8 Rows of Eers

Time for Game 2

2010-09-06T08:49:00.001-07:00

I'm going to briefly discuss the Myrtle Beach Tech game and then move on to Marshall.

*I thought the kickoff coverage was good.
*Tavon Austin has another gear that makes everyone else on the field look like they are in lead shoes.
* Geno only made one bad decision.....it was real bad but only one.
*No improvement on the Oline at all and the right side is yet again an achilles heel. Lil Daddy got stuffed behind the line many times and this is the worst team we will play.
* speaking of the right side of the line, why would we run a key 3rd down play to the short side of the field on that side. Thankfully we got the TD on 4th.
*No pass rush and when we did blitz they burnt us like they knew exactly which blitz was coming.

Marshall isn't that good, but they are better than these guys. I'm not worried yet, but in order for this season to be a success we will have to run on teams. Lets hope for improvement on Friday night.

Game 1

2010-08-30T16:29:00.000-07:00

I decided not to preview the season since I really have no idea. I think its pointless at this point. I can sum the first one up in just a few words. We need to dominate. Since the Fiesta Bowl last year we really have only beaten one team badly, and that was Syracuse last year. So here are some things I think you should look forward and could prove to be a look ahead for the rest of the season.

*Our O line needs to dominate. If Lil' Daddy gets stuffed more 5 times behind the line of scrimmage you might as well make plans for the week of the LSU game prepare to be in Birmingham in late December. They have to block better and I know nothing about Coastal, but I'm pretty dam sure their D-line is not nearly as formidable as any other team on our schedule.

*Geno needs to make good decisions. If he is locking in on his #1 target rushing his passes, in this game, it could be a rough season and definitely a rough beginning to the season.

*The pass rush needs to come alive. How many games did we watch last year with dudes just sitting back there forever until one of their receivers came open. I know that Scooter being in there has something to do with this...or the lack of scooter. However, I don't think CC will be able to run on them so they will have plenty of opportunity to get to the QB on the ground.

*I don't want to say it but if they run a kick past the 40 I might just explode....I know its a whole lot to ask, but if we could kick off and actually get him down around the 20 it would awesome. I know...I'm a dreamer.

* Big Crowd.......I get the emails and they are pimping tickets like a hard cock on prom night, but come one. Its a long weekend, weather will be great, and there is little chance you will see the boys lose.

Montani Semper Liberi

Gone but not forgotten

2010-07-30T19:28:00.000-07:00

I haven't been around for awhile, but I was around for all the events of the spring. The final four trip was epic and almost like a dream. The played in the town I live, then Syracuse, then decided to have their worst game of the season in the final four. I'm still proud of them, but that showing was a little disappointing. The morning after was rough to say the least and as I sat with heater outside the hospital hotel we were staying at, a UCONN fann came up to me. He rambled off a bunch of shit I can't remember, but the one thing I do remember is that he said that was not Big East Basketball. I could not disagree. Oh well.........I'm over it now and it was a hell of a run.

Since then we have had what was equivalent to the bay of pigs in college football. Texas playing in the PAC 10, Rutgers in the Big 10, and TAM in the SEC. All talk as usual, but I think we know that changes are on the horizon. I honestly fear for my school, since all of this is being by TV markets and no matter how well we do in both sports its just too small of sate to hole any weight. Time will tell.

The new season is a different one, and for the first time since 2005 there is not a Pat White or Jarret Brown under the center. Its pretty easy to point out that Geno's health and play is the key to the season since his backups have ran about as many plays in college as I have. Unfortunately he seems to be injury prone at least when ATV's or pickup basketball games are involved. However I just want to go over a few guys that I think we should keep our eyes on this year.

*Julian Miller....our secondary is good and he will have that extra time to get to the QB. By far our best pass rusher, if he can get some timely sacks this year it could be breakout time for him. I know he had 9 last year, but that was skewed since I think he got about half of them in the 4th qtr of the Louisville game. Look for that to improve.

*Tyler Urban......I know this was a pick last year, but JB had a tendancy to look down his first option and throw it there........just watch the Auburn game or FSU one. I think Geno is much different and he will scramble with his head up and find that open man. I honestly think Tyler catches 4 TD's this year.

*Donny Barclay...our best lineman I think we will be a left hand running team this year with the occasional naked boot to the aformentioned TE to the right side. Donny seals the end, Noel bounces it outside and all that is left is 7 for 6.

I'll do the season outlook later........good to be back.

2010-01-03T11:08:00.000-08:00

At some point in the fourth quarter of Friday's Gator Bowl, I looked at my attorney and stated a simple fact.

"We had a lead of at least 7 points in all of our games this season"

Another fact is that we lost 4 games. Oh what could have been. 10 win seasons for any program are hard to come by, but I really think that this team was about 2 plays away from going 11-2 or so.

I could add the Cincy game in there as well, but lets just think that they would have gone on to beat us despite the call at the end there. However, Auburn and FSU were eerily similar in that jumped on them early and failed to finish it when we had them down.

The first play was the fumble that JB had when WVU was by 17 on Auburn in the second quarter or so. On that one play our whole season changed because after that one we were never the same. Up to that point we had been punishing teams for bringing up their secondary. However on that one play JB got sacked, dinged in the head and for the rest of the season he never set his feet and completed a long pass again. Not to mention that after that play in the game we lost all momentum and let Auburn back into the game.

Fast forward to Jan 1. We are gashing FSU at will and looking like the 07 version of the mountaineers. JB throws and inexcusable pass on first down to a well covered man and FSU gets back into the game. Score a TD there and FSU has to go to the air instead of picking on our flats all day. Two plays the difference between a great 11-2 season and an average 9-4 campaign. The win against Pitt was great and the Uconn and Rutgers games were satisfying but in the end I have the next 7 months to wonder about what could have been with this team and have to question whether or not this coaching staff and team will ever figure out how to finish against any opponent.

Lets hope the recent exit of assistant coaches and GA's will not affect as much as anticipated and we can keep the ball rolling. I'm glad that stew has forecasted a championship for 2011, but I'm skeptical if he can bring it home after watching some of the miscues from this season.

Hello From Buffalo

2009-12-05T21:38:00.000-08:00

I haven't said anything in awhile, and its been for many reasons but mostly because I've moved halfway across the country again. I'm back now and ready to get some things off of my chest...so here goes.

First and foremost, let me come clean...after the USF loss I was ready throw int he towell and thought that 7-5 was our destiny. After the Louisville game I was sure of it. However, the Cincy game showed me something and since then the team has played much better than I expected. This team is not as talented as ones from the past. Sure we have some great athletes, but the O line has yet to perform well and our d line lacks any kind of depth. The wins against Pitt and Rutgers and basically beating Cincy has made me really want to say some of the things I said about the coach. He has coached with a chip on his shoulder since USF and his team has played like it. Uconn, Pitt, and Rutgers were hard fought wins against teams that were every bit as good as WVU if not better and that is testament to Bill Stewart and staff.

Lots of talk about Playoffs and such by the talking heads and I'm sure Albom and his boys will be screaming for UC and TCU. One question....name one fucing player on UC and TCU. I know WVU fans can name players for UC, but can you casual fans name one TCU player without looking it up real quick? I don't think so. And I don't think Albom or any of those other guys can either. In the sweet 16 we all love the cinderella but we want UK and UNC in the chapionship game with UCLA and Kansas as their final four counterparts, and everyone wants to shill for TCU but they really don't want to see them play bama. Lastly, lets not forget that these are the same people who say Notre Dame being good is great for college football. They're all uninformed starfuckers who should stick to the NFL and pro baseball and leave my sport, god's sport alone the way it is.

Peace..........and the dude continues to abide as the snow falls in Buffalo.

Game 5: Syracuse

2009-10-17T21:01:00.000-07:00

I'm not handing out grades or anything on this one because it was just silly. We played a team that is not that talented and has QB that did not play football for four years. They are a joke and yet again instead beating the living shit out of them we just politely pounded them for 2 quarters and then just hung out on the field for the second half. Its getting old. Every now and then you need a good angry beat down. Its been almost two years since I have had one.....

