SB Nation - Adam Gunn

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (11/24/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:48:17 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for links, information and fun. Today we're being brought to you by Estrella Damm, a fine Spanish beer in honor of today's Miss Throwdown. It's up to 25 and I connected it to Miss Throwdown (yes, I'm a bit proud of myself).

Sorry for the delay folks, but work had me occupied for while. Things have definitely picked up. Tonight starts a busy week for Huggs and crew. I won't keep you waiting any longer. Keep the tips, suggestions and requests coming. See you after the jump...

What's On Tap:

Citadel Bulldogs vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - ESPN
Tonight, 7 p.m. at the Charleston Civic Center (not the Coliseum as the article states). I can't find any TV coverage. The line has WVU by 24.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Big East football: A look back at Week 12 - Star Ledger

Rutgers' 10 most baffling losses under Greg Schiano (and, yes, Syracuse made the list) - Star Ledger
How do you narrow it down to 10?

Rutgers waiting to see how quarterback Tom Savage reacts to pounding by Syracuse - Star Ledger

Jim Leavitt Bleeds For USF Football - SB Nation
Thanks to JP Fanshawe.

Brian Kelly: Tony Pike to start on Friday for Bearcats - Cincinnati Enquirer

Kragthorpe: Success is near - Courier-Journal
There's a joke in that headline somewhere.

Syracuse Playing For Bowl Positioning...Just Not Their Own - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Rich Rodriguez's job at Michigan likely safe for now - ESPN

Florida's Meyer: No interest in Notre Dame job - Tampa Tribune
riiiight...

Record-Setting Day in Division II Playoffs - The Quad Blog - NYTimes.com
Check this out. Talk about O!!!

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

I've seen this kind of play before, but never the penalty.

Calendar Gallery of the Week:

Double Bonus: Gallery inside leads to multiple galleries.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is gorgeous lady of Spain. Say hola to Natalia Mesa Bush, por favor.

via static.blogo.it

Estrella Damm image via 2.bp.blogspot.com

Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers Edition

CW — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:15:43 -0000

by Keith Srakocic - AP

View full size photo »

1. Pitt hasn't really played anybody yet. They've played teams that aren't bad - Rutgers, South Florida, NC State, Connecticut, NAVY - but there isn't one that makes you nod in appreciation of their great work. To their credit, they take care of business against the bad teams, but Sagarin has them with the 70^th ranked schedule in the nation. For comparison, Boise State is at 82, Penn State is at 72 and Notre Dame is at 26.

2. They get to the quarterback. Dave Wannstedt is a Super Bowl winning defensive coordinator, so it's not a total surprise when you see Pitt all the way at the top of the national sack leaders page with 4.33 sacks a game and 39 sacks overall. Do you know who is next on the list? USC, who you might remember from that time they ran around Paul Duncan and Sam Young for three quarters as if they were on a friendly neighborhood stroll to maul Jimmy Clausen. Greg Romeus is the lead sack man with 7.5, but linebacker Adam Gunn - a fantastic name for a linebacker, or really just in general - has 5.

3. Bill Stull is sneaky good. If I asked you to name the top QBs in the nation, you'd rattle off names like Kellen Moore or Max Hull or Tim Tebow or Jimmy Clausen, and those would be good names, because those guys are all in the top eight. (Colt McCoy, the new Heisman frontrunner because he blew up against Central Florida and ESPN says so, is 13^th, right around similarly heralded signal callers like G.J. Kinne and Kirk Cousins.) But who is fifth in the nation, ahead of Case Keenum, Ryan Mallett and the Tebow Child? Bill Stull. 17 TDs, 4 picks, 67.6% completion percentage. Considering what every single quarterback has done to Notre Dame this season, I'm doubting Mr. Stull's numbers suffer.

