What We Learned From The Villanova Game

My initial reaction to the game is up here. It seemed to me that the WV defense was very vanilla, but it also was not getting the job done. Villanova was able to move the ball between the twenties with great success. They had six drives that were 8 plays or longer. Four of those were 10 plays or more, eating up five minutes or longer each. In all, the Wildcats had the ball for almost 15 minutes longer that WV. They also outgained the Mountaineers 399-354.

To their credit, Villanova came out in formations that they had not shown before, and that quarterback, Antwan Young, is the real deal. His stats weren't incredible (17-33, 218, 0 td's, 2 int's), but he did a lot of things well. His offensive line (returning all five starters) gave him a lot of time and did a decent job in the running game.

On the flip side, I never got the feeling that West Virginia was trying to run the ball. I have to admit that the number of WR screens in the first part of the game made we want to make a dash to the liquor store. Villanova was stacking the line and expecting West Virginia to run the ball a lot and bubble screen on passing plays despite the new formations and pre-snap motion. When the Mountaineers started stretching the pass routes down field, White came alive. Even his 25-33 passing day doesn't tell the story of how well he threw the ball. I can think of two or three passes off the top off my head that bounced of receivers hands. It was the kind of game by White that should have a lot of defensive coordinators peeing in their pants. Because the funny thing is, as little commitment as West Virginia had toward the running game, they still came out with 6.8 yards per rush on the day.

Despite losing Darius Reynaud to the NFL, I think the receiving corps was improved. Arlic Arnett is going to be a star, and Jock Sanders filled the role left by Reynaud very well in the slot. We've been waiting for this for some time, but I think we can now say that we welcome defenses stacking the line, because there is a passing game that will hurt you. And if you blitz and miss, that White guy will be running crazy on you all day long.

Pirate week comes a little early this year, and those guys have all the confidence in the world after whooping the Hokies. It'll be a big test for West Virginia. A LOT BIGGER than what we thought before yesterday. Arrrr!

Thursday Coal Tattoo

Yea! Football season starts tonight! Cable gets hooked up tomorrow. Boo! That's how big a fan I am, I turn off the cable in the off season because I don't want to waste my time watching something that doesn't have a snowball's chance in hell of living up to CFB. Just FYI.

-Three new weekly posts going up on FanHouse last night that should be fun to follow, Prop Bets For The College Football Junkie, Tailgate Central, and Pickin' On The Big Ten.

-Good news for the defense, Reed Williams will be starting at linebacker. Two sides to this coin. We need all the experience we can put out there on defense, I just hope he isn't rushing things. Because it is Villanova we're talking about here.

-A little more thurough preview of the Villanova game.

-Who am I kidding, I'm still sick as hell and won't make much sense if I continue this. Need proof? Listen to my sensless rambling on the In The Bleachers podcast from last night. Everyone else was really good. Me? I probably remind you of the guy just asking for a quarter so I can buy a bottle of Night Train.

How The &*#@ Do You Get Sick Twice In August

Sick days are happening a lot around the Lair lately. You could say I haven't been taking care of myself, and you would be right. I was at least able to get out the vocals before the sickness hit yesterday. Yup, another songbook. This time a few select Big 12 coaches get the treatment. I'll post the video here, but please head over to FanHouse to check it out also and for links if you feel the need. You know, to keep my bosses happy.




Also, I'll be on the In The Bleachers podcast tonight doing my best Froggy impersonation. It should be a pretty good show. Besides myself, the following fine blogs will be represented:

Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician, bff

Mizzourah

Corn Nation

Rocky Top Talk

Burnt Orange Nation

Every Day Should Be Saturday

Adam Nettina from ITB and College Football News

Justin Hokanson and Michael Felder from Bleacher Report

Life is Pain

Exploding Bottle Rocket Hits Crotch


Showoff Gets Knocked Out


Slip & Fail


Guitar Uppercut !

