SB Nation - Greg Romeus

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (11/25/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 14:37:11 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information and entertainment. Today we're being brought to you by Widmer. That gets us to 26.

There's plenty inside to keep you occupied for a while. For one, we got good news on the BB front last night. There will still be S/T editions the next two days. I've already got some great things lined up for your enjoyment, so keep visiting through the holiday break as we prepare for the 102nd Backyard Brawl and the 76 Classic. For those of you travelling, be careful and have a great holiday!! I love getting tips, suggestions and requests, so send 'em in. And away we go...

What You May Have Missed:

Citadel vs. West Virginia - Recap - November 24, 2009 - College Basketball - SI.com
WVU takes care of business 69-50 without Ebanks. Though, he was there and dressed.

Williams Named Academic All-American - MSNsportsNET.Com

PITT Media Briefing - WVIllustrated.com
Full press conference video

Big East picks, Week 13 - ESPN

What to watch in the Big East, Week 13 - ESPN

Big East stock report - ESPN

News of Note (FB):

'Brawl' win could make West Virginia's season - ESPN

Brawl in your own backyard: When a Panther marries a Mountaineer, loyalties are tested - PPG

Seton-LaSalle's Connolly finds place at West Virginia - PPG

In the Trenches - MSNsportsNET.Com

WVU football notebook: Mountaineers can't do what Pitt did to them in '07 - Charleston Gazette
Hickman's notebook

Backyard Brawl upset turned Pitt around - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Panthers rely on 'internal energy' - Charleston Daily Mail

Good choice by Pitt's Romeus - Charleston Gazette

Building program was the Pitt plan - Charleston Daily Mail

Brown comfortable before Brawl - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Brown has West Virginia offense down Pat - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

WVU-Pitt should be a sellout - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
but it's not...some of Pitt's returned tickets remain unsold and who knows about the students

WVU will try to put the brakes on Pitt's Lewis - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Pitt coach not fond of statement by linemen - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Paper Champs - Rumors and Rants
Other than Florida St., UF hasn't played an OOC road game in over 10 years?!?!?!

Videos of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

This kid is hardcore....sign him up for kickoff coverage!!!

Gallery of the Day:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a native of Baltimore. Please meet Theresa Correa.

via www.outofaces.com

Widmer image via www.2beerguys.com

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:10:12 -0000

More photos » by TONY DING - AP

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• After starting the season off slowly, Michigan defensive end Brandon Graham has become a big factor. On the season he has 17 tackles for a loss and 6.5 sacks. Wisconsin's physical offensive line will be a big challenge for Graham. Against Wisconsin last season Graham burst onto the national scene with three sacks. If he does that again, some might start to consider him a first-round prospect.

Graham might not even be the best pass rusher at Camp Randall Stadium. That just may be Badgers junior O'Brien Schofield. On the year, he has 18.5 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. Schofield has been consistent all season.

• Against Virginia Tech, the athleticism of Maryland left tackle Bruce Campbell will be tested. he could line up against Jason Worilds, who is as quick off the snap as any defensive end you'll find. Campbell has had some injury issues, but when he's healthy he's very good.

One Hokie to watch is senior linebacker Cody Grimm. It would be a shock if he was drafted, but don't be surprised if he makes an NFL roster as a special teams player. He's all effort and leads the Hokies in tackles with 79. He might be only 5-foot-11 and 210 pounds, but he's tenacious.

• If you only watch one game of TCU's Jerry Hughes this season, make it today against Utah. Hughes may get a few snaps against Utah's best offensive lineman Zane Beadles. Most of Hughe's plays will come against Tony Bergstrom, a developing sophomore right tackle. Hughes is having another standout season but he hasn't been very active in his last two games.

• Washington quarterback Jake Locker could have a big day against Oregon State's 113th ranked pass defense. Locker has been pretty ordinary the last three weeks and needs a good showing to really cement himself as a top prospect.

• Alabama might have the second-best rush defense in the nation, but the Crimson Tide haven't seen a running back like Mississippi State's Anthony Dixon. The bruising senior bounced back last week rushing for 252 yards against Vanderbilt after struggling versus Florida. When Dixon collides with Alabama defensive tackle Terrence Cody it will be a sight to see.

