SB Nation - Jock Sanders

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Monday (11/23/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 14:54:03 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for links, information and fun. We're being brought to you today by San Miguel Pale Pilsen. We've made it to 2 dozen. Thanks to PM!!!

It's Brawl week. Just thinking about it gets me fired up. Basketball gets going again tomorrow too. Things are still a bit slow today, but it's picking up. Just so you all know, I'll be here all week. I don't get holidays off (Charley and 5YS are slave drivers). For you deer hunters out there, good luck and be safe. The tips, suggestions and requests have been great, but we need more. It all starts after the jump...

What You May Have Missed:

WVU-Pitt Tickets Available - MSNsportsNET.Com
Pitt returned tickets to us. This was posted late Friday and removed from the front page, so I'm not sure if there are any left.

Gold and Blue Report for Monday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

What we learned in the Big East, Week 12 - ESPN

Week 12 review/Week 13 preview - ESPN

NCAA College Football BCS Bowl Projections Week 12 - ESPN

College Football Overtime - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

College GameDay Final - ESPN

Videos of Interest:

This one courtesy of WVIllustrated:

and being that it's Brawl week:

Vicky's Gallery of the Week:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a former Hawaiian Tropic Model. Here's Jessi Rockwell.

via cdn.holytaco.com

The gallery kinda sucks so I'm making it up to you with two videos.

San Miguel image via www.sanmiguel.com.ph

Taking Major Issue With Those Zany Bill Stewart Explanations

Dr. Charley West — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:00:40 -0000

Lately, Bill has been dazzling us with explanations for his rationale behind certain moves in games, like "The Punt" (as it will now be called) at USF to the fourth and eight at Cincinnati. It's the quote that explains the play before that play, third and nine from the Cincinnati 25 yard line, that is the most curious.

Now remember, it was Jock Sanders that run up the middle for a gain of one on that play, setting up the fateful fourth and eight try. Here is Bill's explanation:

"That was a power play that we had been gashing for 6, 8, 12, 10 (yards)," Coach Bill Stewart said. "They slanted and blitzed and Jock got caught off the backside. It was one of those 'gotchas.'"

That's an extremely interesting take on the situation, one that is not totally incorrect, but one that is certainly not 100% truthful.

We had absolutely been gashing them up the middle with that play, but with Ryan Clarke doing the running. Unfortunately, it was Jock Sanders who carried that ball. Jock, for the night, ran for 14 yards on seven carries. His longest carry went for seven yards. So when Bill says that we had been been gashing them up the middle, it wasn't Jock that was doing that gashing. On that drive alone, Jock carried five times, with gains of six, one, one, zero, and negative one. Ouch.

I'm not even saying it was a terrible play call, but taking more issue with the explanations that go along with failed plays. Somehow, there's always an explanation, even when that explanation doesn't make much sense, if any at all. The numbers prove that Jock had not been gashing the defense, if not doing the complete opposite of that.

So if the play had worked, just not with Jock, why design the play for Jock?

"They didn't look like they wanted to hit old Clarke," Stewart said.

...and on one of the most important plays in the game, we didn't give them a chance.

Note: I know Mike Casazza goes into some detail about all of this, but I wish someone would truly follow-up with a biting question on a subject that deserves a better explanation.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Friday (11/13/09) Cincinnati Game-Day Edition

WVUIE97 — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:33:27 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Michelob. That makes 18 and I like it.

It's Friday the 13th and it's gameday. The only way it would be better is if we had a full moon. Not many are giving us a chance tonight. It (to me at least) feels like the atmosphere before the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma (not that it has a bearing on anything). I just hope he results are similar. A win for WVU tonight would make the BCS people happy, which really isn't a good thing. But I say, "Screw 'em all! It's Mountaineer Pride!!" It's a big weekend for Mountaineer sports. In addition to the football game tonight, Women's Soccer starts the NCAA tourney today and both basketball teams open up their regular seasons this weekend. Enjoy the games, have a great weekend and send in your tips and requests. ...

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Report for Friday - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Bits and Bytes: WVU - Cincinnati - BlueGoldNews.com

Brian Kelly talks about the Mountaineers - WVIllustrated.com
Video Interview

Thursday Tidbits - MSNsportsNET.Com

Colin Dunlap's West Virginia football chat transcript - PPG

Big East picks, Week 11 - ESPN

Big East Football Preview - Scout.com

College GameDay Kickoff: Week 11 preview - ESPN

Scooter pleads no contest to charges - 'Eers to the Ground / PPG

News of Note (FB):

UC-WVU scouting report - Cincinnati Enquirer

Mountaineers could change the postseason landscape tonight - PPG

Chances for WVU, Big East; Jock and I - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's Views

Cincinnati good, but not invincible - Charleston Gazette

On paper, this game is all Cincinnati - Charleston Daily Mail
Matchups

Turnover fight is key to plan against Cincinnati - Charleston Daily Mail

Following a tough act, WVU kicker still a star - Charleston Daily Mail

Bearcats put on an show with power offense - Charleston Daily Mail

Bearcat QBs double trouble for defenses - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

High stakes in WVU-Cincy matchup - Times West Virginian

Collaros, Cincinnati Pose Big Challenge for Mountaineers - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

High School, Strong Work Ethic Had Collaros Ready to Shine - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

No. 5 Cincinnati will use 2 QBs vs West Virginia - Martinsburg Journal (AP)

The Underdog Advantage - WVIllustrated.com

A Look Ahead To Week #11 in Big East Football - NBE Big East College Football Report

News of Note (BB):

Andy Katz: Top 25 games for the 2009-10 college basketball season - ESPN

Point Counterpoint: Which team will win the Big East this year? - Daily Campus

Huggins makes stop in Fairmont - Times West Virginian

Forecasting the Big East: Mountaineers will finish on top - Sporting News

The Road to Recovery - MSNsportsNET.Com
Vanessa House is profiled.

