Time for Game 2

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

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

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.

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

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

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

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.