Louisville-West Virginia rivalry - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

Louisville–West Virginia rivalry

Teams	Louisville Cardinals Louisville Cardinals The Louisville Cardinals are the athletic teams representing the University of Louisville. A member of the Big East Conference since 2005, they are known nationally as traditional powers in men's basketball, women's volleyball, and dance team... West Virginia Mountaineers West Virginia Mountaineers The West Virginia Mountaineers are the athletic teams of West Virginia University. The school is a member of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and the Big East Conference. On July 1, 2012 the Mountaineers will switch conferences, moving from the Big East to the Big 12, becoming...
Basketball Series	Louisville leads (8–4)
Last Winner	West Virginia (2011)
Football Series	West Virginia leads (10–3)
Last Winner	Louisville (2011)


Louisville	West Virginia

The Louisville–West Virginia rivalry is a new rivalry football

American football

American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...

game between the University of Louisville

University of Louisville

The University of Louisville is a public university in Louisville, Kentucky. When founded in 1798, it was the first city-owned public university in the United States and one of the first universities chartered west of the Allegheny Mountains. The university is mandated by the Kentucky General...

and West Virginia University

West Virginia University

West Virginia University is a public research university in Morgantown, West Virginia, USA. Other campuses include: West Virginia University at Parkersburg in Parkersburg; West Virginia University Institute of Technology in Montgomery; Potomac State College of West Virginia University in Keyser;...

. The rivalry was introduced in 2005, as Louisville left Conference USA

Conference USA

Conference USA, officially abbreviated C-USA, is a college athletic conference whose member institutions are located within the Southern United States. The conference participates in the NCAA's Division I in all sports...

and moved into the Big East conference. Since then, it has become a marquee matchup in Big East football and basketball.

West Virginia leads the current football series 5–2, and the all-time football series 10–3 while Louisville leads the current basketball series 5–2, and the all-time basketball series 8–3.

Pre-rivalry

The Mountaineers and Cardinals first met on a football field in 1984. In that game, the Cardinals were defeated at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown

Morgantown, West Virginia

Morgantown is a city in Monongalia County, West Virginia. It is the county seat of Monongalia County. Placed along the banks of the Monongahela River, Morgantown is the largest city in North-Central West Virginia, and the base of the Morgantown metropolitan area...

by a score of 30–6. The next year, 1985, the Mountaineers again defeated Louisville, this time by a score of 52–13, in front of 62,000 fans in Morgantown. In 1986, the first game was played in Louisville

Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kentucky, and the county seat of Jefferson County. Since 2003, the city's borders have been coterminous with those of the county because of a city-county merger. The city's population at the 2010 census was 741,096...

, but the Mountaineers won for the third-straight time, 42-19.

In 1989, the #9 Mountaineers came into Louisville to fans who were calling the game the "Game of the Century." Louisville legend Johnny Unitas

Johnny Unitas

John Constantine Unitas , known as Johnny Unitas or "Johnny U", and nicknamed "The Golden Arm", was a professional American football player in the 1950s through the 1970s, spending the majority of his career with the Baltimore Colts. He was a record-setting quarterback, and the National Football...

and West Virginia legend Sam Huff

Sam Huff

Robert Lee "Sam" Huff is a former American football linebacker in the National Football League for the New York Giants and the Washington Redskins. He was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1982....

were brought in on helicopter to watch the ceremonial coin toss in front of a CBS

CBS

CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...

-televised audience. The Cardinals were winning the game going into the fourth quarter, before the Mountaineers rolled off 17 unanswered fourth-quarter points to win the game, 30-21.

In 1990, the Mountaineers suffered their first loss to the Cardinals. In Morgantown, the Mountaineers fell to Louisville, 9–7. The game was hailed as "The Rematch". In 1993, the Mountaineers were down 21–10 going into the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers used Louisville turnovers to then come back and win by a score of 36–34.

Early rivalry

In 2005, 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...

opened its season with the arrival of three teams from the Conference USA

Conference USA

: Louisville

University of Louisville

, Cincinnati

University of Cincinnati

The University of Cincinnati is a comprehensive public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio, and a part of the University System of Ohio....

, and South Florida

USF

USF may refer to:Universities* University of South Florida, Tampa, Florida* University of San Francisco, California* University of St. Francis, Joliet, Illinois* University of Sioux Falls, South DakotaFile formats* Universal Subtitle Format...

. Louisville entered the season behind Heisman candidates Brian Brohm

Brian Brohm

Brian Joseph Brohm is an American football quarterback for the Las Vegas Locomotives of the United Football League. He was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in the second round of the 2008 NFL Draft...

and Michael Bush

Michael Bush

Michael Bush is an American football running back for the Oakland Raiders of the National Football League. He was drafted in the 4th round of the 2007 NFL Draft...