Recruiting:

Ga. Receiver DeMarco McNeal - EerSports.com

EerSports on the Recruiting Trail: Nov. 12 - EerSports.com

Huggins says Noah Cottrill will play for WVU - Charleston Gazette

Cottrill Signs - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Article also includes audio link to interview with the future Mountaineer.

Cottrill: "Ready play for the state of West Virginia." - EerSports.com

What's On Tap:

Women's Soccer NCAA Tournament - MSNsportsNET.Com
3 p.m. today, at W. Dennie Spry Stadium in Winston-Salem, N.C. vs. Loyola (Md.)

Women's Basketball: Preseason WNIT - MSNsportsNET.Com
6 p.m. tonight, against Towson at the WVU Coliseum. There will be a football game watch on the video boards following the game.

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Cincinnati Bearcats - ESPN
8 p.m. tonight on ESPN2, live from Nippert Stadium in Cincinnati. WVU is a 7.5 point dog as of this posting (down from 10 last night).

Loyola (MD) Greyhounds vs. West Virginia Mountaineers - ESPN
The BB men make their long awaited season opening debut 4:00 PM ET, Sunday, at the Coliseum.

Around the League (and Beyond):

Cincinnati looks to atone for last week's defensive mistakes - ESPN

Kelly Can, And Likely Will, Leave Bearcats - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register

Rutgers defense bottles up quarterback B.J. Daniels and South Florida offense in shutout victory - Star Ledger

Errors doom USF in 31-0 loss to Rutgers - Tampa Tribune

Pitt's secondary to face big challenge from Irish - PPG

Pitt's improved pass D will get tested by Irish - ESPN

Cards can pay back Syracuse - Courier-Journal

Orange Insider-Syracuse at Louisville: Cardinals know just how Orange feels - syracuse.com

Twitter, YouTube empowering fans to impact college football - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

The Bottom 10 - ESPN

Tailgate Recipe of the Week:

'Commissioner of Tailgating' offers pregame tips - CNN.com

This sounds like a heart attack waiting to happen...so, enjoy.

Burger Bacon Dogs

Ingredients:
1 pound of hamburger
1 pound of thin sliced bacon
8 hot dogs (the real deal, no cheap ones!)
4 slices of cheese(split the slices of cheese in half)
1 egg
16 toothpicks
Tin Foil Wrap

Combined hamburger, egg and your spices/seasonings to taste and form 8 hamburger patties.

Spread out your bacon with every two slices being about 2 " apart.

Slice each hot dog from end to end, NOT completely through, maybe half through the thickness of the dog and insert one half slice of the cheese into each dog.

Place the dog on one end of the hamburger patty and carefully roll the dog while wrapping it with the patty.

Place this carefully at the ends of your bacon, which should be spaced 2 " apart....(2 slices of bacon per burger-dog), carefully roll and wrap the bacon. Secure bacon to each burger-dog with two toothpicks. NOTE: Leave each toothpick exposed on one side or the other in order to remove them after cooking.

Wrap your burger-dogs with tin foil and place on grill over medium heat, but do not place directly over flame. Cook for half-hour and then CAREFULLY remove foil from burger-dogs (HOT JUICE-Be Careful!)

Place burger dogs back onto grill for browning.

Serve with any condiments by itself or on a large Hoagie Roll - Awesome!!!

Courtesy of Tailgating.com

Video of Interest:

CBS Sports previews tonight's game.

This Week in Bodypainting:

You didn't think I forgot, did ya?

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Beirut Table Gallery of the Week:

Beer pong is played with paddles, people. These are Beirut tables. I counted 3 WV/WVU tables represented here. And yes, that is a WVU table in the banner pic.

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Video(s) of (Dis)Interest:

Here's a video of the making of the above table. Yeah, it's a little old (after doing some research, I found this was featured on the old site two Aprils ago). It even has a recirculating water ball washing station. The finished product is shown around the 2:25 mark. Impressive doesn't even begin to do this justice. (audio has been disabled due to copyright)

And to help the degenerate gamblers among us, some help picking the OSU/Iowa game (I really hope this one is wrong):

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is just one reason I have no problem with Brazil getting chosen for the Summer Olympics over Chicago (future Miss Throwdowns will demonstrate more reasons). Victoria's Secret model, a true angel, Mrs. Marko Jarić, expecting her first child in December (pray the child looks like her and nothing like him)....I proudly present.......Adriana Lima.

via www.inquisitr.com

Michelob image via www.nicks.com.au

Oh Yes, It's Upset Time: Previewing West Virginia @ Cincinnati

Dr. Charley West — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 00:50:57 -0000

More photos » by Jeff Gentner - AP

Browse more photos »

West Virginia, at 7-2 overall and 3-1 in conference, needs to earn a dose of respect. Wins over Liberty, East Carolina, Colorado, Syracuse, Marshall, UConn, and Louisville have not quite done the trick. Even ranked #25 in the BCS, the Mountaineers need that defining game to transform this season from lackluster to electric. They get their chance Friday night.

Cincinnati is 9-0 and looking to start a season unbeaten in ten for the first time in school history. They are ranked #5 in the country, territory that is usually reserved in the Big East for WVU. Even when their Heisman candidate QB Tony Pike went down with injury, superstar backup Zach Collaros kept the machine running, maybe even more successfully than Pike himself. It will be Collaros who starts for the Bearcats Friday, with Pike expected to at least play for the first time in a month (he is slated to start next weekend against Illinois).

