SB Nation - Will Stein

Will Stein will start against West Virginia

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 20:23:32 -0000

Adam Froman will serve as his backup.

Catch the fever.

Five for Tuesday morning

Mike Rutherford — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:04:33 -0000

1. When Louisville takes the field in Morgantown on Saturd---OH MY GOD THE SITE'S DIFFERENT. I DON'T...I DON'T LIKE THIS....

2. Steve Kragthorpe opened his Monday press conference with the following:

"Sorry I'm late. I was actually on the phone with Jon Gruden. He wanted to know how tall Will Stein was."

Kragthorpe's press conference antics have bothered me almost as much as his teams' on-field performance, but this is funny. It's sort of like when a candidate you've supported but have always wanted to open up a lot more gives a tremendous, heartfelt concession speech.

3. The other big story to come out of the press conference was that walk-on freshman Will Stein may again get the call under center this Saturday at West Virginia.

I'm not saying Louisville has Will Stein fever, but...

Again, at this point in the season Stein is really the only shot the program has at a positive story, so I'm all for rolling with him.

4. Louisville will be facing a No. 1 team for the third time in under a year when the fighting Mike Rutherfords of Bellarmine University step into Freedom Hall tomorrow night.

I'd be surprised if Kyle Kuric didn't get the start over Reggie Delk, but I wonder if Pitino will do any more shuffling. He's said from the beginning that Sosa, Smith and Samuels are probably going to start each and every game, and he's planted his feet pretty deep in Swop's corner, so the rest of the lineup staying the same is probably a safe bet.

Regardless of who's out there, Louisville will get pushed.

5. Is the Louisville/West Virginia rivalry officially dead? Unless the Cards spring a huge upset and someone kicks Noel Devine in the stomach at some point during the game, I'd have to say so.

Kickoff is set for noon with ESPNU covering the game. The 'Eers have opened as 19.5-point favorites.

Louisville 21, Arkansas State 13

Mike Rutherford — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 01:11:07 -0000

First things first, congratulations to the guys on the field for picking up a victory. With everything that's happened and with all that's been said it can't be easy to keep showing up day after day, but they have and they certainly deserved to enjoy Saturday night.

Still, you may not think it's pretty, you may not think it's right, but this is the story of the game:

And I agree with Rick Bozich, the fact that U of L actually announced the crowd as 21,497 is probably the surest sign yet that Kragthorpe is definitely out of here

Hopefully so are numb Saturdays.

Even though apathy has been in complete control since somewhere the third quarter of the Utah game, I don't think any of us can deny that the Will Stein story is a pretty neat one.

I don't think he has the tools to guide any team to a BCS conference title, and I sincerely doubt that he'll ever start another game for U of L after this season, but he's really fun to watch and really easy to root for, and at this point that's about as much of a compliment as you can pay to any Cardinal.

I'm all for letting the kid take the reigns for the rest of the year.

Chris Campa is an absolute monster and he's one of those guys who I can see wowing coaches at a training camp and hanging around on practice squads in the league for multiple years. I really wish we had he, Dempsey and Campa for another year.

Maybe the highlight of the game for me was Victor Anderson going crazy on the sidelines during a long Bilal Powell run. There seems to be nothing fake about Vic. He genuinely loves his team, his teammates and this program.

Here's hoping we can get him at least one postseason trip before he leaves town.

Might be time to at least experiment with wearing a shoe, Ryan.

When the ball was in the air on the last play of the game, I only remember saying, "oh my god he's open." The sad thing is there was no fear or panic in my voice, it was pretty much just an observation.

I hate this.

Goal No. 2 for the rest of the season (behind keeping key players healthy) is getting Doug Beaumont into the endzone.

I do not believe Steve Kragthorpe is a good football coach.

Again, congrats to the team and thanks so much for working so hard so that we here have stuff - good or bad - to think and talk about.

Will Stein dressing up as a starting quarterback for Halloween

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:39:38 -0000

Wear it well, my friend.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (10/30/09), USF Gameday Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 30 Oct 2009 13:10:01 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by the King of Beers (their words, not mine), Budweiser. That makes eight.

Good Morning Neverland!!! It's Game Day and as usual, there's an extra spring in my step because of it (doesn't hurt that VPI lost their third game last night as well). Like the coaches with the team, I feel it's my duty to get you into Game Day Focus and I've gathered lots to hopefully accomplish that. Have a safe and Happy Halloween weekend. Enjoy the game, and, as always, your tips and requests are greatly appreciated. So without further adieu...

What You May Have Missed:

Scouting Report: South Florida - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Top Ten For WVU - MSNsportsNET.Com
But you already knew that.