What Is This Villanova That You Speak Of

Yeah, that picture is from the Early Crackpipe Predictions that I never got around to. But hey, at least I got the picture done before I pitched the whole process.

At least someone has them ranked 21st in 1-AA. As you may notice, they return 17 starters from a team that went 7-4 last year. Apparently, that wasn't good enough to get them into that thing they call a playoff in 1-AA. But since this is who we are going to play come Saturday, might as well take a look under the hood and see what's what.

There isn't much out there to chew on, but their starting quarterback is Antwon Young. A very mobile quarterback that completed 64% of his passes before suffering a serious knee injury and being lost for half of the season. Nothing eye popping about his rushing stats. He carried the ball 72 times for 151 yards and two touchdowns. The entire offensive line returns, but they will be starting either Angelo Babbaro or Aaron Ball, both sophomores and both with little experience. Ball saw more action, but both are 5'9" and 190ish lbs.

The defense returns nine starters including their top four tacklers. The most noteworthy is defensive lineman, Tim Kukucka with a dozen tackles for a loss and 8.5 sacks.

As far as common opponents, we both played Maryland last year and where they lost 31-14, we beat the turtles 31-14. So that's how that works. Really, there's not that much more out there to know about the Wildcats. That link above is the latest news on the Villanova website.

The big concern should really be that West Virginia wins handily and comes out of the game without any injuries. The first part should be easy, and the second part is up to the football Gods.

Things I Thought Would Happen, A Link Story

My preview did go up on Deadspin yesterday. Somehow, they didn't use the picture I was sure and hoping they would use.


The Octonion is back! Way back!

I am the tard, I forgot to tell Aaron over at CFB Weekly that I write here again. I know, it's hard to keep up with me with all my quitting here and writing over there and coming back here. It's like the bitch of a girlfriend that was also the best sex. You try to get away, but she always seems to find you at your weakest point and reels you in. As long as you're honest about it, I guess it's ok. Anyway, quite an impressive list of interviews for their season preview. Go listen!

The In The Bleachers Big 10 11 preview podcast was incredible last night. Go listen now!!!!! And make sure you are there live the next time so you can join in on the chat. Nothing like me and BigHead from Mizzourah making JoPa jokes to distract Brian while he's conducting interviews. Seriously, you need to go listen. Fellow FanHouser, OopsPowBangSurprise aka Adam Jacobi from BHGP was really awesome! I promise, your workday will fly by. Thank me later.

Now you kids get off my lawn!

A Very Interesting Day

I think today was one of the most special days in my life. I warn you, this post has nothing to do with Football, alcohol, drugs, or women. I've kind of hinted at the fact that I work for the Federal Black Lung Program before. Today was the celebration of the 30th year of the program in Charleston. It was a big deal to say the least. Governor Joe Manchin, congresswoman Shelly More Capito, former congressman Ken Heckler, Assistant Secretary of the Department of Labor (can't remember her name), UMWA president Cecil Roberts, and the two remaining doctors that fought so had to get the legislature to enact the Mine Safety Act of 1969 which led to the creation of the Black Lung program years later were all in attendance.

Being the songwriter that I am, I was asked to write a song for the occasion. The initial idea wasn't very hard for me to come up with as my grandfather died from complications due to his Black Lung disease in 1979. My grandmother received his benefits until she passed in 2004. I have to admit this, I always knew how my grandfather died. But I never knew my grandmother received benefits until I returned to work following her funeral to find her claim on my desk to be terminated. This wasn't a cruel trick by any of my fellow workers, I grabbed a pile of claims that needed inputs and there it was. I think it's kind of fitting and I wouldn't want it any other way. So telling the story of my grandfather and grandmother in the song was the easy part. The hard part was trying to tie it all in with the event. Thankfully, when I was told that the two surviving doctors, Donald Rasmussen and Hawey Wells would be there along with former Congressman Ken Heckler who were really the backbone of the movement to have Black Lung considered a debilitating disease. Those two doctors were instrumental in creating a series of tests to determine the presence of the disease. Creating the standards that are still followed to this day. And tied the song together by saying what a blessing it was for my grandmother to have these benefits. After raising 11 children and being in her fifties, it's a little crazy to think that she should have to start a career. The money helped her live a comfortable life, which is to say that she didn't want for food or shelter. The personal highlight for me was being able to thank these three gentlemen personally before I started the song.

