SB Nation - Pat White

The Obligatory Predictions Competition - Week 14

Law Buckeye — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 19:25:08 -0000

So, it all comes down to this. Seattle Hawkeye leads by a comfortable 12 points. Like Charlie Weis's late game instructions to his defense to let Stanford score the go ahead touchdown so that the Irish could get the ball back with time on the clock, the smart thing to do here is to go for upset points and hope for the impossible. If Pitt upsets Cincinnati, Alabama upsets Florida, Clemson upsets Georgia Tech and Seattle Hawkeye does what I expect him to do, and gets more conservative than Jim Tressel with a two touchdown lead, you just might pull it off.

Then again, perhaps you'd rather stick to your gut, and play for second or third place. After all, if this season continues its annoying upsetless ways, your "balls to the wall" ballot might blow up in your face, dropping you to the second tier of the standings.

On the other hand, what if Seattle Hawkeye anticipates the upset strategy, and hedges his bets by picking an upset or two, and buttoning things up the rest of the way? Then, it would appear, you're better off following Vegas and playing straight probabilities, hoping his upsets don't materialize and you catch a lucky break in the form of a perfect margin of victory.

For that matter, when should you enter your picks? Are you brazen enough to show your cards right away, or rather, will you try to snipe the contest eBay-style, publishing your picks mere minutes before Saturday's 11:00 a.m. (EST) deadline? It's certainly to Seattle Hawkeye's advantage to do so. But, then (of course) there's the risk of an unforeseen complication (internet outage, memory lapse, alarm clock failure etc.) that results in you missing the deadline.

I can think of at least seven people that wouldn't be too broken up if Seattle Hawkeye didn't show up at all this week.

The winner of the regular season Obligatory Predictions Competition will be announced next week.

Choose wisely.

1. No. 5 CINCINNATI at No. 15 PITTSBURGH, 12:00 p.m. EST (12/5), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts CINCINNATI by 10

Cinci sports a monster passing game with a defensive unit shaped like a sieve. Pitt has a two headed monster for a run game, with the turnover prone Bill Stull at quarterback. During the Pitt-WVU game, ESPN showed the Stull family standing on their own private porch about 200 yards from the field of play - according to Lisa Salters, the family was sick of the constant barrage of insults directed at Stull from the Pitt faithful. That doesn't sound like home field advantage to me.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts CINCINNATI by 10

On December 1st, 2007 No. 2 West Virginia faced unranked Pittsburgh as 28 point favorites, with a bid to the national championship game on the line. Pat White injured his thumb, the Panthers ran the ball out the back of their own endzone (taking the clock with it), and two weeks later Rich Rodriguez belonged to Michigan. True, even with a victory, Cincinnati wil need some unlikely assistance to climb unto the BCS National Championship Game. But the stakes in this one feel errily similar to that cold December night in Morgantown.

Pittsburgh revealed some schematic chinks in its armor in last's week's loss to West Virginia, particularly quarterback Bill Stull's overall decision making. The Panther's rushing attack, led by Freshman Dion Lewis, finds success early, but the long, laborious marching is overshadowed out by a simple truth: no one has figured out how to slow Cincinnati down on offense.

2. FRESNO STATE vs. ILLINOIS, 12:30 p.m. EST (12/5), Big Ten Network

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts FRESNO STATE by 7

Balanced Bulldogs versus revitalized Juice Williams in his final game. This game has points written all over it. FSU gets an early lead behind their balanced attack and hangs on.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts ILLINOIS by 10

It took 9 weeks, but the Illini finally found an offense against Cincinnati. Nice going Ron. Keep it up!

2. THE SEC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, No. 1 FLORIDA vs. No. 2 ALABAMA, 4:00 p.m. EST (12/5), CBS

GRAHAMFILLER 10 predicts FLORIDA by 7

The two best defenses in the country match up while CBS explodes into little bitty pieces out of sheer excitement. Verne Lundquist climaxes 13 times before kickoff before smoking a cigarette and taking a nap through the first half. Tebow leads a FG drive early, using his superpowers to gain the skills of Bo Jackson from Tecmo bowl, Jesus, and Tweeter from Varsity Blues. Alabama comes back quickly with a field goal, their players feeling relaxed from not attending a single class the entire semester. Urban Meyer's ingenious playcalling peaks with a triple reverse touchdown run by Demps, who gets three key blocks from Brandon Spikes, and by blocks I mean he literally kills three Alabama tacklers using broken beer bottles and a whipsaw. Lundquist wakes up again, sees the blood and excitement, climaxes again and falls asleep. Florida leads by 7 with a minute remaining but the game is canceled because, in a shocker, Nick Saban takes the Notre Dame head coaching position, stating that "42 million a year is what it's all about, not championships, or golden buildings."

LAW BUCKEYE predicts ALABAMA by 7

The "re-match" quality of the game of the regular season, does a disservice to the Crimson Tide who are a heck of a lot better now than they were a year ago. Sure, Auburn played them close. How many teams did that to Florida? (Tennessee, LSU, Arkansas, Mississippi State...)

As if suspended DE Carlos Dunlap needed another reason not to drive drink, it's the one he'll learn standing on the sidelines watching Greg McElroy take advantage of the precious extra seconds he gains in the pocket to find Julio Jones on deep routes. Jones, a Freshman force who slipped off the radar for parts of this season, is peaking at just the right time.

But what about Tebow? I think he plays marvelous, but just like his scripted hero "jump pass" that fell incomplete last week in Gainesville, a career full of superlatives falls short just once. Everyone's human, after all.

3. DR. PEPPER BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP GAME, No. 3 TEXAS vs. No. 22 NEBRASKA, 8:00 p.m. EST (12/5), ABC

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts TEXAS by 17

Nebraska's surprisingly stout defense (4th in the nation in scoring defense) does a great job stopping the run. Texas, with their uber-effective passing offense, will sacrifice the run and settle for 400 yards passing and a trip to the title game.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts TEXAS by 17

Move on folks, nothing to see here. To the extent it's been said at length, I won't make this entire blurb about how the Big Twelve North is a spineless aberration. I will say that we've seen the Longhorns struggle for the last time -- on Thanksgiving night against Texas A&M -- on their way into the clubhouse. Nebraska's interior line might give Colt McCoy a few close shaves, but that won't help the Huskers run or pass against a refreshingly unsinkable Big Twelve Defense.

5. DR. PEPPER ACC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP, No. 10 GEORGIA TECH vs. CLEMSON, 8:00 p.m. EST (12/5), ESPN

GRAHAMFILLER10 predicts GEORGIA TECH by 10

Vegas has no idea what's going to happen here, as these two teams played basically to a draw way back in September. We know Clemson is streaky, we know CJ Spiller is faster than God...but we don't know if the triple option can be slowed. Last time they played, GT rolled out a bunch of long runs early, Clemson adjusted and began stopping the pitch, GT adjusted to QB keepers on almost every play...And eventually the Jellow Yackets came away with a win. This is the 2nd best game of the weekend, no question.

