Article Photos

Advertisement

MORGANTOWN Though a Bowl Championship Series bid and Big East title are out of the question this season for the West Virginia University football team, the players know there is still a reason to bring their "A" game to the field over these last two weeks.

"We don't want to lose," said offensive lineman Selvish Capers. "We still have a lot at stake. We don't want to lose another game and go to a bowl that's not as good."

That will prove to be a daunting task as the Mountaineers, 7-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big East, have to prepare to take on eighth-ranked Pittsburgh, 9-1 and 5-0, on Nov. 27 in Morgantown. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN2 at 7 p.m.

"Obviously, this season didn't turn out the way we wanted it to," said defensive back Nate Sowers. "But the No. 1 reason we play this game is for each other and to have fun."

The outcome of the Pittsburgh game, along with the Dec. 5 game at Rutgers, will go a long way in determining which city the Mountaineers will visit in the post-season. It could be Birmingham, Ala., Charlotte, N.C., or Toronto, Canada.

"We're still playing for pride and playing for a bowl," quarterback Jarrett Brown said. "We still have to show people we have heart."

Mountaineer fans, coaches and players alike had their hearts broken last weekend with the 24-21 loss to fifth-ranked and unbeaten Cincinnati, particularly with the controversial touchdown that many believed was a Cincinnati fumble. But Brown said there is nothing to do about that now.

"All we can do is keep going, keep moving on," he said. "We can't let that last game affect us that much."

Jock Sanders said practice takes a different turn during an off week.

"It's hard to practice for a week when you don't have a game and you are coming off a loss," he said.

Reed Williams also takes a dire view of not having a game to play this weekend.

"I think the professors always know when it's a bye week because they pile the homework on us," he said with a laugh, then added, "We've got two more games. We can either lay down, or we can finish strong."