Their efforts weren't accepted by the UMWA, the coal companies (obviously), the West Virginia board of physicians, and the government in general. But these men, despite being ostracized by their colleagues and ignored by the media pushed to get the disease recognized. Their efforts were helped, sadly, by the Farmington, WV mine disaster. This incident drew attention from all over the country.



The legislation was already written and put in front of the US Congress, but many wanted the Black Lung part of the legislation left out because of skepticism about the existence of the disease. But when the miners were trapped underground for over a week, media started talking to other miners and running stories about how large numbers of miners were suffering and the efforts of the doctors. It was a perfect storm and as Cecil Roberts said today the 78 men that died in that mine were heroes. It's very sad, but their death brought comfort and a means to survive to the men and women that followed. I just want you to know that the money these miners and surviving spouses receive isn't a boat load of money. It's fractions of what they brought home when they were working. But the money and the medical benefits they receive is enough to provide the minimum of what they need to survive. And it's the least we can do.

I also want to touch on something I feel a little bad about. I've been more than critical of our Governor about his role in the whole coaching fiasco. But I also want to point out the good he has done in the wake of the Sago incident. It was Joe Manchin that pushed for updates to mine safety and rapid response units following that disaster. He very simply put forth three areas that needed to be addressed: Rapid Response-Coal Companies should immediately contact his office in the event of an emergency so rescue efforts can be coordinated, Communication- Develop a means for trapped miners to communicate their location, situation, etc., and A Means to Sustain Themselves-Oxygen located near the working area so if they do get cut off they would have a means to stay alive until help could arrive. It sounds simple, and it is. But these things were not in place and they were not being worked on to improve until he went to work on them. His straight to the point thinking also was an influence on national mine safety updates. He's a politician and he should be expected to act like one. But he is also a man that was effected by the loss of life in the Farmington disaster. He lost friends and family and he knows first hand the results of what working in the mines can do to a person. For his efforts, I want to thank him and hope he continues to keep an eye on the progress and not let the mines fall back into being less safe ever again.

Oh yeah, if you are reading this, thank a miner. Coal powers your computer.

Thursday Coal Tattoo

Pfft! We're gettin' close now, it's starting to smell like football around here.

First off, I think I'm going to have a preview of WV over at Deadspin. I did an interview on CFB Weekly earlier this week that I think is going to post today. Maybe. I'm woefully out of touch and I'll be away from the PC most of the day. So all of the above could be one big moonshine hallucination.

The preseason blogpoll is up over at MgoBlog. Woot! Another sign that we will be drunk in front of the TV for the next six months!

Here's a preview of the Mountaineers from the guys at Over The Pylon worth a look at. I'm so bad about getting links on the sidebar up. I swear once we get through these conference previews at FanHouse I'll have some room to breathe.

ESPN Plus will give you a look at the Villanova game. Just hope that there isn't a delay so you can turn the volume down and listen to Tony.

Nice piece on Josh Jenkins for my fellow Parkersburg folks. I'd rather he redshirt and save up for the future. But if he's ready and one of the top linemen then let's get him in and win it all this year.

Burning questions with Brian Bennett at ESPN. Sad he isn't covering Louisville, but glad to have him writing on this stage.

A little bit to do about the teams pregame entrance at home games. I don't care if the helmet stays, a lot of teams do that. Just please get rid of the video that Rita and Co. put together.

