news-record.com

CHARLOTTE -- For a record holder and perpetual winner, Pat White certainly absorbed plenty of grief in four years as West Virginia's quarterback. Now the message-board trolls must cease their typing, the longtime listeners and first-time callers must hang up and the NFL scouts might want to reconsider some evaluations.

White's dissection of the North Carolina Tar Heels on Saturday concluded with a 20-yard touchdown pass that split two defenders and delivered the 31-30 victory in the Meineke Car Care Bowl. Although painful to the Heels, the play was entirely appropriate in the context of an offensively charged afternoon.

"It's satisfying to get a win for my team," White said. "I wanted to go out on top, and we accomplished that."

Like so many before them, the Tar Heels hoped that overstuffing the line of scrimmage would disable White's game and the Mountaineers' offense. You can't really fault the logic. White has run for more yards than any other quarterback in NCAA history. Why not jam the box and see if the foe can throw his way out?

"Always an extra guy on the line," Mountaineers coach Bill Stewart said. "The days of hammering him over the head are over."

UNC employed what some call the "spy technique," in which one defender -- often a linebacker -- runs parallel to the QB and follows him at all times and at all costs. It was a choice-of-execution method. White entered with 19 runs of 40 or more yards in his career, but he had attempted more than 28 passes in only one previous game. How well could he maintain accuracy if compelled to throw half the time?

"I think he wanted to change the NFL's opinion that he was just a spread-option quarterback, that all he was going to do was run around and run the option," UNC coach Butch Davis surmised. "They've tried to throw the ball more and more throughout the season, and we saw evidence of that.

"Given the success that he has had throughout his entire career, there were times when I thought we made some plays. I've seen guys look a lot worse and struggle a lot more against them."

White, whose previous career high for passing yardage was 222, had 332 yards on Saturday. His 26 completions (in 32 attempts) set a standard as well.

The precision meant Carolina had no room for error. A turnover-free three quarters gave the Heels a 30-24 lead with nine minutes left, but when Shaun Draughn fumbled on the Mountaineers' 30, the bid for the potentially game-breaking score was scuttled.

The ball was back in White's hands. Three plays later, it was in the end zone, having been fitted between All-ACC safety Trimane Goddard and cornerback Jordan Hemby and into the mitts of Alric Arnett.

White made all the throws he had to make. Carolina's T.J. Yates will bemoan the interception that ended his team's chances, but only a curmudgeon can take exception to the sophomore's day as a whole.

UNC (8-5) will return the heart of its defense in 2009 and figures to be relevant in the Coastal Division.

"You don't go to the summit instantly," Davis said, reflecting on the four-game improvement from 2007. "There are steps along the way."

Contact Rob Daniels at 373-7028 or rob.daniels@news-record.com

West Virginia 21 0 3 7 -- 31

North Carolina 14 9 7 0 -- 30

WVU--Devine 18 run (McAfee kick)

NC--Nicks 73 pass from Yates (Barth kick)

WVU--Arnett 44 pass from P.White (McAfee kick)

NC--Nicks 66 pass from Arnold (Barth kick)

WVU--Starks 35 pass from P.White (McAfee kick)

NC--Safety

NC--Nicks 25 pass from Yates (Barth kick)

WVU--FG McAfee 25

NC--Yates 4 run (Barth kick)

WVU--Arnett 20 pass from P.White (McAfee kick)

A--73,712

West Virginia North Carolina

First downs 20 15

Rushes-yards 42-123 29-93

Passing 332 277

Comp-Att-Int 26-32-1 16-26-1

Return Yards 13 0

Punts-Avg. 3-44.3 5-40.0

Fumbles-Lost 2-1 2-1

Penalties-Yards 1-10 4-37

Time of Possession 33:44 26:16

INDIVIDUAL STATISTICS

RUSHING--West Virginia, Devine 13-61, P.White 21-55, Sanders 3-10, Brown 1-2, Arnett 1-0, Team 3-(minus 5). North Carolina, Draughn 17-65, Little 3-34, Houston 4-4, Team 1-(minus 1), Yates 4-(minus 9).

PASSING--West Virginia, P.White 26-32-1-332. North Carolina, Yates 15-25-1-211, Arnold 1-1-0-66.

RECEIVING--West Virginia, Arnett 7-93, Sanders 5-70, Jalloh 5-36, Starks 4-61, Urban 2-42, Johnson 2-16, Devine 1-14. North Carolina, Nicks 8-217, Draughn 3-11, Little 2-36, Ri.Quinn 1-5, Arnold 1-4, Rome 1-4.