SB Nation - Patrick Pinkney

If College Football Had a Playoff: #15 East Carolina Pirates @ #2 Texas Longhorns

Jeremy Mauss — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 17:02:43 -0000

More photos » by Harry Cabluck - AP

Before we get to game four the previous matchup of #13 LSU against #4 TCU was a back in forth matchup with LSU leading by as many as 60 votes early this morning, but then the TCU fans came out and won by 150 votes. This matchup has the most votes with just under 800.

For the previous results go check out the section "If College Football had a playoff."

This should be as simple as the Troy vs. Alabama matchup with Texas mopping the floor with the Pirates. Had Houston won C-USA then they would at least make this game interesting.

Who knows maybe East Carolina could get a good pass rush on Colt McCoy and make this game interesting for a half. I would expect Colt McCoy to have a field day over ECU.

Now for the somewhat scientific view by using What if Sports to simulate this fine matchup. As expected What if Sports predicts a 43-14 blowout in favor of Texas. Texas was able to run and throw all over ECU with a balanced attack with 304 passing yards and 273 rushing yards.

Stop by to vote and comment on this matchup. Light hearted trash talk is highly encouraged.

Texas Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Garrett Gilbert	8	60.0	15	26	57.7	124	15.5	4.8	0	0	6	11	1.4	1.8	1	-	-
Colt McCoy	13	103.0	330	468	70.5	3512	270.2	7.5	27	12	128	348	26.8	2.7	3	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
John Chiles	11	7	29	2.6	4.1	0	34	319	29	9.4	3
Antwan Cobb	2	1	3	1.5	3	0	0	0	0	0	0
Garrett Gilbert	8	6	11	1.4	1.8	1	0	0	0	0	0
Marquise Goodwin	11	2	8	.700	4	0	25	209	19	8.4	1
Sherrod Harris	1	1	4	4	4	0	0	0	0	0	0
Jeremy Hills	2	9	86	43	9.6	0	0	0	0	0	0
Cody Johnson	13	84	333	25.6	4	12	7	42	3.2	6	0
Colt McCoy	13	128	348	26.8	2.7	3	0	0	0	0	0
Vondrell McGee	9	56	300	33.3	5.4	2	8	37	4.1	4.6	0
D.J. Monroe	9	20	110	12.2	5.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Tre' Newton	11	102	513	46.6	5	6	12	106	9.6	8.8	0
Jordan Shipley	13	1	0	0	0	0	106	1363	104.8	12.9	11
Foswhitt Whittaker	10	52	207	20.7	4	4	13	51	5.1	3.9	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Dan Buckner	12	44	445	37.1	10.1	4
John Chiles	11	34	319	29	9.4	3
Marquise Goodwin	11	25	209	19	8.4	1
DeSean Hales	1	1	2	2	2	0
Cody Johnson	13	7	42	3.2	6	0
James Kirkendoll	12	48	461	38.4	9.6	6
Vondrell McGee	9	8	37	4.1	4.6	0
Tre' Newton	11	12	106	9.6	8.8	0
Philip Payne	1	1	7	7	7	0
Jordan Shipley	13	106	1363	104.8	12.9	11
Foswhitt Whittaker	10	13	51	5.1	3.9	0
Malcolm Williams	12	38	546	45.5	14.4	2

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Hunter Lawrence	13	-	-	-	-	-	22	25	90.0%	62	63	100.0%	128

East Carolina Stats

Passing

		Passing									Rushing					Sacks
	G	Rating	Comp	Att	Pct	Yds	Y/G	Y/A	TD	INT	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Sack	YdsL
Josh Jordan	3	70.0	5	7	71.4	61	20.3	8.7	0	0	4	6	2	1.5	0	-	-
Rob Kass	3	0.0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	-	-
Patrick Pinkney	13	60.0	242	407	59.5	2738	210.6	6.7	14	10	41	101	7.8	2.5	3	-	-

Rushing

		Rushing					Receiving
	G	Rush	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD	Rec	Yds	Y/G	Avg	TD
Darnell Ballard	2	2	4	2	2	1	2	18	9	9	0
Justin Brockmeyer	2	2	23	11.5	11.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Darryl Freeney	10	2	2	.200	1	0	42	622	62.2	14.8	3
Dwayne Harris	13	31	149	11.5	4.8	5	79	914	70.3	11.6	6
Brandon Jackson	8	84	316	39.5	3.8	3	6	75	9.4	12.5	0
Josh Jordan	3	4	6	2	1.5	0	0	0	0	0	0
Dominique Lindsay	11	206	1029	93.5	5	5	18	138	12.5	7.7	1
Patrick Pinkney	13	41	101	7.8	2.5	3	0	0	0	0	0
J.R. Rogers	1	5	6	6	1.2	0	0	0	0	0	0
Justin Ruffin	2	15	95	47.5	6.3	1	0	0	0	0	0
Giavanni Ruffin	10	56	169	16.9	3	4	5	26	2.6	5.2	0
Norman Whitley	2	3	2	1	.700	0	1	9	4.5	9	0
Jonathan Williams	5	14	38	7.6	2.7	0	3	7	1.4	2.3	0

Receiving

		Receiving
	G	Rec	Yds	Y/G	AVG	TD
Darnell Ballard	2	2	18	9	9	0
Andrew Bodenheimer	3	4	72	24	18	0
Jamar Bryant	7	21	200	28.6	9.5	2
Darryl Freeney	10	42	622	62.2	14.8	3
Dwayne Harris	13	79	914	70.3	11.6	6
Brandon Jackson	8	6	75	9.4	12.5	0
Jacobi Jenkins	2	2	12	6	6	0
Dominique Lindsay	11	18	138	12.5	7.7	1
Korey Reynolds	1	1	12	12	12	0
Giavanni Ruffin	10	5	26	2.6	5.2	0
Alex Taylor	11	35	367	33.4	10.5	0
Norman Whitley	2	1	9	4.5	9	0
Jonathan Williams	5	3	7	1.4	2.3	0
Reyn Willis	6	6	107	17.8	17.8	1
Joe Womack	6	12	141	23.5	11.8	0

Kicking

		Field Goals								PAT
	G	0-19	20-29	30-39	40-49	50+	FGM	FGA	PCT	XPM	XPA	PCT	pts
Ben Ryan	3	-	-	-	-	-	0	2	0	4	4	100.0%	4
Ben Hartman	12	-	-	-	-	-	19	25	80.0%	32	32	100.0%	89

Poll

Who wins?

