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2006 Season Review
2006 Season Review
EARL HEYMAN PEANUT WHITEHEAD GEORGE BUSSEY
game on Thursday night.
The Mountaineers and Cardinals were two of the most prolific offensive teams
in the nation, and the two teams didn’t disappoint, combining for 1,008 yards
of total offense, but WVU turned the football over three times (including a
fumble return for a touchdown) and allowed a punt return for a touchdown.
Brohm threw for 354 yards, completing 19-of-26 passes, and Urrutia
(113 yards) and Harry Douglas (116 yards) each went over 100 yards
receiving. Art Carmody also booted three field goals in the win.
Coming off the emotion of the biggest win in school history, the
Cardinals had to get up again to face unbeaten Rutgers in another
prime-time Thursday night contest in front of a raucous, sellout crowd.
The Cardinals raced out to a 25-7 lead in the first half on a 100yard
run kickoff return by JaJuan Spillman. However, that would be
all the scoring for the Cardinals as the Scarlet Knights put the
clamps on one of the nation’s best offensive units.
Rutgers did close the gap to 25-14 at the half on a run by
Ray Rice. As the Cardinals continued to struggle on offense,
Rutgers got back in the game, tying the contest on a 46-yard
field goal by Jeremy Ito. He would then hit the game winner
in the closing seconds.
Having lost for the first time, the Cardinals returned
home and looked a little shell-shocked in the early
going against South Florida. Playing a scoreless first
quarter, Louisville woke up with 10 points in the
second quarter and 14 in the third stanza to roll
to a 31-8 victory. The Cardinals’ defense held
USF to just 266 yards of total offense.
Still alive in the conference race, the
Cardinals hit the road for the final time in a
must win contest at Pittsburgh. After
scoring first, Pitt scored a pair of touchdowns
to take a 14-7 lead and it looked like
a shoot-out would ensue. After a 39-yard
field goal by Carmody, the Cardinals took
the lead for good on a pair of touchdown
throws by Brohm to Urrutia and tight end
Gary Barnidge.
Leading, 24-17, at the half, the
Cardinals scored the next 17 points to
blow the game wide open.
Brohm tossed four touchdown passes
and passed for 337 yards. Urrutia
recorded 144 yards receiving and
Douglas added 132.
The final home game of the season
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saw the Cardinals dominate Connecticut for their 18th straight home win— the
second-longest streak in the nation heading into 2007.
Brohm threw for 341 yards and four touchdowns
and the defense limited the Huskies to
just 236 yards of total offense.
Thanks to West Virginia’s overtime win
over Rutgers, the Cardinals won their first BIG
EAST title and the league’s BCS berth to the
Orange Bowl where the Cardinals faced Wake
Forest — one of the nation’s biggest surprise
teams.
Behind an MVP performance from Brohm,
who threw for 311 yards, the Cardinals scored 14
fourth-quarter points to outlast the Demon
Deacons, 24-13, to win the Orange Bowl and
finish with a 12-1 mark and a No. 6 ranking in the
national polls.
On an individual level ,the Cardinals
had many starters produce their usual performances
like Brohm and Urrutia on offense and
Amobi Okoye, William Gay and Nate Harris on
defense. Okoye earned first team All-League
honors, while Brohm and Urrutia were second
teamers.
Carmody won the Lou Groza Award for the nation’s top
kicker, setting a school record by kicking 21 field goals.
The 2006 campaign saw the emergence of a number of
previously unknown Cardinals who made their presence felt
throughout the year.
Sophomore George Bussey earned first team All-BIG EAST
accolades in his first season as a starter and Allen led the team in
touchdowns with 14 as a true freshman. Douglas, who earned
first team All-BIG EAST honors, recorded a career-high 70
receptions for a career-high 1,265 yards. Peanut Whitehead and
Latarrius Thomas each started as true freshman. Junior Malik
Jackson was a second-team All-BIG EAST selection and led
the team in sacks with nine.
Brian Brohm, a second-team All-BIG
EAST performer, threw for 311 yards
and was named MVP in the Orange
Bowl win over Wake Forest.