The 2011 West Virginia Mountaineers football team represented West Virginia University as a member of the Big East Conference during the 2011 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by first-year head coach Dana Holgorsen, the Mountaineers compiled an overall record of 10âÂÂ3 with a mark of 5âÂÂ2 in conference play, sharing the Big East title with Cincinnati and Louisville. West Virginia earned the conference's Bowl Championship Series (BCS) as the highest ranked of the Big East co-champions in the final BCS rankings. The Mountaineers were invited to the Orange Bowl, where they beat Clemson, 70âÂÂ33. This was the third victory for West Virginia in three BCS games, while the 70 points in the Orange Bowl set a record for most points scored in any bowl game; this was later matched by Army in the 2018 Armed Forces Bowl. The team played home games at Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown, West Virginia.
The 2011 season was West Virginia's last in the Big East as the Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference in 2012.
On December 16, 2010, West Virginia announced the hiring of former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen. Holgorsen replaces Jeff Mullen as offensive coordinator and will take over as the Mountaineers head coach in 2012.
On January 5, 2011, the Mountaineers announced the hiring of three offensive coaches; Robert Gillespie (Running Backs), Bill Bedenbaugh (Offensive Line), and Shannon Dawson (Inside-Receivers).
On March 10, it was announced that lone offensive staff holdover Lonnie Galloway (Outside-Receivers) has left West Virginia to take a coaching job at Wake Forest.
On March 28, West Virginia University announced the hiring of Daron Roberts as an assistant coach. Roberts will be working with wide receivers and special teams.
On June 10, West Virginia University announced that Bill Stewart had resigned as head coach and that Dana Holgorsen would assume the position effective immediately. Holgorsen has stated he will serve as his own offensive coordinator but that he was unsure who would fill the extra spot on the coaching staff.
On July 8, Holgorsen hired Alex Hammond as recruiting coordinator.
The Mountaineers have retained the entire 2010 defensive coaching staff for the 2011 season.
The 2011 Gold-Blue Spring Game took place on Friday, April 29, 2011, at 7 p.m. at Mountaineer Field. Over 22,000 fans attended to see the Gold team defeat the Blue team 83âÂÂ17. The game was televised statewide on West Virginia Media stations.
The Mountaineers were picked to win the Big East Conference by the media at conference media day, picking up 21 out of 24 first place votes.
WVU picked up the win in a game that was delayed a total of 4 hours, 22 minutes and called with 14:36 left in the 4th quarter. Following a 3rd quarter Tavon Austin kickoff return for a touchdown that gave the Mountaineers a 27âÂÂ13 lead with five minutes to play in the third quarter, the game experienced a lightning delay that lasted 3 hours, 6 minutes. Once resuming play a Vernard Roberts one-yard touchdown run extended the WVU lead to 34âÂÂ13 early in the fourth quarter, after which the game was once again delayed for lightning. It was ultimately agreed to by both teams to end the game. Geno Smith lead the game for WVU going 26âÂÂ35 for 246 yards and two touchdowns.
The Mountaineers overcame a sluggish first half exploding for 45 second half points and ending the game with 533 yards of total offense. Geno Smith went 20âÂÂ34 for 371 yards and 4 TDs passing. As a team WVU passed for 431 yards, the most since 1998.
The Mountaineers got off to a fast start, building a 27âÂÂ10 halftime lead behind the arm of junior quarterback Geno Smith and rushing touchdowns from freshmen Vernard Roberts and Andrew Buie. The lead was built to 24, 34âÂÂ10, in the third quarter on a Smith connection to high school teammate Stedman Bailey. Maryland scored 21 unanswered points to bring the game to within 3 points, 34âÂÂ31, before the Mountaineers added another field goal to build their lead to 6, 37âÂÂ31. The Terrapins drove down the field in an attempt to take the lead, but quarterback Danny O'Brien was intercepted by Eain Smith with 1:13 remaining in the game to seal it for the Mountaineers.
ESPN's College GameDay broadcast from Morgantown for the first time.
Despite outgaining the Tigers 533âÂÂ366, West Virginia was unable to overcome poor tackling and special teams play. The Mountaineers also committed four turnovers. West Virginia's Geno Smith set school records for completions (38), attempts (65) and passing yards (463) against LSU's highly regarded defense.
West Virginia put together its most complete game of the season as the running game that had struggled in past weeks exploded to the tune of 360. True freshman Dustin Garrison set a school record for most rushing yards by a freshman with 291, good enough for a tie for the second most total in school history. WVU's 643 yards of total offense were a Mountaineer Field record.
Geno Smith threw two second-half touchdowns to help West Virginia (6âÂÂ2, 2âÂÂ1 Big East) post its 17th straight win over Rutgers. WVU trailed 31âÂÂ21 at the halftime, fighting both the Scarlet Knights offense, and harsh weather conditions. The Mountaineer defense allowed a season-high 31 points in the first half, but shutout Rutgers in the second. The Mountaineers won their first conference road game of the season, and became bowl-eligible in the process. Smith finished 20âÂÂ33 for 218 yards, and two touchdowns, while Shawne Alston ran for a career-high 110 yards and two scores on 14 carries
West Virginia blocked a game-tying field goal attempt as time expired to secure the win over the #23 ranked Bearcats, WVU's first road win over a team ranked in the AP Top 25 since their last win in Cincinnati during the 2007 season.
Geno Smith tied a record for any bowl game with six touchdown passes, including four to Tavon Austin, and No. 23 West Virginia set a bowl scoring record by beating No. 14 Clemson 70âÂÂ33 on Wednesday in the Orange Bowl. Darwin Cook's 99-yard fumble return for a touchdown was one of the Mountaineers' five TDs in the second quarter, including three in the final 2:29 for a 49âÂÂ20 lead. It was the highest-scoring half by a team in a bowl game. Austin's four TD receptions tied a record for any bowl game, and Smith broke Tom Brady's Orange Bowl record with 407 yards passing. West Virginia's point total broke the bowl record established six nights earlier when Baylor beat Washington 67âÂÂ56 in the Alamo Bowl.