Texas Longhorns

37 votes

East Carolina Pirates

11 votes

48 votes | Poll has closed

Virginia Tech 16, East Carolina 3: What They're Saying

furrer4heisman — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 23:00:39 -0000

More photos » by Gerry Broome - AP

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Of course it's better to win ugly than lose pretty, but the Hokies sure do have a lot of issues to address before getting back into conference play. Let's see, there's offensive efficiency, poor tackling and carelessness with the football (especially by kick returners). Yep, that's all three phases of the game. Practice will be far from easy for Tech's players this week. Let's see what the media and unwashed masses have to say about Thursday night's win.

National Media and Bloggers

Hokies, Williams get back on track (Annette)
"Even though Williams didn't get into the end zone, his ability to run the ball and the Hokies' ability to control the line of scrimmage was the difference in the game. Williams showed why he was a midseason favorite to win the ACC's Player of the Year award, as much of his yardage came by breaking tackles, lowering his shoulder and keeping his feet moving. Virginia Tech also got the most complete effort from its defense it has seen in the past two games, and Cody Grimm seemed to be in on almost every play."

We Were Riiiiiiiight (EDSBS)
"Taylor also fumbled once doing that, but he gives, and he takes, and did enough spectacular scrambling to keep Tech drives alive in a 16-3 victory over the ECU Pirates, who shot themselves in the wooden leg all night with drive-killing penalties. Tech freshman Ryan Williams also had 179 clock-killing yards and got to show off the "Sweetness" tat on his forearm for the cameras, so yeah, it was as slow a night of football as one might expect."

Virginia Tech 16, ECU 3 (J.P. Giglio)
"The aesthetic differences, and big-game energy, didn't add up to a new offense, which was held to a field goal in the three quarters and was handcuffed by penalties. ECU committed six penalties, for 60 yards, in the first half, none more costly than a holding call on guard Terence Campbell that negated a 20-yard touchdown run by Dominique Lindsay."

Virginia Tech Beat Writers

Not pretty, but a win (Mark Viera)
"After back-to-back losses, Virginia Tech needed a win. With a 16-3 victory at East Carolina on Thursday, the Hokies got back in the happy side of the won-loss column, but they were unconvincing. But that did not seem to matter. On Thursday, the cliche that a win is a win applied for Virginia Tech’s players and coaches, who felt at ease after beating the Pirates."

Tech's defense does the trick on third downs against ECU (Norm Wood)
"After Georgia Tech and North Carolina combined to convert on 18 of 34 third down plays in wins against Virginia Tech, much of the grousing this week around Camp Hokie was about Virginia Tech's inability to get opposing offenses off the field when it counted. ECU didn't enjoy nearly the same success as Georgia Tech and UNC, converting on just four of 14 third downs. On third downs against ECU, Virginia Tech surrendered 3.6 yards per play and intercepted a pass. Of course, Tech's offense was equally as inefficient as ECU on third downs, also converting just four of 14."

QB Taylor gets Tech back on its feet (Aaron McFarling)
"Whatever the reason, Taylor's running ability seemed under-utilized, a gift unwrapped only in emergencies. Taylor scored a rushing touchdown in the 2-minute offense against Georgia Tech and drew effusive praise from Jackets coach Paul Johnson -- a guy who mentors QB Josh Nesbitt, the fourth-ranked rusher in the ACC."

Three-game skid avoided (Randy King)
"Riding a career-high 179 rushing yards by redshirt freshman tailback Ryan Williams and a stout performance by its defense, Tech washed away the misery of back-to-back losses to Georgia Tech and North Carolina the past 20 days. It was sweet redemption for Williams. Last Thursday in Blacksburg, the hard-running back lost a fumble for the first time in his college career that set up a game-winning field goal that enabled UNC to beat the heavily favored Hokies."

Everyone Exhales (Kyle Tucker)
"For Taylor, who was again imperfect, it was a night when his leadership shined. After the fumble, he took the team right back and scored on a run almost identical to his crazy-cool scoring scramble against Cincinnati in the Orange Bowl last year. Taylor’s arm was a little erratic, but he hit some clutch throws and he ran for 61 hugely important yards."

Ryan Williams breaks through (Darryl Slater)
"Another interesting tidbit: Tech is now just the third school in Division (I-A) history to produce back-to-back 1,000-yard freshman rushers. Of course, it takes an odd circumstance for this to happen, like Evans’ season-ending knee injury, because why would a 1,000-yard freshman rusher get limited action the next season?"

Hokies snap streak with road victory at ECU (Jimmy Robertson)
"The victory moved the Hokies to 6-3 overall and enabled them to achieve bowl eligibility for the 17th straight season. Tech, now 10-5 in the series and 4-2 all time at Dowdy-Ficklen, has won six of seven meetings against the Pirates and avenged last season’s 27-22 loss in Charlotte. The Pirates fell to 5-4 on the season."

Virginia Tech Bloggers

Hokies Run Over Pirates 16-3 (Tech Sideline)
"That was the last time East Carolina had the ball in Virginia Tech territory. Bud Foster's defense was dominant for the rest of the game, using an array of blitzes to pressure quarterback Patrick Pinkney. They only sacked him once, but they threw off the timing of the ECU passing game, and the Tech defensive backs had excellent coverage downfield."