LAW BUCKEYE predicts GEORGIA TECH by 10

There's a reason why this game is airing at 8:00 p.m. and not 3:30 p.m., and it has nothing to do with prominence. Both teams suffered humilitating losses last week to in-state underlings. Georgia Tech re-establishes its offensive cohesiveness, and sticks with what works: the run.

Part 1, Discussion of Michigan's QB Situation: Tate Forcier Should Start in 2010, Denard Should Be Moved To WR

grahamfiller10 — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 02:43:00 -0000

As Michigan fans weep softly into the offseason, it's time to ponder the future of the Michigan signalcallers. Tate Forcier excited the world early by beating Notre Dame, but struggled to a 1-7 record in Big Ten play amidst fumbles and INT's. He's not fast like Pat White, he's careless with the ball...but he certainly plays with some panache and guile. Denard Robinson looked lost in the pocket, lightning fast outside of it. Two freshmen QB recruits, both suited for the RichRod Spread, are coming in...and both are quicker than Forcier.

So what to do? Not only does our resident Michigan writer GregGoBlue believe Forcier will be the de facto starter, but he also wants to move D-Rob to a position that will utilize his athleticism. I tend to disagree, believing the RichRod spread will ultimately be more successful with a speedster at the helm. Following is Greg's hypothesis...mine will come next week.

Tate's Just A Baby...

Tate Forcier's QB rating this season was insane. 123.6 for the entire season. He's remarkably accurate, though his arm strength clearly has a ceiling. But when he's on, he's really f****** on. See: ND Game, MSU Game, IU game. Tate's got the elusive IT to lead a late game comeback and to lead a team. Though he's not the ideal running threat, he's got great scrambling ability (like when he juked that ND LB out of his jock!).

...And he's the future too!

Tate also showed a remarkable propensity for freshman mistakes amid flashes of brilliance, which was expected. Holding onto the ball too long, not stepping into the pocket, making incorrect reads on the zone-blitz, holding onto the ball while scrambling like it was a loaf of bread, throwing into coverage, etc... The best things about these mistakes? They're all fixable. Outside of all these mistakes, Tate is a remarkably good QB. The best part? He's only going to get better. Hopefully these "arrrrrrgh, NO TATE NO!" moments will be mitigated next season as Tate spends more and more time under Rod Smith. Sure he's scrawny, but Barwis has often said the second year, not the first, is the year where players show the most development. But if anybody gets a solid hit on Tate, I fear for his life. Offensive tweakage to take advantage of the accuracy and less running? Fingers crossed. RR always said he wants 2 good quarterbacks who can run this offense. Who's the second? NOT Denard Robinson.

Can't...Throw...Ball

Even my mom could tell me what play Michigan football was going to run when DRob was behind center this season. Granted, DRob did not enroll as early as Tate, but the playbook for the "human turnover" was remarkably limited. Even as the season progressed, we saw little more out of DRob than "get the ball and run". What happened to the zone-read? What happened to the ideal QB for RR's offense?

It's pretty clear DRob struggled mightily with being at the QB position this season. For epic freakouts, see: every time he threw the ball. I think at one point in the season he was 1 for 4 with 3 interceptions or something. He's got the arm strength, no doubt about that. But this kid's ability to read coverage's as well as his accuracy need some serious work. He's not redshirting, obvi, so do we expect some miraculous improvement overnight?

Hold On, I've Got Reserves...

Now that we've got Devin Gardner enrolling early and Cornelius Jones (who is leading upset after upset in the South Carolina state playoffs) coming in as well, we've got two primo athletes who can back-up Tate if/when he gets steamrolled. We don't need DRob anymore to back Tate up simply for lack of a human who can play QB on the roster (sorry David Cone).

So What To Do With Denard the Quarterback Athlete?

My esteemed colleague would say that in an RR offense, you want your best athlete at QB. I say, your best athlete is no good to you sitting on the bench for 95% of the game!! When he's clearly not the best, or most effective, QB on the roster (anybody watching Meech football can tell you who the better of the two QB's is), he's not gonna play. Spot duty is ludicrous with an athlete like this; you want him out there making plays! Right now Noel Devine is the best athlete on the WVU team and you don't see him playing QB.

From DRob's limited looks at QB this season, we were able to determine a few things. 1) He's terrifying in space with the ball in his hands. 2) Whenever he has the ball in his hands, there's a 50% chance it'll end up in the other team's hands. Not a quality you want from a QB. I say, move DRob to SR/RB or DB now and get him started on the right track now. The question is where is Denard Robinson the most effective? Effectiveness is equally defined by optimal use of skill set of a player, and depth/need at a certain position. What is Denard Robinson? A freak athlete, yes. A QB, no.

Reveling in Victory - Cal beats WSU

CBKWit — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 08:33:46 -0000

More photos » by Ben Margot - AP

Best 1, Jones 0

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This one was over early. Just before kickoff, I called a TD on the return. Jeremy Ross only returned it to the WSU 29. Stupid me. Two plays later, with less than a minute gone from the game, Best ran a basic "Go" route and Riley hit him with a nice throw on the outside shoulder for Cal's first touchdown.

Best beat former Cal corner Brandon Jones on the play. Here's what Jones had to say earlier this week: "Jahvid is good and he’s fast," Jones said. "I do want to see him one-on-one. Somebody’s got to win. If I lose, then I’ll come on top the next time." Whoops. No word on whether Jones came on top next time, but Best finished with 186 yards and three touchdowns on only 14 touches, so we'll put a couple tallies in Jahvid's column.

Cal would score three more touchdowns in the quarter and another early in the second to take a 35-3 lead. Riley finished the first quarter with some pretty solid numbers: 3-3, 85 yards, 3 touchdowns. Yes, that is one touchdown per pass attempt.

The fast start was impressive, to put it mildly. Cal flat out dominated and nearly had the 35 point line covered after only twenty minutes. I was regretting not placing more faith in (and a bet on) the Bears. Then Jeff Tuel (pronounced "Tool") started his Graham Harrell impersonation. Cal's penchance for making mediocre and/or inexperienced QBs look like Aaron Rodgers is such a predictable treat; perhaps it was Bob Gregory's plan to give a QB who was sacked TWELVE TIMES last week enough time to throw for 354 yards, in order to teach our young Cal fans (it was kid's day, after all) how to be courteous and gracious hosts. Seriously, Masoli goes 4-16 the week before playing us and then magically turns into Pat White, Barkley barely breaks a sweat in a 27 point victory, KEVIN PRINCE!! throws for 300+, and then true freshman Jeff Tuel, in his third ever start, goes for 350. And I don't want to hear the "oh, they were way behind so they had to throw." You know who else was way behind? Cal, at Oregon, this year. Riley finished with 123 yards on 31 attempts. 4 yards per attempt. Riley has much better talent than Tuel at every surrounding position, not to mention three years more experience, AND we knocked out Oregon's star corner on the first play of the game. Oregon figured out how to shut down a passing attack; maybe someday we won't be one horrible Kevin Price pass away from blowing a game to a pretty terrible ucla team. End rant.