4. He has some nice targets to throw to... You might remember Jonathan Baldwin from last season, where he hauled in the game-tying touchdown in the waning moments of the fourth quarter in South Bend. He hasn't really missed a beat, catching 35 balls for 698 yards (a smooth twenty yards per catch) and four scores in 2009. The big time red zone target is tight end Dorin Dickerson, who has ten touchdown catches on the season, getting to the end zone in each of the last five games. Considering what Anthony McCoy did to the Irish, I can't imagine the Tenuta scheme having any trouble containing Dickerson, who had a season high 118 yards against Syracuse last week.

5. ...and a great running back to hand off to. LeSean McCoy, who ran over, around and through the Irish last season, has thankfully departed for the NFL. Those of us thinking there would be a giant gap at running back were painfully mistaken, as freshman Dion Lewis has stepped into the role and done exceptionally well. He's the seventh leading rusher in the nation, with just a shade over 126 yards per game and nine touchdowns, along with 16 catches for 134 yards and another score. Greg Schiano compared him to Ray Rice after the Panthers won at Rutgers, so the Irish front seven will have its hands full attempting to contain the 5' 8" workhorse.

6. Pitt's secondary is relatively untested and possibly not good. The Panthers' pass efficiency defense is only ranked 49^th in the country despite going against a list of QB's that don't exactly inspire fear. The one top they've faced, NC State's Russell Wilson, went 21 for 35 for 322 yards and four touchdowns despite being in a 31-17 hole late in the third quarter, handing Pitt their only loss. Wilson spread it around to eight different receivers, with no one catching more than four balls. If the Irish can protect Clausen against Romeus and company, they can possibly have some success through the air.

7. Dave Wannstedt is coach. I grew up a Miami Dolphins fan. Many of my friends are Chicago Bears fans. The common bond we share? Both teams had the pleasure of being guided by Diamond Dave Wannstedt, possibly the best mustache in all the land, but a sort of inconsistent head coach. There are a lot of things going against the Irish in this game, but the one ace up their sleeve is Dave Wannstedt On A Winning Streak, something that by the rules of nature has to come to an end. (This is my personal favorite Wanny collapse.)

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (10/8/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 13:37:08 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders to the Thursday edition of the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale.

Syracuse week continues here on the Musket. Here are today's links to keep you going. Tips and suggestions are welcome. On with the show...

What You May Have Missed:

Syracuse Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com
Official, state-run version

Preview: WVU-Syracuse - BlueGoldNews.com

Tickets returned for Louisville game - Coach Bill Stewart/Twitter
"Mountaineer Ticket Office told me returned tickets for WVU-Louisville game Saturday, Nov. 7, are now available for purchase on WVUGAME.com"

2009 Big East Fearless Picks - Week 6 - Scout.com

What to watch in the Big East, Week 6 - Big East - ESPN

Big East picks, Week 6 - Big East - ESPN

Mountaineer Madness scheduled Oct. 16 - Charleston Daily Mail
Friday, Oct 16 at 8:30pm

ACC No. 3 will face Big East in Champs Sports Bowl - Big East - ESPN
Champs Sports Bowl just got a little boost, perception wise.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL MAILBAG - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

News of Note:

Takeaways the other side of WVU's turnover woes - The Charleston Gazette
Now that Forde pointed it out, Hickman gets on the bus (not that it isn't a valid point)

Devine rewriting WVU record book - Charleston Daily Mail
His 3 TD runs of 70+ yards (each) are already a record

DEVINE CHOICE: Jarrett Brown stayed at WVU for chance to play with Noel Devine - Daily Orange

West Virginia University gets boost from redshirt freshman - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
"While West Virginia's Noel Devine is the third-leading runner in Division I, it is teammate Ryan Clarke who has been the big surprise."

Punter Kozlowski gets kick out of his comeback - PPG

Mountaineers open Big East play - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

The Paulus factor - The Charleston Gazette

Extra motivation for Paulus against WVU? - Big East - ESPN
I still love this story within: "As a reporter was leaving, the [West Virginia] reserve Cam Thoroughman asked if Duke point guard Greg Paulus was one of the eight McDonald’s all-Americans. When told yes, Thoroughman said: "Oh my God. Are you kidding?"" CLASSIC!!!!