So how can West Virginia win? Glad you asked.

First, the offensive line needs to show up. Notably absent for most of the season, the Mountaineers' offensive line will actually have to block an opposing player on Friday for the visitors to have any chance. With Jarrett Brown, Noel Devine, Tavon Austin, and Jock Sanders all potentially able to line up in the backfield, the Bearcats will have a task containing that group -- but only if the offensive line gives them a chance. Too often this season, both Brown and Devine have been forced into decisions that are not ideal (Devine turns two yard losses into 30 yard gains in his sleep, but let's not make it tougher on him, OK? OK.)

This will be made all the tougher as, even as a team known for their offense, Cincinnati boasts a very good defense. Giving up 45 points to UConn will provide the Mountaineers some inspiration, but this is a Bearcat defensive unit that only allows 16.4 points per game. They are most susceptible to the pass, which will put Brown's decision making in the spotlight. If Brown can manage a game intelligently, which is something this team has sorely lacked most of this season, the Mountaineers have a chance. If he's sharp, avoids sacks and turnovers, and lets his wheels loose, watch out. On the other hand, if he's careless with the ball, Cincinnati will eat him alive (I don't know what a Bearcat eats, considering it's a stupid name for a mascot and I didn't want to waste any more time on Wikipedia, but it will be Brown Friday night).

On the other side of the ball, Cincinnati is the only team in the conference to surpass WVU with playmakers. Names like Pike, Collaros, Mardy Gilyard, Isaiah Pead, Armon Binns, and Jacob Ramsey are all game-changers. West Virginia's defense did a good job of doing more bending than breaking last week against Louisville, but Cincinnati is not Louisville. The front three of Chris Nield, Scooter Berry, and emerging Julian Miller must slow-down the vaunted Bearcat attack, which is averaging a tidy 40 points per outing. If they can get pressure on the quarterback, then cornerbacks Brandon Hogan and Keith Tandy (gasp!) will not be forced into less than pleasurable coverage situations.

On the outside, it doesn't look like West Virginia has much of a chance. And maybe they don't. Nearly double-digit underdogs, on the road, against a fired-up night crowd in cozy Nippert Stadium is not generally a recipe for victory. But even as the battle looks uphill, remember that WVU still has one of the most playmaker-laden teams in all of college football. At any moment, the game can be broken open. We all know the talent is there -- there's very little doubting that. But we haven't seen 60 minutes of talent yet. Will we Friday? Who knows.

But if the Mountaineers can finally string together a complete effort, anything is possible, even a top 10 upset.

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Thursday (10/15/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:05:26 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Windhoek Lager, in honor of today's Miss Throwdown.

It's Thursday of "Beat Up Your Little Annoying Cousin Week." This week is also the start of the BB pre-season, so with the increase in BB news, it may get it's own section, day-to-day. Send in your links, tips, requests, etc and on with the show...

What You May Have Missed:

Marshall Preview - MSNsportsNET.Com
Pravda version.

Preview: WVU - Marshall - BlueGoldNews.com
BGN Version

Game Preview: Marshall - WVIllustrated.com
and another

What to watch in the Big East, Week 7 - Big East - ESPN

BIG EAST Extends Bowl Deal - MSNsportsNET.Com

Boise State survives Tulsa scare to remain unbeaten - ESPN

College Football Mailbag - Stewart Mandel - SI.com

BB Pre-Season:

WVU Basketball Teams Hold Preseason Media Day - WTRF.com

Huggins sees potential in Mountaineers - Charleston Gazette
I can honestly say, I have never been excited for a BB season to start...until this year.

Expectations high for WVU men - Times West Virginian

Mountaineers Enter New Season, "Looking for a National Championship." - Eersports.com
"West Virginia basketball enters the new season with perhaps its best team in decades."

WVU women strong in health, numbers - Times West Virginian
The women look to be pretty good this year too...if they can avoid the injury bug.

FB News of Note:

Running mild - Charleston Gazette
"West Virginia has given up 100 rushing yards twice this season. No, that's exactly 100 yards. Only 100 yards. No more."

Friends of Coal Bowl - Register-Herald

WVU-Marshall: Round Nine - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Tight end invading Mountaineer offense - Charleston Daily Mail

Noel Devine and Darius Marshall meet in a marquee match-up of nation's top rushers - WVIllustrated.com

Marshall-W.Va. features 2 of nation's top rushers - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register (AP)

West Virginia's Sanders making his amends - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Mountaineer quarterback anything but disappointing - Register-Herald

Stew has vested interest in sweater - Dominion Post
Thanks to Dougity Dog for leading me to this one.

Car Care Bowl tie-ins taking shape - Charleston Gazette
Vingle's BE notebook

Neild glad to do defensive dirty work - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

Young players stepping up in Berry's absence - Charleston Gazette

In Berry's Absence, Taylor Making His Mark - Eersports.com

Taylor driven to succeed - Register-Herald

Back on the Road, Erin Andrews Is 'Hanging in There' -- NCAA Football FanHouse
EA gives her first interview since Oprah, but will only talk about sports. There's a paragraph or two about her reporting at our Colorado game last year.

Around the League (and Beyond):

UC offense scores too fast - Cincinnati Enquirer

Bulls-Bearcats a hot ticket in Tampa - Tampa Tribune
I believe, the last time the that crowd was as big as it's supposed to be tonight, was against us in 2007.