If only we had the talent to containt the Karstetter's of the world.

via a.espncdn.com

If my reveling seems a bit more muted than last week, it's because Cal has given up almost 700 yards passing the last two weeks to teams who are a combined 0-9 in Pac-10 play. That's my dilema right now, and I suspect the dilema for most Cal fans: I'm THRILLED that we FINALLY won in LA, and I'll take a 30 point victory over anyone, any time. But does anyone think we're going to run the table from here on out, given what we saw today? Oregon State just put up 36 on USC at the Coliseum. Our kick coverage is still, how we say, not great (there was a gaping hole on WSU's first return of the game). The purpose of this column is to celebrate our victories, not to fret about what's ahead, but my natural inclination to worry and Cal's seemingly natural inclination to allow 400+ yards of offense is ruining my reveling apetite. On to the good stuff.

Jeremy Ross: he had a pretty nice day, no? The opening kick return was great but paled in comparison to his spectactular punt return. What a sweet move to semi hurdle, semi sidestep a tackler from about 40 yards out. He did drop a couple of passes, including at least one that would have converted a third down, but he also hauled in a 60 yard bomb from Riley.

Good game!

via a.espncdn.com

With such a big day from Ross, it seems inappropriate that the hurdle highlight of the day went to Covaughn DebOSKIe-Johnson. Not only was it a clean, great looking leap, but it sprung Oski for an extra twenty yards. Hurdling (and the set up and landing) is slower than flat out sprinting, so players often only get a few yards after they land; Covaughn made his count. The PA announcer even included it in his summary ("30 yards and one hurdle for a California first down!") Someone post the video.

Best and Vereen were great, as usual. Vereen in particular had some nifty runs, juking and somehow avoiding Cougar defenders for an inside eight yard run, and getting to the outside with a wicked stiff arm on a big gainer. Best will probably be a first round pick this April, but just as we were fine when we lost Arrington, and Marshawn, and Forsett...we'll be fine when we lose Best.

via a.espncdn.com

Tough to nitpick Riley's performance. His start was absolutely ludicrous and he finished with a spectacular 12.7 yards per attempt. The pass to Best in the flat at the goal line was ugly, and if he had led Ross to the outside on the 60 yard completion, instead of drawing him back slightly to the middle, it would have been a touchdown. I also think Riley gets pretty antsy on third down - it seems like he left the pocket a little early on a few occassions, continuing a trend we saw last week. If someone wants a project, look at third down passing attempts from the Cal offense over the last two games. Is Riley not seeing open receivers and taking off too early, or are Cal players being covered up down field? Still, great numbers, and they would have been better except for a few drops.

I even think the Cal defense can be excused slightly, so I'll disagree a bit with myself from 4 paragraphs ago. The defensive line mounted a generally robust pass rush (certainly better than last week), and Cameron Jordan had perhaps his best game of the year with at least a couple of sacks. I loved a third down play near the south endzone when Cal brought at least 5 in pass rush - one of the linebackers had a free shot at Tuel up the middle and the hurried pass was almost intercepted.

Jordan was extremely disruptive today, hopefully a sign of things to come.

via a.espncdn.com

The Cougars, as promised by Nuss, are significantly improved from last year. I like the Cougs, mostly due to my love for my younger brother and for cheese, so this makes me happy. Jeff Tuel looks very good for a true freshman in his third game. Gino Simone, another true freshman, looks good at wideout. This is a very, very young team and a very injured team; I except they will continue to improve and Tuel could be a major pain over the next few years. And most of all, I really, really hope they beat ucla.

If you're still up reveling, what do you think? A thirty-two point victory should make us happy, and there were a lot of fun and entertaining moments today: Ross, Best, Riley, Vereen, Oski, Jones (just list the entire offense, really); Beau Sweeney looked good converting a third down with a pass to Michael Calvin. Cam Jordan busted out, Derrick Hill was a force, and Cal allowed zero points in the second half. Is that enough, for now, to compensate for the problems that may cost us a couple games down the stretch?

Go Aloe, Go Bears.

What Would the John Brantley Offense Look Like?

Year2 — Sat, 10 Oct 2009 04:00:20 -0000

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Tim Tebow is going to be a game time decision (*or maybe not), but there still is a chance that he will not play. We might get an advance screening of what the post-Tebow era will look like with John Brantley running the show.

Now, it's impossible to say exactly what we'll see since Brantley hasn't played a snap during a close game yet, but I went through his appearances so far this year to see how the coaches used him in the offense. I'm not focusing on production in terms of yards or points, since it all came in garbage time. Rather, here's just a sampling of how things change with him under center.

Play Calling

This year, the offense has centered around running more than it has in the past. Just look at the Florida-Tennessee game: 19 pass attempts versus 44 rushing attempts. It's a run-heavy attack.

Brantley is more of a passer, and that bears out in the play selection. I went through all of his plays and charted out the run/pass mix. This includes plays that were called back for penalties, and if a play was supposed to be a pass but ended up a scramble, it still counts as a pass. Here's how it broke down:

Team	Rush	Pass
CSU	18	13
Troy	11	13
Kentucky	9	7
TOTAL	38	33

Note: this does not include the final drive against Kentucky, which was just six handoffs to kill the clock.

There still is a preference for run over passing, but it's nowhere near as pronounced. The play calling comes a lot closer to being balanced, and that fact makes Deonte Thompson's return to the lineup this week all the more important. While most folks have focused on Tebow's status (and for good reason), the second most important story for UF this weekend is Thompson's return. The passing offense opens up considerably with him in there, and that's huge if Brantley is indeed the one to start.

Short Yardage

Tebow is the standard short yardage back. If he's out, then they've got to do something else, right? While charting play selection, I also kept track of what happened on third or fourth and short (three or fewer yards to go). The choices were as follows:

Roll out pass: two attempts, two conversions
Drop back pass: one attempt, one conversion
Chris Rainey up the middle: two attempts, one conversion
Jeff Demps up the middle: one attempt, one conversion
Mike Gillislee up the middle: one attempt, one conversion

Of the seven short yardage scenarios, there were four runs and three passes. All of the passes worked, and all but one run worked. Rainey up the middle doesn't generally work on third and short regardless, so seeing a failed attempt there is not surprising. You can also just use Gillislee as a proxy for Emmanuel Moody as they are both big backs, but Moody's day was done against Charleston Southern when Gillislee got his third and short carry.

Seven is not a tremendously large sample size, but with Brantley in the game, third and short is not an automatic quarterback dive. Look for play action roll out passes.

Aesthetics

The most obvious difference with the Brantley package is the I-formation. Here it is against Troy with Rainey as the tailback. We heard in the preseason that Tebow was going to run some plays from it, but he's yet to do so. With Brantley in however, it makes regular appearances. Watch out for ball security with it though - Brantley fumbled the center exchange against Kentucky and the Wildcats recovered. Center Maurkice Pouncey isn't used to doing a lot of under center snaps.

While Brantley does have a good arm and he throws a nice ball, they didn't take too many downfield shots against the tomato cans. Most of his work was done in the short and intermediate range with only a couple bombs (most of which were very inaccurate) mixed in. He rolled out on after play action quite a bit, although that just could have been because he was playing behind a line composed entirely of true freshman most of the time. Against Kentucky, he threw what felt like the first fade route since the Zook era, so that's back in the red zone playbook as well.

