2002 Continental Tire Bowl
Encyclopedia
The 2002 Continental Tire Bowl was a postseason college football
bowl game
between the Virginia Cavaliers
(UVA) and the West Virginia Mountaineers
at Ericsson Stadium
in Charlotte, North Carolina
, on December 22, 2002. The first edition of the Continental Tire Bowl, the game was the final contest of the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
for both teams, and ended in a 48–22 victory for Virginia. West Virginia represented the Big East Conference
(Big East) in the game; Virginia represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
(ACC).
s that allowed them to select one team from each conference to participate in their annual game. From the Big East the bowl selected No. 15 West Virginia, the second-highest ranked team in the conference following conference champion and No. 1 Miami
; Virginia was selected out of the ACC. The two teams had played each other twenty-two times historically, although not since 1985; the Cavaliers held a 12–10–1 advantage in the all-time series.
Virginia opened their 2002 season with two losses against ranked teams, losing at home to No. 21 35–29 and on the road at No. 16 Florida State
40–19. The Cavaliers bounced back from this early setback, winning their next six games. The first, against No. 22 South Carolina
, saw the breakout of future National Football League
(NFL) starting quarterback
Matt Schaub
, who threw three touchdown passes in a 34–21 win. Wins against , Wake Forest, , Clemson, and North Carolina
followed, until the winning streak was broken by consecutive losses to and No. 10 Penn State
. Virginia then won consecutive games against ranked teams, beating No. 17 14–9 and No. 18 Maryland
48–13, before closing out the regular season with a 21–9 loss to rival No. 19 . Virginia finished the regular season with a record of 8–5, 6–2 within the ACC.
West Virginia's first game of the 2002 season was against Division I–AA ; the Mountaineers won handily 56–7. Their next game was at Wisconsin
; West Virginia lost, 34–17. Following two wins against and East Carolina, the Mountaineers lost their second game of the season, against No. 18 Maryland 48–17. West Virginia opened Big East conference play against , whom they shut out 40–0. Following a win over , the Mountaineers lost their only Big East contest of the year, against No. 1 Miami 40–23. West Virginia would close out their season with four straight wins, over , , Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh
, finishing the regular season with a record of 9–3, 6–1 within the Big East.
The game kicked off on December 28, 2002, at 12:00 PM, before a sellout crowd of 73,535 at Ericsson Stadium
.
at the 1-yard line and returning it to the 15. After a short drive where the Cavaliers brought the ball to the West Virginia 45-yard-line, they were forced to punt
. The Mountaineers received the ball at their own 18-yard line and proceed to drive down the field. West Virginia got as far as the Virginia 5-yard-line before being stopped; after a five-yard penalty, Mountaineer kicker Todd James connected on a 27-yard field goal
, giving West Virginia a 3–0 lead with 6:11 left in the first quarter.
Virginia got the ball back at their own 42-yard line after a 35-yard kickoff return by running back
Wali Lundy
. Driving to the West Virginia 14-yard line, on 2nd-and-10 Virginia executed a trick play where wide receiver
Marques Hagans threw a pass to running back Wali Lundy. The play was good for a touchdown
; after the successful extra-point
, the Cavaliers held a 7–3 lead with 4:06 left in the first quarter.
West Virginia began their next drive from their own 22-yard-line after a ten-yard penalty on the kickoff. On 3rd-and-5 from their own 27-yard-line, Mountaineer quarterback
Rasheed Marshall
completed a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Phil Braxton, moving his team into Virginia territory. After earning two more first downs, on 1st-and-goal from the Cavalier six-yard-line, West Virginia scored on a touchdown run by running back Avon Cobourne
. Virginia would only have time to make one play after getting the ball back until the quarter expired, making the score at the end of the first quarter 10–7 in West Virginia's favor.
, Virginia moved down the field, earning four first downs. On 1st-and-goal from the seven-yard-line, Lundy ran right from two yards; on second down Schaub ran for four more, placing the ball on the one-yard-line. A third-down rush by Lundy failed to make progress. Rather than kick the field goal, the Cavaliers elected to go for it on fourth down. Matt Schaub ran the ball up the middle, scoring the touchdown. After the extra-point, Virginia held a 14–10 lead with 10:12 left in the half.
After a touchback
on the kickoff, the Mountaineers began their next drive on their own 20-yard-line. They went three-and-out, and punted the ball back to Virginia. Marques Hagans caught the punt on his own 31-yard-line and ran it back 69 yards for the touchdown. After the extra-point, the Cavaliers now held a 21–10 lead with 7:53 left in the half.