Rutgers quarterback Tom Savage will be in the spotlight Friday night against Pittsburgh - Star Ledger

Rutgers' run defense poses problems for Pitt - PPG

NFL Network: Jon Gruden is top target for Louisville job - Card Chronicle

Lee Corso headlines Media Power Rankings for September - SI.com
While I've certainly never liked his comments about us, I've generally found him mildly funny and entertaining when talking about any other team. I do wish him a full recovery.

Alabama contends NCAA wrongly vacated 21 wins - SI.com
What? You expected them to say, "OK"? Basketball and other sports, maybe...

What's on Tap:

Cincinnati Bearcats vs. South Florida Bulls Preview, October 15 2009 - ESPN
Tonight on ESPN, 7:30. Cinci is favored by 2.

Video of Interest:

Here's a video of Huggs' Presser, courtesy of WVIllustrated.com.

Gallery of the Day:

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is another Africaans beauty from South Africa. I present Lieschen Botes.

via assets.sport.ro

Windhoek Lager image via www.sawinesonline.co.uk

The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (10/14/09) Edition

WVUIE97 — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 13:44:47 -0000

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, brought to you today by Grant's Anvil Head Ale.

It's Wednesday of "I Wouldn't Wear Green, Even If You Paid Me Week". I picked today's sponsor because I feel like I'm beating my head against an anvil with the same stories by different writers. Each week, the writers get together and choose the angles to be covered that week. It seems the stories of this week include:

"Rivalry or No?"
"To Schedule or Not to Schedule"
"The Sweater Vest and What it Means"
"Jock Sanders Speaks"

I think that's as creative as most of the writers will get this week and will beat these to death. Send in your tips and requests and I'll see you after the jump.

What You May Have Missed:

Bill Stewart: Tuesday Press Conference - WVMETRONEWS.COM

Stew's Views: Herd Enough - BlueGoldNews.com

Football: Selected Player Quotes - MSNsportsNET.Com

Big East stock report, Week 7 - Big East - ESPN

News of Note:

Jock Talks - MSNsportsNET.Com
Jock Sanders talks to the media for the first time since his suspension.

It's been a season to remember for Sanders - Charleston Gazette

Jock Sanders glad to be helping team - Charleston Daily Mail

Sanders breaks silence, gives first interview - Times West Virginian

West Virginia's Berry slowly recovering - PPG
Berry did, in fact, play a bit against Syracuse. Bring him back slow and easy is fine with me, given the schedule and getting the other guys experience.

'Elusive' Brown worries Herd 'D' - Charleston Gazette

Hamrick steps into Marshall-WVU circus - Charleston Gazette

WVU notes: It's a rivalry for Stewart - Charleston Gazette
"barring injuries or something else unforeseen, the five true freshmen who have played this season will probably be the only ones who aren't redshirted." The list is inside.

MU notes: Snyder says 'the onus is on us' - Charleston Gazette

Stewart says Coal Bowl will be a close one - Charleston Daily Mail
Good lord, we all hope not.

Coal Bowl leaves a void on future WVU, Marshall schedules - Charleston Daily Mail
Can we not talk about this for just one week?

Herd needs WVU more - Times West Virginian
Hertzel Column

West Virginia the spot for star running backs this week - Big East - ESPN

Stewart not superstitious despite appearances - Times West Virginian
I will freely admit that I am very superstitious.

Stewart making fashion statement - Register-Herald

Don’t expect unexpected - Parkersburg News and Sentinel

Stewart: Strong start is key for WVU - Inter-Mountain

What's On Tap:

Mountaineer Madness - MSNsportsNET.Com

Men's Basketball: Priority Deadline Friday - MSNsportsNET.Com

Around the League (and Beyond):

BIG EAST Slate: Week 7 - WVIllustrated.com

To Paulus Or Not To Paulus - Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician

Smith, Jennings face added charges; Jennings issues apology - Card Chronicle

Gilyard: Bearcats fired up for USF - Cincinnati Enquirer
"Coaches from both schools have downplayed the Joe Tresey angle in Thursday’s matchup between No. 8 Cincinnati and No. 21 South Florida, but UC wide receiver Mardy Gilyard isn’t buying it."

Pittsburgh's aerial attack will present a tall test for Rutgers - Star Ledger

Bulls must show they can handle success - Tampa Tribune

Pitt Notebook: Rutgers' pressure will test Panthers blockers - PPG

Bradley chooses UConn - TheUConnBlog.com
Though they just got a committ from a 6'9" 200 lb center. Isn't that a bit small?

Countdown: 31 - TheUConnBlog.com
They're so excited about football that they're counting down the days until the BB opener against the Deaf and Blind Sisters of the Poor.

New Mexico Lobos coach Mike Locksley suspended 1 game - ESPN
The winless coach is suspended for 10 days.

Irish Albatross - ESPN

Michigan QB Tate Forcier's brother says shoulder injury is serious - Detroit Free Press
"Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez said Tuesday he doesn't think quarterback Tate Forcier's injured shoulder is a problem, even though Forcier's older brother, Jason, told the campus newspaper, The Michigan Daily, that it is a big issue."

Forde Yard Dash - ESPN
"From Dallas, Domers and defense to midweek madness and the Moscow miracle, The Dash runs through it all."

Video of Interest:

Courtesy of our friends at WVIllustrated.

Video of (Dis)Interest:

Which is better, Norwegian ribbons or bodypaint? Discuss.