The offense still uses option plays, though not a whole lot of speed option. It's mostly zone read option plays, and Brantley will occasionally keep on those. It can be difficult to tell when something is an option play or not because he bootlegs out and fakes a run on every hand off whether it was an option play or not. Just something to keep the defense honest.

What About LSU?

It's a fair bet that if Brantley gets the start, there will be a lot of run plays called to take some pressure off of the guy getting his first start and put the pressure on the veteran line and backs. However there still will be quite a bit of throwing, more than when Tebow is in at least, because that's what Brantley does best. If Florida's line has any trouble dealing with LSU's front seven, I think we'll see a lot of those play action roll out passes that were prominent in his previous appearances.

On short yardage, there will probably be about as many screens as running back dives. The option game should be interesting to watch as well, since Brantley has done almost no speed option this year and folks seem to be expecting a lot of that. A better bet would be zone read option plays. Even though Brantley isn't a big and tough runner like Tebow and doesn't have wheels like Pat White, he's still plenty mobile.

All of this could be moot if Tebow plays. I'd bet this is what we'll see from the Gator offense if he doesn't though.

#BeatWVU

Sean Keeley — Fri, 09 Oct 2009 22:49:42 -0000

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Sex ed classes in West Virginia teach boys that "moo" means "moo". #BeatWVU

You know you've made it in West Virginia when you own two pairs of Wrangler jeans. #BeatWVU

Goddamn hicks. #BeatWVU

140 characters is perfect for West Virginia students. That's about how big their vocabulary is. #BeatWVU

WVU has a great running back and a tough run defense, but you know what they're missing? Proper hygiene. #BeatWVU

I'm headed to grab lunch at a deli. Or for you WVU fans, one of those fancy high-fallootin' non-McDonald's sandwich shops . #BeatWVU

West Virginia: Where "bringing sexy back" means inviting your cousin over for dinner again. #BeatWVU

Where the chancellor is actually just the dad/brother/cousin of all 28000 enrolled. #BeatWVU

I heard the WV constitution was written on the back of a Cracker Barrel menu. In crayon. And "constitution" was misspelled. #BeatWVU

West Virgina, where your family tree looks like two straight lines. #BeatWVU

In West Virginia, the prostitutes charge by the pound. #BeatWVU

Legend holds that Tarantino's inspiration for the rape dungeon in Pulp Fiction was the campus of West Virginia University. #BeatWVU

West Virginia is wondering what the big deal is about the No Bell Piece Prize #BeatWVU

West Virginia: Making Mississippi feel proud since 1863. #BeatWVU

Because WV fans need to realize Bill Stewart is Greg Robinson with an accent #BeatWVU

How many WVU frosh does it take to screw in a light bulb? None...it's a soph class! #beatwvu

You know that a West Virginia graduate is running NASA when crashing things into a rock equals science. #BeatWVU

WVU head coach is only dressing 20 players against Syracuse...the rest have to dress themselves! #beatwvu

Bill Stewart looks like he should be teaching shop somewhere. #BeatWVU

I am 100% positive that Bill Stewart has a cache of Werther's Originals in his office. #BeatWVU

78% of WVU seniors don't have to worry about finding a job. They either will be in jail or back on campus in the fall. #BeatWVU

Syracuse gave the world two astronauts. West Virginia gave the world a burnt futon and a keg of Pabts. #BeatWVU

The only time it is acceptable to burn a couch is after a national championship. That is it. #BeatWVU

Morgantown: Now with 16% fewer hate crimes! #BeatWVU

A large percentage of West Virginians don't technically count as permanent residents because they live in cars #BeatWVU

Street signs in West Virginia: http://imgur.com/eLFPa #beatWVU

West Virginia's chief exports are crystal meth and sadness. #BeatWVU

Mountaineer : personal hygiene :: Greg Robinson : coaching acumen #BeatWVU

West Virginia, where burning things isn't arson or criminal mischief, but a rite of passage. #BeatWVU

You Probably Shouldn't Even Say The Word Turnover This Week

Sean Keeley — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:58:28 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Gentner - AP

Browse more photos »

Let's face it, plenty of other people are going to be saying it for you.

Like Bill Stewart, head coach of West Virginia. The guy who Dave Rahme called "one of the nicest guys in the college football coaching profession" is just sick to his stomach over the turnovers the Mountaineers have been coughing up.

"I’m pleased without our effort. I’m pleased with how hard we are playing and how we have guys straining to make plays," Stewart said. "What frustrates me as the CEO of this football program is we’re sloppy. We’re sloppy because you try to get an extra yard here or there and sometimes you stretch the ball out and you lose it. That’s frustrating for a coach and it’s frustrating for our players. Our players are frustrated."

The thing is, take away the turnovers and the West Virginia offense is working about as well as it was supposed to. At least, that's what the stats say:

No. 13 in the country in total offense (465.25 yards per game).

No. 18 in the country in rushing (208.5).

No. 31 in the nation in passing yardage (256.75) and No. 24 in passing efficiency.

Jarrett Brown is bringing something to the table that even Pat White couldn't...a strong passing attack. And that's opening the door for Noel Devine, who is averaging 135 yards rushing per game, third in the nation.

So how will the Orange shut down the Mountaineers? Hard to say. The numbers say the Orange should be able to limit Devine on the ground but passing-wise, they could be in trouble:

The Syracuse football team that West Virginia plays this weekend is giving up just 91 yards per game rushing, good enough to rank No. 15 in the country. But this is also a team that gives up an average of 290 yards passing. Only four teams in the nation are worse.

Of course, all of this is moot if either team falls into the turnover trap. Expect both teams to work hard on stopping the trend. Marrone for his part, doesn't want the Orange to be "that team."

"I think I can speak for everyone in college football – there’s not a program that wants to be known for turning the football over," Marrone said. "I think we all want to be known for, taking the ball and creating these turnovers."

Tremendous though, coach.

Getting To Know The West Virginia Mountaineers: Q&A with The Smoking Musket

irish1611 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 19:46:07 -0000

The Ralphie Report sat down with the fantastic West Virginia blog, The Smoking Musket, for a quick Q&A on Thursday's matchup between the Colorado Buffaloes and the West Virginia Mountaineers. We talked about the loss of Pat White (which seems to anger West Virginia fans that the rest of the nation keeps asking about him), West Virginia fan expectations for the team this year, Bill Stewart and many other topics. Go Buffs!

The current line for the game this Thursday is hovering around 17.5 points. Last year, West Virginia was 3 point favorites in Boulder so a somewhere along the line Colorado has certainly regressed from a year ago. But the main question is this West Virginia team better overall compared to last year even with the loss of QB Pat White?

Patrick White is gone, Mountaineer Nation is over it, I just wish the rest of the country would get over it too.

I started to type "it is impossible for a team to improve while losing the best player in the program history" but I have reconsidered that answer. Overall, this offense is much better than last year. All of the Mountaineer's skill position players have a better grasp of their responsibilities and (offensive coordinator) Jeff Mullen is putting them in positions to make big plays.

