Jarrett Brown walked off Mountaineer Field smiling ear to ear, slapping hands with congratulating fans after a grueling afternoon grudge match against East Carolina that lasted into the evening. The WVU quarterback looked relieved it was over. He looked content with the Mountaineers’ 35-20 triumph over the visiting Pirates and without question, he had reason to be.

Against the Pirates, Brown used a simple piece of advice former WVU quarterback Patrick White once gave him.

“Like Pat always said, ‘Go play ball.’

“I’m just out there playing ball. That’s what it was like today.”

Emotions, along with physical play, ran rampant throughout the contest -- helmets were knocked off on several occasions, injured players were often helped off the field after bone-jarring hits and a barrage of flags were thrown for illegal blocking maneuvers and personal fouls. By the time the dust settled, WVU (2-0) captured a redeeming win over non-conference foe ECU (1-1).

The Pirates jumped out to a 10-0 early lead, but the Mountaineers rallied behind Brown’s throwing arm.

Throughout the game, he stood tall in the pocket, firing the football to his receivers who cut, streaked and blazed through ECU’s secondary, one that appeared vulnerable after Brown had done his damage. He finished the game 24 of 31 for 334 yards, four touchdowns.

Despite Brown’s reaction to his performance, he did more than just play -- he pushed, he pulled, he powered the Mountaineers to the 15-point win against the Pirates.

On one play in the third quarter, Brown could not locate an open receiver and was flushed out of the pocked, forced to make something happen on his own. WVU right tackle Selvish Capers got stiff-armed out of the way by Brown who took off running. It was clear Brown was determined to move the football up the field for his team regardless of the circumstance.

“It was like a draw play,” Capers said. “I didn’t even know it looked like he stiff armed me – that’s what my teammates told me.”

Capers said smiling, “He was a man on a mission today. I don’t blame him.

“I always knew Jarrett Brown could play. I guess now, he’s just showing the world [and] the nation that he could play.”

Proving he was still human, Brown’s lone mistakes were an interception that was inches away from being another touchdown pass and one fumble that was recovered by ECU. However, neither plays came close to affecting the outcome of the game.

Brown was more than just a pocket passer, too, punishing pursuing ECU defensemen with his quick feet, totaling 73 yards from just 10 carries, a potent 7.3-yard average.

Much anticipation surrounded WVU’s meeting with ECU because last year, the Pirates beat the Mountaineers at home, 24-3.

A year later, with more than enough time to let the 21-point thrashing soak in, WVU made sure it was completely prepared to play ECU.

Brown said of last year’s game, “They came out and punched us in the mouth.”

But things took a different turn on Saturday.

“We had a year to correct all the kinks in the offense that we saw last year,” said Brown. We had to be more physical.”

Along with Brown, much of the reason WVU was able to be successful rode on the shoulders of its receiving corps. A group of players who were initially intended to basically be glorified run blockers in the previous offense installed by former coach Rich Rodriguez emerged as legitimate threats down the field in coordinator Jeff Mullen’s passer-friendly scheme.

Wide receiver Alric Arnett reiterated a part of the game plan WVU is using to counter overly-aggressive defenses that anticipate being hurt by the Mountaineers’ rushing attack.

“Like coach Stew says, if guys want to load up the box, we’re going to throw the ball,” he said. “We’re going to take what the defense gives us.”

And take they did.

Six different receivers caught at least two passes from Brown. Leading the way was slotback Jock Sanders, who reeled in nine passes for 99 yards. Bradley Starks totaled five catches for 76 yards and Arnett netted three receptions for 61 yards and two touchdowns.

“He has great football awareness,” Arnett explained of Brown. “So far you could say this is his best game.”

Arnett and the WVU receivers exploited one weakness they discovered from the ECU secondary. With perfect reason, ECU was constantly worried about containing Brown.

“One thing that we noticed was their whole secondary was peeking back at the quarterback,” he said.

Fullback/tight end Will Johnson caught a 4-yard touchdown pass from Brown in the second quarter.

True freshman slot receiver Tavon Austin scored his first touchdown as a Mountaineer on a 58-yard strike from Brown in the third quarter.

“I got to trust the game plan,” Brown said. “I got to buy into what Coach Mullen wants and my receivers.”

Mullen explained it was all about basic execution.

“We just call plays and the quarterback is doing a great job of getting the ball where it needs to be,” he said.

For a second straight week, Brown was not sacked a single time. Credit for that achievement goes to the offensive line, a group that was often penalized throughout the game but didn’t let Brown get railed to the turf. The other half of that feat undoubtedly goes to Brown for his noticeable ability to sense pressure and make something out of nothing by scrambling with the football for positive yardage.

“He knows what to do with the ball if the routes aren’t there,” head coach Bill Stewart said. “He knows where to go and where the breakdowns are. If you drop three linebackers into coverage on Jarrett Brown, your front four better get him.”

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