1998 West Virginia Mountaineers football team
{{short description|American college football season}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2023}}
{{Infobox college sports team season
| year = 1998
| team = West Virginia Mountaineers
| sport = football
| image = West Virginia Mountaineers logo.svg
| image_size = 125
| conference = Big East Conference
| short_conf = Big East
| record = 8–4
| conf_record = 5–2
| head_coach = Don Nehlen
| hc_year = 19th
| off_coach = Dan Simrell
| oc_year = 4th
| off_scheme =
| def_coach = Steve Dunlap
| dc_year = 7th
| def_scheme =
| captain =
| stadium = Mountaineer Field
| bowl = Insight.com Bowl
| bowl_result = L 31–34 vs. Missouri
}}
{{1998 Big East Conference football standings}}
The 1998 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University as a member of the Big East Conference during the 1998 NCAA Division I-A football season. Led by 19th-year head coach Don Nehlen, the Mountaineers compiled an overall record of 8–4 with a mark of 5–2 in conference play, placing in a three-way tie for second in the Big East. West Virginia was invited to the Insight.com Bowl, where the Mountaineers lost to Missouri. The team played home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia.
Schedule
{{CFB schedule
| rankyear = 1998
| poll = AP
| timezone = Eastern
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 5
| time = 7:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| rank = 11
| opponent = Ohio State
| opprank = 1
| site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
| site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
| tv = CBS
| score = 17–34
| attend = 68,409
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 19
| time = 6:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 19
| opponent = Maryland
| site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
| site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
| gamename = rivalry
| tv = ESPN2
| score = 42–20
| attend = 52,279
| source = {{cite news|url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/pittsburgh-post-gazette-wvu-air-show-jol/152161627/|work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette|title=WVU air show jolts Terps|date=September 20, 1998|accessdate=July 27, 2024|via=Newspapers.com}}
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = September 26
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| rank = 19
| opponent = Tulsa
| site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
| site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
| tv = MSN
| score = 44–21
| attend = 48,819
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 3
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| nonconf = y
| away = y
| rank = 16
| opponent = Navy
| site_stadium = Navy–Marine Corps Memorial Stadium
| site_cityst = Annapolis, MD
| tv = FSN
| score = 45–24
| attend = 36,009
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 10
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| rank = 16
| opponent = Temple
| site_stadium = Veterans Stadium
| site_cityst = Philadelphia, PA
| tv = ESPN Plus
| score = 37–7
| attend = 14,851
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 24
| time = 3:30 p.m.
| w/l = l
| rank = 13
| opponent = Miami (FL)
| site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
| site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
| tv = CBS
| score = 31–34
| attend = 60,081
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = October 31
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| away = y
| rank = 21
| opponent = Virginia Tech
| opprank = 20
| site_stadium = Lane Stadium
| site_cityst = Blacksburg, VA
| gamename = rivalry
| tv = ESPN Plus
| score = 13–27
| attend = 52,807
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 7
| time = 7:30 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = Syracuse
| opprank = 15
| site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
| site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
| gamename = rivalry
| tv = ESPN
| score = 35–28
| attend = 54,655
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 14
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Rutgers
| site_stadium = Rutgers Stadium
| site_cityst = Piscataway, NJ
| tv = ESPN Plus
| score = 28–14
| attend = 26,740
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 21
| time = 12:00 p.m.
| w/l = w
| opponent = Boston College
| site_stadium = Mountaineer Field
| site_cityst = Morgantown, WV
| tv = ESPN
| score = 35–10
| attend = 40,573
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = November 27
| time = 2:30 p.m.
| w/l = w
| away = y
| opponent = Pittsburgh
| site_stadium = Three Rivers Stadium
| site_cityst = Pittsburgh, PA
| gamename = Backyard Brawl
| tv = CBS
| score = 52–14
| attend = 42,254
}}
|{{CFB schedule entry
| date = December 26
| time = 8:00 p.m.
| w/l = l
| nonconf = y
| neutral = y
| opponent = Missouri
| opprank = 23
| site_stadium = Arizona Stadium
| site_cityst = Tucson, AZ
| gamename = Insight.com Bowl
| tv = ESPN
| score = 31–34
| attend = 36,147
}}
}}
Rankings
{{See also|1998 NCAA Division I-A football rankings}}
{{Ranking movements
| poll1title = AP
| poll1firstweek = 0
| poll1lastweek = 15
| poll1_0=11
| poll1_1=20
| poll1_2=19
| poll1_3=19
| poll1_4=16
| poll1_5=16
| poll1_6=15
| poll1_7=13
| poll1_8=21
| poll1_9=NR
| poll1_10=NR
| poll1_11=RV
| poll1_12=NR
| poll1_13=NR
| poll1_14=NR
| poll1_15=RV
| poll2title = Coaches Poll
| poll2firstweek = 0
| poll2lastweek =15
| poll2_0=12
| poll2_1=20
| poll2_2=20
| poll2_3=20
| poll2_4=17T
| poll2_5=17
| poll2_6=15
| poll2_7=14
| poll2_8=20
| poll2_9=RV
| poll2_10=RV
| poll2_11=RV
| poll2_12=RV
| poll2_13=25
| poll2_14=25
| poll2_15=RV
| poll3title = BCS
| poll3firstweek =8
| poll3lastweek =14
| poll3_8=NR
| poll3_9=NR
| poll3_10=NR
| poll3_11=NR
| poll3_12=NR
| poll3_13=NR
| poll3_14=NR
}}
Personnel
{{American football roster/Header|year=1998|team=West Virginia Mountaineers|teamcolors=y
|offensive_players=
{{American football roster/Player|num=1|class=Jr|first=Jerry|last=Porter|dab=Jerry Porter (American football)|pos=WR|link=y}}
{{American football roster/Player|num=4|class=Jr|first=Marc|last=Bulger|pos=QB|link=y}}
|defensive_players=
|special_teams_players=
}}
{{American football roster/Footer|roster_url=|accessdate=
|head_coach=
|asst_coach=
}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{West Virginia Mountaineers football navbox}}