West Virginia got the ball back and drove to midfield. On 3rd-and-15 from the Virginia 47-yard-line, the Mountaineers attempted a wide receiver passing play, similar to the one Virginia used earlier to score a touchdown. This play was far less successful, however; Phil Braxton's pass was intercepted by Cavalier linebacker
Darryl Blackstock. Virginia proceeded to drive down the field, helped by a key Mountaineer mistake: a West Virginia penalty on 4th-and-2 gave the Cavaliers 1st-and-goal from the 4-yard-line. Wali Lundy would run the ball in on the next play, giving Virginia after the extra-point a 28–10 advantage. With only seconds left in the half, West Virginia upon getting the ball back attempted a Hail Mary pass
that was caught by wide receiver Miquelle Henderson; unfortunately, he was four yards short of the goal line, and West Virginia did not have enough time to run a play before the half expired. At halftime, Virginia held a 28–10 lead.
West Virginia's misfortunes continued on their next drive, when, on the first play from scrimmage, Rasheed Marshall's pass was intercepted by cornerback
Almondo Curry. The Cavaliers had a 1st-and-goal from the Mountaineer 9-yard-line, but this time were unable to drive the ball into the end zone. Instead, Connor Hughes kicked a 27-yard field goal, expanding the Virginia lead to 38–10 with 6:48 left in the quarter.
The Mountaineer finally responded on their next series. Starting from their own 20-yard-line, West Virginia drove down the field off of Rasheed Marshall passes and Avon Cobourne runs. Marshall would finally run in the touchdown himself from one yard out on 2nd-and-goal. The extra-point attempt was blocked, however. Virginia would complete two passes on their next drive before the quarter ended. The score was 38–16 in favor of Virginia.
The Mountaineers, although well out of the game by now, drove down the field on their next possession. Starting from their own 19-yard-line, West Virginia earned six first downs and finally scored the touchdown on a 1-yard rush by Avon Cobourne. The Mountaineers went for the two-point conversion
, but Rasheed Marshall was tackled before he could reach the end zone. The score was now 41–22, in Virginia's favor, with 7:17 left in the game.
West Virginia attempted an onside kick
on the kickoff to regain possession, but the ball was recovered by Virginia safety Shernard Newby. Starting from the West Virginia 48-yard-line, the Cavaliers kept the ball on the ground in order to run out the clock. On 3rd-and-4 from the West Virginia 31-yard-line, however, Wali Lundy broke free and ran all the way to the end zone for the final score of the game. The Mountaineers got the ball back but after one first down were unable to convert on fourth down, giving the ball back to Virginia. The Cavaliers took two knees to end the game. Virginia won the game, 48–22.
was named the most valuable player of the game. He led the Cavaliers in both rushing—22 carries, 127 yards—and receiving—five catches, 76 yards—while scoring four touchdowns. Two other Virginia players scored multiple touchdowns in the game: quarterback Matt Schaub passed for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown, while wide receiver and backup quarterback Marques Hagans passed for a touchdown and ran back a punt for a touchdown.
Schaub led the Cavalier passing attack completing 16 out of 22 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, while Hagans was 1-for-1 with his 14-yard touchdown pass being his only passing attempt on the game. In the running game, second after Lundy's performance was Matt Schaub's effort—seven carries, 39 yards, and a touchdown. Running back Michael Johnson ran three times for 23 yards; running back Brandon Isaiah had three carries for 13 yards. Safety Marquis Weeks, playing offense, ran three times for a net loss of three yards. Receiving-wise, after Lundy, wide receiver Ryan Sawyer caught four passes for 41 yards; tight end Heath Miller
caught three passes for 54 yards. Brandon Isaiah caught three passes for ten yards; Billy McMullen and Michael McGrew each caught one pass, for eight and seven yards respectively.
For West Virginia, quarterback Rasheed Marshall completed 12 out of 18 passes for 215 yards and one interception. Wide receiver Phil Braxton attempted one pass that was intercepted; Danny Embick threw one incomplete pass. In the running game, Avon Cobourne led the Mountaineers with 25 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Rasheed Marshall supplemented the rushing attack with 12 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. Running back Qunicy Wilson had ten carries for 38 yards; the remaining rushing attempts were made by Aaron Neal (one carry, 22 yards), Phil Braxton (two carries, 12 yards), and Danny Embick (two carries, seven yards). West Virginia's receiving attack was led by Phil Braxton, who caught four passes for 108 yards. Miquelle Henderson caught two passes for 75 yards; Derrick Smith caught two passes for nine yards. The remaining four receptions were spilt between Darnell Glover (14 yards), A.J. Nastasi (five yards), Tory Johnson (five yards), and Quincy Wilson (−1 yard).
