MORGANTOWN — Over the course of time it has developed that this Marshall-West Virginia University rivalry that will be renewed this weekend for the ninth time has far more meaning to the Thundering Herd and its fans than it does to West Virginia.
It is certainly an elitist point of view, one that reasons the Mountaineers play in a BCS conference, have far more national prestige, and therefore see little gained from victory while there is much to lose — not the least of which is face —in defeat.
WVU has all the credibility it needs while Marshall, which has lived through tragedy, has had to play at the Division I-AA level of college football for some time before taking the leap back into the big time, is still trying to gain respect.
That, of course, is never an easy thing to do, for college football lives off his long and storied history.
Notre Dame remains the mecca of the game, even if it long since has been passed by the Boise States of the football world, schools from lesser conferences with bigger results but without ever having had Grantland Rice write a word about them or having one horseman, let alone four.
Even in the world of West Virginia University football, where there never has been a national championship or Heisman Trophy winner, Marshall is looked down upon. It is an intruder, a late comer who in consecutive games dropped 81-0 and 92-6 decisions to the Mountaineers.
Eight times they have played; eight times West Virginia has won.
The Mountaineers fully expect to make it nine, although coach Bill Stewart argues against the certainty of such a result.
“This a closer matchup than people think,” Stewart said.
And well it may be, but if perception is reality then only by winning on the field can Marshall ever reach parity.
The perception of West Virginia is really an amazing phenomenon in the world of sports.
To many around America, the perception of the state is ridiculously off base. Outsiders view it through the eyes of “Deliverance,” its theme song “Dueling Banjos,” not “County Roads.” They picture dusty, unpaved roads going through the rough coal country of West Virginia, shoeless, toothless citizens who are living beneath the poverty level, lacking in education.
The words hillbilly and redneck are used far too often by those who have never so much as set foot in the state, never to know the warmth or the friendliness that runs through the hills much as the coal always has.
But West Virginia University’s athletics breaks with that stereotype. Its football stadium is known across America, its Mountaineer mascot a symbol of what is good about the state. The Pride of West Virginia Marching Band is welcomed wherever it may go.
The football and basketball teams have become ambassadors of goodwill, and even if there have been a few problem children like Pac Man Jones or Chris Henry, the Patrick Whites and Steve Slatons and Reed Williams and Patrick Beiliens and Joe Herbers have made up for it.
The team has been a darling of Thursday night football, a huge draw on ESPN. It is known for its inventive football, be it in Rich Rodriguez’s spread or Bill Stewart’s multiple offense, be it running John Beilein’s backdoor cuts or breaking in the front door the way Bob Huggins’ basketball teams try to do.
Because of this, and because history leans that way, Marshall is trying to create a rivalry where this is no void screaming out for one.
West Virginia’s rival is Pitt and that’s that. Always was; always will be.
Even as much a politician as Stewart can be couldn’t disguise that when he was asked point blank whether the rivalry is more important to Marshall than it is to WVU.
“No. No. No, no, no,” Stewart said. “Not to me. State pride is what it’s all about. It’s about our program. It’s about their program.”
And asked if it is as a hot as the Pitt rivalry, Stewart answered:
“Who do we play this week? Right now this is the hot rivalry.”
E-mail Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com.
Bob Herzel
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