# 1989 West Virginia Mountaineers football team

The 1989 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University in the 1989 NCAA Division I-A football season. It was the Mountaineers' 97th overall season and they competed as a Division I-A Independent. The team was led by head coach Don Nehlen, in his tenth year, and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia. They finished the season with a record of eight wins, three losses and one tie (8–3–1 overall), and earned a Gator Bowl berth against No. 14 Clemson, where they were defeated 27–7.

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Rank | Site | Result | Attendance |
| September 2 | Ball State | No. 17 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV | W 35–10 | 57,866 |
| September 9 | at Maryland | No. 17 | Byrd StadiumCollege Park, MD (rivalry) | W 14–10 | 45,000 |
| September 16 | South Carolina | No. 12 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV | W 45–21 | 66,015 |
| September 23 | at Louisville | No. 9 | Cardinal StadiumLouisville, KY | W 30–21 | 39,132 |
| September 30 | No. 10 Pittsburgh | No. 9 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV (Backyard Brawl) | T 31–31 | 68,938 |
| October 7 | Virginia Tech | No. 9 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV (rivalry) | L 10–12 | 62,563 |
| October 21 | Cincinnati | No. 18 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV | W 69–3 | 47,176 |
| October 28 | at Boston College | No. 15 | Alumni StadiumChestnut Hill, MA | W 44–30 | 32,000 |
| November 4 | at No. 16 Penn State | No. 13 | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA (rivalry) | L 9–19 | 85,911 |
| November 11 | Rutgers | No. 19 | Mountaineer FieldMorgantown, WV | W 21–20 | 61,336 |
| November 23 | at Syracuse | No. 17 | Carrier DomeSyracuse, NY (rivalry) | W 24–17 | 46,757 |
| December 30 | vs. No. 14 Clemson* | No. 17 | Gator Bowl StadiumJacksonville, FL (Gator Bowl) | L 7–27 | 82,911 |
| *Non-conference gameRankings from AP Poll released prior to the game |||||||

## Season summary

Coming off of its first ever 11-win season and with junior Major Harris returning to lead a potent offense, West Virginia entered the 1989 season ranked 17th in the AP Poll and with high expectations. The Mountaineers started the season accordingly, racing to a 4–0 record and to #9 in the AP Poll. In Week 5 against #10 Pitt, however, West Virginia fell victim to another memorable collapse in the Backyard Brawl. Trailing 31–9 in the 4th quarter, Pitt scored 22 unanswered points and kicked a game-tying field goal as time expired to force a 31–31 tie. The Mountaineers would suffer another heartbreaking result the following week with a 12–10 home loss to Virginia Tech, as well as a 19–9 loss to #16 Penn State in State College. Despite those disappointing defeats, WVU finished the regular season at 8–2–1, a #17 ranking in the AP Poll, and a trip to the Gator Bowl to face #14 Clemson. The Mountaineers faltered, however, losing 27–7 and finished the season at 8–3–1 with a #21 ranking in the final AP Poll.

## Statistical leaders

All stats are courtesy of WVUStats.com unless otherwise cited.
* Passing:
    Major Harris - 142/245, 2,058 yards, 17 touchdowns, 11 interceptions
* Rushing:
    Major Harris - 155 carries, 936 yards, 6.0 average per carry, six touchdowns
    Garrett Ford, Jr. - 148 carries, 733 yards, 5.0 average per carry, six touchdowns
* Receiving:
    Reggie Rembert - 47 receptions, 850 yards, 11 touchdowns
* Interceptions:
    Preston Waters - 7 interceptions