While Jarrett Brown is no Patrick White, he has NFL talent but needs to learn to manage a game better. We are hoping the turnovers that occurred in our games against ECU and Auburn were blips on the screen and not the start of a bad trend.

see the rest of the interview after the jump...

What are the expecations for this year's West Virginia team? Many must feel that West Virginia let one slip away against the Auburn Tigers but looking at the schedule, the game against Cincinnati looks to be the main competition separating the Mountaineers from a Big East championship and a BCS bowl game depending on South Florida's progression. Is it BCS bowl or bust this year?

Expectations are a national championship every year. Expecting anything less than that as a program means you are in a sorry state. However, if we don't win one the Mountaineers' season is not a "failure," it just did not live up to expectations. BCS or bust? No, but we should be in a BCS game when all is said and done.

Cincinnati is the team to beat right now in the Big East but that could change in the blink of an eye. It should be an interesting finish.

We hear a lot about QB Jarrett Brown to a point that it sounds like West Virginia's offense is better than it was with Pat White because Brown seems to have more success throwing. Are you a believer in that statement? Talk about Jarret Brown as a quarterback and what we can expect to see?

Jarrett Brown (JB) is not a better player than Patrick White but that is nothing to be ashamed of because White was the best player in our program's history. JB is probably better suited for this offense, though. He is a more prototypical pocket passer because of his size.

JB has a ton of arm strength, is very elusive for a man his size and has shown the ability to move through his progressions to find an open man. Recently, however, that open man has sometimes been the opposing teams CB but I don't see that trend continuing. I personally love JB's ability but he needs to show that he can eliminate the mistakes and consistently make smart decisions.

Expect to see him throw for 250+ yards, 2 TD's and accumulate 75 + rushing yards.

It seems that West Virginia fans still have their issues with Bill Stewart. Like last year coming into the Colorado game, there is a desire to see the carries for RB Noel Devine increase with less passing from Brown. Against Colorado, the passing game was non existent a year ago because Stewart seemed to want to answer the naysayers, only throwing the ball 14 times for 43 yards. What are your thoughts on Bill Stewart and do you expect the Mountaineers to predominately run the ball this week as the Buffs have shown little resistance up front?

I love Bill Stewart (HCBS)! I do not see why they would not run the ball consistently against the porous run defense of Colorado. Having said that, I would also expect to see 25 or so pass attempts. HCBS was still learning the ropes last year and looked like an Alzheimer's patient at times on the sideline. It is a new year and a better HCBS. Don't expect him to give you the game this year.

Like most teams, we always hear about the offense of the Mountaineers but how is the defense shaping up? Certainly last game shouldn't be used as an indicator due to all of the offensive turnovers but give us a few of the big playmakers in the 3 - 3 - 5 scheme.

Reed Williams MLB should be back this week and he is the glue that seems to hold the D together. His first game back last year was against CU and he had an interception. So look for big things from him.

Another guy to keep an eye on is our 6-5 215 safety, Robert Sands. While he will not start he will see most of the playing time. He is a ball hawk that can lay the lumber on a wide receiver.

Finally, prediction time:

Answer in a sentence or two:

West Virginia wins if - It establishes the run and does not turn the ball over.
Colorado wins if - West Virginia totally craps its pants and turns the ball over more than three times.

Final score: WVU 42 - Colorado 17

Tuesday Buff Bites - Colorado Has A "Tricky Passing Attack Run By A Sly Quarterback"

irish1611 — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 03:22:00 -0000

The Times West Virginian - Brown expected to start against Colorado
I don't know what to make of this quote but I am once again amazed at what comes out of the mouth of Bill Stewart. Never has an opponent of any Dan Hawkins-led Colorado team been worried about the passing game beating them. Bill Stewart might be the only reason Colorado wins this game Thursday night:

A year ago WVU ran the ball well against Colorado and may lean more toward the run this week than it has in the first three games as they want to control the ball and keep away from what Stewart believes is a tricky passing attack run by a sly quarterback, coach Dan Hawkins’ son, Cody.

Stewart speaks as highly of the Colorado offense as the Buffaloes speak of his. "I’m very worried about Cody Hawkins," Stewart said. "He’s a tough guy. He has the ability to make three and four reads. The guy has winner written all over him. He understands exactly what his dad’s offense is all about. He was reared in it back in the Boise State days."

Rivals.com College Football - Q&A with Colorado coach Dan Hawkins
Two thumbs up to Tom Dienhart of Rivals.com for his Q&A with Dan Hawkins. He asked the difficult questions, this is definitely worth a read. Here is a piece of the interview:

Q: Because he's your son, do you think you stay with him too long when he's struggling?

A: "I don't look at it like that. I always talk about handling the quarterbacks - it doesn't matter who the guy is, in the NFL or Pop Warner - that's a unique position. And I think the last thing any quarterback needs is somebody who isn't supportive. He needs someone who will be supportive. I was the same way with Bernard [Jackson] in '06. That doesn't mean you sit down with guys and talk about throws and reads and plays. But that guy better be your guy until he is not your guy and you go with somebody else. Look at in the NFL, when they just even talk about bringing someone else in, what it does to a quarterback's confidence. All of a sudden, he goes, 'Holy smokes.' "

Road woes to confront Buffs again - The Longmont Times-Call
The Mountaineers are very tough to beat at home at night, especially on Thursday nights:

According to CU’s weekly notes, since 1988, the program has won 59 of 104 road games, which is a 57.2 winning percentage — putting the team at 13th-best nationally. The 59 wins are the 11th most in the nation and third among Big 12 programs during that span. Numbers suggest this isn’t the right spot for CU to have a breakthrough. West Virginia is 22-6-2 in night home games, 15-2 since 2000. West Virginia is 6-0 when ESPN televises a Thursday night game from the Mountaineers’ home venue in Morgantown, W. Va.

Big East, Big 12 to announce Yankee Bowl formation - NCAA Football - SI.com
This is a pretty cool announcement for a future bowl game at Yankee stadium.

New York Yankees owner Hal Steinbrenner, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg and the commissioners of the Big East and Big 12 will announce at a news conference Wednesday the formation of the Yankee Bowl, to be held at the new Yankee Stadium beginning with the 2010-11 postseason, according to sources with knowledge of the event. The game, which will seek NCAA certification next spring, would reportedly pit the Big East's fourth-place team against the Big 12's No. 7 selection. Organizers plan to hold the first edition between Dec. 29, 2010 and Jan. 2, 2011.

ISU football: Cyclone assistants’ salaries at or near Big 12 bottom | DesMoinesRegister.com
The Buffs pay their assistant coaches $1.5 million in total which is second to last in the Big 12, only ahead of Iowa State at $1.3 million.

Denver Sports Talk Radio - The Score with Armstrong & Shapiro - 1510 AM Mornings
Buffs DB Ray Polk was interviewed on the score by Jim Armstrong and Les Shapiro today.

