Fans across West Virginia are pumped up for the U of L-West Virginia football game next Thursday. They don’t seem to be too concerned about whether they will win, that seems to be a given for them. They do respect Louisville, however. and a capacity crowd of 60,000-plus is expected.

Even though it’s a night game, visiting U of L fans may still need sunglasses. WVU football coach Rich Rodriguez is encouraging Mountaineers fans to wear gold. “I’d like everybody to wear something gold — a shirt, jersey, jacket, hat, scarf, shoes,” he said. “It would look impressive, particularly at night.”

Members of the Mountaineer Maniacs, a group consisting of more than 4,500 students, are being encouraged to get to their seats 90 minutes before kickoff. They earn loyalty points for football based on home attendance. The more home games they attend, the better their chances of getting tickets for the big games.

Mountaineer fans without tickets at the stadium can still see the ESPN broadcast on the big screen in theaters at theaters in Morgantown, Charleston and Beckley. The Morgantown theater also is giving away 120 free passes and is offering free food.

The West Virginia defense, which takes a back seat to Pat White and Steve Slaton, is third nationally in total defense (262.13 yards per game), fourth in scoring defense (14.9 per game), third in turnover margin (1.38), tied for 11th in turnovers gained (22) and tied for 12th in fumbles recovered.

Mountaineer Coach Rich Rodriguez on Brian Brohm: “He’s one of the best not only in the Big East but in the history of NCAA football,” he said. “I think it’s a great story for college football that he decided to come back (for a senior year). Obviously, he’s carried that team. He has stayed healthy this year. He’s competitive and a very good athlete.”

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By Charlie Springer

Charlie Springer is a former Louisville editor and sportswriter, a public affairs consultant, a UofL grad and longtime fan.

One thought on “U of L Fans May Need Shades at West Virginia”
  1. It should be hopefully similar to the “Blackout” UL had last year. That was impressive. However, Mountaineer fans are notorius for just showing up drunk at games. It would be nice to see a “Goldrush” or whatever you call it.

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