Bits and Bytes: WVU - USF - BlueGoldNews.com

Big East picks, Week 9 - ESPN
Let's hope his streak stays alive as well.

Video: West Virginia-South Florida preview - ESPN
BE football blogger Brian Bennett has a video preview for us. I can't embed it (plus there's already enough videos below).

USF's Head Coach Jim Leavitt - WVIllustrated.com
Video interview

Friday Q&A: West Virginia quarterback Jarrett Brown - ESPN

Halloween in the Big East - ESPN

Football: Williams Named Campbell Finalist - MSNsportsNET.Com

Butler, Ebanks Make Watch List - MSNsportsNET.Com

College GameDay Kickoff: Week 9 preview - ESPN

News of Note:

Bulls try to escape their own horror film - ESPN

A Complete Runner - MSNsportsNET.Com

Dangerous Road Trip - WVMETRONEWS.COM

WVU visits South Florida tonight - Times West Virginian

WVU facing South Florida - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Brown should feel right at home - Charleston Gazette

WVU right at home in Florida - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column. Same title, different article than the one from Parkersburg yesterday.

Mounties' Sunshine Staters Look Forward to Homecoming - EerSports.com

WV’s Devine eyes homecoming against South Florida - Martinsburg Journal (AP)

Devine a concern for South Florida - Bluefield Daily Telegraph

Second half has been good to Mountaineers - Charleston Daily Mail

WVU will attack Bulls defense - Charleston Daily Mail

Has West Virginia’s Offense Caught up to USF’s Defense? - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

WVU wins on paper against USF - Charleston Daily Mail

Mountaineers Adjusting On the Fly - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Stewart has faith in Kozlowski’s punting - Inter-Mountain

Penalties have put Bulls in a quandary - Tampa Tribune

WVU's White gone, but Brown is a challenge for Bulls - Tampa Tribune

It’s USF Week: Let’s Meet the WVU Line - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Capers learning to shine as WVU's right tackle - Charleston Daily Mail

West Virginia enjoys weeknight games - PPG

News not all good for WVU's Huggins - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's notebook

Recruiting:

Rogers already puts offenses in chaos - Charleston Daily Mail

Robert Johnson - WVIllustrated.com

NCAA approves rules changes on basketball recruiting - ESPN

What's On Tap:

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. South Florida Bulls, October 30 2009 - ESPN
8 pm tonight on ESPN2. Current line has us by 3.

Men's Basketball: Open Scrimmage on Saturday - MSNsportsNET.Com
WVU Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. Admission is free.

Men's Soccer: WVU to Conclude Regular Season - MSNsportsNET.Com
Saturday, Oct. 31, at Seton Hall. Kickoff at Owen T. Carroll Field is set for 7 p.m.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Four positions later, Rutgers sophomore Eric LeGrand may have found a home at tackle - Star Ledger

SU must play keep-away with Bearcats - syracuse.com

Two of the best square off - Cincinnati Enquirer
"When the University of Cincinnati’s offense is not on the field Saturday, you can expect to find Mardy Gilyard watching Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams when he has the chance." In other news, Pike ruled out for this week.

Will Stein could be U of L’s starting QB - Courier-Journal

Pitt's line key to successful offense - PPG

Stull Stories: Redemption and Booing - Pitt Blather

Cheerleader of the Week: Cincinnati's Kayli - SI.com
I'm not one to usually hype a conference rival school....but she's cute (full gallery linked from the questionnaire).

Oklahoma State's Dez Bryant banned for rest of season - SI.com (AP)

Tailgate Recipe of the Week:

Whenever I get the chance to spend some time in Florida, I try to at least get some kind of alligator dish. So....

Okefenokee Fried Alligator

Ingredients

1 (1 lb) package alligator meat

meat tenderizer

garlic powder

black pepper

1 dash cayenne pepper

cooking oil

flour

salt

Directions

After thawing sprinkle with meat tenderizer.

Let stand for 20 minutes.

Season to taste with garlic powder and black pepper.

Coat well with flour.

Heat cooking to 350 degrees.

Cook until golden brown.

Do not over cook.

It should be tender, moist and have the color consistency of golden fried chicken when properly cooked.

Serve with your favorite sauce.