I don't agree with Bill Smith on this one. It might seem too simplistic, but knowing what to do and where to sit, etc. can make a road trip seem routine. Having to focus less on the stupid shit and more on who you are playing when the time comes around sounds like a good idea to me. And probably something he saw his many years as an assistant that he wanted to change if he ever got the chance.

Finally, we'll miss you Owen. I hope not too much on the field, but you will be missed!

The Big East Hot Seat

If you haven't been paying attention, I'm doing a College Football Songbook for each BCS conference as part of the previews we're doing over at FanHouse. And in the spirit of sharing, here's the Big East version. Enjoy.

Blogpoll Roundtable: Doug Makes Us Work

Doug of the wonderfully fabulous Hey Jenny Slater is making us work for our spot on the roundtable. I went looking for the scene where John Cusack says "Hey Jenny Slater", but I couldn't find it. So you get some Hi Fidelity instead.




1. In his "visiting lecturers" series posted on Every Day Should Be Saturday over the past few months, Orson Swindle asked each participant to explain which country, during which historical period, their team most resembles. Let's bring everything up to the present day and ponder: Which current sovereign nation is your team? Or to look at it another way, how does your team fit into the "world" of college football?

Yeah, that went well. Accordingly, there will be no comparisons to Germany here. It has to be a country that is so completely bat shit crazy that you don't really want to look them in the eye. A country that you desperately do not want to put all the pieces to the puzzle together, because if they do you get that feeling that life as you know it will never be the same again. You thinking what I'm thinking?

Ah Ya Ah Ya Ah Ya Ah Ya Ah Ya Ah Ya

Yes, you don't want any part of that kind of crazy! And big enough that because of your current situation you really don't want to meet them on the field of battle. But small or insignificant enough that you're just not believing that they could actually win the whole thing. Come on! I'm talking about your perception, not mine. We used to not matter so much in the big scheme of things. But now you know who we are and like it or not, you have to deal with us.

2. Every preseason roundup has to have some discussion of who's overrated, but let's go beyond that. Which team do you think is poised to crap the bed in the biggest way this season relative to high expectations, and which game do you think will begin their slide into ignominy?

Illinois- I think they are absolutely going to get bitch slapped to start the season out with Missouri. And I think there's a very good chance that they could be 2-3 by the time they play at Penn St. and Michigan. A lot of my fellows at FanHouse are not believing in Juice Williams to carry the load now that Mendenhall is gone. I'm not so sure that they have recovered from the ass kicking they got in the Rose Bowl last year. They have been recruiting very well with [NR], so maybe I might be wrong. But I doubt it.

3. On the flip side of that coin, which team do you think is going to burst out of nowhere to become 2008's biggest overachiever -- this year's version of Kansas '07, as it were -- and what's going to be the big upset that makes us all finally sit up and take notice of them?

BYU- Like Kansas last year, they play absolutely no one of consequence besides UCLA. So yeah, they play absolutely no one of consequence. They should be just as good if not better than last years Cougar team. Things are crazy out west, but there's no reason to think they won't be undefeated by the time bowl season comes around. And then they'll play the No. 2 SEC team in a BCS bowl and wish they would have thrown the Colorado St. game.

4. Here's an "I'll hang up and listen" question. I put Ohio State and Oklahoma #1 and #2, respectively, despite their recent high-profile BCS face-plants. Where did you rank those two teams, and did those BCS issues have anything to do with it?

Like I said before, it pains me but tOSU should be a very good team this year. They have a lot of quality returning, and I will not be surprised to see Terrell Pryor in a Tim Tebow type fashion. And that will make them that much scarier. Oklahoma? Meh. I felt like them being in the top 10 was a bad judgment on my part, and worse that no WVU fans called me on it. Their lines can't handle speed for shit. They have quality speed at the skill positions, but no skill anywhere else. I fart in their general direction.

5. Last season was a statistical outlier in countless ways, not the least of which was the fact that we ended up with a two-loss team as national champion. Do you think anyone plays a strong enough schedule to get MNC consideration as a two-loss team this year? Conversely, do you see anybody managing to sail into the national-championship game undefeated?