Immediate Reactions to the ECU Game (The North End Zone)
"That game last night, while a good win, was just plain sloppy. Granted we only technically gave up one fumble, but the fumble into the end zone, the fumbled lateral (that was not a forward pass) and the muffed punt were just sloppiness and lack of concentration. We're better than that."

Yawn: Hokies beat Pirates 16-3 (Fight for Old DC)
"Win or lose, this game was nearly unbearable to sit through. Between Lou Holtz and his spitfest, and his blatant (and obviously expected) favoritism for his son's ECU Pirates, I wanted to just cut the game off all together. That doesn't begin to explain my disgust with some of the things happening on the field. While I've been one to jump on the Fire Stinespring bandwagon, and tonight didn't do a lot to sway me from that seat, some players just didn't come to play."

Skip to My Lou and Who’s Your Daddy? (College Game Balls)
Some quality signage from VT-ECU.

via www.collegegameballs.com

2009 Virginia Tech Football: What to Watch vs. East Carolina

furrer4heisman — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 12:00:22 -0000

by Don Petersen - AP

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The Team

This team has two choices. It can come together and have a solid November like it has since it joined the ACC in 2004 or it can phone in the next four games and finish 8-4 or 7-5.
I think we'll know the answer after the ECU game. If the Hokies come out fired up and looking to show they aren't the same team that lost at home to UNC, they'll win out and have a chance to continue the 10-win streak in the bowl game. But if they come out unmotivated I think they'll be the same way the rest of the year and we'll have a 2003-like end to the season.

Virginia Tech Offense vs. East Carolina Defense

ECU's front seven is big and nasty and is one of the best run defenses in Conference USA. Just look at how big their two DTs are. Jay Ross is 6-3, 314 and the beastly Linval Joseph is 6-6, 322.
Joseph is just another in a line of great DTs the Hokies have faced. He'll go a long way toward shutting down any running room the Hokies might have between the tackles.
Fortunately for Virginia Tech, Ryan Williams doesn't make his hay between the tackles. He's able to get outside and make people miss to get yards. I think he can still have a solid game without having to go against ECU's front seven.
I really think the Hokies can have success running zone-read option plays against ECU this week. We really haven't seen much of this since the Marshall game, but I think the Pirates have the kind of defense that can be susceptible to these misdirection plays that could lead to Tyrod Taylor getting open in space.
I also think the Hokies should use zone-read out of the shotgun because they will have a new center (Michael Via) this game. Taylor can sit in the shotgun and not have to worry about taking snaps under a new center. Plus, it helps mitigate the effect having a new center going against Joseph will have.
Speaking of Taylor, he gets to play against a suspect pass defense. Van Eskridge is a solid free safety for the Pirates but their secondary has struggled as a unit.
We've seen Dyrell Roberts make some big plays the last couple weeks. But watch for Jarrett Boykin and Xavier Boyce to have opportunities to have big catches of their own against ECU's cornerbacks.

Virginia Tech Defense vs. East Carolina Offense

I don't understand how the Hokies can't get guys like Linval Joseph in Blacksburg to play DT. You need stout guys like Barry Booker in there to plug those running lanes.
From DT to linebacker to free safety, the Hokies are weak up the middle. And when your defense is weak up the middle, it's weak period.
Even without great size in the middle of the defensive line, the Hokies should be able to stop the Pirates' run game. ECU's two worst ypc averages came in its two games against BCS opponents: West Virginia and North Carolina. The Tar Heels held the Pirates to 1.83 ypc.
You'll see a lot of different Pirates get carries Thursday. That includes Patrick Pinkney when plays break down and wide receiver Dwayne Harris out of the wildcat formation. Harris is averaging over five yards per carry and leads the Pirates with four rushing touchdowns.
Pinkney killed the Hokies last year. He had key carries to get first downs and completed 19 of 23 passes to pick apart Virginia Tech. The Hokies have to get pressure on Pinkney as well as keep him in containment to keep him from hurting them with his feet.
I think if Dorian Porch has a big game it means Pinkney wasn't as effective as the Pirates would like him to be. This includes both wrapping him up before he's able to scramble for yards and disrupting the passing game.
Along with Michael Via, Lyndell Gibson will be getting his first career start Thursday. Gibson replaces Jake Johnson who has struggled recently. With Johnson on the bench, the Hokies get even smaller up the middle.

Outcome

The Hokies should come out and shut down the Pirates. This isn't the same Hokie team that lost to ECU last year and this ECU team isn't as good as last year's in my opinion. But a rowdy Dowdy crowd will keep this close most of the game.

Watch the Box Score For:

Turnovers, turnovers, turnovers
VT yardage on first down
VT red zone percentage
Patrick Pinkney's efficiency

Virginia Tech Players to Watch:

34 - Ryan Williams, Fr., RB
67 - Michael Via, Fr., OL
39 - Lyndell Gibson, Fr., LB
24 - Dorian Porch, Sr., ROV

East Carolina Players to Watch:

15 - Patrick Pinkney, Sr., QB
17 - Dwayne Harris, Jr., WR
97 - Linval Joseph, Jr., DT
4 - Van Eskridge, Sr., FS

Final Score

Virginia Tech 31, East Carolina 21

Virginia Tech vs. East Carolina: Q&A with 200 Years Too Late

furrer4heisman — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:30:19 -0000

More photos » by Greg Eans - AP

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To prepare for Thursday's showdown, we asked ghostlikeswayze of the ECU blog 200 Years Too Late to answer a few questions about the Pirates. As a devout Parrothead, ECU has already won in the blog name category, but we'll see on Thursday if they can capture a second consecutive football game over the Hokies.

Update: My answers to his questions are up at 200YTL.

GC: Does this game being played toward the end of the season instead of at the beginning like the last two years benefit either the Hokies or Pirates?