Courtesy of RecipeZaar

Video(s) of Interest:

Since it's USF tonight in Tampa, here's Pat White's highlights from the USF game his freshman year:

And 15 more of his more impressive touchdown runs:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

This week at BCS Headquarters:

Halloween Gallery of the Week:

With Halloween tomorrow, where better to celebrate than at Hef's place? A big thanks to Coed Magazine for making this section easy this week.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is one of the most gorgeous women in the world today. Damn you, Justin Timberlake. Join me as we pay homage to Miss Jessica Biel. BONUS LINK: The only minute or so ever worth watching of Ellen.

via cm1.theinsider.com

Budweiser images via prhchamberonline.com and hoboken411.com

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (9/4/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 12:27:29 -0000

Welcome By-Godders to the Shotgun Throwdown, gameday preparation edition, brought to you today by Milwaukee's Best Light.

Aahhhh, Milwaukee's Best Light: getting WVU students drunk for more years than we can probably count. We've finally reached Gamecon 1. The first game of the season is tomorrow. It's been a long off-season and it's finally time for the games to start. The weather is set to be AWESOME, so crack open a Milwaukee's Best Light and drink your face off. I'll be there. Will you? I've included some things near the bottom to hopefully help you get prepared mentally for game day tomorrow. All I can say is you guys better appreciate this one. I fought the editor (computer editor program, not Charley) for hours last night trying to get this one just right. The tipline is in dire need of suggestions and requests.

Note: Monday's show may be a little later than usual, but I'll be doing one just the same.

The show starts.....NOW!!!:

What you may have missed:

Colin Dunlap's WVU football chat transcript - PPG
Our new beat writer from the PPG had a chat session yesterday. Good riddance to Chuck Finder!!!

Womens' Soccer: No. 7 WVU Nets 4-0 Win - MSNsportsNET.Com

Stewart: I've Taken Jock Sanders to the Woodshed - eersports.com
eersports gets in the notebook mode too.

Defense dominates as Gamecocks nab second straight season-opening win - ESPN
Afterward, the Ole Ball Coach, said, "My offense did what? Against WHO?" Then he slammed his visor.

Postgame punch mars No. 14 Boise State's commanding win over No. 16 Oregon - ESPN
Oregon's LeGarrette Blount (who made a bulletin board statement earlier in the week) sucker punched Boise State's Byron Hout after the game. Updated with video:

Oregon's LeGarrette Blount apologizes, Chip Kelly considers punishment for sucker punch - Behind The Ducks Beat

News of Note:

Walking in the Dark - MSNsportsNET.Com
I actually really like the guy as our coach, but I can't get over the fact that he used to teach the sport walleyball (that's not a typo) when he was at Shepherd. My friend's wife took the class.

Transfers give Liberty a boost - The Charleston Gazette

Devine , WVU Happy with Underdog Role - eersports.com

Brown ready to lead WVU - Charleston Daily Mail

WVU attack has plenty of weapons - Charleston Daily Mail

Devine bonding with offensive line - The Times West Virginian

Sowers’ patience pays off - The Times West Virginian
Hertzel's Column

West Virginia's Brown anxious to take control - PPG
Wouldn't you be too?

Brown passing on knowledge -The Register-Herald

Big East begins not with a bang - The Charleston Gazette
Vingle's Notebook

Brains of the operation - The Charleston Gazette
Hickman says the lineman are the smartest guys on the field...and for good reason. I knew that. Eric Jobe is an IE...like me.

Williams raring to go at WVU - Cumberland Times-News

2010 NFL Draft- An early look at the top prospects on offense - SI.com
Our only listed player is Selvish Capers. I just hope he lives up to that kind of hype beyond just his size..

Florida wins title, Colt McCoy wins Heisman, more SI.com picks - SI.com
Big preview page (bowls, awards, etc.)

Around the League (and beyond):

Big East records that could fall in '09 - ESPN

Bearcats have a new teammate - The Cincinnati Enquirer
Actually, a nice story from Cincinnati.

Slick Rick Doing His Best Not To Get Screwed - Rumors and Rants
When in doubt, hire their coach.

Will Stein named backup quarterback - Card Chronicle
Redshirt Freshman Walk-on Will Stein, if you will.

UCLA Bruins will play at Rose Bowl on Sept. 5 despite wildfire - SI.com

2009 College Football: All-Name Team - America's White Boy

Top 10 College Football Entrances - RealClearSports
We aren't anywhere on this list. Just some cool entrances to see (with videos). I don't agree with #1, at least with it being #1 (but that may just be the Mountaineer in me). I would love for us to one day have something that would warrant being on this list.