Game 4: The big 12 refs come back for more

2009-10-04T12:01:00.001-07:00

For the second time this season the Big 12 refs came to Morgantown to ref a game and for the second job I thought they did a piss poor job. I was actually at this one and got to watch what I wanted to watch instead of having it dictated by the espn camera. I have to be honest...I have been forced to watch Chick Flicks with less holding than that game. There were a couple of times that Josh Taylor's jersey was practically being ripped off by an offensive lineman and there was no call. In the end it was a win on national TV, but the lack of calls and all the fumbles in the first half left me with a bad taste in my mouth.

QB: JB had his worst game on Thursday. His decisions were solid I guess, but the consecutive pair of sacks he took at the start of the third really puzzled me. That's just pocket presence I guess. The worst thing about it was how he missed a wide open Tavon Austin on the play before the sacks. Would have made the game much differently, but I guess that's the six points we gave back from the missed field goals. No interceptions however...that is a good thing. Grade C.

RB: I really think that little Daddy has his best games at night and he really likes Thursday nights. He's doing better at following the blocks and getting up field. The line is also doing better at blocking for him. Ryan Clarke and Mark Rodgers ran well too. Grade A.

WR: By far the worst day of the year for the wideouts. No drops but two fumbles in Colordao territory cost the team at least 6 points and maybe more. I would have liked to have seen Arnett and Tavon lay out on Brown's over throws too.

TE: Wow where has Tyler Urban gone? I guess we are using more FB and more 4 wide sets, but Urban has been quiet the last two weeks. Grade C.

OL: Expect more zero blitzes because its obvious from the Auburn game that Jarrett does not throw the screen well and our line does not pick up the blitz well. I know that eventually we will make some teams pay dearly for it, but as of this point both Auburn and CU accomplished the goal when they blitzed Jarrett with everyone. Grade B-.

DL: Not having scooter hurts for sure. Julian Miller got there just a little too late a bunch of times, but close only counts....well you know. Still need to get more pressure on this team. Grade C-.

LB: Reed played a great game defending at least 5 passes to the TE. He got beat a few too, but he won more than he lost. JT's fumble was a massive bummer, and I think the run defense had trouble with Stewart until they hurt him in the second half. Grade B+.

DB: Tandy and Hogan had tough days defending fade routes, comebacks and in routes or whatever McKnight was running. Good thing Hawkins isn't more accurate. And what kind of defense was that by Hogan on the run to the outside. I guess we now know why WVU doesn't play more man. Glover had some tough balls too where I thought he was in good enough position to defend them and he couldn't come down with the pick. I thought Pat Miller looked OK and maybe we should consider putting him in on 3rd and long situations....then again all of this would help if we had a pass rush however at times we did and still let them complete balls. Fact is the two work off of each other and if you can't cover for two seconds it doesn't' matter if you have the New York Giants D line.

I'm not stoked but for the third straight game we turned it over a bunch and still won. People that want blow outs should know that we will never blow a team out when we play defense like we do and turn the ball over that much. Once they learn how to put a complete game together someone will find the back end of the woodshed. Lets hope its soon.

Game 3: Auburn

2009-10-04T11:59:00.000-07:00

I'm not going to write much about this one since it took place about a month ago and I really don't want to think about it. WVU totally let it slip away and everyone is to blame. Would have been a great win too for the conference. Oh well!

Game 2: 16 vs. 11 and we still won.

2009-09-13T17:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't sleep well on Friday night, I won't lie. I really thought this was going to be a tough one for us. After one quarter it appeared that I was going to be right and I was not too happy even at the half. However, in the end, WVU pretty much dominated these guys. They only scored when we gave them a short field and the Big 12 refs did all they could to keep them in the game. I'm not into blaming officials on things, but this one had some blatantly bad calls, and its why I titled this one 16 vs. 11 because, at times, it appeared that we were playing against the ECU 11 plus 5 officials.

QB-Jarrett's play was a landmark...really. For the first time since Marc Bulger was here, we were a passing team. And for the first time in 11 years, teams are going to think twice about loading the box on us in order to stop Noel. I can't say how important the pass to Arnett was. In the face of pressure and off of his back foot Jarrett hit his man in stride for a TD. It was an Oh shit moment for ECU to, but they didn't learn their lesson. Jarret would burn them later on a big pass to Starks that was underthrown but still effective and yet again on a beautiful bomb to Tavon. He still runs with the ball too loosely and trusts his arm a little too much sometimes, but I can handle that. Overall I would have to give him an A-....it would be an A but the two turnovers on ECU's side of the 50 dock his grade.

RB-Noel hit the hole better but still danced a little too much. Notice all the plays out of the pistol? I did. I think its a good wrinkle, and I said before that Noel runs better out of the I. Granted its not the I, but he can still line up deep and have a little more time to pick his hole. We are still left side dominant with our running game and even then there were not many wide open holes. I would have liked to have run a little better, but the new regime wants to take what the defense gives ya and if that's 50 yard bombs so be it. Overall grade B-.

WR-In the pro's players tend to do a littler better in their contract years. Chance to get big money so you might watch a little more film, run a few more sprints, etc. Jock Sanders was close to being kicked off the team for his little run in with the law, and he appears to be out to prove something this year. In two games, he has not dropped an easy pass like last year and he is always open. Not only that lil daddy can thank him for an extra 5 yards or so on his longest run of the day because it was jock that was lighting up a corner to help him get the final five yards. Arnett's lack of production is still puzzling. Starks is emerging as a viable 3rd down target. Wes Lyons is back on the ER and I have to think that he can twist an ankle if someone says injury report. Tavon as a slot receiver just adds yet another hell athlete out on the field and makes us even better.. Overall grade A-.

OL-Jarrett saw some defenders in his face and either got rid of it or made them look silly. Some blocks were totally missed on blitzes but that is to be expected. We are still left side dominant and teams know it. So does Noel and he looks for the cut back when running to that side since teams tend to overload against us to that side. We were honestly a few nifty moves away from seeing about a 4 sack day on Jarrett. But it always seems to go that way. We burnt them for it and that is why we won. In the end I still think it could have been better and will have to improve to keep the southern Alabama dirt off of Jarrett. Overall grade is a C.

TE-Nothing other than one TD catch by Johnson. Urban was un heard of. I think he was left to block more often than not because of the blitzes, but I honestly didn't watch that much. Hell he might not have even been in there or he could have been running routes all day long. I just know they didn't throw his way that much. Overall grade C.

DL-With Scooter going down soon and a guy I didn't even know was on the team playing the nose I thought they did ok. Julian Miller will have to be double teamed by most linemen and if we don't develop some sort of third down package that has either Lazear and/or Golbourne coming off the edge than Casteel is seeing something I'm not. We had 5 sacks and could have had about 10 had we been one second sooner. They stopped the run game pretty well, but the added athleticism really is a positive. Overall grade B.

LB-WE still have trouble with short passes and reacting off of play action. JT is a monster. Golbourne, and Goode played in well in relief and showed that our LB depth is not just a facade. I'm still looking for that classic Reed Williams pick this season where he takes the deep drop and stretches all of that 20" vertical to catch a TE bound pass. Hopefully we can see one at Auburn. Overall grade B-.

DB-Man there were a few passes where I thought they had it. Hogan almost got beat a few times and the pass in the endzone that they reviewed forever was a TD I would say. Lucky catch despite it, Hogan got his hand on it. Sands is doing a better job this year at rolling to the coverage. Overall grade B.

ST-If its not one thing its another. For the first time since RR was here we figure out how to cover a kick....now we can't field a punt. And there is nothing worse than stopping a team and then fumbling the punt. Its like getting a hot chica in the sack and being too drunk to get it up. Good thing the redzone D came through. Overall grade D.

