MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - At first glance, West Virginia’s 7-6 win over Texas down in Austin, Texas, in 1956 would seem to be one of the better victories for the Mountaineers during that period of time. Stung by the criticism it received for earning a bid to face Georgia Tech in the 1954 Sugar Bowl on the basis of its weak Southern Conference schedule, West Virginia made a concerted effort to upgrade its grid slates in the mid-to-late 1950s.
Games in the early 1950s against Western Reserve, Waynesburg, Geneva and Fordham were replaced by the likes of Texas and Miami, Florida in 1956, Wisconsin in 1957, Oklahoma and Indiana in 1958 and USC in 1959 – all on the road.