. West Virginia entered the season with a young team. The Mountaineers lost early to Virginia Tech, but rallied behind freshman Pat White

Patrick White (American football)

Patrick Christian White last played American football for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League and former professional baseball player for the Kansas City Royals organization....

and Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton

Steve Slaton is an American football running back for the Miami Dolphins of the National Football League. He was drafted by the Houston Texans in the third round of the 2008 NFL Draft...

to have a 5–1 record for the matchup, while Louisville entered with a 4–1 record after being upset by South Florida. In the game, Louisville held a 24–7 record going into the fourth quarter. The Mountaineers rallied behind Slaton and scored three consecutive times to tie the game 24–24. The game went into three overtimes, and the Mountaineers held a 46–44 lead after Louisville scored a touchdown. Brohm tried to run on the ensuing 2-point conversion, but was tackled short of the endzone by Eric Wicks

Eric Wicks

Eric Wicks is an American football safety who is currently a free agent. He was signed by the Seattle Seahawks as an undrafted free agent in 2008. He played college football at West Virginia.-Early years:...

to win the game, 46-44, for the Mountaineers. Slaton scored a Big East record six times in this game, cementing his place in West Virginia lore. Controversy surrounded this game due to an onside kick in the fourth quarter by West Virginia, which fans determined was illegal. The Big East apologized for missing the call after the game. The Mountaineers won the Big East championship and upset the Georgia Bulldogs

Georgia Bulldogs

The Georgia Bulldogs are the athletic teams of the University of Georgia. The Bulldogs compete in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I and are members of the Southeastern Conference...

in the Sugar Bowl

Sugar Bowl

The Sugar Bowl is an annual American college football bowl game played in the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Sugar Bowl has been played annually since January 1, 1935, and celebrated its 75th anniversary on January 2, 2009...

, 38–35. Louisville lost to Virginia Tech in the Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

The Gator Bowl is an annual college football bowl game played at EverBank Field in Jacksonville, Florida. Held continuously since 1946, it is the sixth oldest college bowl, as well as the first one ever televised nationally...

, 35–24.

In 2006, the Mountaineers and Cardinals entered the game undefeated. The Mountaineers were ranked #3, while the Cardinals were ranked #5. The game ended with a 44–34 score in the Cardinals' biggest win in school history. The Cardinals entered the game without Michael Bush, but relied on the arm of Brian Brohm and their defense to win the shootout. The Mountaineers committed three turnovers and the Cardinals took a punt and fumble back for touchdowns. Slaton ran for 156 yards and a score, but fumbled twice, and White threw for 222 yards and ran for 125 yards and 4 touchdowns. But Brohm was the star, as he threw for 354 yards and a touchdown against the poor Mountaineers' secondary. The game set a new Big East record with 1,008 total yards in the game. The Cardinals won the Big East crown and won in the Orange Bowl against the ACC

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...

champs, Wake Forest

Wake Forest University

Wake Forest University is a private, coeducational university in the U.S. state of North Carolina, founded in 1834. The university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina, the state capital. The Reynolda Campus, the university's main campus, is...

. The Mountaineers earned runner-up status in conference play and won in the Gator Bowl

Gator Bowl

against Georgia Tech

2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team

The 2006 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets football team represented the Georgia Institute of Technology in the college football season of 2006-2007. The team's coach is former Dallas Cowboys, Samford Bulldogs, and Troy Trojans coach Chan Gailey...

, 38–35.

In 2007, the #7 Mountaineers entered the match-up with a 7–1 record after losing to South Florida, who after the win was ranked #2 in the nation before losing three games in a row. The Cardinals entered the season with a new head coach, Steve Kragthorpe

Steve Kragthorpe

Steve Kragthorpe is an American football coach and former player. He is currently the quarterbacks coach for the Louisiana State University Tigers football team. He was head coach at Louisville from 2007 to 2009, and for Tulsa from 2003 through 2006.- Early career :Kragthorpe was born in...

, and entered the game with a disappointing 5-4 record after an early season loss to Syracuse. The Cardinals, however, still had Brian Brohm

Brian Brohm

, while Slaton and White were still juniors for the Mountaineers. The game looked good for the Mountaineers, who jumped out to an early 21–7 lead. However, Brohm had a one-yard touchdown run to make the score 21–14 at halftime. The Mountaineers added a field goal, and then forced Brohm to fumble on a sack that safety Eric Wicks

Eric Wicks

took 44 yards for a score to make the game 31–14. The Cardinals answered with three straight scores - two touchdowns and a field goal - to make it 31–31 with 3:05 left in the game. However, freshman running back Noel Devine

Noel Devine

Noel Devine is an American football running back for the Omaha Nighthawks of the United Football League. He was signed by the Philadelphia Eagles as an undrafted free agent in 2011 and was released four days later after leaving the squad. He played college football at West Virginia.He had a...