Like I said above, if someone told me that we would fumble two punts inside our twenty, spot them an easy TD off a punt return, and have over 100 yards of penalties I would be thinking loss. I don't care how bad they are, but we played like shit and still won easily. That says something. The O line needs to play better and the LB's need to get more aggressive against screens and such for Auburn.

2009-09-07T13:03:00.001-07:00

One other thing about the game that I forgot to mention about the game. I had to watch it from home and the camera quality was a little bit better than most of the vintage porns I have had the pleasure of watching. You think we could get something better than that at least.

Game 1: Give me Liberty and Give me death.......

2009-09-06T07:41:00.000-07:00

My apologies to Patrick Henry for butchering his quote.

Lets face it folks. Yesterday was ugly, ugly as can be. I was hoping for easy running room coupled with play action bombs, and I all but knew our defense would dominate. Instead we dinked and dunked our way into the red zone until our drives stalled and then settled for field goals. Our defense, despite all the pre season accolades, could not get any pressure, could not cover, and had way too many penalties. I have a great number of things that I want to talk about so here goes.

Passing offense-I thought Jarrett did ok. He kept his head up while scrambling never through a dumb pass, and was pretty accurate. There was a lot of dinking and dunking though and I'm not sure if there were open guys down field or not, but most of my guys that were there say that there were. I guess Arnett was running those routes since he didn't even show up the rest of the day. I thought the post pass to Jock in the second half was a great call and some of the passes to Urban down the seam will definitely keep teams from leaving the deep middle open like they have in the past. I thought Jock caught the ball really well, but Urban had two drops that should have been catches. However, JB definitely got less accurate as the game wore on, and he missed at least two of the third downs that lead to field goals. Thats the difference between blowing this team out and looking so so...or one of them. He checked down too early a couple of times and got Devine totally flattened once. Also, he holds the ball way too loosely when he runs with it and that will cost him with faster defenders knocking it out from behind. Overall I would give JB's performance a B -

Offensive Line- The push was good as it should be...its Liberty and I will discuss this more when I talk about the running game but we sure as hell didn't get any help from number 7. Blitz pickup would be my biggest concern. Seemed like some of the guys were blocking air on the middle blitzes...JB made them miss but I wouldn't expect it to happen all the time. This is a correctable mistake though. Barclay had the most mental errors, but after watching some of the other games this week I think our young Oline did much better than many of the other teams. (Bob Stoops is probably running some of his linemen today for all of their false starts.) At first I thought the left side did a much better job, but I just think that Noel has more confidence on that side and gave them more chances to get their blocks down. We can't be a once sided team though. Capers might have had the best day of all of them. He could very well play on Sundays I think they did well and would give them a B+

Running Game-This was not one of little Daddy's best games. Hist first three plays he bounced outside when there was at least some hole. Sure he got the yardage but you have to press the hole like Rene said. It almost cost us on our first third and short and it did cost us on the last run of the half where he had a hole and bounced it out for a loss. He got much better in the second half and accumulated most of his yards. He really is powerful and hard to bring down and on the TD run he was patient, didnt dance, and exploded through the hole much like his first TD against OU in the Fiesta. Overall grade would be C-

Receivers and TE's- Jock had a great game and was pretty much open all game. The only thing he did wrong was go backwards to get more yards and effectively take the first down away on the second possession in the second half. Urban might have had the worst game missing two catches...one was behind him on third down and would have kept the drive alive before we kicked the long field goal. Its still much better than last season and it shows how good of a coach Galloway is. Overall grade would be B+

Defensive Line-Did Scooter Berry even play? How about Neild? For a unit that gets lots of pre season hype they looked like they were just going through the motions. Julian Miller has a motor and might be our best DE we have had here since Dingle or even before that. Overall grade D

Linebackers-Wow is JT Thomas good. The helmet to helmet collision ting will be a much debated topic in Athens and other towns today and I don't think JT's hit was dirty at all. He was definitely the player of the game on defense. Overall grade A-

DB's-Boogie got out of position at times and totally wiffed on a bubble screen that someone in the press box was calling before the snap. E. Smith played pretty good and had the coverage that led to Sand's interception. Sands played great except for his personal foul...his pick was nice but really that ball was thrown high because Smith had such good coverage on the Mike Brown. Speaking of Mike Brown....I think number 10 on their team could play for our team and contend for PT against Jock. He is that good. Hogan was OK but he got burnt a few times. Overall grade B-

Special Teams-The kickoff team is still terrible. No push, no emotion, no effort. Gillyard would have ran one of those back on us again. Something has to change here and Stew has to swallow his pride and let someone else take care of it. Josh Lider had some terrible kicks too only hurt the situation. Rodgers is our best return man so far. Tavon wanted to Dance more than get up field. (I bet he and Devine are hell at the club). The one bright spot was Tyler. He kicked the ball well for his first game, had good height and distance on all his field goals and of course they were accurate. Overall I would have to give Tyler an A, but the rest of the kicking units get an F-.

Overall I think the defense played without emotion and had no fire. It didn't help that we were not blitzing and such, but I would expect that since they hadn't played in nine months they would want to kick some ass. They let Liberty stay on the field way too long either by penalty or by missed tackle way too many times. The offense failed to produce really any big plays and looked more mechanical than methodical. Noel runs as if he is a band apart at times and I'm not sure if its his desire to make a big run every time or distrust in his line. Lets hope that gets corrected.

I talked about expectations last week and how they really influence your reaction. If we do the same thing against ECU I will be as happy as shit, but we will have to play better than this or WVU will get pounded by the pirates again.

Success is all about expectations and some folks RR should thank

2009-09-01T19:13:00.000-07:00

In 2002 WVU came off of a very piss poor year in 2001 and most people were skeptical. We had Miami, Maryland, Virginia Tech, and Wisconsin on the schedule and a new QB. By the second week it looked as though we were in line for another losing season after Wisconsin completely dismantled us, but something happened. In the third game, Dolomiteclay, his daddy and two brothers went to a WVU game in Cincinnati. The game was a good one that went to the end with Cincy missing a game tying field goal that would have tied it. The win kept the team from getting a losing record but more importantly was the catalyst for the power spread. The team, behind power running and zone reads finished second in the BE with a 9-4 record. By all accounts, despite being dismantled by UVA in a bowl and Scotty McBrien and Maryland the next week the season was a success. Last year we went to the same bowl, finished tied for second in the same league, and had the same record as 2002, but because we won the Fiesta Bowl the year before we were supposed to keep it rolling and beat everyone by 10, 000 points. Now I know that I'm simplifying things, but you can't deny that your success is almost always determined by the expectations you have on the team.

I don't do season predictions because its too hard to do that, but I will do game week predictions. I don't have much to say about this one. We should beat the shit out of this team. What do I want to see...good question because I want to tell you. We need to dominate this team. Last year against 1AA cupcake we started with we threw it around like we were turning into texas tech or something. I turned to the folks in the stands and asked if we would be like Oregon of 07...ECU man handled us the next week and we looked more like Temple. If you want something to watch for the game I suggest watching the center and right guard. They are the most in experienced linemen we have and if they can dominate these guys it will serve well for their confidence. If not, get ready to see lots of passes and hope our defense is more like 96 than 98. Our defense will dominate until the third and second string comes in and we should win by a score of like 35-10 and JB goes for 300.

RR's sagas lately have been well chronicled and such, and I'm not getting into it. I would rather walk into Bagdhad with a shirt of Alla fellating Uncle Same than discuss this any longer. I will, however, say that I think that life always even things out in everything you do and he is paying now for a few lucky breaks he got while he was here. I know he is not nearly as wealthy as he once was, but if he decides to send out Christmas cards to folks this year here are 5 that he might want to add to his list. I didn't include players, because that is too obvious, instead I'm listing some guys that because of things they did or said or had done, they indirectly lead to Rich's success.

5. Elvis Dummervill-I'm not sure about this one, but I think he was the one that caught Adam Bednarick from behind and twisted his knee and injured him against Louisville in 05'. This led to Pat coming in, the comeback, the dream season, etc. Amazing that until he had to play him, he had him on the fucking bench half the game. Effing Genius.