I think this question was asked by someone that cheers for Georgia. Check that, I know it! And I still feel that way. It might take a lot of crazy things to happen, but if Georgia can work their way into the SEC championship game with two losses, it's possible. Outside of that, no. As far as undefeated? The winner of tOSU vs. USC should be slapped if they don't go undefeated. WVU will almost certainly need to go undefeated. Missouri doesn't play Oklahoma, so they could also do it. If BYU is in the title game, I just want you all to know that I am going to torch this mother like no one has ever torched a mother before!


6. OK, time for some Olympic fever. Which athlete from the Beijing Olympics -- any sport, any country, with the exception of USA basketball since those guys are already pros -- would you most want to add to your team's roster this season? No worries about age, eligibility, or even gender; we'll worry about that crap later.

Just because

Marshall Was Never That Good

Via The Mountain Top, it turns out that Marshall and former head coach Bob Pruitt weren't exactly playing above the table in their "glory years." Let me put that another way. I mean, we all knew they were not doing anything by the book. I'm sure the pressure to win moving from 1-AA to 1-A was incredible. But that doesn't mean I can't laugh and point my finger at them. I'm sure no team in the country is 100% clean. If you're not cheating, you're not trying. Right? But this holds a special place in my heart because of several Herd fans that are friends that have gone on and on about this team for really no good reason I can think of other than to be annoying as shit.

Former Marshall player Sam Goines alleged in his affidavit that during time
he did not qualify for a scholarship under Proposition 48, he and “props” Alonzo
Jones, Ralph Street, Kenny Lytle, and Jerome Smith were assigned $25 per hour
“janitorial “ jobs at Chapman Printing and car washing at Fish & Bates
Motors. “We were instructed by the coaching staff (Coach Ralph May in
particular) that we should not talk about the Job(s) or tell anyone about the
job and keep it in the football family. During my senior year, I was suspended
for four games for working at Chapman Printing during my Prop 48 year… in order
to restore my eligibility I was told to sign a statement indicating I had made
$12.50 per hour. The statements were signed at a meeting in Pruett’s office
under Pruett’s direction.”

If Pruitt isn't punished, even a little bit by the NCAA then there is no God. Just as Reggie Bush should be punished and not USC, unless it can be proven that they had knowledge. Pruitt needs to be held accountable. As the head coach, he apparently knew and approved of the violations. You can place some blame on the school. But his Coal Bowl propping ass needs to bear the brunt.

Preseason Blogpoll Ballot

Thanks to Brian at Mgo Blog for once again organizing the Blogpoll. Many of the links on the right side are blogpoll members. If I don't have you over there, give me a shout. I've been woefully distracted, and I feel like I'm skidding in at the last minute to put this together. As always, leave your comments if you think something needs changed. If any of this seems like I'm a little off center, I'm listening to Adam Carroll. Reasoning after the poll.

Also, Chas Rich and I have put together most of the Big East preseason stuff over at FanHouse. I still need to finish up the songbook for the Big East after work Monday, but I'm sure you'll be amused. OK, on to the ballot.

Rank	Team	Delta
1	Georgia	25
2	Ohio State	24
3	Southern Cal	23
4	Florida	22
5	LSU	21
6	Missouri	20
7	Oklahoma	19
8	Clemson	18
9	Auburn	17
10	West Virginia	16
11	Texas Tech	15
12	South Florida	14
13	Texas	13
14	Kansas	12
15	Brigham Young	11
16	Wisconsin	10
17	Virginia Tech	9
18	Arizona State	8
19	Alabama	7
20	Illinois	6
21	Tennessee	5
22	Penn State	4
23	Wake Forest	3
24	Fresno State	2
25	Pittsburgh	1

Dropped Out:

1. Georgia- First off, I think that anyone that has moved Georgia out of the top spot because of the injury to LT Trinton Sturdivant needs to think about it again. Everyone suffers injuries and depth should play a factor. One thing Georgia has is depth. 17 starters and 45 lettermen return from last years squad that I thought was the best team in the country when the season was over. They'll be tested almost every week, but if they can run the table there won't be any question who the best team in the country is.