WVU fairly healthy after off week - WVU Football - Charleston Daily Mail

West Virginia Coach Bill Stewart pledged Monday linebacker Reed Williams and quarterback Jarrett Brown will play in Thursday's 7:30 p.m. ESPN game from Mountaineer Field, but said he isn't sure defensive tackle Scooter Berry will go against the Buffaloes.

Big East: West Virginia Looks To Turn Tables On Colorado -- Courant.com
Coach Bill Stewart also felt sick after re-watching last year's game in Boulder. I hate things that put me in a bad mood too Coach:

Last year Colorado beat West Virginia in a 17-14 overtime thriller at Colorado. "I watched that thing this morning and I got sick," West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said Monday on the Big East coaches weekly conference call. "I wish I wouldn't have done that. I watched it at 7:30 in the morning with the offensive staff and I've been in a bad mood ever since."

Coker, Who Won It All at Miami, Starts Over With Nothing in San Antonio - NYTimes.com
Apparently on the recommendation of current Buff offensive line coach Denver Johnson, former Miami Hurricanes head coach Larry Coker inquired about the heading coaching job at the brand new program at University of Texas-San Antonio.

But on the recommendation of Denver Johnson, a friend who is an assistant at Colorado, Coker called Hickey about U.T.S.A.’s job in January and left a message with her receptionist. Hickey said the message — "Larry Coker called and said he would be interested in the job" — left her stunned. "Do you think this is the Larry Coker?" Hickey recalled asking.

Hawkins' Monday Press Luncheon Transcript - CUBuffs.com
CU Head Football Coach Dan Hawkins had his weekly press luncheon Monday at the Dal Ward Athletic Center.

CU Buffs feel need for speed - Boulder Daily Camera

The Mountaineers (2-1), despite losing quarterback Pat White to the NFL, are the most physically gifted team the Buffs (1-2) will face to date. "They still have a ton of talent, a ton of speed, they spread you out," Hawkins said at his Monday press conference. "I don't know that they're hugely different than they were. They're still multi-dimensional and have a quarterback who can run and hurt you that way as well. They're pretty talented. ... "They definitely have juice at every spot. All their guys can run."

Scout.com: Stew's Views: Striking Quickly

"We are going to try to keep them off balance," said Bill Stewart of the defense of this week’s opponent, Colorado. I don’t want them to be able to hone in on us. I don’t want them to bend and not break. I want to see if we can break them and break them early."

Oklahoma Sooners, Oregon Ducks and Virginia Tech Hokies are back in the title mix - ESPN
Pat Forde of ESPN who picked Colorado as his Big 12 North champion this preseason takes a nice shot at the Buffs and Dan Hawkins:

(Lesson Eight Caveat: A lousy season opener can still augur a lousy season. Virginia, Maryland, Colorado and UTEP got off on the wrong foot and kept hopping on it until falling down a manhole. Perhaps taking their coaches' employment with them.)

Stewart ready for second crack at West Virginia - College Football Nation - ESPN

The Harmon Forecast - NCAA Football - CBSSports.com
Harmon predicts Colorado 17, West Virginia 30.

Tickets remain for CU vs. KU : All Things Colorado Sports Colorado
According to Colorado officials, about 7,000 tickets remain for CU’s Oct. 17 home game against Kansas.

Trip Down Memory Lane - The Greatness of West Virginia Coach Bill Stewart

irish1611 — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 14:52:15 -0000

I always get a good chuckle when the name Bill Stewart is dropped. I am quickly reminded of last year's game previews for the West Virginia and some of the best quotes you will ever hear from a good ole' boy head coach. Now the Buffs have coach Dan Hawkins which makes Colorado a very easy target as well when you talk about someone with crazy quotes, less than stellar on the field performance and an overall wacky way of looking at things. But I give coach Dan Hawkins credit, he has refrained from calling himself stupid and for all we know, Dan Hawkins does believe in oxygen, unlike Bill Stewart but that is because Dan Hawkins is both a football coach and an astronaut extraordinaire:

thanks to Hallux's blog!

The West Virginia blog,The Smoking Musket, has called this game "Redemption Thursday" because, as they like to put it, Stewart looked lost on the sidelines of Folsom Field a year ago:

Head Coach Bill Stewart's image took a major hit when he closed his eyes and constantly played with his headset at Folsom Field. Fair or unfair, many fans and commentators have not gotten over the above image in judging HCBS's performance as head ball coach of the Mountaineers.

Bill Stewart's image also took a hit last year for other reasons outlined in our game recap from a year ago:

Maybe my expectations for the Buffaloes are too high or maybe I am pretty honest, probably both faults of mine. If you would have said before the season the Buffs would be 3-0, I would have taken it in a heart beat and proclaimed the Buffs an 8 or 9 win team. Now they are 3-0 and they still might be an 8 or 9 win team but the feeling coming out of the last two games is a similar uneasy feeling. The uneasy feeling from this game stems from the fact that Bill Stewart maybe the worst coach in college football today.

White, Devine, an All American tackle in Stanchek, Sanders, and a quartet of physically gifted wide receivers that make the Buffs defensive backs look like little kids. The speed and talent is all there. I give the Buffs a lot of credit for playing that cliché style of "bend but don't break" defense but the Buffs were aided by Mr. Stewart who seemed more interested in fist pounding K Pat McAfee after an extra point rather than worrying about clock management. The play calling that Jeff Mullen pulled out on third and short was absolutely dumbfounding. How many third and shorts was West Virginia going to run up the middle with the diminutive Noel Devine right into the strength of our defense? Why not run outside like they had been all day against the weakness of the Buffs defense and the strength of WVU offensive line? You think somewhere along the way of going 3 for 13 on the third downs that the Mountaineers would have learned. But that would be putting a lot of faith in Bill Stewart. Here is how I know Bill Stewart is a bad coach. At the end of the first half, Stewart went timeout happy, trying to get clever and exuberantly calling timeouts for no reason other than to be a complete thorn in the side of all the Buffs fans whom needed to use the facilities. There was no way that he was going to get the ball back. Then as the Mountaineers are driving at the end of the game, Bill Stewart had no desire to use his timeouts to give the offense a chance to win the game even when they were at mid field with 40 seconds left. He choked on his whistle, he showed no faith in his offense showing he has no idea what he is doing.

The best part was that Bill Stewart received so much heat two weeks before for throwing the ball too much and not using Pat White's legs that he made it a point to show the Mountaineer nation that he wouldn't throw. He made his point so well that even Buffs fans were completely confused at the negative 5 passing yards that showed on the scoreboard most of the game. Stewart never loosened up the slower Colorado Buffaloes defense, he never challenged our smaller cornerbacks, he never thought to use a tight end or give Pat White a run/pass option. He has no idea how to use the tools that are in the toolbox. I was with a Sooner fan last night who will go unnamed that said he was now even more embarrassed that OU lost to a Bill Stewart coached team. Bill Stewart was that bad.