4. The kicker from Cincinnati that missed that kick mentioned above. We miss that kick and I think the season falls into the shitter. RR gets run and well...that is all.

3. Rick Trickett-By far the best o line coach in the country. This guy could turn me into an offensive lineman.

2. Don Nehlen-Mylan Puskar is his house. He built it, and mad it what it was. Love him or not, but Don is a true mountaineer who recruited Quincy, Big Oak, James Davis, Rasheed, and Avon to WVU....these were guys that RR won with ya know.

1. The ACC-The raid left things open. How many conference titles would have Don won had he not had Miami, BC, and the good VT on his schedule? I'm not sure, but it would have been a few.

The beauty of the thing is its simplicity.......

2009-08-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

This was line from my favorite movie The Big Lebowski. For those poor souls who have such busy lives that they can't take the hour and a half to watch the movie, the context of the line is basically summing up a plan to overtake some bandits who have something "The Dude" wants.

I bring this quote up because it reminds me of the offensive line at WVU and how the line used to be and how it is now. Last years much maligned unit was in a transition phase, that was getting used to their third coach in three years and a whole new system. Their lofty pre-season ranking was never lived up to and many consider them to be the biggest disappointment from last year. This was the first time since 2004 that the line was not among the nations elite and the first time that WVU did not zone block almost exclusively. Last year, under new offensive line coach Dave Johnson, WVU tried their hand at a more traditional, Nehlen like approach. Now the simplest thing to do would be to ask why a team that had so much success would go from a scheme that was working to one that wasn't. I agree, since the guys that were on the line last year had only known zone blocking, but for the future.....I think a change was needed. You see the zone blocking spread option was made for guys like Pat, Owen, and Steve. Two speedsters and a battering ram to run through the hole with either the ball or on a mission to absolutely kill the guy in front of him. Either way, you probably don't want to be that guy that met him first. That was great but we only had one piece of that puzzle last year and the offense looked much more like it did in 03 and 04 than o5-07 because of it. The roadgrading blocking with the occassional zone scheme is much more conducive to being a balanced team. Just look at what started to happen in 07....athletic defense like Pitt and South Florida simply ignored the threat of the forward pass and played "sick em" D. These are the growing pains WVU will have to suffer in order to transition. The thing that gets me are the same people who used to sit up in the stands and complain about us never throwing down field are now bitching about how WVU has changed something that worked so well. You can't have both

Something else that gets on my nerves is when people bring up that WVU is the winningest program to never have a national championship. This is nothing to boast about IMO, and its kind of like bragging about winning the shortest pecker contest.

With Benefits

2009-08-08T14:34:00.000-07:00

So Coach Stew is currently up on a podium lamenting over his lads and how much they strained today and how good so and so is. Of course I can't listen to it because I live on the prairie now. Before you say, I know that I can listen to it, but I sure as shit don't want to. James McMurtry once stated in one of his live albums that you can turn an good ole boy into an intellectual, but you can't turn an intellectual into a good ole boy. Don't get me wrong, I like Andy Griffith and fried chicken, but not as my football coach. With that being said, I hope he does great here and kicks some ass this season. With the goons we play it really shouldn't be that hard. Now could someone pass the green beans?

Even our ultra conservative, super moral, glass more than half empty but mouth always half opened head coach had to buck his system when it came to Jock Sanders and his troubles. He was able to return to practice today "with benefits". Lets just face it folks, this whole no tolerance system that is in place at about every school in the BCS is totally stupid and flat out coach speak puffery to the highest degree. I know Tim Tebow does nothing but pray, pass, and wipe flys away from the eyes of unfortunate babies in countries that hover around the equator. However, lets pretend for a moment and invision TT out at the bar on a late night teammate intervention when a beer suddenly and miraculously escapes the grasps of a sure handed flanker and finds its way into the mouth of Tim. Lets continue to imagine him getting arrested by an officer that was either an FSU fan or suffering from a severe momentary lapse of reason. After a good month long of press conferences where he would lament about his disbelief and disappointment in the actions of his starting QB, what do you think the NEW ball coach would do? (And for those that don't get it that is a play on Steve Spurrier who is more Matlock than Andy Griffith, but still as corny and All-American as a star-spangled banner playing apple pie on a window sill at farm house in Iowa.) I can tell you what he would do, he would allow him to practice, talk about how much he makes TT run, and then suspend him for the first game of the year against slap dick state or whoever it is they play. Now if Tim wasn't on the two deep roster....well that would be different and yes Howard Schnellenberger at Florida Atlantic has a home for you.

The newspapers are always interviewing players this time of year and it never fails that if there is a young inexperienced unit on the team they will ask them something like this

"How do you (the players) feel about the experts (soon to be unemployed journalists like me) saying you are the weak link on the team and the success of the year depends on your improvement."

Every freaking time the player comes back with something about the unit gelling, inexperienced but talented, and of course, stepping it up. I hate to be critical when I can't offer anything that would be much better to say, but maybe a "wait and see" or a simple "they're wrong" would suffice? Over promise is generally coupled with under-performance and they ride down the mediocrity parkway to losing seasons all the time. (Sorry Charley Weiss keep taking those top 10 recruiting classes to 6-6 seasons.) Josh Jenkins did this about a month ago when he said all the cliches about the Oline and how they will surprise people. I'll believe it when I see it, but I really think they are going to have a tough time making holes big enough for Little Daddy. One good thing this year is that with JB back there we can at least hope that he will lay a few linebackers out when Little Daddy decides to reverse his field. We might even make it back to the line of scrimmage. Then again we are only one block away from having Coley White at QB....lets just hope he is a gamer like his big bro.

I'm out.

Say it out loud and don't blink

2009-06-25T19:19:00.000-07:00

I’m going to apologize right now for the long blog, but I have some things I need to talk about.

The biggest thing related to the old gold and blue that is on my mind are the recent recruits that have verballed. Jeremy Johnson, who is the 9^th rated dual threat quarterback signed with us out Texas. We were not finished there, Stew and crew also ventured down into Memphis to nab the 1^st rated dual threat hurler who is named Barry Brunetti. I’m excited and most of the mountaineer nation is excited from what I can tell, but its early. This time last year we had Tajh Boyd and he committed to about every school on the east coast before it was done. This staff really has it together, and WVU has some serious momentum on the recruiting trail. However, I just can’t get all that excited about a kid from Texas and a kid from Memphis coming to WVU. Not that they won’t , but it’s a long season, and folks Morgantown is a whole lot different than Texas or Memphis. Lastly, we now have three premiere QB recruits over the last two years, and Stew has said they will all get their shots after JB is done. QB is a glamour position, and I don’t know any of these kids, but I can imagine their ego’s aren’t small. Two of them will have to prepare for their egos to be bruised and be asked to sit the bench for the first times in the lives.

Colin Cowherd, an ESPN radio network talk show host, and I have a serious love-hate relationship. He really pisses me off sometimes, but he does make some great points. I like his show a lot better in the summer because he’s not polishing Belecheck’s and Charlie Weiss’s helmets and he tends to get a little slightly off topic. A guy called in asking some ridiculous NBA question, and Colin simply told him to say what he was thinking out loud, and if it makes sense once you hear the words come out of your mouth, it is probably safe to say that it will make sense if you try to argue the point to others. A little while later, I started to think about Pat White and WVU and how there could possibly be a snag in getting his number retired. Shit, even god himself, made it snow in Morgantown for his last game just to show us mortals how much even the creator enjoys watching Pat play. I’m not a religious man, but even an agnostic cat like myself can see that act was something even more Devine than No. 7. (Ok, maybe I’m getting a little carried away, but to say Pat’s career at WVU was anything less than storied would be a equivalent to comparing George Bush’s intellect to anything better than stupid). So, apparently you have to either win a national championship, be a unanimous All-American, or blow Ed Pastilong to have that honor. Pat, although deserving of two of three honors, never got to that award. I just want all of the six mountaineer fans that read this blog to step away from the mouse right now, and with all of the blue and gold fervor in their hearts say the following words. “Pat White’s number Five should be honored at Mountaineer Field and never be worn again by another WVU player”. Now doesn’t that make sense once you have said it out loud?