2. Ohio State- It pains me to say this, but last year was supposed to be a rebuilding year and they went to the national championship. With 18 starters returning, 52 lettermen, and an unbelievable group of incoming freshman. They only need to beat USC early and they should be able to cruise to an undefeated season and another spot in the national title. Better wear a rubber while you're on the left coast, guys.

3. USC- This team is every bit as talented as anyone in the country, but with only 13 starters returning I don't think they'll gel in time to beat Ohio St. But they'll probably look like the best team in the country by the end of the year and they won't be in the national title game.

4. Florida- Sometimes being the second best team in the SEC east isn't a bad thing. If they had any depth at strong safety and the ability not to tear their ACL's I'd have a hard time not putting them at #1.

5. LSU- Like the four teams above them, they have as much talent as anyone in the country. What they don't have that the others do is a proven quarterback to lead them. They have three cupcakes to start the season and develop a quarterback. But after that there won't be any margin for error.

6. Missouri- I haven't see a quarterback that reminded me of Stan Humphreys more than Chase Daniel. Little known fact, he doesn't wear a rib protector. That's all natural, baby! They have 16 starters returning, but only 37 lettermen returning. So it will be important for them to stay healthy. It's a little scary to me that the leading returning rusher is also the leading receiver, Jeremy Maclin. Other than that, this looks like a solid team.

7. Oklahoma- It's hard for me to put them there since they only won one of the three times I watched them last year. For all the good things they do in the regular season, they just plain stink in the post season. Their more talented than Missouri, but at this point I question their heart.

8. Clemson- They've got a lot of talent returning, including two of the best running backs in the country. Not to mention one of the better quarterbacks you've never heard of in Cullen Harper. And they play in the ACC. If it doesn't happen this year, it never will.

9. Auburn- This year is a real chance for Auburn. They have an incredible defense, Brandon Cox isn't the quarterback anymore, and Alabama is still one year away. Not to mention LSU's quarterback situation. If they can pick up on the schemes of their two new coordinators before they get into the heart of the schedule this should be a tough out.

10. West Virginia- For the rest of my life, I will probably start West Virginia out #10 in my preseason poll. It's always worked well in the past, and this year like the rest, I think it's appropriate. No need to get into the offense. I think we all know what will happen there. It's the defense that worries me. I know there's talent there. It's just a question if they can come together and play like last years defense. I think they'll be more talented and faster. But that doesn't always = results.

11. Texas Tech- I can't wait to watch this team play! They might be this years sleeper if they can play even an ounce of defense.

12. South Florida- I think this team returns 19 starters. The real question will be if they can develop a consistent rushing attack. Grothe has led the team in rushing the last two years. But for them to get over the hump, he's got to get the rest of the team involved. He's an uncanny talent, but they became too predictable toward the end of the season.

13. Texas- They only return 11 starters, but 47 lettermen. They have as much talent as anyone in the Big 12, and they don't really play anyone until the first week in October. So they should have more than enough time to put things together. Having a good quarterback can make up for deficiencies elsewhere. Colt McCoy had a monster year last year, and he should be better this year. Also, "Boom Motherfucker" is the defensive coordinator and I would expect the defense to be very good by the end of the year.

14. Kansas- It's always tougher to stay on top than it is to get there. Kansas has never made it to consecutive bowl games, but that should change this year. Unlike last year, they will be tested early in a trip to South Florida. Other than the conference schedule, they don't have any other challenges. They have enough skill position and linemen returning that they shouldn't be weak in any one area.