200YTL: I think both teams have gotten a chance to look at each other throughout the year and try to develop a game plan...but according to Reflector.com, Skip isn't going to be changing the game plan after watching the VT/UNC game.

I think we both have a lot of film to study on each other and I think it will benefit both of us.

GC: What has caused Patrick Pinkney's struggles so far this year? His completion percentage and yards per attempt are down and he already has more interceptions this season than last.

200YTL: So far, he really hasn't had any pressure on him to lose the job this year. Last year's other QB, Rob Kass, has been playing TE this season. Dwayne Harris runs a couple of Wildcats. Josh Jordan (red-shirted freshman) has come in and taken some snaps but not really in the scenario that would make Pinkney think that he was close to losing the starting position.

Last year, he and Kass made up our two quarterback system. It made Pinkney fight harder and play smarter so he was always on top of his game. I think that the two quarterback system worked better for us. It changed the pace of the game each time and forced opposing defenses to stay on their toes and they had to study twice as much before the game.

GC: No one on ECU has more than four rushing touchdowns this year, but five players have at least three. Who do we need to watch out of the ECU backfield in this game and are any of them in the Chris Johnson mold?

200YTL: Dominque Lindsay and Brandon Jackson are the two guys in the backfield that you should normally look out for. They can find the holes in the defensive line and make the bursts that they need for the first down. Jackson can make that additional burst to breakaway. It all depends on what injuries plague us this week to tell who will be in the backfield for us.

Dwayne Harris is the other guy who you should look out for in the backfield. We have been using him in the Wildcat and the guy has an arm if he ever gets into any trouble. He is just an incredible all-purpose player that I think will be a force in the NFL.

Norman Whitley is one of the RBs that I think has a lot of potential but there has been some team politics going on and he has barely gotten any touches this year. He has the speed to break off huge runs and I am hoping that Skip will put him in. I don't know what happened but it must have been something pretty bad to get him in the doghouse like he is.

GC: The Pirates have been pretty strong against the run this season. How do you see them stacking up against Virginia Tech's run game?

200YTL: We haven't been tackling well all season. If we cannot do it on Thursday, we could find ourselves in a nightmare position on national television. I think we should be able to slow Virginia Tech's running game down but our Achilles' heel is coverage in the secondary which has been almost non-existent this year.

GC: Does the VT-UNC game have you more confident about beating the Hokies or worried they'll show up a more focused team on Thursday?

200YTL: Our play is so different from UNC that I am not sure how much, if any, confidence ECU fans should get from that game. If there was a game that we should look to for confidence, it would be the Duke game earlier this year in which Duke showed how to shut down the running game and score against the Hokies. The only problem was that the Blue Devils' secondary couldn't contain Tyrod and he shredded their defense with the passing attack. I hope we took notes from that game and have let both sides of the Pirate football team study the film from it.

2009 Virginia Tech Football: East Carolina Game Guide

furrer4heisman — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 05:00:24 -0000

More photos » by Shawn Rocco - AP

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Virginia Tech Hokies (5-3, 3-2) at East Carolina Pirates (5-3, 4-1)

Time: 7:30 p.m. EST
Date: Thursday, Nov. 5, 2009
Place: Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium (43,000), Greenville, NC
TV: ESPN (DirecTV 206)

East Carolina: The Pirates currently sit at the top of the Conference USA East Division standings with a 4-1 league record ... all three of ECU's losses this year have come on the road: West Virginia and North Carolina in back-to-back weeks in September and a head-scratcher against SMU Oct. 10 in Dallas ... the Hokies and Pirates have two common opponents this year - both lost to UNC and beat Marshall ... in the UNC game, T.J. Yates was 19-for-24 for 227 yards and two TDs in a 31-17 Tar Heel win ... against Marshall, the Pirates won despite only 286 yards of total offense.

Trends: East Carolina has won six consecutive home games ... Virginia Tech has lost four of its last five true road games with the one win coming Oct. 3 at Duke ... Virginia Tech is 7-1 all-time against CUSA with its lone loss coming last year against ECU ... Virginia Tech is 2-4 in non-conference regular season games away from Lane Stadium since joining the ACC in 2004 ... ECU is 5-6 against the ACC under Skip Holtz (2005-pres.) and 2-5 against the ACC from 2007-pres.

History Lesson: This is the third consecutive season the Hokies and Pirates have met ... the two teams are currently scheduled to meet every year through 2015 ... The Pirates will visit Blacksburg in 2010, 2012 and 2014 ... the Hokies will visit Greenville in 2011, 2013 and 2015 ... this is Virginia Tech's first trip to Greenville since 2000 when the Hokies beat the Pirates, 45-28 ... the Hokies are 9-5 all-time against ECU and 3-2 in Greenville ... the Hokies had won six consecutive meetings with the Pirates before last year's loss in Charlotte.

What to Expect:

Expect a running game by committee from the Pirates. Their 17 rushing TDs are second in CUSA behind USM. However, no one has more than four rushing TDs for them. Five players have at least three.
Expect a less effective Patrick Pinkney. Pinkney's efficiency rating, yards per attempt and completion percentage are all way down this year and he's already thrown nine interceptions to eight touchdowns.
Expect another stout rush defense. The Pirates haven't allowed a rushing touchdown in their last three games against Memphis, Rice and SMU. However, West Virginia and North Carolina both averaged over 4.0 ypc against them.
Expect a hornet's nest. The Pirates are 4-2 against BCS opponents in Dowdy-Ficklen under Skip Holtz.
Expect to know if the Hokies are going to win within the first couple drives. They'll either be a motivated group or one willing to rollover and die.

Hokies win if: They get their fucking shit together.

Pirates win if: The Hokies don't get their fucking shit together.