Speaking of Cowherd, a few days ago he was discussing A-Rod and how Alex’s chest was not as full as before. Despite the homoerotic insinuations in this bit, he somehow incorporated his man-crush into an informative and enlightening piece about a book he had just read titled Blink. This novel, about the first little thoughts that come to your head when you first receive a slice of information, and how, more often that not, they are closer to the truth than our well thought out plans. For instance, if you think she’s cheating on you, she probably is. As soon as he said this, my mind didn’t race to all the times I had thought a girl was cheating and chose to ignore it, nor did I revel on all of those times that I was fooled by a well-crafted but skeptical lie. A little while later, I started to think about jocks and DUI’s , the Fulmer Cup, and the way College athletes act and how some folks are very quick to throw the first stone without doing some administrative looking back. Every year during the Summer, ESPN has a special about all of these kids getting in trouble and how certain programs recruit less savory kids than others. (Shocking I know, but Vanderbilt tends to have fewer student athletes with off-season issues than Florida.) I’m not promoting DUI’s, drunk and disorderly conducts, or possessions, but I think we can all remember what we were like in college and what we did. Lets face it…you have good times in college and this why, when you are on your death bed, you tend to look back on those college years as the best and not those years pushing papers behind a desk and trying to dodge a boss you despise. You laugh, you drink, you drive fast, you chase women/men, …its all part of it when you are 20. I was an uptight science major, and I had a good time. I can’t even imagine what the summers are like for the athletes. I’m not saying the media needs to turn a blind eye to bad jocks, but I think that most of them are just doing things that most college kids do. If a kid gets busted with some grass, is it really that big of a deal? How many other kids get busted with grass everyday on Campuses across the country? Hell, a poor kid from FSU the other day, got a felony for removing a tire boot from his car. Now we all know how hard parking is on college campuses, and I’m sure many of us have had car trouble in college as well. Turns out this kid’s motorcycle wouldn’t run and he had to leave it, they booted it, and he removed it. Now he is being treated like he was dealing or something and people made a big deal about on ESPN how Bowden has lost control of his program. No big deal right? Not sure how I was going to relate all of this back to my original point about Blink, but I’m pretty sure that upon hearing my argument, that initial reaction of any person that possess reasonable intelligence will agree with me that the “mother ship” known as ESPN and the media in general (that’s you Mitch Vingle) judge our athletes a little too harshly at times and forget that they are just kids. How about the next time these guys hear about a free safety jay walking they should say it out loud first before they write it , or try not to think about it too much.

A stranger on the Prarie

2009-06-02T16:58:00.000-07:00

I live in Oklahoma now, and I have to say that the general public has a different opinion of me than they did 4 years ago. You see 4 years ago, Pat, Owen, Steve, Darius, and Noel etc were not well known. There was no Sugar Bowl and the immaculate comeback against Louisville was much over-shadowed by other nail biting games that took place on that Mid-October night. We Mountaineer fans know pain...and the worst is getting our asses handed to us when we think that a game will be a simple walk in the park. I won't mention the game that shall not be mentioned, but we all (and so does the rest of the country) know the circumstances and the events that took place afterwards. The friends of Tom Joad knew this t00, and they flocked westward down 1-40 and then down I10 to their little party in the desert. However, as quickly as the football gods rained on our parade and left us with that soul-crushing feeling of defeat and loss of our leader we awarded with an unexpected and dominant victory against an opponent that everyone expected to handle us easily.

After work and on the weekends I pretty much only wear T-Shirts that profess my love for WVU or the Theatrical masterpiece known as The Big Lebowski. (And yes if you are wondering this Dude does, always has, and will continue to abide.) The weather here is hot and dry and it is not conducive to someone of Belgian decent like me. In order to combat the heat I thought a white t-shirt would be perfect. I didn't realize, until I made it out on in public, that it was the shirt I bought after the Fiesta Bowl. For the most part Oklahoma Fans and Okies are the nicest people I have ever lived around and every comment was nice. I did get some dirty looks and one lady in a gas station asked if was from WV. She carded me too so it kind of confirmed it and then told me that she has a cousin in Richmond. I quickly responded that I have an uncle in Dallas.

On Saturdays on Pennsylvania Avenue in OKC, folks stand out on the corners with signs and solicit money from people stopped at the lights. I was feeling good and generally humanitarian and decided to give the guy a dollar. He approached slowly and commented on my WVU license plate on the front of my car; he then noticed my shirt told me I was brave for wearing that in OK. What a difference one game makes. The OU fans, who rightfully consider themselves one of college football's elite, once considered us a cute little team who did well every now and then. Now after one game, they look at us as a maybe not an equal but at least a worthy adversary. (Much like the man in the black pajamas...sorry Walter).

Money, The Draft, and a thought on the National Championship

2009-04-22T18:21:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago the the Charleston "Daily Mail" put out an article about coaches salaries and more importantly about WVU coaches salaries. The story focused on WVU's running back's coach, Chris Beatty, and how much or how little he makes relatively. Now before I start, lets just get it out of the way, Chris Beatty makes 175K/year and its more than I make and just about anyone else I know. His job security is better than any bank and his future is very bright due to his performance. So many might question this article that tries to argue that Coach Beatty is under- compensated. I argue that if you are reading this blog and have ever gotten misty eyed when you hear Appalachian Spring in an elevator, you should be a fan of coach Beatty and should support him getting a raise. Its probably the right time for me to say that coach Beatty has never asked for a raise publicly. What Coach Beatty has done is bring some great athletes to come play football at WVU. Now I know that WVU is a University and coach Beatty makes more than most professors. Also, I'm academic as they come, but there is not a person that can argue the revenue and exposure that WVU has over the last few years from their winning ways in the cage and on the field. I won't argue that the folks that are most responsible for that are the guys like Pat White, Kevin Pittsnoggle, Steve Slaton, etc. But shouldn't the guy who convinces these guys to come to the little town in the hills of northern WV, which is so far from home, get more credit and compensation. IMO....if you are good at what you do and make someone else lots of money you should be compensated for it.

I'm going to watch the draft like I always do. Its really NFL party that they invite us college football guys to. Its very nice to see who goes where, but after awhile Mel Kiper's hair starts to get on my nerves. I'll be Mowing my grass by noon. (But it only takes 20 minutes).

Quick....someone asked me the other day who won the National Championship in1997. I thought for a second and answered it was split between Michigan and Nebraska...which was correct. (However, I'm a college football dork and remember these things). I got to thinking about it though, and I thought that many National Championships are like many women I have dated. You remember some because every minute was hell but you stay with it because you want to see what happens next. This would be the great teams you love to hate like Miami in 03, Nebraska in 95, and USC in 2004. The other category would be the teams that capture your heart and you follow them like a young private does a general in the heat of battle. These are fewer far between in football but some that come to mind are OSU in 03, BYU in 84, Texas 05' and Alabama in 1992. I've left a whole lot of years out because, in my mind, they fall into the day to day relationship category. We had a two loss team win it a few years ago and a team that lost to a team that was unranked last season. I guess its the day to day stuff that keeps you going.

The 8 row hiatus

2009-04-04T21:50:00.000-07:00

I have not written in a long while, and it may seem like I'm one of those guys who only likes football except when their team is doing well in the tournament. Nothing can be further from the truth. I loved watching the progress of the team this year, and there were many times I wanted to share my thoughts but I just did not do it. Oh well.....

As it turns out about the time football season and Pat was capping off his career with a memorable performance in the tire bowl, I started hearing rumors of another kind. In late February, I got the bad news that I will no longer be employed in WV and I would have to once again move to Oklahoma City. We could see the writing on the wall, but the news has made my life a little hectic. Yesterday i signed a lease for a place in OKC, and I will probably be there by May. I will not be able to see things at Mountaineer field from 8 rows away. As much as it pains me, I have to consider myself lucky that I was able to watch guys like Pat White, Steve Slaton, Owen Schmitt, and Noel Devine in such close proximity. I'm still a fan though........and I will continue 8 rows of eers from 1200 miles away from the mother ship.