Sweet Tooth Gallery of the Day:

Or maybe candy outfits?

via coedmagazine.files.wordpress.com

Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is a beautiful combination of Italian/Native American descent. Here is Vanessa Raia.

via www.laurenbuccigrossi.com

Grant's Anvil Head image via www.bruguru.com

Syracuse vs. West Virginia Post-mortem

Sean Keeley — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 00:31:20 -0000

More photos » by Kevin Rivoli - AP

2 months ago: West Virginia's Noel Devine (7) celebrates with Brad Starks after scoring a touchdown against Syracuse during the fourth quarter in an NCAA college football game in Syracuse, N.Y., Saturday, Oct. 10, 2009. West Virginia won 34-13. (AP Photo/Kevin Rivoli)

Browse more photos »

Two things Syracuse should never do again...invite Jim Brown to watch a game and honor Ernie Davis.

Brown has been on hand for two games in the past two seasons...the Penn State shellacking last year and this past weekend's 34-13 pasting at the hands of West Virginia. Jim's already surly enough, we don't need him to witness any further carnage.

Same for honoring Ernie Davis. We did so on Saturday and by doing that we ensured that we would get our butts handed to us. In 2005 when SU unveiled the original Ernie Davis statue, they lost 27-0 to South Florida. 2008 was the aforementioned Penn State de-pantsing on the weekend The Express premiered. Last week we unveiled Ernie Davis Hall the same day South Florida beat us 34-20. And now this.

At this point I'm all for thanking Jim Brown and Ernie Davis for everything they've done and never speaking of them again. Deal? Deal.

But, that doesn't mean we don't have to deal with the aftermath of this weekend. As the game before it, the pace of this one was defined by an extremely early Greg Paulus interception, the first of many questionable plays on offense for the Orange. There was just something about this interception, however, that didn't feel right. Or, worse than usual. Paulus hooked to his right, possibly trying to look the coverage deep and then turned to his left and floated a ball directly into a miasma of bodies, most of which were wearing white West Virginia jerseys. It was as if Greg didn't even look. Or perhaps he felt rushed. Whatever the reason he just floated it up there, and the operative word is absolutely floated, and with it when the Orange's momentum.

West Virginia got rolling and they got rolling quickly, scoring on this and another early drive to make it 14-0 at the end of the first. Paulus and the SU offense continued to struggle in the first half, unable to make heads or tales of anything while the Mountaineers tacked on two more touchdowns to make it 27-0 at the half.

It was deja-vu all over again.

At the half, Greg Paulus 5-of-9 for 30 yards, no touchdowns and an interception. And those stats probably sound better than reality. Paulus looked downright scared out there. Sure, he wasn't getting much protection and the abscence of center Jm McKenzie didn't help matters, but at one point in the 2nd quarter I thought to myself that he looked like a ten-year-old playing with a group of teenagers. Completely in over his head. What happened to the guy on pace to break Syracuse single season passing records?

In the second half Doug Marrone decided to go in a different direction and Ryan Nassib came in at quarterback. Now, the Orange didn't win and Nassib wasn't perfect by any means, but man did he look better than Paulus.

I know, lots of variables at play. West Virginia took their foot off the gas in the second half, halftime adjustments factored in, etc. But you can't deny that while Greg Paulus was out-of-control and throwing desperation lobs, Ryan Nassib looked much more comfortable in the pocket. And his throws! My God, the difference in arm strength between Nassib and Paulus was undeniable. Nassib's passes were thrown so hard for the Syracuse receivers that they seemed uncomfortable trying to catch them, as if they weren't used to such precise balls.

Nassib's stats on the day...7-of-16 for 120 yards and two touchdowns. I know, the completion percentage looks bad but anyone who watched the game will tell you that the Syracuse receivers dropped at least five balls they had no business dropping. Maybe more. One player who made sure to keep his eye on the ball was Mike Williams who came up with a beautiful 50-yard touchdown pass from Nassib in the third en route to finishing with 89 yards on four catches. Marcus Sales caught the other Nassib TD pass in the fourth quarter.

Nassib also almost led the team in rushing on the day with 22 yards. Delone Carter was held to a mere 33 yards and the SU running game, which was basically non-existent in the first half, went away in the second half due to the score.

So before we get to what this means for the Orange as a team, what does this mean for our quarterback situation? Doug Marrone nipped it in the bud immediately following the game and declared Paulus the starter against Akron in two weeks. One has to wonder if Doug is making this decision with his head or his heart, especially after explaining how Paulus just didn't seem to be all there in the first half:

"I just didn't feel comfortable with the way that Greg was responding to questions that I was asking him, we were asking him, on the sidelines," Marrone said. "I don't know what the right word is. But I told Greg, he's our quarterback. He will start versus Akron. We will get him settled down in this bye week, which will be good for us."

Marrone said he asked questions of Paulus during the first half such as, "Why would you do this? Why would you do that?" Marrone lit into Paulus on the sidelines after his quarterback was intercepted on Syracuse’s first possession. Paulus tried to feed a slip-screen pass and threw it right to West Virginia backup nose guard Josh Taylor. "It's just not characteristic of what my experience with Greg has been in the past," Marrone said. "Therefore, I felt uncomfortable about the situation and made the switch, knowing that Greg is still our starting quarterback. We'll move on from here."

Infer what you like from that but if I had to guess, I'd say Greg Paulus has to show drastic improvement in the Akron game, or at least return to the caliber of which he was playing before the South Florida game. He's going to be on a short leash and you just know Ryan Nassib's confidence is through the Dome roof right now. He's dying to get back in there and I don't blame him. Fortunately for Paulus, he has a bye week to try and work through his issues. Unfortunately for Paulus, that's another week of doubting himself and/or listening to others doubt him.

Brent Axe watched Doug Marrone in the post-game presser and came away with the thought that Marrone has a lot invested in Paulus so it's going to take a lot for Greg to ride the pine.

