6:30 p.m. Thursday, ESPN
For the record: The Mountaineers, under first-year coach Bill Stewart, are 1-1 and ranked No. 21 in The Associated Press poll. The Mountaineers lost 24-3 at East Carolina in their last game on Sept. 6.
Streaking: West Virginia has been ranked 45 consecutive weeks in the AP media poll, moving up from No. 25 to No. 21 this week without playing.
Who’s hot: Senior QB Pat White has had better games (11-for-18 passing for 72 yards), but with his 97 yards rushing against East Carolina he passed Kareem Wilson (Ohio, 1995-98) and Dee Dowis (Air Force, 1986-89) and moved into fourth place on the NCAA career QB rushing list with 5,666 yards.
Who’s not: The Mountaineers’ defense. Never mind the East Carolina game, West Virginia was outgained 399 yards to 354 by Villanova, an FCS (formerly called Division I-AA) member.
Key stat: In time of possession, West Virginia has controlled the ball 46:57 in two games compared with a combined 73:03 for Villanova and ECU.
FYI: Stewart knows his way around the Front Range. He coached the Air Force defensive line from 1990-93.
Injury report: Senior middle linebacker Reed Williams (recovering from offseason surgeries on both shoulders) missed the first two games.
Coachspeak: “That (East Carolina) game’s behind us. We’ll make corrections, press onward and go. We’re game-planning Colorado today. They have a fine team. They’re hitting on all cylinders.” — Stewart, on last Monday’s Big East coaches teleconference
Tom Kensler, The Denver Post