returned a kickoff for 41 yards, which led to Patrick White's 50-yard game-winning touchdown run. West Virginia kicker Pat McAfee

Pat McAfee

Patrick "Pat" McAfee is an American football punter for the Indianapolis Colts of the National Football League. He was a placekicker, punter, and soccer player at West Virginia.-Freshman season:...

booted the ensuing kickoff down to the one-yard line as it rolled between the Cardinals' returners' legs, which sealed the 38–31 win. White racked up 328 total yards and 3 touchdowns, even though fumbling twice, while Slaton was held to 60 yards and a touchdown on 17 carries. Brohm had 345 yards and 3 touchdowns through the air, and a rushing touchdown, as he tried to lead the Cardinals to a comeback win.

In the 2006 matchup, the Louisville Cardinals announced that the game would be "Black Out Thursday". The Louisville fans showed up at the game in all-black, and the Cardinals' uniforms were black alternates. Additionally, in that game, the stadium lights on the east side of the stadium went out, causing a "black out". In 2007, the Mountaineers announced that the game would be a "Gold Rush", returning the favor. The Mountaineers sported all-gold uniforms.

Game results

Louisville victories shaded in ■ red. West Virginia victories are shaded ■ blue.
Games before the game was officially considered a rivalry are annoted with * by the date.

Year	Winning Team		Losing Team		\| Site	\| Series
1984*	West Virginia	30	Louisville	6	Morgantown, WV	WVU 1–0
1985*	West Virginia	52	Louisville	13	Morgantown, WV	WVU 2–0
1986*	West Virginia	42	Louisville	19	Louisville, KY	WVU 3–0
1989*	West Virginia	30	Louisville	21	Louisville, KY	WVU 4–0
1990*	Louisville	9	West Virginia	7	Morgantown, WV	WVU 4–1
1993*	West Virginia	36	Louisville	34	Morgantown, WV	WVU 5–1
2005	West Virginia	46	Louisville	44	Morgantown, WV	WVU 6–1
2006	Louisville	44	West Virginia	34	Louisville, KY	WVU 6–2
2007	West Virginia	38	Louisville	31	Morgantown, WV	WVU 7–2
2008	West Virginia	35	Louisville	21	Louisville, KY	WVU 8–2
2009	West Virginia	17	Louisville	9	Morgantown, WV	WVU 9–2
2010	West Virginia	17	Louisville	10	Louisville, KY	WVU 10–2
2011	Louisville	38	West Virginia	35	Morgantown, WV	WVU 10–3

History

West Virginia and Louisville first met on a basketball court in 1959, in which the Mountaineers picked up a 94–79 victory with Jerry West

Jerry West

Jerry Alan West is a retired American basketball player who played his entire professional career for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association . His nicknames include "Mr...

and Willie Akers. The two teams next met in 1978, 19 years later, in which Louisville picked up a 106–60 victory in Louisville, Kentucky

Louisville, Kentucky

. Two years later, 1980, the Mountaineers were defeated to the score of 90–78 in West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

. In the 2005 NCAA Tournament

2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament

The 2005 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament involved 65 schools playing in single-elimination play to determine the national champion of men's NCAA Division I college basketball. It began on March 15, 2005, and ended with the championship game on April 4 at the Edward Jones Dome in St...

, the two teams met in the Elite 8 matchup, West Virginia was up by 18 at half time, but in the second half Louisville came back and the game went to over time.Louisville pulled away in overtime with a 93–85 victory on their way to a Final Four run.

The teams regularly met after the 2005 tournament game due to 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...

and Conference USA

Conference USA

re-alignments, in which Louisville became part of the Big East with West Virginia. The teams' first conference matchup was the 2006 game in West Virginia, in which West Virginia won 86–84. The two teams then met in the Big East Tournament in 2007, with Louisville taking the game 82–71. Louisville also won the 2008 matchup in Kentucky

Kentucky

The Commonwealth of Kentucky is a state located in the East Central United States of America. As classified by the United States Census Bureau, Kentucky is a Southern state, more specifically in the East South Central region. Kentucky is one of four U.S. states constituted as a commonwealth...

, 63–54. In January of the 2009, the two teams met up in Kentucky, in which Louisville won 69–63. Two months later, Louisville defeated the Mountaineers 62–59 in Morgantown, West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia

in front of a record-crowd for College GameDay

College GameDay (basketball)

College GameDay is an ESPN program that covers college basketball and is a spin-off of the successful college football version. Since debuting on January 22, 2005, it airs on ESPN Saturdays in the college basketball season at 11am ET and 8pm ET at a different game site each week...

. On January 30, 2010, the 9th ranked Mountaineers and Cardinals met in Morgantown with a 77–74 West Virginia win.

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