The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

College Sports

December 29, 2011

Graduation, season are big deals for Miller

By Mickey Furfari For The Register-Herald

MORGANTOWN — Graduation on Dec. 10 admittedly was a “pretty big” occasion for West Virginia defensive lineman Julian Miller.

The 6-foot, 260-pound senior from Columbus, Ohio, cherishes what his family considers a major accomplishment.

His folks — dad and many others — also should appreciate his vast contributions to the bowl-bound 23rd-ranked Mountaineers’ 9-3 record and Big East championship this year.

Miller has made 183 tackles, including 98 solo stops, and four fumble recoveries during his career. He was tied for fumble recoveries in the Big East and was 19th nationally.

“The Orange Bowl is going to be up there for me, too, because I played in the Fiesta Bowl my redshirt freshman year and that was special,” he recalled.

West Virginia upset No. 3-ranked Oklahoma on Jan. 2, 2008, in Arizona.

Miller continued, “Playing in the Orange Bowl (Jan. 4) is going to be special, too. To be realistic, and looking back to what has happened, I wouldn’t have changed it for the world. 

“I went out, played hard, and represented my school the best I could.

“There’s no more that I could do.”

He had to take just one class this past fall, so Miller didn’t have the academic pressure his teammates had in final exams.

But he worked on parts of his game where needed and also made sure his body was fit for the bowl preparation.

Miller has been among the team’s leading tacklers during his outstanding career.

“I think our defense got better as the season progressed,” Miller said. “It enabled us to play better late in the season, and it showed.”

West Virginia won the last three contests on its schedule. The team capitalized on breaks when those were needed.

Clemson (10-3) won the ACC title game over Virginia Tech. That ended a three-game losing streak.

Meanwhile, the Mountaineers will reassemble in Miami this evening after having spent Christmas with family. They have five more practice sessions.

The Clemson team has been in Miami since arriving on Tuesday to complete its preparations.

Text Only
College Sports
  • Harrick was greatest 2-sport coach at WVU

    The late Steve Harrick was the longest serving, most successful two-sport head coach in West Virginia University’s athletic history.

    May 18, 2013

  • Concord wastes 2-run lead in 9th, eliminated from regional

    Concord University lost a two-run lead in the ninth inning and was eliminated from the NCAA Division II Atlantic Region baseball playoffs by the Winston-Salem State Rams, 7-5 on Friday afternoon at Gene Hooks Field.

    May 18, 2013

  • Musgrave named Pitcher of the Year Finalist

    May 16, 2013

  • Concord drops NCAA Tournament opener to Millersville 5-4 in Winston-Salem

    May 16, 2013

  • Crutchfield talks about his system, recruiting, focus

    Jim Crutchfield, whose basketball program at West Liberty University is the nation’s best in NCAA Division II, insists that there’s really no secret to his team’s soaring success.
    The Hilltoppers not only lead the collegiate basketball world in scoring with an incredible 103-point average but also are No. 1 in marginal victory at 25-plus.
    “I try to stay as local as I can in recruiting,” the 57-year-old Clarksburg native said. Most of his players come from West Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Ohio.

    May 16, 2013

  • 051613 wvu marshall ‘It’s been great for the state’

    West Virginia and Marshall are going to continue to meet on the baseball diamond. After a nearly 15-year break in the series, all involved agreed that rekindling the rivalry between the state’s two biggest schools — a series that culminated with a 6-5 Marshall victory Tuesday at Linda K. Epling Stadium — was a solid idea.

    May 15, 2013 1 Photo

  • WVU closes season against OSU

    The West Virginia University baseball team will close out the regular season this weekend against Big 12 foe Oklahoma State at Allie P. Reynolds Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., and there will be a great deal on the line.

    May 15, 2013

  • Brett Morris will walk on at WVU

    The West Virginia University basketball team will be filled with southern West Virginia flavor next season after Brett Morris announced this week that he’ll be joining head coach Bob Huggins’ program as a preferred walk-on. Morris, the Class AA all-state captain, will join Shady Spring’s Chase Connor, who will also be walking on for the Mountaineers, and Greenbrier East’s Richard Romeo, who is already a walk-on in the program.

    May 15, 2013

  • Jim Crutchfield ‘miracle man’ at West Liberty

    May 15, 2013

  • No doubt about it, WVU-MU series should continue

    West Virginia and Marshall need to play baseball every year. Period.

    May 15, 2013