Paulus, Marrone changing things at SU - Times West Virginian

WVU vs. Paulus Round 2: This Time, it's Football - Eersports.com
I swear, it's like all the writers get together and decide which stories will be covered on certain days.

New attitude has Syracuse on the right path - Charleston Daily Mail
Don't say I didn't warn ya. This team ain't the same as the last few versions. (Now, I'm not saying they're world beaters)

As Far As Doug Marrone Is Concerned, Greg Robinson Doesn't Exist - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician
Doug Marrone pleads the fifth of last year's West Virginia game, Greg Paulus remembers the last time he played WVU...in basketball.

Syracuse hopes to satisfy seven-year itch against West Virginia - Post-Standard

A new legacy? - The Charleston Gazette
Syracuse player (and brother to Todd Marinovich) Mikhail Marinovich is profiled.

Morgantown sliding in TSN ratings - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Big East preview: Conference comes back to pack - FOX Sports on MSN
"The Big East will take a hit this year." - I bet you thought he was talking about football, didn't ya?

Recruiting:

Texas QB Rock-Solid with WVU Commitment - Eersports.com
"Quarterback Jeremy Johnson of Silsbee, Tx., is an ultra-athletic dual-threat prospect who is solidly committed to West Virginia."

What's On Tap:

Baseball playoffs continue today with another triple-header.

Colorado Rockies vs. Philadelphia Phillies - Preview - October 08, 2009 - ESPN
Phils look to go up 2-0 today at 2:37pm EDT

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Los Angeles Dodgers - Preview - October 08, 2009 - ESPN
Cards are trying to get even today at 6:07pm EDT, after dropping Game 1.

Boston Red Sox vs. Los Angeles Angels - Preview - October 08, 2009 - ESPN
And the final series to get under way starts today at 9:37pm EDT.

Around the League (and Beyond):

USF defensive coordinator Tresey won't do interview - The Cincinnati Enquirer
"Tresey, UC’s defensive coordinator under Brian Kelly the past two years, is now the defensive coordinator at USF after Kelly fired him at the end of last season"

Leavitt denounces USF marketing's 'Big 4' billboard - Tampa Tribune

What if teams followed Louisville’s lead with the "The Ville" Jerseys? - StraitPinkie

Rutgers coach Greg Schiano (kind of) glad to be blowing in the wind - Star Ledger

Thin defense welcomed Gunn's return - PPG

FSU's Trickett: Don't blame O-line - Tampa Tribune
Offensive line coach Rick Trickett said that for the most part his guys did as they were coached to do.

Oklahoma State WR Dez Bryant ruled ineligible - SI.com

Video(s) of Interest:

Here are a couple videos from WVIllustrated.com:

Handbra Gallery of the Day:

via regretfulmorning.com

Miss Throwdown:

We're going Greek today. Meet Natali Thanou.

via www.elargentino.com

Shipyard Pumpkinhead Ale image via www.bruguru.com

Wannstache Week: Mixed Signals

Akula Wolf — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 23:15:02 -0000

More photos » by Joe Giblin - AP

Why, yes, it is magnificent. Thank you for noticing. (AP Photo/Joe Giblin)

Browse more photos »

Wannstedt discusses NC State.

By the sound of it, Pittsburgh's front seven will be every bit as tough to deal with as South Carolina's, if not moreso. The Panthers return a pair of defensive ends that combined for 13 sacks and 26 TFLs in 2008. NC State, meanwhile, will be protecting Russell Wilson's blind side with a freshman left tackle. That's just a tad worrisome. They return one of their two starting interior linemen from a year ago and generally appear to have depth to burn across the DL. And despite losing linebacker and 2008 Big East Defensive POY Scott Mckillop, Pittsburgh looks pretty well stocked at that position. MLB Adam Gunn already has five sacks despite missing the Navy game on Saturday (he's expected to play against NC State).