Click after the jump to relive what we wrote a year ago and be prepared for a good laugh courtesy of West Virginia Mountaineer head coach Bill Stewart. We could all use a laugh. We are 1 - 2, 17.5 point dogs on the road and play at Texas on ESPN next week; we will take any reason to laugh right about now. The Buffs only chance this Thursday might come if Bill Stewart relives what he did last year with poor clock management, poor play calling and yes, closing his eyes. And it is true, Bill Stewart did say that he doesn't believe in oxygen:

Here is what we posted last year:

So on ESPN radio, they have an ad for Colin Cowherd saying something to the tune of "there are two things that we are sure of every college football season; Clemson won't be good and hiring an assistant coach with limited experience will always drive your program into the ground." I was at the game where the West Virginia Mountaineers smoked the Oklahoma Sooners and thought it was good win by Bill Stewart in a tough spot. Everything you read, though, supports what Cowherd says. Other than the one win he had last year with former head coach Rich Rodriguez's team, Bill Stewart's head coaching experience has consisted of 3 years (1994 - 1996) at Virginia Military Institute which he had a stellar record of 8 - 25. He also had a stint at Air Force under Fischer DeBerry as an assistant. Something tells me that the Top 50 college football programs wouldn't hire Stewart with that glaringly weak resume. You read articles that say Stewart has already driven the program into the ground and how he has changed the offense so much that it doesn't emphasize the strong points of RB Noel Devine and QB Pat White.

But I am glad West Virginia hired Bill Stewart. He has had some great quotes in the last week that have made me chuckle. He discusses astronauts, oxygen, NASA, our society and bandwagon West Virginia fans. He admits he ain't that smart either.

When you read some of the quotes below I want you to ask yourself a couple of questions.

-Does this sound like a division one football coach or does it sound like a high school coach sitting around the barber shop talking to Johnny that works at the lawnmower shop and Lou from the auto repair store?

-Do you think the pressure is getting to Billy just a little bit? Why the hell is he so worried about the delusional West Virginia fans?

-Do you believe in oxygen or are you with Bill on this one?

-Do you really think this guy pictured below ran 100 miles a week, 50 weeks a year for four years? I am glad Bill accounted for only 50 weeks properly accounting for time off for Thanksgiving and Christmas...can't run on a full stomach.

-Do you think I am taking the quote, "I'm not smart enough to know this stuff after two games," out of context? Well you won't after you read some of these quotes.

Bill Stewart and the West Virginia Mountaineers might come into Boulder and beat CU but something tells me that Bill Stewart has a ceiling, especially if he doesn't like oxygen. Mountaineer fans probably wish they would have hired Skip Holtz after last weekend.

So without further adieu, let the Bill Stewart magic begin:

Here is ole' Bill talking about Boulder and that lack of oxygen filled state o'er there named Colorado:

"I just don't think that's a big problem. I think it's kind of comical,'' Stewart said Tuesday. "I lived out there for four years at the Air Force Academy and we were at 6,800 feet. Now, when we went on our retreat with Coach [Fisher] DeBerry, we went up to almost 10,000 feet. Now that's a problem. I jogged up there. But [at Air Force] I ran 100 miles a week, 50 weeks a year for four years.''

He really tries to drive the altitude point home with this statement:

"I do not believe in oxygen. That's a joke,'' Stewart said. "Oxygen's for astronauts. You go over on the sideline and put an oxygen [mask] on, the play's already over. What do you need oxygen for? Now if you had oxygen while you were playing maybe that would help you. I don't know. I've never been to NASA and experimented with it. But I don't think in my lifetime we'll have football masks with oxygen in them.''

That'll make his team stop worrying for sure about the oxygen. Oxygen's got nothing on Bill Stewart and the Mountaineers. NASA and astronauts got nothing on 'em neither.

Now Billy talks about the game last week (East Carolina) with the first question being:

"What in the world happened?" Stewart was asked, in reference to WVU's 24-3 loss at East Carolina on Saturday.

"This was the second game of the season," Stewart replied. "That's what I don't understand about what's going on with our society. Before we get to Game 13 (a bowl game), we'd better take care of Game 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and so on.

"Next question, please."

Be tough with 'em Bill, teach them all how to count and make sure they eat their peas and carrots too. No more questions, time for bed.

As for criticism he has received, Stewart said: "If we have fans worrying about their motel room in December or January (for a bowl game), they have the wrong agenda. They'd better take care of Game 1-2-3-4. If they jump off the bandwagon, well, they jump off. That's OK.

Fans from West Virginia stay in motels, the rest of the world stays in hotels. Good clarification by Stewart. He also doesn't count to five like he does a quote above because he realizes he is directly referencing West Virginia fans now. Don't get ahead of yourself, Bill. Teaching is a process.

Sugar + Gator = Fiesta...sounds like my kind of party:

"I told the team, 'We have a nice Sugar Bowl ring, a nice Gator Bowl ring and a nice Fiesta Bowl ring. What's our ring going to be?' This is a different team. The 2008 team is different and we have to find our own identity. And that's what we're going to try to do.''

Willy has an interesting approach on third downs too. Definitely don't worry about them "dad gum" third downs. Horses like hay too.

"The biggest thing we are going to work on this week is to make 'hay' on first downs and stop them then. We just have to take care of first downs," Stewart said in his regularly scheduled press conference. "I tell them, 'Don't worry about getting off the field on third downs'."

Thanks for the tip coach. Hey Hawk, West Virginia is going to run more of that belly option stuff, something they should have been doing from day one:

"We tried that [Saturday]. And we ran the zone, not too bad a few times,'' coach Bill Stewart said. "What I want to get back to is that belly option, where Pat can read it, pull it or pitch it. We need to do more of that and that's what we're going to work on very, very hard this week. The zone's not been too bad, but the belly option is what we're lacking.''

Maybe Coach DeBerry can come out of retirement and give Bill a hand to find out which players he should play. Fisher has no problem pointing out who the best players are:

"I thought a couple of our guys didn't play up to their capabilities. A couple more will play this week. Truthfully, after two games, we're still finding out who our best players are. I'm not smart enough to know this stuff after two games."

More to come I am sure.

----------------------

Sadly, I think Dan Hawkins is still finding out who his best players are after four years. What a coaching matchup we have coming up this Thursday in Morgantown.

Monday Buff Bites: Bryce Givens Gets Start at Tackle, Guard Spots Undecided

irish1611 — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 17:08:29 -0000

Givens to Start for CU - The Longmont Times-Call
A lot of good information in Patrick Ridgell's article this morning. Some surprising news to say the least regarding the offensive line. OT Bryce Givens will get the start back at right tackle after missing last week's game due to personal issues. One would initially think that Ryan Miller would move back this his guard spot but both guard positions are undecided according to the coaching staff. The only players slated to start against the Mountaineers right now are LT Nate Solder, RT Bryce Givens and C Mike Iltis:

Offensive coordinator Eric Kiesau said redshirt freshman right tackle Bryce Givens will start Thursday when the Buffs visit West Virginia. Givens missed CU’s 24-0 defeat of Wyoming on Sept. 19 and some practices prior to the game due to "personal issues," according to offensive line coach Denver Johnson. Givens, who started the first two games of 2009, was not available for interviews following Sunday’s practice, according to CU’s sports information department. Kiesau said Givens shows no ill effects from the time he spent away. "He’s fine, doing good," Kiesau said. Kiesau said Mike Iltis will start at center and Nate Solder at left tackle, as usual. He said the guard positions remain undecided. "We’re going to move some guys around," Kiesau said. "Not necessarily because someone did bad, but just to get some guys in and get some fresh faces in there and create some competition, especially inside. It’s the same nucleus inside, we’re just moving them around." Ryan Miller started the first two games at right guard before moving to tackle in Givens’ absence. Johnson said last week Ethan Adkins, Matt Bahr and Blake Behrensare in the mix at guard, as well. Adkins started the season’s first three games at left guard. CU did not release a depth chart Sunday.