What's on tap:

WVU football hosts Liberty (DUH!!!) - noon kickoff, Mountaineer Field at Mylan Puskar Stadium

Men's Soccer: WVU Welcomes No. 16 UCSB - MSNsportsNET.Com
The men open their official season (they had a couple exhibitions) tonight in the 1st Annual WVU/Nike Classic at 8pm at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

Today in Schadenfreude:

This was too good not to post (Thanks to Jimmy Traina of Hot Clicks):

Video of Interest:

Leave No Doubt!!! I could watch this every day.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

I can't decide if the shots are more impressive or if the toys/props are (thanks again Jimmy):

Tailgate Menu Item of the Week:

I know 5YS featured it before but I'm bringing it back (and I WILL try it before the season is over): The Bacon Explosion!!! The pic links to the recipe.

via www.bbqaddicts.com

Miss Throwdown:

The season starts tomorrow and I'm pulling out all the stops today. Our sponsor image today reminded me of the movie scene that really introduced the world to our Miss Throwdown. Today's Miss Throwdown is none other than the hottest woman on the planet...Megan Fox. The second pic leads to more.

via www.beldar.org

via cdn.wwtdd.com

The last line of this get's me every time:

Milwaukee's Best Light image via deadspin.com

Will Stein named backup quarterback

Mike Rutherford — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:39:20 -0000

Steve Kragthorpe has reportedly made the surprise move to name redshirt freshman walk-on quarterback Will Stein as the primary backup to Justin Burke in week one.

Stein beat out fellow reshirt freshman Zack Stoudt, as well as ailing JuCo transfer Adam Froman for the title of QB2.

Stein, who broke Brian Brohm's single-season touchdown record en route to a state championship at Trinity High School in 2007, has been praised often by the coaching staff for his leadership qualities and overall understanding of the game.

A big victory for a little guy who wears my favorite number and who multiple people have said reminds them of me.

We should probably hang out. Or I'll just support your football career from the stands. Either way, man.

Your 2008 Louisville Football awards

Mike Rutherford — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 08:48:27 -0000

The most important step on any particularly difficult road to closure is acknowledging the existence of an unpleasant reality. So while the best healing approach at the moment may seem to be to deny that the 2008 Louisville football season ever took place, or to admit its presence but add that it ended in 1997, neither is actually a healthy option.

So let's go ahead and face this thing, head-on, together. We'll hand out some awards, have some laughs, shed some tears, break some shit, then chuck this season in a box and stick a small, vomit-colored bow on top.

My hand is here; feel free to reach for it if need be.

Offensive MVP: Victor Anderson

There was much chatter during the spring and summer months that Anderson was going to be the surprise of the season, but nobody was so bold as to predict that the St. X product would race past the 1,000-yard mark, shatter the U of L freshman rushing record and earn Big East Rookie of the Year and Sporting News Freshman All-American honors.

Again, our lone beacon of sanguinity for the next nine months.

CONTENDERS:

Eric Wood

George Bussey

Defensive MVP: Jon Dempsey

The Junior College transfer came in with relatively little hype, but led the Cardinal defense in solo tackles, total tackles and forced fumbles, and trailed only Adrian Grady in tackles for loss. He was the lone Louisville defender to earn All-Big East accolades, garnering a second team nod.

CONTENDERS:

Adrian Grady

Earl Heyman

Best Moment: Cantwell's 24-yard TD pass to Scott Long to give the Cards the lead for good against USF

A tremendous pass and catch that resulted in the feeling that this team could compete for a conference title in a down Big East. True story: they actually called off the rest of the season after that play.

CONTENDERS:

Johnny Patrick's fumble return against Memphis

Adrian Grady scoring against Tennessee Tech

Worst Moment: Myron Pryor's fumble return

Yes, the game was already out-of-hand, but being forced to watch Eric Wood chase Pryor in vain was almost too much to take. It actually might have been too much to take, because I honestly don't remember seeing it live.

CONTENDERS:

Lawrence Wilson's (Connecticut) interception return

The clock hitting zero in the Carrier Dome

Best Play: Victor Anderson's touchdown catch against Connecticut

When he first caught the ball and I saw where the defenders were positioned in front of him, I would have set the odds of Vic getting the ball into the endzone at no better than 10:1. This was the moment I officially climbed on the No. 20 bandwagon.

CONTENDERS:

Cantwell to Long against South Florida

Travis Norton tackling Jourdan Brooks by his hair against Rutgers

Best Game (For Louisville): Louisville 24, South Florida 20

Ah, back when the only question was which bowl this team would end up playing in.

CONTENDERS:

Louisville 38, Kansas State 29

Louisville 51, Tennessee Tech 10

Worst Game (For Louisville): Syracuse 28, Louisville 21

Kentucky sucked because it was the first game of a season so many were already anxious about (and because it was Kentucky), Rutgers sucked because it was just about the most humiliating thing I've ever had to sit through as a sports fan, but the Syracuse loss coming just a week after the South Florida win re-introduced the notion that something was seriously, seriously wrong with the program, and that - I think - makes it just a touch more depressing than the competition.

