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White, West Virginia cruise past East Carolina in road opener

Sep 24, 2006 - 12:08 AM GREENVILLE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- After overcoming an early bout of stage fright, Pat White and West Virginia proved they had no problem taking their show on the road.

White threw two touchdown passes and ran for another score as fourth-ranked West Virginia posted a 27-10 triumph over East Carolina.

It was West Virginia's 11th consecutive victory - the second-longest streak in the nation - since a loss to Virginia Tech last October. The Mountaineers (4-0) opened the season with three emphatic wins at home.

"In Division I-A, going against a team with quality athletes and a good coaching staff, you're going to have a battle and we got tested well today," West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. "We're happy to get the win."

A sophomore in his second season as the starting quarterback, White was pressured into several mistakes in the first half Saturday and completed 17-of-24 passes for 216 yards and three interceptions.

White finally gave West Virginia the lead for good with 9:57 left in the second quarter, hooking up with fullback Owen Schmitt for a four-yard TD pass.

The Mountaineers owned a 17-10 cushion with 11:29 remaining in the contest when White completed a 60-yard TD strike to Darius Reynaud, who scampered past multiple defenders en route to West Virginia's longest offensive play this season.

"That was the biggest play," Rodriguez said. "We had some good blocking out there, and (Reynaud) did the rest of it. He is one of our best playmakers and he's made a big play for us in every game."

Reynaud had five receptions for a career-high 110 yards while star running back Steve Slaton battled cramps to gain 80 yards on 24 carries for the Mountaineers, who dominated throughout defensively to improve to 16-2 all-time against the Pirates.

West Virginia has won 29 of its last 33 regular-season games, including 12 straight in the month of September. After a bye week, the Mountaineers travel to Starkville, Mississippi on October 7 to face Mississippi State.

"We're going to get tested again in two weeks down at Mississippi State and probably even more of a test," Rodriguez said. "We've got a couple of weeks to get things cleared up and we'll go back to work."

James Pinkney went 20-of-40 for 247 yards, a touchdown and an interception for East Carolina (1-3), which managed just 41 rushing yards.