Dot-dot-dots: This is the first time Virginia Tech has played a true road game against a non-BCS opponent since 2002 when the Hokies, then in the Big East, played at Western Michigan ... freshman linebacker Lyndell Gibson is expected to make his first start in place of Jake Johnson on Thursday ... freshman center Michael Via could also make his first career start at center on Thursday ... OK, I try not to take anything from Dave Smith's official game notes, but this one is too weird not to share: Virginia Tech has lost the coin toss in each of its first eight games.

East Carolina Links

200 Years Too Late

Final pregame thoughts on Boise State vs. Fresno State

Kevan Lee — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:48:00 -0000

Tune in tonight at 7:00pm MT (ESPN) for the Broncos and Bulldogs. Check for the gameday thread that goes live here at 4:00pm. Share your opinion on the game in the comments. And after the jump, find out how the Fresno Bee thinks the Bulldogs should gameplan, and see why they're a little off.

Coach Pete's keys to victory

Turnovers

Ah, the great equalizer ... except in the Oregon game.

Boise State lost the turnover battle to the Ducks, and it mattered very little. Still, you just never know how turnovers can shape the outcome of the game. Here's a thought: If Boise State wins the turnover battle, it wins the game; if Boise State loses the turnover battle, it has a harder time putting the game away. What do you all think of that? Too confident? Do you think the only way the Broncos can lose to the Bulldogs is if they lose the turnover battle?

Tackling

When Coach Pete listed tackling as a key to the Oregon game, I think the concern was slowing down the Ducks' running game, so the onus was placed on the front four and the linebackers. Against Fresno, I believe that the emphasis will be more on limiting yards after the catch from Fresno's dangerous receiving corps, so the tackling pressure will be on the secondary.

Special Teams

That means you, Kyle Brotzman.

via media.idahostatesman.com

Fresno Bee's keys to victory

Who died and made the Fresno Bee Ron Jaworski? A Bee columnist weighed in with his keys to victory for the Bulldogs against the Broncos, and his story was described by Brian Murphy as having "some interesting points in the article."

Well, I can't pass up a glowing review like that. Let me break down what the Bee thinks is important tonight.

Control the Run

In Fresno State's three games against Boise State since coach Chris Petersen took over, the Bulldogs have rushed for an average of 91.3 yards. Boise State has averaged 276 rushing yards.

When TCU beat Boise State 17-16 in the Poinsettia Bowl last year, the Horned Frogs ran for 275 yards and held the Broncos to 28.

Fresno State doesn't have the player personnel that TCU had. But the Bulldogs showed they are a better defense than they were a year ago in limiting run-oriented Wisconsin to 188 rushing yards last week.

Boise State's run game, meanwhile, has yet to take off this year, averaging 145.5 yards per game and 3.3 per carry with running back Ian Johnson gone.

"People might not want to hear it," Hill said, "but the team that is able to run the football in this game will have a great advantage."

I buy this key to victory. The running game is important. However, the running game has been important in all of the eight prior matchups and Fresno has fallen on its face each time, so maybe the key to victory should be actually executing the gameplan.

Practice, practice, practice

There's a common factor why Boise State has lost four of its past five bowl games: Teams have more time to prepare for the Broncos' unique offense that is filled with a variety of pre-snap movement.

"If I was having to play Boise State every year, I'd be working on them in the spring, I'd be working on them during two-a-days, even if I didn't play them in the first couple of ballgames," Patterson said. "I would treat them like our Air Force game here with their triple offense. You've got to get yourself ready to go."

Hill said the Bulldogs have prepped occasionally for the Broncos since the spring.

So Gary Patterson claims that in order to beat Boise State you have to work on them during two-a-days and in the spring and basically every time you have a waking moment during the offseason.

And Pat Hill preps "occasionally" for them?

Not exactly the vote of confidence Fresno fans wanted to hear.

via collegian.csufresno.edu

Running QBs help

In three of four Boise State losses with Petersen at the helm, the opposing team had a mobile quarterback capable of breaking a long run.

Fresno State might be wise to turn a bit more to Ebahn Feathers in place of starting quarterback Ryan Colburn. Feathers is said to hold Fresno State's fastest career mark by a quarterback in a 40-yard dash.

Well, this just isn't true.

Running quarterbacks do not pose problems for Boise State's defense, as evidenced by Colin Kaepernick's bummer of an afternoon in 2008. If you can reduce the West's best running quarterback to a non-factor in the running game, then you do not struggle with running quarterbacks.

Part of this philosophical mistake by the Bee is failing to understand that Boise State's defense of last year is not the same defense as the one that the Broncos put on the field in 2007. Yes, a running quarterback would have posed problems for the Broncos in 2007 because the defense was relatively mediocre. But not last year, and not this year.

The Bee lists TCU's Andy Dalton, Washington's Jake Locker, and East Carolina's Patrick Pinkney as the three running quarterbacks who posed problems for Boise State in the past. Well, Locker and Pinkney happened in 2007, so we can throw them out. Dalton posed problems for the Broncos not because he was an outstanding running quarterback but because the TCU offensive line owned the line of scrimmage.

So there's your key, Fresno Bee. Running quarterbacks are not an issue for this defense; physical, bruising, strong offensive lines are. And actually, we don't even know that for a fact because this year's Boise State D has yet to see one of those offensive lines. Does Fresno have one? Not last time I checked.

A crisp 2-minute offense

Hawaii beat Boise State 39-27 in 2007, securing the game on a touchdown pass with 26 seconds left.

East Carolina won after marching 54 yards on a final drive that started with 1:25 to play and ended with a field goal as time expired.

TCU might have needed to make a final drive, too, had the Horned Frogs not made a game-clinching interception with 1:47 remaining.

(Note: A bigger drive for TCU was the TD right before halftime. Let's not forget that 2-minute offense.)

I think this key kind of misses the point. In order for the two-minute offense to matter, Fresno is going to have to keep the game close. The only reason why the Bee's three examples make sense is because all three teams managed to hang with the Broncos all game long.

