Posted by ESPN.com's Brian Bennett
MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- Imagine the danger Pat White would pose if he could run the ball.
Bet you never thought you'd see that sentence, huh? But times have definitely changed at West Virginia, as evidenced by the jaw-dropping box score from Saturday's 48-21 win over Villanova. White threw five touchdown passes, and the Mountaineers didn't rush for a single score.
"We didn't run for any?" receiver Alric Arnett asked after being told that stat. "Gosh. I don't think Morgantown has seen that in a while. That's probably history-making right there."
It sure was. White set a Milan Puskar Stadium record with his five scoring tosses. All offseason, new head coach Bill Stewart promised his team would look to the air more than it had under Rich Rodriguez. But no one could have predicted such passing prosperity in Week 1.
White shattered career highs in passing attempts (33) and completions (25) as the Mountaineers' compiled a previously-unheard of 34-22 pass-run ratio. Since White became the starter in 2005, he had attempted more than 20 passes only three times, and he had never completed more than 18 or had more than two touchdown throws.
His numbers should have looked even better, because his receivers dropped six balls that he put right on target, including one that bounced off Bradley Starks' pads for his lone interception.
"The guy was absolutely lights out, pitching and catching," Stewart said. "People said he couldn't do it. Well, I don't know how much better anyone can pass the football."
And these weren't bubble screens where receivers and backs did the bulk of the work, either. White attacked downfield because Villanova stacked nine defenders in the box and had its defensive ends sprint out to prevent swing passes.
Stewart raved about White's 34-yard strike to Arnett on a post pattern for a score and the nine-yard corner route he converted to Jock Sanders for another touchdown.
"Nobody could throw that ball better," Stewart said of the toss to Sanders. "Right over his shoulder, into the bucket."
Surrounded by reporters in the post-game interview session, White was his typical humble self, deflecting praise to the team when asked if he had proved something. He did say that passing more will help save his body from getting beat up this season and give defensive coordinators much more to fret about.
"I think it's going to make them defend more than just the run," he said. "We have more than just what's in the backfield as weapons. The defense is going to have to look out for (the passing game) now."
White ran it only nine times, his lowest rushing workload since a blowout of Eastern Washington in the second week of 2006. He still led the team with 63 yards on the ground.
He sad he couldn't remember ever throwing five touchdown passes in a game in high school or youth football. Could he believe Saturday's box score?
"In previous years, no," White said. "With this new staff, anything's possible."
