MORGANTOWN — At the end of the first quarter during WVU’s 65-7 win against Towson on Saturday, former wide receiver Stedman Bailey stood in the same spot that made him one of the all-time greats in program history.
Part of the WVU Sports Hall of Fame class of 2022, Bailey, along with seven other inductees, stood in the end zone to a loud ovation from the 50,703 in attendance at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Bailey’s former teammates from 2009-12, Tavon Austin and Geno Smith, were also inducted, but could not be in attendance because of their NFL obligations.
The rest of the class includes Donna Abbott (women’s basketball), Marie-Louise Asselin (cross-country/track), Marsha Beasley (rifle), Marilee Hohmann (rifle) and Kevin Jones (men’s basketball).
Bailey is the all-time leader in touchdown receptions with 41. His 25 touchdown grabs in 2012 are the third most in a single season in college football history. He’s also second in program history in career yards (3,218) and receptions (210).
Geno Smith’s 98 career touchdown passes are most in program history, as is his 11,662 passing yards. He is currently the starting quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks.
Tavon Austin, who was the 8th overall pick to the then-St. Louis Rams in 2013, was one of the most dynamic players in college football. He is the all-time leader in program history with 288 catches, 3,413 receiving yards and is third in touchdown catches with 29.
Austin’s 344 rushing yards against Oklahoma in 2012 are the most ever by a Mountaineers player.
Men’s basketball head coach Bob Huggins was also recognized for being inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame last weekend.
Quarterback roulette
The hope going into most games against FCS opponents is to get your starting quarterback out of the game as soon as possible, and with a 38-7 lead as halftime approached, JT Daniels day was done with 174 yards and a touchdown.
First off the bench was Garrett Greene and he led two touchdown drives, one to end the first half and another to start the second.
He was just 3 of 6 passing for 45 yards, but Greene made plays with his legs, tallying 59 yards and a touchdown on just three carries.
Next was Goose Crowder, who took over in the third quarter. His one drive ended in a touchdown, finishing a perfect 6 of 6 for 57 yards and TD pass to Jeremiah Aaron.
True freshman Nicco Marchiol handled the final drive and finished 2 of 4 for 32 yards, with both completions to Preston Fox, capped off with a 26-yard score.
All 10 drives with four different quarterbacks finished with points, with nine ending in touchdowns.
“I feel really good about those guys,” head coach Neal Brown said. “I was really excited that Goose and Nicco got to run real drives. I think those kids are players. They both throw the ball really well, they’re guys who can run.”
Mohigans see action
Former Morgantown linebacker Caden Biser made his presence known in the second half, finishing with a team-high six tackles while also recovering a fumble.
“Caden Biser played a lot of snaps, which he continues to get better,” Brown said.
Biser, the son of MHS head coach Sean Biser, graduated in 2021 after winning the Howley Award as a senior, given to the top high school linebacker in West Virginia.
Offensive lineman Nick Malone, who graduated in 2019 from MHS, saw action in the second half at right tackle.
Fox, a 2020 grad, caught two passes on the final drive, including a 26-yard touchdown in the back corner of the end zone. It was the first touchdown of his career. Fox also caught another pass earlier in the drive for six yards.
“Preston Fox, that was a heck of a play that he made on Nicco’s touchdown,” Brown said.