The end of the basketball season ended in such a bummer, and I can't really explain how bad it hurt to go out like that. One thing for sure, you can't expect to go to the sweet sixteen every year and upsets happen to every team. The theory about the team being tired is total BS in my opinion, but I have a slight connection with the whole thing and I do want to share.

I stated above that I will be going to OKC and on the days before the tournament, I was there in the land of red dirt and high winds looking for a house. Getting there was a task since Charleston was covered in fog and we had to wait in a small terminal for 8 hours. Turns out the chartered plane from Miami Air needed sercurity and we had to go through the commercial security and such. Coming back we were delayed once again while a military plane slowly boarded. This airline is the same service that was late getting to Morgantown and barely got Huggs and the crew to Minneapolis on time. Needless to say, I could feel their pain when I heard of the whole fiasco and had to wonder if our delays kept them from getting there on time. I would have gladly taken a commercial flight in order to avoid an upset like that one. As the stranger says in the Big Lebowski, "Sometimes you eat the bear and sometimes the bear eats you."

Pat's Top 10 According to Dolomite

2008-12-05T20:23:00.000-08:00

I won't be attending the USF game. I'm not mad at the team or giving up on them, but I do have a new position at work and some responsibilities I have to attend to. I have attended 9 of our 11 games this year and will try attend that many for the rest of my life, but even my myopic ass knows that sometimes, some things have to come before football.

That does not diminish the fact that we have a very important revenge game, and it is the last game for the greatest player that has ever played football at WVU. In honor of his last game, I would like to list, what I think, are his top 10 plays. Most of these plays are legendary and I'm proud to say that I saw most of them live.

10. The last game in 2005 was against USF, and we had the confrence and BCS bowl game locked up. However, respect for the conference and WVU was on the line. For the first time all season Steve Slaton was having trouble finding holes and Pat just took over. Pat drops back, surveys field and scampers 70 yards to a game changing score.

9. In the Fiesta Bowl last year, OU had just scored to bring the game within 14 I think. On second down, Pat drops back, looks over the field and delivers a laser to a double covered Tito Gonzales. Tito catches it, a DB rolls off of his back and he goes 83 yards and starts the rout of the sooners. Pat got drilled on this play, and the whole thing was more reminiscent of something Payton Manning would do than a running QB.

8. Pitt ran a punt back against us in the 2006 brawl and got back into the game at the end of the half. At the start of the second half, Pitt started to blitz and Pat hit Super Steve on two 60+ yard wheel routes for scores.

7. This isn't one play but at the end of the 4th quarter in the 07 Gator Bowl WVU had a slim 3 point lead against Georgia Tech. RR simply told Pat that we needed a few first downs, and Pat simply delivered that. We kept the ball for the final 5 minutes of the game and came back from 18 points down.

6. The second half against Louisville in 06 was something most would like to forget and many have. However, in the 4th quarter Pat White solidified himself as a leader in my eyes with his performance. Despite numerous fumbles by SS and Owen Pat just kept going and running for for first downs and throwing for TD's. We lost, but Pat showed that he is THE leader of the team and program and that he was never going to give in.

5. Against Louisville in 08, in the second half, Pat once again showed his leadership by simply making all of the plays. He took one in from 45 and threw for two more. In doing so, he broke the all time record for rushing by a NCAA QB. I couldn't think of a more deserving guy.

This is when it gets good......man I'll miss Pat.

4. Strange things happened to WVU in November of 2007 and it all began against Louisville. In the first half, WVU scored in multiple ways, but Brian Brohm and Harry Douglas proved to be constant thorns in our sides. With two minutes to go Louisville kicked a field goal to tie it up. Pat got us to the 50 and on second down, he got loose for a 50 yard scoring run. Incredibly clutch and classic Pat White.

3. In sub zero temperatures in 2005 against Pitt, Pat dropped back looked left for Drey on a screen, right for Brandon Miles on a screen but both were covered. HB Blades nearly takes his head off, but Pat makes him miss. Pat then scampers 70 yards to an icy, endzone and 445-21 blow out over the hated Pitt Panthers. When he was interviewed at the half by Erin Andrews, Dave Wannstadt broke down the play much like last year. Andrews asked what Pitt needed to do in order to stop WVU and White in the second half. Wanny being Wanny simply said that they must get faster.......

I'm starting to get misty eyed here...

2. The first quarter of the Sugar Bowl in 2006 might have been the most magnificent display of offense I have ever seen. In the second half, the Bulldogs, who were playing a basic home game, came back on us. After a penalty we had a 3rd and 9 from our 9 with three minutes to go. Pat drops back and takes off. I'm not sure how many he juked, but it was at least half of the Georgia defense. Many, if not most, will remember Phil Brady's fake punt to ultimately seal it, but that play would have never been possible had Pat not made one of the most amazing 11 yard runs you will ever see.

With water on the keyboard.....

1. You might recall that in 2005, Louisville was the hands down favorite to win the league, and WVU was a young team with little expectations. Pat didn't even start the game and played little through the first 52 minutes. Down by 17, Adam Bednarick got injured and Pat had to come in and convert a first down with a 2nd and 20. He did just that with a nice pass to Drey. After drops by Jollah and Brandon Marshall, Pat then had a 4th and ten. Louisville only rushed three and Pat ran around Eric Johnson and Elvis Dummervill (both in the NFL) to get the first down. WVU scored a few plays later. After an amazing on sides kick and a field goal it was once again 4th down and a long yard this time. Louisville brought the house and Pat used his speed and vision to take it around the corner to a first down. Steve Slaton scored to set up the game tying extra point two plays later. These two plays kept this game alive. More importantly, this game was the catalyst for WVU's unparallelled success from 2005-07. From this point on, WVU would not lose another football game for another year, and would only lose 3 more in the next two seasons. One thing for sure...he will be missed. Lets hope I can replace one of these plays with a play tomorrow....IMO chances are good.

Good Times and Bad Times on the Ohio

2008-12-05T19:59:00.000-08:00

First the good

My attorney and I started the day in Lexington, and quickly made our way to view the kickoff at Papa Johns stadium (the slice as they call it.) The first half was more of the same BS we have seen all year. Trips inside the 5 that ended with missed field goals or little daddy slipping while walking in the endzone. Can Noel Devine get some longer cleats or something? The guy seems get tackled by the turf more than any player I have ever seen when its cold. Also, for a guy that was a special teams coach, you would think that Stew of all people would realize that Pat Mac does not kick the ball well when kicking from the left hash and inside the ten. I know that most of our third down plays in the redzone involve some sort of run pass option for Pat, but you would think that we would change it up if we know we are going to kick the field goal on 4th down?

The second half was amazing. Louisville fans were giving us high fives and confessing their man love for PW. I was amazed when Pat was left in during the 4th quarter to get the record, but I was glad that I got to see it. Overall it was a good trip but pretty darn cold.

On Black Friday, my attorney and I woke up at 5am like many other Americans, but it was not so we could catch a good sale or get a wii. It was to head north, to Yinzer town to see the 101st addition of the backyard brawl. This was about revenge. And despite the fact that we had to sit in the nose bleed seats and brave the cold Ohio River wind, I knew we were going to get ours. Instead, we gave another one away. Two posessions inside the ten with no points, another we got down to the ten but it was called back for a penalty. Same story, same river wind, but a different result. When Lashan McCoy got the ball on the edge on the same fake dive play that killed us last year and took it for a key first down I knew it was all over. Cincy winning against the Cuse took a little bit of the sting away, but irrelevance after being dominant for so many years is a little hard to swallow.

Bad Chili and Good news from Geno......