College football
College football refers to American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies, or Canadian football played by teams of student athletes fielded by Canadian universities...
bowl game
Bowl game
In North America, a bowl game is commonly considered to refer to one of a number of post-season college football games. Prior to 2002, bowl game statistics were not included in players' career totals and the games were mostly considered to be exhibition games involving a payout to participating...
between the Virginia Cavaliers
Virginia Cavaliers football
Virginia Cavaliers football is a college football program that competes in the NCAA Division I-FBS and the Coastal Division of the Atlantic Coast Conference...
(UVA) and the West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia Mountaineers football
The West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. Dana Holgorsen is the team's 33rd head coach. He has held the position since he was promoted in June 2011 after the resignation of Bill Stewart. The Mountaineers play their...
at Ericsson Stadium
Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...
in Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte is the largest city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the seat of Mecklenburg County. In 2010, Charlotte's population according to the US Census Bureau was 731,424, making it the 17th largest city in the United States based on population. The Charlotte metropolitan area had a 2009...
, on December 22, 2002. The first edition of the Continental Tire Bowl, the game was the final contest of the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
2002 NCAA Division I-A football season
The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
for both teams, and ended in a 48–22 victory for Virginia. West Virginia represented the Big East Conference
Big East Conference
The Big East Conference is a collegiate athletics conference consisting of sixteen universities in the eastern half of the United States. The conference's 17 members participate in 24 NCAA sports...
(Big East) in the game; Virginia represented the Atlantic Coast Conference
Atlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
(ACC).
Team selection
In its inaugural season the Continental Tire Bowl had contracts with the Big East and Atlantic Coast ConferenceAtlantic Coast Conference
The Atlantic Coast Conference is a collegiate athletic league in the United States. Founded in 1953 in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC sanctions competition in twenty-five sports in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association for its twelve member universities...
s that allowed them to select one team from each conference to participate in their annual game. From the Big East the bowl selected No. 15 West Virginia, the second-highest ranked team in the conference following conference champion and No. 1 Miami
2002 Miami Hurricanes football team
The 2002 Miami Hurricanes football team sought to defend the school's 1-A national championship. They were coached by second year head coach Larry Coker, and competed in the Big East Conference- Pre Season :...
; Virginia was selected out of the ACC. The two teams had played each other twenty-two times historically, although not since 1985; the Cavaliers held a 12–10–1 advantage in the all-time series.
Virginia opened their 2002 season with two losses against ranked teams, losing at home to No. 21 35–29 and on the road at No. 16 Florida State
2002 Florida State Seminoles football team
-Schedule:...
40–19. The Cavaliers bounced back from this early setback, winning their next six games. The first, against No. 22 South Carolina
2002 South Carolina Gamecocks football team
The 2002 South Carolina Gamecocks football team represented the University of South Carolina in the Southeastern Conference during the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season. The Gamecocks were led by Lou Holtz in his fourth season as USC head coach and played their home games in Williams-Brice...
, saw the breakout of future National Football League
National Football League
The National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
(NFL) starting quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Matt Schaub
Matt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
, who threw three touchdown passes in a 34–21 win. Wins against , Wake Forest, , Clemson, and North Carolina
2002 North Carolina Tar Heels football team
-Coaching staff:-Schedule:-References:...
followed, until the winning streak was broken by consecutive losses to and No. 10 Penn State
2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team
The 2002 Penn State Nittany Lions football team represented the Pennsylvania State University in the 2002–2003 college football season. The team's head coach was Joe Paterno. It played its home games at Beaver Stadium in University Park, Pennsylvania....
. Virginia then won consecutive games against ranked teams, beating No. 17 14–9 and No. 18 Maryland
2002 Maryland Terrapins football team
The 2002 Maryland Terrapins football team represented University of Maryland in the 1990 NCAA Division I-A college football season. Led by head coach Ralph Friedgen, the Terrapins appeared in the 2002 Peach Bowl.-Regular season:...
48–13, before closing out the regular season with a 21–9 loss to rival No. 19 . Virginia finished the regular season with a record of 8–5, 6–2 within the ACC.