None of Pittsburgh's opponents have been able to establish anything on the ground, and that includes those tricky Midshipmen, who were limited to 129 yards on 46 carries. They put Navy in a bunch of 2nd-and-long and 3rd-and-long situations, their talented defensive line was able to tee off, and the results for Navy were predictably disastrous.

But then there is the matter of Buffalo, the only decent passing team Pittsburgh has seen all season, which found all kinds of success through the air despite a similar inability to run the football. Pitt's secondary is experienced but nonetheless appears to be the weak link, and they're playing without their most talented safety, Andrew Taglianetti.

Given enough time, the opportunities should be there for Russell Wilson, with or without Owen Spencer. The difference between a Pittsburgh defense that looks vulnerable and a defense that looks impenetrable comes down to consistent pass protection. We're about to find out if two weeks' worth of warmups did the offensive line any good.

Nitt Picks Is All About The Benjamins

BSD — Fri, 15 May 2009 14:09:05 -0000

In response to our, uh, discussion the other day, our new Florida State friends at Scalp 'Em took offense and had this to say.

And let’s be honest about the free education bs, this is college football (they should just pay the kids and all it the minor league NFL at this point, at least it would be fair to the players) and it’s all about the Benjamins. Most of the players aren’t going to be a student and play football (at FSU, Penn State or any other major D-I program) they’re going to play football and attend some classes.

At the time I disputed this saying it's not "about the Benjamins" at Penn State. Well, it turns out there was one guy who came to play football at Penn State with the dream of making the Benjamins. But he's not going to do it in the NFL. Paul Cianciolo is going to be making the Benjamins on Wall Street.

Cianciolo, a native of Charleston, S.C., has become one of Penn State's most revered student-athletes in recent memory. He owns a GPA of 3.94 and has attained honors during every semester as an undergraduate in marketing at the Smeal College of Business. After graduating in three years, Cianciolo moved onto obtaining his Master's of Business Administration (M.B.A.) with a primary concentration in corporate finance and earned a GPA of 3.8 in his post-graduate studies. He is also two-sport athlete who also served as a quarterback on the 2008 Big Ten champion Penn State football team.
...

Following graduation, Cianciolo intends on entering Wall Street in investment banking. Last summer, he served as an investment banking analyst for Allen & Company, LLC in New York City, where he Conducted market analysis and comparables valuation for Major League Baseball.

Gradulations and good luck, Paul. If you get any hot stock tips on Wall Street please write them down on a hundred dollar bill and mail it in to our BSD offices.

The boys at BSD know a thing or two about Benjamins

While we're at it, gradulations to all 81 Penn State student athletes graduating this weekend.

Hate Week Continues - Pitt Edition

Remember last year when that little list detailing all of the Penn State players that have had a run in with the law in recent years mysteriously leaked out of Pittsburgh? Seems like our little brother in the southwest corner of the state is trying to start their own list.

First it started with Pitt wide receiver T.J. Porter getting his second DUI in under a year.

Then sophomore wide receiver Jonathan Baldwin, who many PSU fans couldn't understand why we didn't offer, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor indecent assault, summary harassment and summary disorderly conduct stemming from an alleged incident involving a female student on a bus.

And now linebacker Adam Gunn has been charged with disorderly conduct and public drunkenness after an incident in a nightclub last weekend.

I mean, I know Pitt wishes it was like Penn State, but c'mon guys. This is not the way to go about it. Good luck in your quest for the Fulmer Cup! Maybe that's something you can win.

SB Nation - Adam Gunn

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Tuesday (11/24/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note (FB):

News of Note (BB):

Recruiting:

What's On Tap:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Video of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Calendar Gallery of the Week:

Miss Throwdown:

Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers Edition

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (10/8/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note:

Recruiting:

What's On Tap:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Video(s) of Interest:

Handbra Gallery of the Day:

Miss Throwdown:

Wannstache Week: Mixed Signals

Nitt Picks Is All About The Benjamins

Hate Week Continues - Pitt Edition