Watch the video of Marrone's press conference. This is a man who sounds like he is fiercely committed to Paulus right now. He expressed confidence that the bye week will cure the ills in Greg's game right now.

Paulus said after the game that he and Marrone have an honest relationship and that he thinks they can fix whatever problem was out there in this game.

At the end of the day, maybe there isn't a quarterback controversy to Doug Marrone. But there is in the minds of Syracuse fans. For whatever that's worth.

Last year Syracuse hung tough with the Jarrett Brown-led Mountaineers, almost well-enough to beat them. This time it was Brown putting on the show and putting SU to bed early with a solid offensive performance.

Brown found eight different receivers with his accurate arm in the first half alone, convincingly countering the Orange’s defensive strategy of containing breakaway threats Noel Devine and Jock Sanders. Devine, the conference’s leader rusher and coming off a 220-yard rushing performance against Colorado, ran for 91 yards on 22 carries. Sanders caught nine passes for 67 yards. Neither had a play cover more than 17 yards.

Brown finished 22-of-30 for 244 yards and a touchdown.

If I told you before the season started that Syracuse would be 2-4 at the midway point, you probably would have said "Yeah, that sounds about right." So why does it feel disappointing? Expectations can change things so much and the great expectations that SU fans felt after the Orange started out 2-2 (with the realistic chance to have been 3-1) have made the fall back to reality that much harsher.

Though Marrone may have temporarily contained the notion of a quarterback controversy, the underlying fact remains that Syracuse's offense has suddenly hit a wall. The Greg Paulus experiment, which began with so much promise, appears to be losing its luster.

And with its second straight setback, the team is faced with this unfortunate reality: Syracuse has lost its first two Big East contests and hits the midway point of the season - and its lone bye week - at a disappointing 2-4.

It's easy to forget that we're still extremely rough around the edges, playing for a new coaching staff and new schemes and playing against teams with superior talent. Not that thinking about those things makes it easier or more acceptable lose like this. It's just something worth keeping in the back of your mind the next time you start to wonder if this isn't just more of the old. It's still Year One for The Marrone Era. Kinks continue to get worked out.

Remember, it's a rejuvenation, not a rebuilding. And DC Scott Shafer is among those confident the Orange can learn from this game and improve:

"We’ve just got to get back and teach, teach, teach," said Syracuse defensive coordinator Scott Schafer. "Keep fighting to become stronger as a team, rely on each other, trust each other and keep fighting to put a good product on the field so the people of Syracuse that come and watch us play, they can say, hey, they’re continuing to get better, they’re continuing to fight hard. At the end of the day, as long we can continue to do that weekly, we’ll make progress."

That said, a loss like this is certainly the kind that cues the crying child. We haven't seen him cry often this year, but his bitter tears of losing sting just the same.

A Statistical Look: Colorado Buffaloes vs. West Virginia Mountaineers

irish1611 — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:00:23 -0000

Back by popular demand, here is a statistical look at the upcoming game against West Virginia. Not pretty!

Advantage

	National	Conf	Actual	Category	Actual	Conf	National
	Rank	Rank	Actual	Category	Actual	Rank	Rank
West Virginia	111	11	91.67	Rushing Offense	192.33	2	34
West Virginia	37	8	251	Passing Offense	293	2	15
West Virginia	103	12	105.75	Passing Efficiency	148.33	4	33
West Virginia	84	12	342.67	Total Offense	485.33	1	10
West Virginia	69	10	26.33	Scoring Offense	32.67	4	35
West Virginia	103	12	183	Rushing Defense	83.67	3	14
Colorado	77	9	227	Pass Defense	228.33	5	81
West Virginia	100	12	144.32	Pass Efficiency Defense	119.2	4	56
West Virginia	101	12	410	Total Defense	312	4	35
Colorado	77	12	25.67	Scoring Defense	27	7	83
Colorado	38	7	37.4	Net Punting	36.38	6	51
West Virginia	97	12	4.29	Punt Returns	9.43	3	60
Colorado	35	5	24.87	Kickoff Returns	22.2	5	54
Colorado	89	12	-0.67	Turnover Margin	-2.33	8	116
West Virginia	40	8	2.33	Sacks	3	3	12
West Virginia	T-79	10	5	Tackles For Loss	7	4	25
West Virginia	96	12	2.67	Sacks Allowed	1	3	24

Colorado under Dan Hawkins is 2 - 2 after a bye. West Virginia is 5 - 2 after a bye since 2006. Colorado is 1 - 5 on road at night since Hawkins arrival while West Virginia is 5 - 2 at home at night since 2006. West Virginia's overall home record since 2006 is 18 - 3.

West Virginia, as expected, has the advantage on paper. A few glimmers of hope are attached to the turnover margin and scoring defense. Aided by the Wyoming shut out last week, Colorado's scoring defense improved drastically from a few weeks ago. West Virginia's defense has given up 27 points a game - 20 to Liberty, 20 to Eastern Carolina and 41 to Auburn. This defense has been scored on this year.

The final piece of hope just looking at the stats is the turnover margin. Last week, West Virginia turned the ball over six times to an opportunistic Auburn team. If the Buffs want to win their first road game in two years and the third total since Dan Hawkins has been head coach, Colorado's defense needs to play aggressive and force turnovers. West Virginia has protected Jarrett Brown well, only giving up one sack on average a game. That being said, Colorado will have to walk the fine line of committing extra players for a pass rush while avoiding the big play from RB Noel Devine and Brown. If Colorado's defense contains the West Virginia offense tomorrow, it will be because the secondary. Defensive coordinator Ron Collins needs to feel confident that he can allow the linebackers to roam around the line of scrimmage to stop Devine and pressure Brown. That means leaving the safeties and corners on an island, keeping big plays to a minimum. This would be a great time to see Jimmy Smith, Cha'pelle Brown, Jalil Brown, Ben Burney, Patrick Mahnke and Anthony Perkins to make big plays, force a few turnovers and be consistent.