I would argue that the two-minute offense prior to halftime is more important, especially since Boise State has not put together explosive first halves of football so far this year. If Fresno can score in the final two minutes of the first half, they will cut into the lead (provided there is a lead) and take momentum into the second half.

THIS IS WHY YOU DEFER TO THE SECOND HALF IF YOU WIN THE COIN TOSS, FRESNO. I'm just trying to help you out here. Don't let Boise State take the field to start the second half if you can avoid it. How about that for a key?

via blog.mlive.com

Make 'em Kick

Fresno State could benefit by forcing the Broncos into tense kicking situations.

Let me rephrase this one: Stop the Broncos on third down.

Because, really, isn't that what "making them kick" really means? If Boise State is kicking, then they failed to get a first down or a touchdown, which is probably the bigger victory out of all this. It would benefit the Bulldogs for Brotzman to miss a try at three points, but it would be even more important for Fresno to keep Boise State out of the endzone for seven points.

Third down conversions are an emphasis for the Broncos. I would be shocked if they weren't an emphasis for the Bulldogs.

Issues from last week

Tthe Bronco coaching staff listed these four main areas they needed to improve following last week's win over the RedHawks:

Center-QB exchanges. The coaches said that Thomas Byrd struggles with snaps when he has a difficult blocking assignment on that play. Against Miami (OH), one of the RedHawks' best defensive players was on the interior line. Fresno can't say the same. The toughest matchup for Byrd might be picking up MLB Ben Jacobs on a blitz or tracking him down at the second level on a running play.
Holds on XPs and FGs. With Austin Pettis supposedly taking over holding duties, it will be interesting to see how this area is changed.
The running game. I have no idea what the Bronco coaches are planning. Will D.J. Harper get first-team snaps? Will Garrett Pendergast? More plays with a fullback? Less shotgun? More Doug Martin? I could ask questions for hours.
Limiting third down conversions. Done and done.

Those are everyone else's keys to victory. What are yours? Do you agree with the Fresno Bee's keys to victory? How about Coach Pete's?

Share your thoughts in the comments.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (9/11/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 11 Sep 2009 13:41:37 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily WVU sports news link dump. Today, we're brought to you by Natural Ice.

Natural Ice, getting WVU students drunk since 1996. I'm dating myself with this, but I do remember when this was introduced on campus. It's Game-day Eve once again. Tomorrow's weather is set to be low to mid 70's and a chance of rain (although that's been diminishing the closer we get). I got plenty of things to prepare you for the game tomorrow. So, let's get going and take down the Pirates...Savvy? And don't forget to send in your booty...er, tips. On with the show:

Serious moment of the day:

Ceremonies to honor September 11 victims - CNN.com
Take a moment to remember.

What you may have missed:

Colin Dunlap's WVU football chat - PPG
Beat writer's weekly chat.

Scouting Report: ECU - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Big East Week 2 picks - Big East - ESPN

2009 Big East Fearless Predictions Week 2 - Scout.com

No. 15 Georgia Tech survives Clemson with late field goal - ESPN

News of Note:

Tougher West Virginia seeks payback on ECU - Big East - ESPN

ECU has hands full with WVU's diversity - The Charleston Gazette

ECU-WVU contest looks like a nailbiter - The Charleston Gazette

West Virginia vs. East Carolina: What To Watch for in an Interesting Match-Up - Bleacher Report
TBR, take it with a grain of salt.

Regaining Its Swagger - MSNsportsNET.Com
Don't read if you don't want heavy reminders of struggles against ECU in the past.

WVU Never Confused With Wide Receiver U. - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Let's hope this changes over the next few years.

Stewart: West Virginia Knows What’s on the Table - The Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

West Virginia's Clarke gets the message - PPG

WVU’s Miller starts season right where he left off - The Register-Herald
Another profile on the DE.

Hogan anxious to show improvement against East Carolina - Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Mountaineers Set For ECU - WVMETRONEWS.COM

HERTZEL COLUMN: Williams, Pinkney enjoying their second chances - The Times West Virginian

Number 40 still means 3 points at WVU - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Bitancourt takes over the number and the position.

Elam, Florida Commit and One of Nation's Best, to Visit for WVU-ECU - eersprts.com
Some more on the visits this weekend.

WVU Recruiters Hitting Ohio School Hard - eersports.com
West Virginia is recruiting heavily at Harding High in Warren, Ohio.

Tough tests abound on WVU basketball schedule - The Charleston Gazette

Around the league (and beyond):

Big East Week 2 Look-Ahead - Protect R Turf
Rutgers blog breaks down the league games this week.

Hester may miss WKU game - Tampa Tribune.com
University of South Florida WR Jessie Hester, whose school record 22 consecutive games with a catch were snapped last week, may not make the trip to Western Kentucky.

As if the Louisville/Syracuse game needed more hype - Card Chronicle
Someone sounds bitter.

Breaking: The FauxHawk Is Back - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
This week in douchebaggery.

New offense looks quite familiar - TheUConnBlog.com

What's on tap:

Colorado Buffaloes vs. Toledo Rockets Preview, September 11 2009 - ESPN
9pm tonight on ESPN, Line - Toledo (+3.5)

Men's Soccer: WVU Travels to Wilmington - MSNsportsNET.Com
They'll play in the UNC Wilmington Tournament on Friday, Sept. 11 and Sunday, Sept. 13 against UNC Wilmington and Appalachian State, respectively.

Women's Soccer: Virginia NIKE Soccer Classic - MSNsportsNET.Com
No. 12/15 WVU will battle No. 9/16 Virginia on Friday, Sept. 11 at 6 p.m. West Virginia then plays Ivy League member Dartmouth on Sunday, Sept. 13 at noon.

Hall of Fame Set for Saturday - MSNsportsNET.Com
Sports Hall of Fame Set for Saturday, noon in the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility.