CONTENDERS

Kentucky 27, Louisville 2

Rutgers 63, Louisville 14

Best Game (Overall): Louisville 24, South Florida 20

Extremely slim pickins here, but Louisville's top triumph of the season also came in the contest that most resembled an actual big-time college football game.

CONTENDERS

West Virginia 35, Louisville 21

Connecticut 26, Louisville 21

Best Individual Offensive Performance: Victor Anderson against Kansas State

Going off for 176 yards and three scores on just 18 carries and two receptions will do that for you.

CONTENDERS:

Victor Anderson vs. Middle Tennessee State

Hunter Cantwell vs. Kansas State

Best Individual Defensive Performance: Johnny Patrick against Memphis

JP was named the Big East Defensive Player of the Week after his 19-yard fumble return for a touchdown propelled the Cards to a 35-28 win over the Tigers. He finished the game with six tackles and figured in a potential 10-point swing at the end of the first half when he blocked a field goal that was returned for a U of L touchdown.

CONTENDERS

Adrian Grady vs. South Florida

Jon Dempsey vs. Kentucky

Best Individual Performance by an Opposing Player: Pat White (West Virginia)

Yet another remarkable performance by White, who will finish his college career having rushed for 8,657 yards and 32 touchdowns and thrown for 11,998 yards and 51 more scores in just four games against Louisville. He also hired Ron Cooper and hit a halfcourt shot to knock the Cardinal basketball team out of the 1981 NCAA Tournament.

CONTENDERS:

Mike Teel (Rutgers)

Donald Brown (Connecticut)

Least Reliable Body Part: Scott Long's knee

I don't think a completely healthy Scott Long for the whole year would have resulted in two or three more victories, but this offense desperately needed a legitimate deep threat and No. 84 was the only one it had. Him being out for nine games and only being truly healthy for one was a far bigger blow than some are willing to acknowledge.

CONTENDERS:

Latarrius Thomas's knee

Trent Guy's whatever kept him out most of the last month of the season

Most Appearances by a Penalty: Not enough men on the line of scrimmage

I might have seen this penalty called twice during all the hours I spent watching NFL or other college games this season, and somehow I don't think there was a U of L tilt over the past three months where the Cardinals weren't flagged for it more than once. Amazing, really.

CONTENDERS:

Holding

Kicking the ball out-of-bounds

Worst Coaching Decision: The 3rd and 23 draw to Brock Bolen against Cincinnati

Not because it wasn't a play designed to pick up a first down, and not because it went to Bolen (well, kind of because it went to Bolen), but because it was a play designed to set up a 45-yard field goal try for a kid the staff hadn't been confident enough to let try a 25-yarder on 4th and 6 or 4th and 3 earlier in the game.

CONTENDERS:

The deadball timeout against Connecticut

Making a big deal out of Cincinnati players praying around the Cardinal bird

Biggest Personal Overreaction (Positive or Negative): The Zack Stoudt jersey throw after the Bilal Powell fumble and TD against Kentucky

Yes, it was a big play, and yes, nobody else saw it, but it was still incredibly premature and unnecessary.

CONTENDERS:

Crazy fist pumping and screaming among an otherwise tame group after the Long TD against South Florida

Getting hammered in a giant Snoopy head after the Syracuse loss

Best Kragism: "We’re frustrated with productivity in terms of points."

It's a solid aspect of productivity to be frustrated with.

CONTENDERS:

"I don't judge games by the score, I judge them by what I see on film."

"I think (now former Syracuse head coach) Greg Robinson is doing a nice job there. He's building the program there. I know he hasn't seen the fruit of his labor yet, but I think he's done a good job. I think they're very, very well-coached in all three phases of the game. We know we're going to have our hands full up in the Dome. We've never played well there. We know we're going to have to play our 'A' game when we go up there."

Best Performance by a Player Who Never Saw the Field: Rock Keys

He was like Titanic in '97.

CONTENDERS:

Zack Stoudt

Will Stein

Best Reason to be Optimistic about the 2009 Season: Victor Anderson being alive

I was going to add "and healthy," but a one-legged Vic is still probably more of a reason to be excited about the Tennessee State - or whoever the hell we play in next year's opener - game than just about anything else.

CONTENDERS:

The potential of a healthy Scott Long/Trent Guy/Doug Beaumont receiving trio

Alcohol