each with over 100 yards on the season, as well as a solid RB in Ben Tate. Burns, however has never thrown for more than a 119 yards in a game and has only thrown for 2 TD’s in his career at Auburn. Expect West Virginia to really limit Auburn in their offensive game plan as their rush defense is 42nd best in the nation and their pass efficiency defense ranks 27th .

It’s not too hard to tell that this Thursday nights West Virginia Auburn game will be a battle of the defenses. On paper Auburn looks like they have a slight advantage; but factor in the frigid temperatures, the rabid Mountaineer fans, and the fact that Pat White is playing in front of his home state team and friends and family and you’ve got what you call a ball game, and the college football odds seem to agree, as the Mountaineers are current a 3 1/2 point favorite on their home field.