West Virginia's first game of the 2002 season was against Division I–AA ; the Mountaineers won handily 56–7. Their next game was at Wisconsin
2002 Wisconsin Badgers football team
The 2002 Wisconsin Badgers football team represented the University of Wisconsin in the 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season.-Schedule:-Season summary:Coming off a disappointing 5-7 2001 season, the Badgers of 2002 wanted improvement...
; West Virginia lost, 34–17. Following two wins against and East Carolina, the Mountaineers lost their second game of the season, against No. 18 Maryland 48–17. West Virginia opened Big East conference play against , whom they shut out 40–0. Following a win over , the Mountaineers lost their only Big East contest of the year, against No. 1 Miami 40–23. West Virginia would close out their season with four straight wins, over , , Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh
2002 Pittsburgh Panthers football team
The 2002 Pittsburgh Panthers football team represented the University of Pittsburgh in the 2002 college football season.-Schedule:-Team Players drafted into in the NFL:...
, finishing the regular season with a record of 9–3, 6–1 within the Big East.
Game summary
Bank of America Stadium
Bank of America Stadium is a 73,778-seat football stadium located on of land in uptown Charlotte, North Carolina, USA. It is the home facility of the Carolina Panthers NFL franchise. It also hosts the annual Belk Bowl which features teams from the Atlantic Coast Conference and the Big East...
.
First quarter
The Virginia Cavaliers received the ball to start the game, fielding the kickoffKickoff (American football)
A kickoff is a method of starting a drive in American football and Canadian football. Typically, a kickoff consists of one team – the "kicking team" – kicking the ball to the opposing team – the "receiving team"...
at the 1-yard line and returning it to the 15. After a short drive where the Cavaliers brought the ball to the West Virginia 45-yard-line, they were forced to punt
Punt (football)
In some codes of football, a punt is a play in which a player drops the ball and kicks it before it touches the ground. A punt is in contrast to a drop kick, in which the ball touches the ground before being kicked....
. The Mountaineers received the ball at their own 18-yard line and proceed to drive down the field. West Virginia got as far as the Virginia 5-yard-line before being stopped; after a five-yard penalty, Mountaineer kicker Todd James connected on a 27-yard field goal
Field goal (football)
A field goal in American football and Canadian football is a goal that may be scored during general play . Field goals may be scored by a placekick or the now practically extinct drop kick.The drop kick fell out of favor in 1934 when the shape of the ball was changed...
, giving West Virginia a 3–0 lead with 6:11 left in the first quarter.
Virginia got the ball back at their own 42-yard line after a 35-yard kickoff return by running back
Running back
A running back is a gridiron football position, who is typically lined up in the offensive backfield. The primary roles of a running back are to receive handoffs from the quarterback for a rushing play, to catch passes from out of the backfield, and to block.There are usually one or two running...
Wali Lundy
Wali Lundy
Wali Sultan Lundy is a rapper and former American football running back who played for the National Football League. He is currently a free agent. Lundy was drafted in round six, pick 1 of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of Virginia...
. Driving to the West Virginia 14-yard line, on 2nd-and-10 Virginia executed a trick play where wide receiver
Wide receiver
A wide receiver is an offensive position in American and Canadian football, and is the key player in most of the passing plays. Only players in the backfield or the ends on the line are eligible to catch a forward pass. The two players who begin play at the ends of the offensive line are eligible...
Marques Hagans threw a pass to running back Wali Lundy. The play was good for a touchdown
Touchdown
A touchdown is a means of scoring in American and Canadian football. Whether running, passing, returning a kickoff or punt, or recovering a turnover, a team scores a touchdown by advancing the ball into the opponent's end zone.-Description:...
; after the successful extra-point
Convert
The convert or try, in American football known as "point after", and Canadian football "Point after touchdown", is a one-scrimmage down played immediately after a touchdown during which the scoring team is allowed to attempt to score an extra one point by kicking the ball through the uprights , or...
, the Cavaliers held a 7–3 lead with 4:06 left in the first quarter.
West Virginia began their next drive from their own 22-yard-line after a ten-yard penalty on the kickoff. On 3rd-and-5 from their own 27-yard-line, Mountaineer quarterback
Quarterback
Quarterback is a position in American and Canadian football. Quarterbacks are members of the offensive team and line up directly behind the offensive line...