Any strong play from the defensive line is a bonus but I expect West Virginia to try and get them on skates early with a heavy dose of Devine. It will be key for the defensive line fill the gaps and play strong assignment football. A big part of being successful against the zone-read is to occupy your gaps and fill areas so the linebackers can make plays at the point of attack. If the defensive line plays out of position tomorrow it could be a very long day.

If the defense can get Brown and the West Virginia offense off the field the first few series and all the Buffs' running game to get in a rhythm, who knows what can happen. Colorado needs to play a perfect game on the road, get turnovers and find a way to have more big plays than West Virginia.

Players stats after the jump. Check back later for more discussion on the offense and the keys to the game.

Conf	National	Actual	Player	Category	Player	Actual	National	Conf
Rank	Rank	Actual	Player	Category	Player	Actual	Rank	Rank
		85.5	Rodney Stewart	Rushing	Noel Devine	106.67	16	2
12		105.74	Cody Hawkins	Passing Efficiency (Min. 15 Att./Game)	Jarrett Brown	151.16	28	4
7	T-49	229.33	Cody Hawkins	Total Offense	Jarrett Brown	335.33	6	1
5	T-22	6.67	Scotty McKnight	Receptions Per Game	Jock Sanders	9.67	3	1
9	48	75.67	Scotty McKnight	Receiving Yards Per Game	Jock Sanders	103	T-16	3
T-5	T-72	0.33	Benjamin Burney	Interceptions	Robert Sands	0.33	T-72	T-6
12	71	4.29	Jason Espinoza	Punt Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game)	Jock Sanders	14.75	22	1
		26.3	Darrell Scott	Kickoff Returns (Min. 1.2 Ret./Game)	Mark Rodgers	26.6	32	3
21		6.33	Aric Goodman	Scoring	Noel Devine	10	T-21	3
23		76.33	Scotty McKnight	All-Purpose Runners	Noel Devine	142	32	2
T-10	T-58	0.67	B.J. Beatty	Sacks	Julian Miller	0.83	T-27	4
T-7	T-61	8.67	Jeff Smart	Tackles	Jt Thomas	7.33		6
		6.33	Cha'pelle Brown		Brandon Hogan	6.67		10
		6	Jimmy Smith		Pat Lazear	5		T-25
T-16		1	B.J. Beatty	Tackles For Loss	Jt Thomas	1.5	T-27	3
					Julian Miller	1.33	T-52	5
					Pat Lazear	1.17	T-73	8

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.

The Learning Curve of the Colorado Offense

irish1611 — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 03:24:59 -0000

The Longmont Times, CUBuffs.com and the Boulder Daily Camera all had stories today on "the armchair offensive coordinators", how much of a learning curve the new receivers are going through with this read-based offense and basically, how everyone needs to tone back their expectations of Andre Simmons, Will Jefferson and Anthony Wright until they get a firm grasp of the position.

I wish the amount of "learning" going on transferred onto the field more. The Buffs offensive ranking the last four years:

2006: 102nd
2007: 72nd
2008: 95th
2009: 79th

I think it is time to get the playmakers the ball, regardless of how it is done.

Buff fans saw first hand that a true freshman, someone who hasn't been campus for three years, can have success in an offense. Imagine that! His name was Eric Page, the Toledo Rockets true freshman receiver, that "learned" and was coached up in less than one month to torch the Buffs for 138 yards and a score. This year the true freshman has hauled in 21 passes for 320 yards, putting him on pace for 84 receptions, 1,280 yards and 8 touchdowns. All of those statistics against BCS teams - Purdue Boilermakers, Ohio State Buckeyes and the Colorado Buffaloes. You would think a freshman wouldn't be able to "learn and read" those complex defenses of BCS schools. By the way, the Buffs have yet to face a BCS team. That same true freshman named Eric Page is currently 14th in the entire NCAA in receiving yards. Eric Page was named the starter after only three weeks of practice. And just in case you were wondering, Page was a 2-star cornerback/running back/receiver coming out of high school, unranked at any position by the recruiting sites.

Toledo's offense has averaged 442 yards per game against BCS teams. Colorado has racked up 342 yards on non-BCS teams. "Learning curve" gets you every time playing those pesky non-BCS teams!

Anyone else find themselves saying, "how come so-and-so can do it but we cannot" all the time? Yeah, me too.

I am ready for the Buffs to one day surprise, exceed expectations, have someone "learn" faster than usual, have someone make a big play before they are supposed to be ready, have someone be a difference maker, take a chance, live on the edge, create a buzz, score 60 on Wyoming...I am ready for a player to be put in a position like Eric Page and make an impact. I am ready to not have a 70+ ranked offense against non-BCS schools.

The Longmont Times-Call - CU Receivers Catching On

The big play has played a big role in Colorado’s season so far. Unfortunately, they’ve all been on the wrong side of the ball. Through the first three games of 2009, the Buffs have had just two pass plays go for more than 30 yards. It suffices to say that Andre Simmons and Anthony Wright, a pair of speedy CU receivers brought in to boost the Buffs’ receiving, will add to that total this season — but for now, CU fans will have to remain patient while the duo catches up to the offense. "There’s a learning curve, but I’m starting to pick up on things — like where to line up, little things like that," Wright said. "I really think this bye week will help me and Andre get caught up. "There’s a just a lot to learn."