15-25- This is mostly a grab bag and I could probably make a case for most of these teams as the #15 team in the country. I like Fresno State, and I think Pitt will make some noise this year for the Big East. Brigham Young will be tough again and with their easy schedule, they could end the season undefeated or with one loss. I wonder about Wisconsin. They have a lot returning outside of a quarterback and they play in the Big 10.

Thursday Coal Tattoo is Taking a Sick Day

Cough...cough....need some R&R. New College Football Songbook is up, though. Pac 10 style.

See ya tomorrow.













Pac 10 Songbook- East Coast Bias Strikes Again

Fuck Yeah: The Pat Liebig Edition

Our defensive line situation just got a lot better!

He left the West Virginia program two years ago to help his ailing father who owned several automobile dealerships in Florida. The businesses have since been sold and Liebig's father Thomas has regained his health.

“The entire Mountaineer nation is thrilled with the great news that we received from the NCAA today. Pat Liebig has been granted his senior year of eligibility, and we could not be happier,” Stewart said. “We appreciate the committee’s thoughtfulness and judgment in reaching this decision.

So like I was saying, Fuck Yeah!

Having a Bad Day? Here's Your Cure....

Run, don't walk over to Black Heart Gold Pants and enjoy the 5 part trilogy (hey, can I say that and not break some English-type rules?) of "J. Leman Saves The World." It's a thing of beauty for sure. Best advice? Cover you monitor and keyboard in plastic if you are drinking or if you are prone to blowing snot bubbles. Thank us later. Seriously though, read parts 1-4 before getting into #5. You love yourself too much not to. Right? RIGHT?!?!?!?!

Mr. Rogers Lauds Democracy in Sunny Morgantown

If there is one thing we should all love about Bill Stewart, it's that he wears his heart on his sleeve. He doesn't use the phrase, "so on and so forth and things of that nature" to gobble up time and say something without saying anything. There's nothing cryptic about the words he uses. If he thinks you're a son of a bitch, he's going to tell you. Success aside, it's refreshing considering what the last seven years were like. And there's no reason to believe that success won't continue.

Stewart has been mostly all rainbows and unicorns during fall camp so far. But that ended yesterday.

Drawing Stewart’s ire was the defense’s inability to shed blockers and consistently get ball carriers on the ground.

“The defense had better stop reading their press clippings because they got knocked around today,” Stewart said....

“At the end of the day we did some down-ups and some up-downs; we bonded as brothers and everyone clapped hands and everyone left and was mad at Mister Rogers,” Stewart said. “You need 33 people. You need 11 on offense and 11 on defense and 11 on special teams. The rest of them are going to do exactly what we say, when we say it, without asking why we say it. They will be coached by us, and they will play. Isn’t that a great democracy we have here in sunny Morgantown, West Virginia?”

If anyone wants to help me on a down-up or an up-down, please chime in. I'm only practiced in the in-out-in-out. (Probably NSFW)



I've completely lost my train of thought after watching that.....oh yeah, Bill Stewart....democracy. Fears put to rest that he was an old softy. College football world domination continuing as planned.

Malcolm Kelly, You are Welcome!

You're freestyle rap doesn't sound so bad now that Ronald Jenkees has cleaned it up a bit.


>

Hat tip to Troy Nunes for pointing us in this kids direction.

Suck it France!

I know. I know. This is a college football blog. But seriously, France I want you to shut your mouth. Your taunts are going right back from whence they came. So from now on, you may only open your mouth if you plan on sucking it!... Bitch!

Pat White's Passing Prowess

There's been a lot of talk about Pat White and the West Virginia offense passing more this year. Going off the top of my head and not wanting to look to see what his numbers actually were, it seems like he's had about 200 yards passing in the past three spring games. Following each spring game we've all licked our lips and thought how dominating this offense would be if we had a better passing game. We've seen flashes of it, like the pass to Tito Gonzalez in the Fiesta Bowl. We've questioned why we didn't pass more over the middle in last year's Marshall game when the middle of the field was ours for the taking. But for all the preseason talk about making the passing game more of a focus the last couple years under Rodriguez, and this year under Stewart, we haven't seen that talk turn into reality on the field.