2008-11-10T18:30:00.000-08:00

You know in Cincinnati they put pasta on Chili. I'm serious. They take a glorious American tradition and mix it with spaghetti noodles. If you like such a thing, all I have to say is Wendys and the Olive Garden don't mix. I have severe disdain for Ohio, and its things like this that fuel my little fire pit of hatred.

At some point around 10 pm Thursday, I was thinking about Cincy chili, listening to their fans do their basketball cheer (weak, gay) and thinking about how unpleasant my drive home was about to be. As you all know a few things happened, I got really happy, a grown man confessed his love for me, and we lost in OT on a bullshit, nutless, dumb fuck call. We didn't deserve to win at all and that is all that matters. Although it would have been one hell of a story.

I missed the UCONN game or at least missed blogging about it and at this time it doesn't matter. All the good things we were doing ended. However, you only have to go down one post to see my keys to WVU winning games. After Auburn, I said that we HAVE to run the ball up the middle to be successful. We did for two games and then a gigantic, proverbial Dent hit or left our program. Next to guard the center is the most unglorified position on the field. However, I was amazed at the beginning of the game how nobody seemed to be concered how we were going to be without our big guy in the center. My fears were realized when we rushed for only 99 yards the whole game and the middle of the line was dominated by their DL. For all the trash that we talked about Mike Dent we needed him most and he might be the most important part or our team other than Pat.

For a few brief moments on Saturday, though, we almost jumped the general lee over the big bowl of carbohydrate laced chili. The worst thing about it was how it would have been......However, for all of these types of games you have to think of the Louisville game in 05, the Rutgers game in 06, etc. and how these things tend to work themselves out for good and for bad. Not even gastric bypass and the rest of the delusional Notre Dame fans are lucky enough to win all of them.

Despite all of the gloom and doom and all of the projections of a 6-6 season and a bowl game in mid-December, we have some good news for Mountaineer Nation. Fans, welcome Euguene (Geno) Smith to our team. He came via, Damon Cogdell, who played at WVU back when the author was raising hell in White Hall and the Mountainlair. Eugene is a 4 star QB and will fit in nicely with his good friend and high school teammate Bailey Stedman. I don't know if it makes a dam bit of difference or not, but after the game was over on Saturday we all clapped for the team. Despite the loss ,the fans that stood in their seats and even stayed after the game (that would be me), all cheered for the team when the game was over. ES and BS were there to see that, and I would think that the team's effort coupled with the fan's disappointed yet warm reaction would mean a great deal to a young man trying to choose his football destination. We need to remember this moment when ES is in the game in a few years, throws a pick, and we want to boo him. He believed in us when we needed him most (and we do).

Turning the corner

2008-11-06T16:14:00.000-08:00

I recently said that WVU was running the prevent offense and that they couldn’t score in a Women’s Prison with a handful of barbies. The quote is actually supposed to be with a handful of pardons, but I thought I heard barbies and just left it that way. At any rate, today it appears that I was incorrect about the WVU part too.

For the first time since the Fiesta Bowl, it felt like the good old days. WVU pounded Auburn (like every SEC team they have played), and they did it very convincingly. The most impressive thing is that WVU all but spotted Auburn 17 points, and it didn’t even matter. I think that everyone in that stadium from the Chik-a-filet guy, to me, to Captain Green Bean, to Little Daddy and Pat White knew that there was no reason to panic and that good things were about to come to the old gold and blue. Of course after the game, the question that was on everyone’s mind was, “Where has this been all year?” Answers to this question include but are not limited to:

“Auburn sucks….”

“Chris Beatty is calling plays”

“Rich Rod and Calvin were calling plays in from the couch”

“Auburn really sucks…”

“Noel figured out how to run in the zone”

“Mike Dent can finally block”

“Mullen figured out how to call plays”

“Pat played extra hard because it was against a school from Bama”

“Tubberville is a moron.”

I will not address all of these, but some of them are just too good to pass up. Firstly, Auburn has the most talented defense we will face all year. I was watching the replay of the game with my attorney and on our first scoring drive Noel had a 4 yard run off of the right side that would have gone for 40 against any other team. In the words of our beloved Stew, the boys at Auburn strained and really got after it(at least in the first half), and to categorize that performance against them as anything but improvement would be a serious case of bad judgement. Sure their offense is weak, but I have to call them like I see them and what I saw was our team dominate a good Auburn defense for 60 minutes. Since that issue has been cleared up, I’m sure that all of you are now on the edge of your seat asking what we did differently on Thursday? Well, baby birds, you came to the right place because I’m going to feed ya. Out of all the things that it could be, I’m convinced that the success we saw on offense can mainly be attributed to one thing. For the first time all year the inside zone play worked more than it didn’t work. Auburn had to respect our inside running game and it opened out those beautiful outside runs that we love so much. On the first scoring drive Pat faked the middle hand-off to Jock and optioned to his left where he later pitched to Little Daddy. The backers froze on the fake and allowed Pat to get outside where he then pitched it. Now the reasons for being able to run the inside zone play are many, and whether its better second level blocking by our lines interior or more patient running by Noel or just better playcalling by Mullen I do not know. I do know however, that WVU is 4000-0* over the last couple of years when we run the inside zone play with success, and to me that is all that matters. Furthermore, if we can continue to run the inside zone play with great success (said in my best Kazahk accent) I strongly feel that every team left on our will have a very difficult time stopping us.

*Stats made up by me in order to legitimize this blog.

Stats and a microwave

2008-10-17T17:23:00.000-07:00

I’m really not a stat guy. Sure I like to know how many yards Little Daddy and the Great one run for, but, IMHO, most stats are simply numbers that most folks use to justify losses. I love it when people refer to stats like Passing Yards/attempt, Net punting, or pass defense efficency. In my 20+ years of watching football, I have never been watching a game and thought to myself how good a certain team is doing with their pass defense efficency.

Other than wins and losses, when you really think about it, there are only about 5 stats that really matter.

Turnover margin…There is no better way to lose a game than giving the ball away. Likewise, teams that do not turn the ball over and take it away often find ways to win games they shouldn’t. UCONN the past couple of years is a good example of this style of play. We have been tremendous over the last few years at taking the ball away, but we have been giving it away over the last few years as well. See the last two losses at USF and ECU and Colorado games.

Penalty yards….Lack of discipline and mental mistakes make up about 75% of all penalties I think. How many drives did we have killed last week because of holds by Ryan Stancheck. One was on a reverse that was run to the opposite side of the field. On the other side of this how many times did JT Thomas jump offsides against Marshall on third down essentially giving them a firstdown. Teams that make too many penalties, IMO, show a serious lack of focus and suggest that the coaches attention to detail is not what it should be. Say what you want to about Nick Saban but you don’t see Alabama jumping offsides and getting called for chop blocks and false starts do you?

Scoring defense…This one is pretty obvious. In 2006, WVU had a great offense, but the defense was horrible. I strongly feel that the amount of yards are much less important a stat than the amount of scoring your defense allows.

Scoring offense….I’m not even going to explain much, but the term total offense always gets to me. 500 yards of total offense against Marshall and only 27 points. You have to score to win, and right now, WVU couldn’t score in a women’s prison armed with a box of chocolates and a fistful of barbies. Simply put that is our problem this year….

Time of possession….Good things happen when you have the ball more than your opponent. Its not the be all end all…in 2006 we scored so fast that many teams had the ball much longer than us, but generally if you win this battle you win the game too.