Learning curve steep for CU receivers - Boulder Daily Camera

"I think the hardest thing for me is just to have confidence to know what I`m doing," Jefferson said. "You get these huge play books every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for the whole week and you line up and it`s like, 'Wait a minute. I know this, but is it the right thing?` You just doubt yourself. You know that you know the play, but you just have to have confidence, which is really hard to gain as a true freshman."

Three Linemen Return To Practice - CUBuffs.com
More on the learning curve:

After being asked how hard it is for a wide receiver to come into the program and contribute right away, Hawkins explained that, "there's a lot that goes into it. Even if you try to use them only in certain situations, if we just had them line up in the same formation on the same side of the field every time, there's still adjustments based on coverages and audibles. Then it's a matter of making it not-mechanical where a guy is not a second behind."

Only if we can ever get past this learning curve!

Other non-learning curve and West Virginia Mountaineer links after the jump...

The Buffzone Blog - After further review of the po…

After further review of the post-practice audio, coach Hawkins did say Bryce Givens will play against the Mountaineers.

Redshirting an option for CU guard : All Things Colorado Sports Colorado

Redshirting appears to be an option for Colorado redshirt-freshman guard Max Tuioti-Mariner, who is participating in some individual practice drills this week after returning from two ACL surgeries during the past 12 months. "I know that’s been discussed, with him and by him," CU offensive line coach Denver Johnson said Wednesday. "It’s a little bit above my pay grade to make that decision. But that is an option, I would think. But that’s not my call, so I’m not sure where that will go.’’

Woelk: CU needs to consider risk-reward of scheduling - Boulder Daily Camera
I didn't know their was an agreement to play Colorado State the opening Thursday of the season:

There was a tentative agreement at one point for Colorado and Colorado State to open the season on the Thursday before Labor Day (Sept. 3). That date would have allowed the game to still be televised by FSN (the Rockies had an afternoon game that day), and it would have given the Buffs more than a week of preparation instead of just four days. But the Thursday game was quashed because of faculty concerns, and thus the Sunday-Friday set-up.

Injured Colorado running back Scott makes progress - The Denver Post

Scott won't go through full contact in practice until next week. But he says he'll be ready to go when the Buffs face West Virginia on Oct. 1. Scott has played in two of the Buffs' three games, but has carried the ball just 13 times. However, he has made the most of those carries, rushing for 86 yards, a team-high 6.6 yards per tote. Scott is also looking forward to getting back to returning kicks. "Oh, yeah," Scott said. "I love it."

I hate it! Put Lockridge or someone else back there. We don't need our horse returning kicks after he has had health issues in the past.

Big 12 internal affairs: CU's Stewart provides RB depth - College Football Nation - ESPN
It was certainly good to get Rodney Stewart back last week. He has done nothing but play well, when healthy, in his short collegiate career. Darrell Scott or no Darrell Scott, it is going to be hard to keep him off the field.

The performance of running back Rodney "Speedy" Stewart last week against Wyoming was an obvious indicator of why Colorado’s biggest offensive strength is its deep backfield. And Dan Hawkins has shown no hesitancy to go with different backs as his featured runner depending on game situations. Darrell Scott will get his chances after he becomes healthy, but Stewart is a consistent substitute if the Buffaloes need another feature back.

The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia - WVU getting ball to speedy playmakers Devine and Sanders
West Virginia does a good job getting the ball in their playmaker's hands

West Virginia has had success with its two playmakers on offense, Noel Devine and Jock Sanders. Devine had 128 yards rushing and three touchdowns in last Saturday’s 41-30 loss at Auburn, one fewer than he had all last season. His five through three games is one more than the four he had in 2008. And Sanders is catching the ball at an alarming rate, with 29 in three games, and he is well on pace to break the record for receptions in a season (77 by David Saunders in 1998). His 12 against Auburn tied the game mark, last done by Saunders that same year.

West Virginia must address turnover plague - Big East - ESPN

The Mountaineers currently are last in the Big East in turnover margin at minus-7. That ties them for 116th nationally, ahead of only three other teams in the FBS.....The main culprit, statistically speaking, in the turnover spree has been quarterback Jarrett Brown. Though the fifth-year senior rarely if ever threw picks in spring or fall practice, the regular season has been a different story. He has five interceptions and two lost fumbles his past two games...Yet Brown is still completing 68.5 percent of his passes and has a knack for making big plays even when flushed out of the pocket. Stewart pointed out that the Auburn game was just the quarterback's fifth career start, and his first one on the road.

West Virginia looks to heal after Auburn loss

Quarterback Jarrett Brown, who threw a career-high four TD passes a week earlier against East Carolina, was limited to one TD toss at Auburn, threw four interceptions and bruised his left, non-throwing shoulder when he was slammed to the ground while being tackled late in the fourth quarter. Stewart said. He didn’t indicate whether Brown would start against Colorado (1-2) on Oct. 1. ‘‘As tough as Jarrett Brown is, he would play if he could,’’ Stewart said. ‘‘He’s that kind of tough.’’

Scout.com: Stew's Views: Evolving Offense

Whether those have been the result of the development of big-play receivers like Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks or the gun-slinging ability of quarterback Jarrett Brown, the deep pass has been seen more often through the first three games of this season at WVU than perhaps at any other point this decade.

MSNsportsNET.Com -- West Virginia University Mountaineers

On Colorado I see a lot of talent from this Colorado team. A lot of misfiring, but a lot of talent and it was shown this week against a very tough Wyoming team. They played very hard against Colorado State and Toledo, but they were just misfiring. So I see a talented group of people that beat us last year. They have good running backs, quarterback and receivers says Bill Stewart (West Virginia Head Coach)