Given, we haven't seen what this year's offense is going to do. But I just want to take a step back and ask, do we really want to pass more? I had said in passing (no pun intended) a couple weeks ago that I don't really want us to pass more, just better. The point behind that is we are a very successful running team. We've had a great deal of success wearing most teams down by the 3rd and 4th quarters because of our running game and tempo of play. The only thing that has been missing, mostly, is our use of the entire field in the passing game.

I think 15-20 passes a game is probably best, and really 20 should only happen in the most extreme conditions. If you get, let's say, 60 offensive snaps a game and you run the ball as well as we do you should run the ball about 70% of the time. That seems to be about the ratio that Rodriguez went with. And hate him or not, he's no dummy when it comes to offense. I remember being very critical of him early in the 2006 season for not passing down the field more. Almost on cue, the second quarter came around in the East Carolina game and Pat was heaving up bombs that resulted in something like interception, batted down, int., int. And I basically shut up the rest of the year on the subject. Not until the South Florida bubble screen massacre of 2007 did I speak up again. But outside of a couple of impressive wheel routes run by Steve Slaton in the 2006 Pitt game did we see anything other than bubble screens. At least on a consistent basis. There was just so much of the field that wasn't being attacked. It was rather disappointing considering that "make them defend the entire field" was the mantra of the Rodriguez offense.

What I expect to see out of this year's team isn't bombs away, and it shouldn't be. I think Pat has a strong arm, but I don't think it's what he does best. He's proven to be very accurate up to 25 yards from the line of scrimmage, and occasionally connects on passes outside that range. What we've heard from the coaching staff is that there are going to be a lot of timing routes designed to get the ball out of his hands quickly. That would mesh well with an up-tempo offense like ours, and would play to White's strengths in the passing game. But like any good battle plan, they all get tossed out the window when the first bullet is fired, and hopefully you adjust.

Thursday Coal Tattoo

Got any lighter fluid?


I love this Stewart guy!

They think I’m the nicest guy since Mr. Rodgers I guess, and I am a nice guy. The trouble is, when you do something that isn’t apropos to the Old Gold and Blue, you will pay an immediate price. I’m not going to raise my voice; I will just tell them to hit the bleachers. We will coach, and they will play.

The good thing was is that we ran some gassers and ran them a little bit after 20 periods of practice. I thought that was a good thing to do. They didn’t but when we put the ball down and went another 20 minutes of pretty intense practice, the offense came through, and I was pleased with that. You tire people, you stress people and that way you don’t have to raise your voice. All you have to do is gut them, in a nice fashion.

I don't know how you can "gut" someone in a nice fashion. I always thought it involved someone running a sharp object through someone else's midsection. I guess Rodriguez wasn't the only innovator over the last seven years.

Single game tickets go on sale August 11th. $45 a ticket for Villanova? That seems criminal.

McCain visits Marshall football team- The Arizona senator and Republican nominee for this year's presidential election should really consider that pandering to the Marshall fan base isn't a great way to get votes. Check the home attendance.

Names that keep popping up: Brandon Hogan, Arlic Arnett, Pat White (naturally), the safety position . I wish there was some solid news on Pat Liebig, because it seems like he has come back just the way he left. And that is something special.

For the ROI crowd, that Rodriguez thing cost us $330k.

This seems like a good way to end this post.

Stay Tuned.....

I'm going to be busy this week, so the posts will be little to none unless I find something I can't help but post. We're doing our previews of the BCS conferences over at FanHouse, and I'm glad to say that the College Football Songbook is back and better than ever! After you check out that video, your Mountaineer blogging needs can be satisfied at these fine urls.

We Must Ignite This Couch
Bastard Sons of Pinfall Marks
West By God Virginia
West Virginia Mountaineer Sports
The Mountain Top

Let's Go......