If you go to the percentage grades released on the Colorado Buffs website for offensive lineman, guards Ryan Miller and Ethan Adkins have been the worst performers of the five offensive linemen who started the year. Miller's high grade is 82% and Adkins high grade is 79%, both against an undersized Toledo defensive front.

This will be interesting to see who starts Thursday night. Nothing wrong with a little competition or a wake up call. It looks like Givens earned his spot back and now the guards will have to battle it out this week in practice. This is a good thing from my point of view. It increases practice intensity which results in a more focused unit. Hopefully, Adkins and Miller earn their spots back because their is familiarity between the group with those players.

Kiesau said "we will see" in regards to RB Darrell Scott being "sharp" for the West Virginia game but Scott is supposedly healthy and ready to play. Dan Hawkins said "we will see" about when freshman DE Nick Kasa will see action.

Brown brings balance to West Virginia offense - Boulder Daily Camera
You are going to hear a lot this week about how West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown brings a better passing game to the Mountaineers compared to Pat White. At the same time, though, Brown's decision making has been questionable in the early going of the season:

Entering this weekend's action, West Virginia ranked 116th nationally and last in the Big East in turnover margin (-7). Bill Stewart said after the loss in Auburn that his offense would continue to play aggressively with Brown breaking the huddle.

West Virginia: Brown should be fine by Thursday
West Virginia QB Jarrett Brown suffered a shoulder bruise in the fourthquarter of last week's loss to Auburn. He would have been questionable to play against Colorado if the game was last Saturday but with five extra days off, Brown is expected to start. The injury is on his non-throwing shoulder but if they get to Brown, it may only take one hit to re-aggravate it. Just more incentive for the defense to get after it again this Thursday. Also:

The nationally televised game (ESPN) Thursday night has been declared a "Gold Rush" for which fans are being asked to wear gold shirts.

CU cornerback Brown to square off against hot WVU receiver - The Denver Post
As mentioned above, West Virginia's now has a passing attack and the leading receiver is Jock Sanders who is ranked third nationally in receptions per game at 9.67. If you remember correctly, Toledo WR Eric Page torched the Buffs in week two from the slot position. If Colorado is going to pull of a major upset, the Buffs will need to account for Sanders and the middle of the field.

Brooks: Defense Up For Mountaineer Challenge - CUBuffs.com

"If you ask him, he'll probably say, 'I don't want to be Pat White.' He's a whole different animal," Burton said of West Virginia QB Jarret Brown. "Pat White was athletic and they had a whole lot of plays designed for him to run. It's no different now, but (Brown) is definitely a passer. The guy can use his arm or his feet; he's a football savvy guy when you watch his film."

But there are times when Brown appears not-so-savvy. During spring drills in Morgantown, coach Bill Stewart told reporters, "One scrimmage . . . I went over to him and told him, 'Youmake one more throw like that and you will never quarterback this football team . . . "He wants to make every play, but sometimes you have to learn to retreat. There is nothing wrong with a punt. Whenever I was an offensive coordinator in high school, college and the pros, I said, 'You've got to protect this football.'

Woelk: Expectations, reality don't always mesh at Colorado - Buffzone
I responded to this article in yesterday's post in case anyone wants to know my take. In a nut shell, no one is expecting the University of Colorado to field a top 10 team but the Buffs should be respectable on the field, go to bowl games and have winning records. That isn't to much to ask. The article feeds into the current administration's propensity to look at the negatives and provide excuses for them. Certainly there are obstacles and no one said it was going to be easy, it isn't easy for any school and frankly, that is why you get paid $1.0 million+ a year. I am tired of the excuses and I am tired of seeing teams in our region like Missouri, Kansas, Houston, Boise State, Utah, BYU and even Colorado State the last few years, who have similar obstacles in recruiting and athletic budgets outperform the University of Colorado.

Buffs wage battle with attrition - The Longmont Times-Call
Patrick Ridgell of the LongmontTimes has an interesting article on recruiting and the attrition that goes along with it. He takes a deep look at Hawkins' 2007 class and looks at what players are still on the team.

more links after the jump...

Double-T nation Daily Diatribe :: 09.28.09 - Double-T Nation
Some interesting things are brewing in Lubbock after their loss to Houston. OL Brandon Carter has been suspended indefinitely and LB Marlon Williams had a nice message to Mike Leach via twitter that should make for some nice discussion over on Doube-T Nation today.

Big 12 power rankings: Week 5 - College Football Nation - ESPN

12. Colorado: The Buffaloes got the week off before a tough trip to West Virginia, which still remembers the Mountaineers'tough loss in Boulder last season. Rodney Stewart was the key in that triumph with a career-best 166 yards. He likely will be called on again against a tougher West Virginia run defense that ranks No. 14 nationally. Defensive improvement will be key this week for the Buffaloes as they gear up for a challenging West Virginia team led by multi-purpose quarterback Jarrett Brown and Jock Sanders, who ranks third nationally in receptions per game.

Hawkins aims to get Buffs to scholarship limit - Boulder Daily Camera

The Colorado football program has been operating well under the maximum allowable scholarship limit for major college programs for years now. But it`s inching its way back to fully loaded status -- 85 scholarships in any one season -- and might actually reach it on signing day in February. Coach Dan Hawkins said he plans to sign 21 players during the 2010 recruiting cycle. He has seven known commitments now, which means the next four months should be a lively time for CU recruiting junkies and the Web sites that follow the game behind the game.

MBB - Aussie Harris-Tunks aims to fill CU Buffs' void at center - Boulder Daily Camera

"He`s got good size. He`s an excellent defender. He`s intelligent and he passes well," is how Bzdelik describes his freshman big man. "He can score a little bit, too."Harris-Tunks is a product of the Australian Institute of Sport and has international playing experience as a member of Australia`s under-19 squad. He also visited Gonzaga and Vanderbilt before committing to CU last year.

Buffs quick to imitate W. Va. stars - The Denver Post

On the scout team, the freshman tailback from Denver East imitates West Virginia's electrifying runner, Noel Devine, so the CU defense will have some idea of what to expect Thursday night at Morgantown. Colorado coaches say it's impossible to replicate the speed of West Virginia, led by Devine and quarterback Jarrett Brown. But the 5-foot-8, 190-pound Hildreth is doing his part by impersonating Devine. CU wide receiver Toney Clemons has the task of mimicking Brown. Hildreth, an invited walk-on, is redshirting this season. Clemons, a junior, must sit out this season under NCAA transfer rules after leaving Michigan.