The team was led by head coach Don Nehlen, in his third year, and played their home games at Mountaineer Field in Morgantown, West Virginia.

Jeff Hostetler was the starting quarterback for the Mountaineers, leading the team with 1916 passing yards and 10 touchdowns.

He intercepted a Dan Marino pass and blocked a punt for a safety in West Virginia's 16–13 loss to the No.

The Mountaineers rebounded with a 20–13 win over Boston College, and future NFL quarterback Doug Flutie.

The next week, the Mountaineers hosted the number 1 team in the nation, the Penn State Nittany Lions.

West Virginia was invited to the 1982 Gator Bowl against Florida State in Jacksonville, which they lost 31-12.