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Mountaineers Ease Past Broncos

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The Associated Press

Published: September 2, 2007

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - Pat White threw two touchdown passes and ran for two more scores, and Steve Slaton scored four times in No. 3 West Virginia's 62-24 rout of Western Michigan on Saturday.

It was the Mountaineers' highest-scoring game since an 80-7 win against Rutgers in 2001, WVU coach Rich Rodriguez's first season. West Virginia improved to 5-0 against Mid-American Conference schools under Rodriguez.

Western Michigan's defense, sixth in the nation against the run last season, couldn't corral one of the nation's top rushing tandems, and that emphasis also allowed White to thrive through the air. The junior went 10 of 18 for 192 yards. He also ran for 97 yards in improving to 16-2 as a starter.

Slaton, the nation's fourth-leading rusher a year ago, ran for 109 yards as the Mountaineers broke the game open with two scores in a 1:15 span early in the third quarter.

Held to 21 yards in the first half, Slaton, the nation's fourth-leading rusher a year ago, went 58 yards untouched up the middle on West Virginia's second possession after halftime.

West Virginia's Reed Williams then intercepted Tim Hiller on second down to set up White's 22-yard TD run a short time later for a 42-14 lead.

PITTSBURGH 27, EASTERN MICHIGAN 3: Bill Stull completed his first seven passes in his first college start to prop up a Pittsburgh offense that couldn't run the ball until the second half, and the Panthers won an unevenly played opener.

Stull, a junior who backed up three-year starter Tyler Palko last season, was 14 of 20 for 177 yards and a touchdown on a 21-yard completion to Oderick Turner in the second quarter.

CONNECTICUT 45, DUKE 14: Tyler Lorenzen threw for 298 yards and two touchdowns as Connecticut pulled away in the second half to hand Duke its 21st consecutive loss.

A junior college transfer who began his career at Iowa State, Lorenzen completed 22 of 30 and ran for 56 yards to give the Huskies a victory in their opener for the fifth year in a row.

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