Rasheed Marshall
Rasheed Marshall
Rasheed Malik Marshall is an American football wide receiver that is currently a free agent. He previously played for the Columbus Destroyers of the Arena Football League. He was formerly a wide receiver and kick returner in the National Football League for the St. Louis Rams...
completed a 43-yard pass to wide receiver Phil Braxton, moving his team into Virginia territory. After earning two more first downs, on 1st-and-goal from the Cavalier six-yard-line, West Virginia scored on a touchdown run by running back Avon Cobourne
Avon Cobourne
Avon Cobourne is a football running back in the Canadian Football League. He currently plays for the CFL's Hamilton Tiger-Cats...
. Virginia would only have time to make one play after getting the ball back until the quarter expired, making the score at the end of the first quarter 10–7 in West Virginia's favor.
Second quarter
The Cavaliers faced a 2nd-and-3 on their own 37-yard-line as the second quarter began. Behind the rushing of Wali Lundy, and the passing and rushing of quarterback Matt SchaubMatt Schaub
Matthew Rutledge Schaub is the starting quarterback for the Houston Texans. He was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the third round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He played college football at Virginia.-College career:...
, Virginia moved down the field, earning four first downs. On 1st-and-goal from the seven-yard-line, Lundy ran right from two yards; on second down Schaub ran for four more, placing the ball on the one-yard-line. A third-down rush by Lundy failed to make progress. Rather than kick the field goal, the Cavaliers elected to go for it on fourth down. Matt Schaub ran the ball up the middle, scoring the touchdown. After the extra-point, Virginia held a 14–10 lead with 10:12 left in the half.
After a touchback
Touchback
In American football, a touchback is a ruling which is made and signaled by an official when the ball becomes dead behind or above a goal line and the team who is attacking that goal line is responsible for the ball being there. Responsibility is determined by which team gave the ball the impetus...
on the kickoff, the Mountaineers began their next drive on their own 20-yard-line. They went three-and-out, and punted the ball back to Virginia. Marques Hagans caught the punt on his own 31-yard-line and ran it back 69 yards for the touchdown. After the extra-point, the Cavaliers now held a 21–10 lead with 7:53 left in the half.
West Virginia got the ball back and drove to midfield. On 3rd-and-15 from the Virginia 47-yard-line, the Mountaineers attempted a wide receiver passing play, similar to the one Virginia used earlier to score a touchdown. This play was far less successful, however; Phil Braxton's pass was intercepted by Cavalier linebacker
Linebacker
A linebacker is a position in American football that was invented by football coach Fielding H. Yost of the University of Michigan. Linebackers are members of the defensive team, and line up approximately three to five yards behind the line of scrimmage, behind the defensive linemen...
Darryl Blackstock. Virginia proceeded to drive down the field, helped by a key Mountaineer mistake: a West Virginia penalty on 4th-and-2 gave the Cavaliers 1st-and-goal from the 4-yard-line. Wali Lundy would run the ball in on the next play, giving Virginia after the extra-point a 28–10 advantage. With only seconds left in the half, West Virginia upon getting the ball back attempted a Hail Mary pass
Hail Mary pass
A Hail Mary pass or Hail Mary route in American football refers to any very long forward pass made in desperation with only a small chance of success, especially at or near the end of a half....
that was caught by wide receiver Miquelle Henderson; unfortunately, he was four yards short of the goal line, and West Virginia did not have enough time to run a play before the half expired. At halftime, Virginia held a 28–10 lead.
Third quarter
West Virginia got the ball to start the third quarter, but were unable to advance beyond their own 36-yard-line, and punted. Virginia began their drive at their own 25-yard-line, and achieved two first downs off Matt Schaub passes, moving to midfield. On 3rd-and-9 from the West Virginia 48-yard-line, Schaub passed the ball to Wali Lundy, who carried the ball all the way down the field for a touchdown. After another successful extra-point, Virginia now led the Mountaineers 35–10 with 9:10 remaining in the quarter.West Virginia's misfortunes continued on their next drive, when, on the first play from scrimmage, Rasheed Marshall's pass was intercepted by cornerback
Cornerback
A cornerback is a member of the defensive backfield or secondary in American and Canadian football. Cornerbacks cover receivers, to defend against pass offenses and make tackles. Other members of the defensive backfield include the safeties and occasionally linebackers. The cornerback position...
Almondo Curry. The Cavaliers had a 1st-and-goal from the Mountaineer 9-yard-line, but this time were unable to drive the ball into the end zone. Instead, Connor Hughes kicked a 27-yard field goal, expanding the Virginia lead to 38–10 with 6:48 left in the quarter.