East Carolina Pirates vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Preview, September 12 2009 - ESPN
It's only on ESPN360.

Video of Interest:

It's a little old, but I just found it.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Thanks once again to Jimmy Traina of Hot Clicks:

Tailgate Recipe of the Week:

From Tailgating.com

Mountaineer Fire Bites

12 Jalapenos cut in half and cleaned of seeds
12 slices of bacon, cut in half
8 oz cream cheese (you wont use all of this)
24 toothpicks

Wash and clean peppers well. You may want to use rubber gloves if you can't stand the heat.

Fill each Jalapeno half with a generous amount of cream cheese.

Wrap with one half slice of bacon and secure with a wooden tooth pick.

Bake at 350 for 20 - 30 minutes, until bacon is browned.

Bartender Gallery of the Week:

Why don't bartenders in Motown look like this (or at least when I was in school, they didn't)? It leads to more, I promise.

via www.manofest.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is the latest Bond girl, Miss Olga Kurylenko. If I have to tell you all that the image leads to a gallery anymore...well, you don't deserve to see the pics.

via www.manofest.com

Warning NSFW (sideboob and split second nippage):

Natural Ice image via ciceronito.files.wordpress.com

Mid-Major College Football Week 2 Breakdown

aGent37 — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 18:12:13 -0000

Mid-Major Game of the Week:

Get ready for a good ol' fashion shootout out when Houston visits Oklahoma State in Stillwater this weekend. With State coming off a huge victory at home over Georgia last week, and Oklahoma down for the count, the Cowboys are looking like the only team that might give Texas a run for the Big XII South title.

Houston, headed by the talented Chase Keenum, has an incredibly high powered aerial attack. Aided by the trio of RB Bryce Beall and receivers Patrick Edwards and Tyron Carrier, Keenum will be give (albeit a much improved) Oklahoma State secondary fits.

Of course, the Cougar defense is in for an even longer day with a ridiculously stacked Cowboy offense. Zac Robinson to Dez Bryant all day, with an occasional 20 yard run from Kendall Hunter will outmatch, outspeed and leave the Cougar D in the dust come Saturday.

The last time these two teams met, Oklahoma State won 56-37. Don't be surprised if this match up ends with even gaudier numbers.

Best Mid-Major v. BCS Player Matchup:

Air Force QB Tim Jefferson who completed 5-of-7 passes for 102 yards and a touchdown, and ran five times for 22 yards and two scores against lowly Nicholls State last week will have a much tougher job this week against a solid Minnesota Defense. Led by LB Lee Campbell, Minnesota spoiled Greg Paulus's Syracuse debut by keeping the Orange to just 257 yards of total offense and allowing just one of 12 third down conversions. If Air Force wants to make a statement as a major player in the Mountain West this season, a big game by Tim Jefferson is a must.

Here's your chance, now show us what you can do:

East Carolina v. West Virgina: Part II. Last year, the Pirates (at least for the first few weeks of the season) seemed to be destined for BCS glory with upset wins against West Virgina and Virgina Tech. If East Carolina wants to make some noise in Conference USA this year, QB Patrick Pinkney (now in his sixth year of elgibility) will have to show up big time against West Virgina this Saturday. Pinkney's peformance verse the Moutaineers was fantastic last season, when he completed 22 of 28 passes for 23 yards and a TD. A similar performance is unlikely this year against an improved secondary, but East Carolina always seems to find a way to keep things interesting.

Mid-Major Madness Picks of the Week:

West Virgina: 27 East Carolina: 17

Oklahoma State: 45 Houston: 31

Western Michigan: 24 Indiana: 17

Michigan State: 35 Central Michigan: 21

TCU: 38 Virgina: 24

Minnesota: 27 Air Force: 21

Wisconsin: 31 Fresno State: 19

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday Edition (9/9/09)

WVUIE97 — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 13:51:59 -0000

Welcome By-Godders to the best damn link dump around...The Shotgun/Throwdown. Our sponsor today, in honor of The Beatles and our Miss Throwdown, is Newcastle Brown Ale.

Not much to comment on here, so I'll just get on with it. Send in your tips and see you after the jump:

What you may have missed:

Stew's Views: Week 2 Press Conference - BlueGoldNews.com

WVU kicker wins Big East honors - PPG

Football: Selected Player Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Julian Miller on QB's: "I don’t like them. I try to let them know it with my pads rather than my mouth."

Me: That's kind of arrogant considering who your competing against.

JM: Yes, Sir.

Me: Good, I like that in a DE.

Preview: WVU vs East Carolina - BlueGoldNews.com
Here's the first preview this week.

Big East power rankings - College Football Nation - ESPN
NCAA College Football news, commentary, scores, stats, standings, audio and video highlights from ESPN.

Week 1 Big East notebook - AthlonSports.com

West Virginia - Team Notes - USATODAY.com

News of Note:

Getting kinks out of kicks Sky kick works best for WVU - Dominion Post
Free online article. Continuation hidden at the top corner.

WVU kick return woes not so bad - Charleston Daily Mail
Ummmm...

WVU downsizes at defensive end - The Charleston Gazette
Julian Miller is profiled.

WVU’s Miller hopes to control ECU quarterback Pinkney - The Times West Virginian
Another Julian Miller profile.

Neild's reputation growing at West Virginia - PoconoRecord.com
Chris Neild is profiled.

Five WVU Freshmen To Watch: No. 5, QB Eugene Smith - Bleacher Report
TBR writer has a little countdown of impact freshman on this year's team. I'm behind on this but, I'll put up one a day until we're caught up.

First test for WVU Saturday - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Evidently Liberty was a quiz and this week is a test.

HERTZEL COLUMN: Holtz a personable coach - The Times West Virginian

Stewart, Holtz eye quarterback matchup - Charleston Daily Mail
Pinkney is a sixth-year senior. And I thought he was on year 9...my bad.

