Lake Fong, Post-Gazette West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez hoists the Gator Bowl trophy after defeating Georgia Tech, 38-35. Click photo for larger image.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The game-changing play was a goof. A mistake. A mishit kickoff.

"It was supposed to go deep. I felt the wind at my back, and I tried to line drive it," Plum sophomore Pat McAfee said. "I'd like to say I was aiming for him, but then I wouldn't be able to sleep at night."

McAfee's screaming kickoff, after West Virginia had just rallied within four points midway through the third quarter yesterday, ricocheted off the right thigh of Georgia Tech's Tony Clark, then the left foot of an unwitting Sedric Griffin, then the right arm of a diving Ovid Goulbourne of West Virginia. The ball finally ended up in the hands of the Mountaineers' John Holmes at the Georgia Tech 35, the partisan Alltel Stadium roiling after a penalty put the ball at the 20. The Mountaineers scored two plays later to essentially complete their 38-35, come-from-behind Gator Bowl victory.

"Pat's kick was designed to go 30 yards and kick right off the guy's shin," Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez deadpanned. "No, it was just a lucky bounce."

"Momentum was rolling right then," McAfee added.

It continued through his next kickoff, which McAfee sent deep to the Georgia Tech 2. Jamaal Evans got as far as the 17, where quarterback-receiver Nate Sowers clouted him to further enliven the Mountaineers half of the 67,717 patrons. Thereafter, Georgia Tech only got as close as to miss a 52-yard field-goal try.

Trickett mulling

Assistant head coach and offensive line coach Rick Trickett plopped an unlit victory cigar in his mouth, grabbed his bags and headed for the team bus with a decision to make: Accept Florida State's offer to join Bobby Bowden's staff or stay in a home state where he has fashioned a line tradition.

"I'm going to go home and think about it," Trickett said. "I just wanted to win this Gator Bowl right now."

A defensive stand

The much-maligned Mountaineers defense didn't let Georgia Tech threaten after the opening possession of the second half gave the Yellow Jackets a 35-17 lead.

Taylor Bennett completed just 7 of 14 for 58 yards (of his 326 total), Tashard Choice rushed for only 45 of his career-high 170 yards, and all-everything receiver Calvin Johnson had just four catches for 31 yards (of his career-high 186 yards on nine catches).

"At halftime, we just made a decision not to get embarrassed," said cornerback Vaughn Rivers of Perry Traditional Academy, who slipped and fell on Johnson's 31-yard touchdown on Bennett's first pass.

"These kids have been knocked all year," added defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. "They could've folded their tents up and didn't do it."

Broken records

Quarterback Patrick White's 145 yards rushing gave him 2,171 in his two-year career, surpassing predecessor Rasheed Marshall for the Big East record for quarterbacks. (The 156-yard total between White and the ailing Steve Slaton left them 80 yards short of the NCAA tandem record for rushing, held by USC's Reggie Bush and LenDale White at 3,042 in 2005.)

West Virginia's three rushing touchdowns gave it the Big East season record with 48, beating by two Virginia Tech's total from 2000.

The Mountaineers broke a single-season Big East team rushing record with 3,918 yards, 231 more than they had in setting the mark in 2002.

This game also set new Gator Bowl records for most points (73), most touchdowns (10) and most offense by both teams (928 yards).