The Mountaineer finally responded on their next series. Starting from their own 20-yard-line, West Virginia drove down the field off of Rasheed Marshall passes and Avon Cobourne runs. Marshall would finally run in the touchdown himself from one yard out on 2nd-and-goal. The extra-point attempt was blocked, however. Virginia would complete two passes on their next drive before the quarter ended. The score was 38–16 in favor of Virginia.
Fourth quarter
Virginia started the final quarter with the ball at midfield. The Cavaliers continued their drive but were stopped at the West Virginia 15-yard-line. Connor Hughes kicked the 30-yard field goal, giving Virginia a 41–16 lead with 12:12 left in the game.The Mountaineers, although well out of the game by now, drove down the field on their next possession. Starting from their own 19-yard-line, West Virginia earned six first downs and finally scored the touchdown on a 1-yard rush by Avon Cobourne. The Mountaineers went for the two-point conversion
Two-point conversion
In American and Canadian football, a two-point conversion is a play a team attempts instead of kicking a one-point convert immediately after it scores a touchdown...
, but Rasheed Marshall was tackled before he could reach the end zone. The score was now 41–22, in Virginia's favor, with 7:17 left in the game.
West Virginia attempted an onside kick
Onside kick
In American and Canadian football, an onside kick is a type of kick used at a kickoff or other free kick, or scrimmage kick or other kick during play, in which the ball is kicked favorably for the kicking team to avoid giving away the ball...
on the kickoff to regain possession, but the ball was recovered by Virginia safety Shernard Newby. Starting from the West Virginia 48-yard-line, the Cavaliers kept the ball on the ground in order to run out the clock. On 3rd-and-4 from the West Virginia 31-yard-line, however, Wali Lundy broke free and ran all the way to the end zone for the final score of the game. The Mountaineers got the ball back but after one first down were unable to convert on fourth down, giving the ball back to Virginia. The Cavaliers took two knees to end the game. Virginia won the game, 48–22.
Scoring summary
Final statistics
For his performance in the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl—4 touchdowns and 203 total yards receiving and rushing—Virginia running back Wali LundyWali Lundy
Wali Sultan Lundy is a rapper and former American football running back who played for the National Football League. He is currently a free agent. Lundy was drafted in round six, pick 1 of the 2006 NFL Draft after playing college football at the University of Virginia...
was named the most valuable player of the game. He led the Cavaliers in both rushing—22 carries, 127 yards—and receiving—five catches, 76 yards—while scoring four touchdowns. Two other Virginia players scored multiple touchdowns in the game: quarterback Matt Schaub passed for a touchdown and ran for a touchdown, while wide receiver and backup quarterback Marques Hagans passed for a touchdown and ran back a punt for a touchdown.
Schaub led the Cavalier passing attack completing 16 out of 22 passes for 182 yards and a touchdown, while Hagans was 1-for-1 with his 14-yard touchdown pass being his only passing attempt on the game. In the running game, second after Lundy's performance was Matt Schaub's effort—seven carries, 39 yards, and a touchdown. Running back Michael Johnson ran three times for 23 yards; running back Brandon Isaiah had three carries for 13 yards. Safety Marquis Weeks, playing offense, ran three times for a net loss of three yards. Receiving-wise, after Lundy, wide receiver Ryan Sawyer caught four passes for 41 yards; tight end Heath Miller
Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller, Jr. is an American football tight end for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the NFL. He was selected as the 30th overall pick of the 2005 NFL Draft out of the University of Virginia.-Early years:...
caught three passes for 54 yards. Brandon Isaiah caught three passes for ten yards; Billy McMullen and Michael McGrew each caught one pass, for eight and seven yards respectively.
For West Virginia, quarterback Rasheed Marshall completed 12 out of 18 passes for 215 yards and one interception. Wide receiver Phil Braxton attempted one pass that was intercepted; Danny Embick threw one incomplete pass. In the running game, Avon Cobourne led the Mountaineers with 25 carries for 117 yards and two touchdowns. Rasheed Marshall supplemented the rushing attack with 12 carries for 48 yards and a touchdown. Running back Qunicy Wilson had ten carries for 38 yards; the remaining rushing attempts were made by Aaron Neal (one carry, 22 yards), Phil Braxton (two carries, 12 yards), and Danny Embick (two carries, seven yards). West Virginia's receiving attack was led by Phil Braxton, who caught four passes for 108 yards. Miquelle Henderson caught two passes for 75 yards; Derrick Smith caught two passes for nine yards. The remaining four receptions were spilt between Darnell Glover (14 yards), A.J. Nastasi (five yards), Tory Johnson (five yards), and Quincy Wilson (−1 yard).