ECU’s defensive line facing tougher test at WVU - Reflector.com
Let's all hope so.

Stewart hoping for quicker start against ECU - The Register-Herald
Again, let's all hope so.

ECU's Holtz Sees Major Challenge in WVU - eersports.com
Skip talks about the upcoming game against WVU.

Offense determined to deliver - bonesville.net
Evidently ECU is concerned their offense disappeared the second half last week.

Recruiting:

Recruiting visits will pick up for WVU - The Charleston Gazette
We never used even get these kinds of kids to visit, much less commit.

Ed Orgeron, Charlie Strong among the top 25 recruiters - ESPN
Doc's in here...surprise, surprise. I have a feeling we have a couple other guys just on the outside cusp of this list too.

Football recruiting now a 24/7/365 event - ESPN
Here's a breakdown of the recruiting calendar, for those who are interested.

Around the league (and beyond):

Rutgers must regroup after opening fiasco - Big East - ESPN
You don't say.

Don't Believe the Hype - Protect R Turf
Destroying Louisville and winning the Pizza Bowl "in gritty fashion" convinced you? WTF!?!? Go back to your corner.

Hathaway to Connecticut: Quit being assholes - TheUConnBlog.com

Kragthorpe says Cards may offer some different looks against UK - The Courier-Journal
But unfortunately Krags still manning the sideline is still one of the looks.

Shuffling Off to Buffalo - Pitt Blather
Pitt's traveling to Buffalo. Let that sink in. They agreed on a return game to Buffalo.

USF coach Leavitt giving up Twitter - Tampa Tribune
USF coach Jim Leavitt said he is giving up Twitter after he learned his players were sending Tweets from the locker room.

Is UC really this good? - The Cincinnati Enquirer
It was Rutgers people...do that to Oklahoma or even VT last year and we could talk.

Penn State Might Win The Game But Syracuse Fans Have Already Won The War - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
I don't know which is more disturbing, Classic Day in Happy Valley or Courage Day in the Dome. I'm pretty sure the Classic is for real...not sure about the other one. But, with Cuse and their current state, you never know.

QB Jevan Snead among Ole Miss Rebels players feeling sick - ESPN
Flu-like symptoms continue to ravage the Mississippi football team, even sacking quarterback Jevan Snead.

Lee Corso, ESPN GameDay host, returns after stroke in May - SI.com
I wouldn't wish a stroke on anybody and I will admit he's funny at times, but as far as his actual football analysis....he's an ass.

Power rankings - Andy Staples - SI.com
At least he admits his are guesses.

The 50 Most Brutal College Football Hits - Complex Blog
If you got the time...not sure if we have any in there. Post in the comments if you find any please.

College Football Personality Test - Rumors and Rants
For your amusement.

What's on tap:

The Beatles. The catalog is re-released today after getting the remastered treatment and the Rock Band game with their songs and likenesses is released. Rumors abound with an iTunes announcement today too. (Sorry, but Tuesdays and Wednesdays this time of year kind of suck for sports)

Videos of Interest:

I don't like to post things twice but I found the HQ video of the Fiesta Bowl Pre-game speech and felt it needed posting.

I also had a request for the current entrance video, which we have been unable to locate as yet, but with Dougity Dog's help, we'll try to get it recorded this weekend and posted next week. To tide you over until then, here's last year's:

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown hails from Wales, UK and got famous on their version of Big Brother. I present Miss Imogen Thomas. This pic leads to a "WOW" gallery.

via www.hamaraphotos.com

Newcastle image via 2.bp.blogspot.com

... And the celebration begins!

Truzenzuzex — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 01:54:20 -0000

First off, a big acknowledgment for the excellent play of the East Carolina Pirates. They were all the team we could have handled, and we barely were up to the challenge. It was nip and tuck all the way, and the Pirates never gave up. Some very interesting circumstances made this one a game I will never forget. But the Pirates have no need to hang their heads -- they easily could have won this game, and arguably played better football overall.

But all that aside, this is truly a great victory for Kentucky, and it turned out to be one of the most exciting and ... well, wild games I have ever witnessed. Nobody who saw this game could have been anything but excited, and both teams played very hard. There were some huge hits in this game by both teams. It was a great college football game.

Regarding the return for touchdown by ~~Jarmon~~ Jenkins, I don't think you can be deemed to have possession while the ball is in contact with the ground, as it was when his knee was down. Not sure about that, so you armchair officials might need to correct me on that perception, but I believe that was why ~~Jarmon~~ Jenkins wasn't considered down on the fumble recovery. The Micah Johnson touchdown, in my view, was incorrectly called back. There was no way that the officials could conclusively determine whether the ball was still in Pinkney's hand when his knee hit the ground. Either way, it is over now.

In the end, I have to give Hartline a lot of credit. Despite having his usual problem throwing balls too high, he got that under control in the second half and made some great throws, really clutch. The one exception was that unacceptable throw into triple coverage on the ill-advised fleaflicker, especially when he had a man wide open over the middle.

Tony Dixon was just relentless, and he totally deserved his player of the game recognition. I thought he had poor vision in the first half and could have done more had he simply kept his head up, but in the second half he did a much better job. The punters for both teams were excellent, but East Carolina's punter was truly incredible, hitting some of the longest punts I have seen in many years in a college game.

For Rich Brooks, you can only praise the adjustments that the team made after the half. Of course, the remarkable David Jones touchdown return of the second-half kickoff had a lot to do with making Brooks look good, and completely reversed the momentum from the first half, which was clearly with the Pirates. I thought our defensive secondary was simply great in the second half, and Micah Johnson was a force of nature, flying around the field like a Tasmanian Devil.

I have to admit, I am much happier for this team than I was for the team last year. That team had no excuse to lose, and they didn't. This one had every excuse to give up and lose, and they refused to do so. That means a lot to me, and I hope to all of you.

Congratulations, Wildcats. Nobly won, and well earned!