Before His Jersey Retirement, Relive Pat White’s Best Moments at WVU

Let's take a look back at some of the best moments in the career of number 5.

Just moments before the West Virginia Mountaineers are set to kick off their 2026 campaign against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers, they will immortalize the jersey of one of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play for the program, Pat White.

While there will still be a No. 5 on the field this season for the Mountaineers in senior wideout Jaden Bray, he has been permitted by White himself to play the season in the No. 5. White will become just the 7th Mountaineer football player to have his jersey number retired.

With all the festivities celebrating White's legendary career in Morgantown, let’s take a look back at some of the best moments and performances that made the quarterback’s Mountaineer career so memorable.

Where it all started...

White nearly gave up on football, but Louisville defender Elvis Dumervil injured WVU starting QB Adam Bednarik, and the rest was history. White led the Mountaineers to an incredible triple-overtime win over the Cardinals, and from that moment on, he became one of the best quarterbacks in the country.

76-Yard Scamper vs. USF

In my opinion, this is the single most impressive run of White’s collegiate career. When you watch this play, the cameraman was fooled by the play action before catching up to White, who was already in the open field. White swerved around at least five USF defenders inside the 20-yard line to get across the goal line and score. This play had it all, from displays of speed, jukes, and distance.

Sugar Bowl Surprise

No one had West Virginia beating Georgia in the 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl. They were expected to get blown out, and all they heard about was SEC speed, SEC speed, SEC speed. Well, the Bulldogs found out pretty quickly just how fast the Mountaineers were, staring at the back of Pat White's and Steve Slaton's jerseys for much of the night, particularly in the first quarter, when WVU shocked them by jumping out to a 21-0 lead. White finished the day with 120 yards passing and a touchdown while adding 77 yards on the ground.

204 Through The Air, 220 On The Ground 2006 vs. Pitt

White went for a combined total of 424 yards of offense in the 99th edition of the Backyard Brawl to give the Mountaineers the win at Heinz Field. Amazingly, White was not the only Mountaineer to rush for over 200 yards that game, as Steve Slaton went for 215 on the ground. You can count on your hands how many times teammates have both run for over 200 yards in a single game in college football history, as it has happened only seven times ever. To this day, White’s 2006 Backyard Brawl performance is one of the most impressive single-game stat lines in West Virginia history.  

16.5 Yards Per Carry 2006 vs. Syracuse

Greg Robinson’s famous game plan revolved around stopping Steve Slaton; unfortunately for Robinson, that left things wide open for White all game long. White posted an unreal 247 yards and four touchdowns on the ground on just 15 carries. White only threw for 99 yards in the game, despite the team scoring 41 points on the Orangemen. Robinson’s game plan blowing up in his face courtesy of White made this an all-time moment in the career of number 5.

Blowing out Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl After THAT Game

When you lose out on a chance to play for a national title and then lose your head coach shortly after, it's hard to remain focused and have the same desire to play in a bowl game. Life is just different. White led the charge for the Mountaineers in a 48-28 win over Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, rushing for 150 yards and throwing for 176 yards and two scores. During the postgame celebration, he vouched for Bill Stewart to become WVU's next head coach.

White’s Fourth Bowl Game Victory

To this day, White is remembered as the only quarterback in college football to start and win four bowl games in their career. The Mountaineer legend achieved this feat by winning the 2008 Meineke Car Bowl. White threw for a career-high 332 yards in the game while tossing three touchdowns. White earned Bowl Game MVP honors and remains the only quarterback to achieve starting and winning four bowl games in the BCS era.

His Jersey Retirement

At a university in a state with no major professional sports teams, West Virginia football is everything to the state. No player is more synonymous with the “glory days” of the program than Pat White is. After 18 long years and a few rule changes, White’s number will finally be immortalized at Milan Puskar Stadium.

This ceremony is guaranteed to be emotional, with tens of thousands donning white colored shirts in honor of the quarterback. Saturday will be the icing on the cake for a legendary career that deserved every bit of recognition it is set to receive. White’s legacy will continue to be built as a coach with the program, further immortalizing the No 5 jersey in Morgantown as he continues to leave an impact on the state's pride and joy football program.