On another note, I was at the microwave at work today, minding my own business, watching my burrito cook. Someone was nice enough to bring me late night taco bell and I had some leftovers. I hear someone walk by me, slow down and I cringe immediately. I cringe because it reminds me of my dating days. Occasionally you would take a girl out and realize after about 10 minutes that she was absolutely, socially retarded and has not one original or meaningful thought in her little, self-absorbed head. The audible stop and pause behind you at the microwave is akin to the deep breath your date would take right before she plows on through another meaningless, two-man soliloquy on whatever ills are plaguing her life at that moment. So after my cringe, I prepare for a sequence of events that begins with a stupid question about what is cooking and then ends with me giving that person with a look of total hatred is about to ensue. Why even ask the question in the first place? If I wanted to talk about everything I ate throughout the day I would have a food blog. So this person asks me what I’m eating. I don’t even reply; I just look inside the microwave where even Stevie Wonder could tell that a burrito is cooking. This is generally followed with some sort of eye contact and a head nod where I confirm through non-verbal communication that she is indeed seeing a burrito. It never works, because this is where it gets really fun. I’m kind of used to pointing out the obvious to people…… have managers that I have to do it for all of the time. However, this next level that people always have to take it to is what makes me go absolutely bat-shit crazy. For some odd reason, people always feel compelled to tell you how they don’t like what you are eating or they just go oooo or yuck. Not that I care what they think…I’ll eat what I want to regardless of whether or not you like it. (I’m my own man in that kind of way). I do find it tremendously rude and the whole thing having no value what so ever.

OK…enough of that

I also have to add that the best sports movie ever made is The Big Lebowski. It has more quotes than just about any movie there is and plenty of Creedance and Bob. A group of Nihilists are main characters and Flea has a part in it. White Russians and sarsaparillas are a staple and the whole movie centers around the greatest social sport that just about anyone can play…. and in color too. Last night while bowling, I realized that my favorite movie is also a sports movie, and in the words of the stranger, I’m glad that I came to that realization before the good lord gypped me. Ahh…the Dude abides.

Stew gets some balls on Prom night

2008-10-14T16:51:00.000-07:00

Tajh Boyd simply piled on the Mountaineer nation after he decommitted from WVU on Sunday night. In doing so, Mr. Boyd let it be known that our recent offensive woes were a catalyst for his decommitment. Now before I go too far here, I'm going to talk about how the recruiting system works in college football. I'm not a recruiting expert or a football genius but I do follow it and, as my title would suggest, I find it to be much like asking for a date to the prom.

Recruiting is a year around process in today's world. You work on college seniors until the first Wednesday in February and then you can sign them to an official contract. However, up until then there are many promises that are handed out on both sides. Playing time, playcalling, and escalades are all promised in the form of unwritten contracts that we refer to as verbals. Well, back in March Tajh gave us a verbal. Now remember this isn't a commitment this is just saying I want to play here and I will sign there in a year. So in March he commits and then a standout wide receiver (Logan Heastie) commits as well. Well, we all have been 18 before and we know that 7 months is a great deal of time, and now everyone has their panties in a knot because this boy changed his mine.

At first I was pissed about the whole thing, but now I'm not so much. First of all, he has openly stated that the NFL is his goal. That's fine if that is your goal, but anyone that has paid much attention to the draft for the last 20 years knows that if you are good enough the NFL will find you. Josh Booty played for USC in a pro-style system that every team in the NFL runs. He was barely drafted last year. The Baltimore Ravens have a rookie QB starting that played at Delaware (and was originally signed by Pitt). Delaware is a division IAA team that couldn't beat USC on any day.

I can understand his disdain with the offense. We don't throw much or score much this year. The whole NFL thing is total BS though as I stated before. The thing that really gets me is that we gave Tajh a commitment. Sure we promised playing time, we promised a change in the offense and most importantly to him we promised to not recruit another QB. Now this is especially important since we currently have The great one at QB as a senior, Jarret Brown as a Junior, Bradley Starks, and Coley White. The later two will have to start in 2010 if we don't get another. Boyd had it all made to be the next starter at WVU, and we even honored his agreement by not recruiting another QB. He has yet to play a down, sign a contract, or put on a uniform but he has royally screwed us in the recruiting process. It show a serious lack of heart and a will that can be broken quicker than a French boxers jaw. Just think about Pat White and how he started. Third on the depth chart, not even listed as QB but as an athlete, comes in to a game 2nd and 20 and he picks it up. He scored 17 unanswered in 10 minutes and converted 2 4th downs (one a 4th and 10). That's heart, that's resilience and that is why we have won 3 new years day bowls in a row. Pat White decommited from LSU to come to us to play QB showing that he had the heart to spur the National Champs and prove to the country that they were wrong, and I have a good feeling that Tajh Boyd decommited from us because he does not posses the same traits. These are the same traits that pick up the tough 3rd down in the Georgia Dome when the Bulldogs have all the momentum and 90$ of the crowd, the traits that make you go on when your all American running back has had the worst game in his career and you are about to lose. It shows your will to win a bowl game you never should have ever had to play in Jacksonville, and last but not least, Pat White's performance in the Fiesta Bowl last year was something extraordinary. Nobody would have ever faulted him for giving up and going pro but he wanted it for his pride and for everyone that loves WVU.

The next QB will never be as good as Pat or have as much heart. This I know. However, when we talk about team toughness, attitude, and other mental aspects that are so important in football I have to believe that a boy high school boy playing QB, that is more concerned with pro bowls than sugar bowls would be a detrimental and dramatic drop off than the man and the champion we have grown to love for the last 4 seasons.

So what...the first girl we asked to prom didn't like us because we don't drive the right car. We have had better anyway and she has prove too high maintenance. BC sucks anyways.....

Season recap to this point.....

2008-10-13T19:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings everyone.

I've decided to start blogging again. As usual, the content will be random, have many grammatical errors and will often be influenced by the many miller lites in my system. However, my focus from now until late March (hopefully) will be mountaineer athletics and mainly mens football and basketball. So if you like Huggins and captain green bean then stop here from time to time. I'll try to sort things out for you.

I'll start at the beginning....

I have to admit that against Nova I was relieved. I truly thought that running against anyone was a forgone conclusion and the promised passing came on that Labor Day weekend. I left optimistic but concerned about our defense.

Against ECU I had a deck party at my house. The weather was great, food was awesome and plentiful, and many showed up. What transpired was quite possibly the 5th most disappointing loss I have ever had as a mountaineer fan. I think it can be a good thing that we relive these kinds of things so I'm going to briefly relive the top 5.

1. VT football 1999....There is one reason I never leave a game early and never start making calls before we sing country roads.. Khori Ivy catches a Brad Lewis pass over the middle and the upset is on. Ron Mexico, aka Michael Vick, takes the ball around the corner past Barret Green and within field goal range with seconds to play. Todd Graham kicks the field goal as my mom and I talk on the phone.

2. Louisville basketball 2005...Pat Belien was banking threes from 23 feet away, Louisville was in foul trouble, and WVU was going to the final four. WVU went cold, Louisville got hot and and I knew that once they got us into OT there was nothing left to do but the crying. (No I didn't cry.)

3. Miami 1996...undefeated, ranked 8th, seconds to go Tremaine Mack, blocked punt. The season goes into shambles and we lose the bowl game.

4. Pitt 2007....fresh on our minds we need no recap. It is only 4 because I knew we were going to lose that one from about the start of the 2nd quarter. Time to prepare always eases the pain.

5. Miami 2003....Jesus what a turnaround. The greatest run in history only to turned around by what was the worst coverage call by a defensive coordinator in the history of football.

After the ECU debacle, we had a little time to catch our breath, make some excuses and prepare for a Rocky Mtn. High. I went with my attorney and we agreed to have a good time no matter what the outcome of the game was. I now have a new number 5 on the above list. I really thought we would win that one once things got rolling. I had never seen a team run for 300 and only score 14 points. Oh well, on to Denver and a few good meals.

I have heard some say that the win against Marshall was like beating your wife after a bar fight. That is what it felt like for sure. Yet again...300 yards of total offense and only 27 points.

Rutgers was the first noon game in a long time and it felt that way. The team and the crowd seemed to have a hangover. Shit even Stew seemed a little rusty....my guess is that he had some ripple with his green beans the night before. But our lads fought hard and strained.

Syracuse was a daytime version of the Pitt game from last year just with a 92 yard run from Noel Devine "aka...little daddy". Everything else was the same. Pat was out, JB struggled, and Syracuse had the ball for what seemed like a geological era. To continue on the previous analogy that would be like beating the dog after the bar fight.

I will discuss Auburn in another blog at another time....