• Pittsburgh defensive end Greg Romeus has been somewhat overshadowed this season by the likes of Hughes, Graham and Georgia Tech's Derrick Morgan. But make no mistake about it, Romeus is a playmaker. He has nine sacks on the year and can hold up well against the run. Playing against Notre Dame will be a good challenge for Romeus to show he deserves to be mentioned with the best ends in college football.

• The single best matchup to watch today will be the Ohio State defensive ends against the Iowa offensive tackles. Last week, the Buckeyes' Cameron Heyward had a breakout game with three sacks against Penn State. Fellow end Thaddeus Gibson is quick and can get to the ball fast. Iowa's tackles -- Bryan Bulaga and Kyle Calloway -- might be the best bookends in the nation.

Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers Edition

CW — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:15:43 -0000

by Keith Srakocic - AP

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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.)

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Mocking Dan — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 14:22:20 -0000

More photos » by Keith Srakocic - AP

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• If your team needs a defensive end, make sure to tune into the South Florida/Pittsburgh game. Pittsburgh's Greg Romeus has great power and speed on the edge. This game will allow him to showcase his gap discipline as USF quarterback B.J. Daniels can get out and move.

For the Bulls, senior George Selvie is seemingly in his ninth year of college. It seems like ages ago that he had 31.5 tackles for loss. But that was in 2007. Since then, Selvie has been solid. He's a 3-4 rush linebacker candidate, but could stick at end. He's been overshadowed this season by junior college transfer Jason Pierre-Paul. He's a physical freak with an 81-inch wingspan. Pittsburgh has a good offensive line so this could be a good test of Bulls' pass rushers.

• Clemson defensive end Ricky Sapp is having the best season of his college career. He has eight tackles for a loss and three sacks, which are decent numbers. But he's showed he can quickly fire off the ball and has deceptive strength. He's a good 3-4 outside linebacker option for teams. Against Miami, he'll have to quickly get around left tackle Jason Fox's good first step. Sapp can cement his draft status today.

• While it seems improbable, Tennessee's Eric Berry could be tested mightily against Alabama. Crimson Tide running back Mark Ingram is a physical, aggressive runner. Berry blew some tackles last week and could use today to show that was a fluke. When Berry isn't hunting down Ingram, he might have to give help coverage against Julio Jones, the talented sophomore wide receiver.

• Although Florida might be without two of its defensive tackles, Mississippi State running back Anthony Dixon can make his case as an early round draft pick today. He's run for 100 yards or more in five-straight weeks and is a powerful runner.

• Another player who could have a big-time game is Syracuse wide receiver Mike Williams. He's been explosive this season, finally healthy after injuries slowed him early in his career. If he doesn't get at least 100 yards receiving against a bad Akron secondary, Williams' play seriously deserves a second look.

• Connecticut senior defensive end Lindsey Witten has been a sensation this season. He has 10 sacks already, but seven came in the first two games. He can show that wasn't an aberration if he does well lining up against West Virginia's Selvish Capers. An above-average right tackle prospect, Capers can get out of the blocks smoothly and may give Witten trouble.

• The draft stock of Idaho guard Mike Iupati has been gaining steam of late. Today the Vandals play Nevada, a team that has potentially three NFL-caliber defensive linemen. The Nevada rush really gets after the quarterback. Iupati will have to be quick and decisive in his blocking. End Kevin Basped shifts inside on third downs and gives a lot of linemen trouble with his length and quickness.

• Lousiana-Monroe defensive end Aaron Morgan is arguably the best player in the Sun Belt conference. He projects as a 3-4 outside linebacker because of his size (6'4, 235 pounds) and speed. Kentucky might be seen as great competition, but SEC talent will be a good test for Morgan.

SB Nation - Greg Romeus

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (11/25/09) Edition

What You May Have Missed:

News of Note (FB):

News of Note (BB):

Recruiting:

Around the League (and Beyond):

Videos of Interest:

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Gallery of the Day:

Miss Throwdown:

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes

Preview: Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Pittsburgh Panthers Edition

Saturday NFL Draft watch notes