Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is delayed today because my Motorola Q9C was on the blink and needed to be fixed — an interminable process that requires finding and installing Micrsoft Outlook, backing up the cell onto a computer with Outlook, wiping the cell clean and then synchronizing the Outlook backup with the empty phone.

I wasn’t in a rush to do it, despite the fact I can’t see what I type or receive as text messages and any function is frustratingly slow, but I was neverthless compelled when someone asked me last night, “What about texts from the game?”

So there you have it. Sorry for the delay. Better to apologize for that than for the absence of the most popular text-based feature found on a WVU sports newspaper blog.

Busy weekend for the blog, what with the texts from Saturdays game and also tonight’s Midnight Mountaineer Madness. Photos and videos should be up either later tonight or early tomorrow. If you’re not going, that’s cool because I’ll have somewhere to sit. If you’re not sure, I can give you 10 reasons to attend.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t be a dope.

Patchy said:

Mike I don’t know where you were when you heard the remark but I fear that you may have contracted Herditis.

This is a geographically localized disorder found along the I-64 corridor. Individuals spending too much time in this region show a marked tendency to overemphasize the little green schoolhouse in Huntington and find themselves believing that their football team poses any sort of threat even in the face of overwhelming historical and current evidence to the contrary.

Another complication is for the affected individual to believe that Marshall has any sort of leverage when it comes to negotiations for extending the shotgun marriage known as the Coal Bowl and/or altering its game-site provisions.

I know that are probably in Morgantown more than you are in Charleston but you still may be a carrier.

WVU’s winning margin will be dictated by three things:
1) Weather
2) The amount of time the starters are left in and/or their health throughout the contest
3) Stewart’s good nature vs. his desire to ‘make a statement’

If all of the above break in the direction of WVU scoring heaps of points then the margin will be 14 pts minimum but more likely 20 or more.

Yikes, I almost forgot to mention that game tomorrow. This is a good point to start, though. I think we need more tension and hostility with this series. We need accusations of “Herditis” and other mud-slinging. I’m so tired of the “Is this a rivalry?” question because the answers are so generic and polite. I really wish some WVU player would say, even anonymously to me, “Um, rivalry? Are you serious? We’re 9-0 all-time … and, yeah, I know it’s 8-0, but I’m just assuming a gold jersey and white pants will be enough to win Saturday.” Or something like that. And then down at Marshall one might say, “Yeah, I did see that quote. Here’s my reply: 13-9. Screw you. Rivalry. See you Saturday.” And then it’s on! We need a reason to care more than passively about this game. What we have is two sides with a genuine respect for one another and a desire to win not because of some rivalry, but because the opponent is formidable. Yawn. If nothing else, the future of the series has generated a palpable feistiness that can be developed into some hostility if managed properly — ie, irresponsibly — over time.  

rekterx said:

We’ll pull away in the 4th quarter after Marshall gets a lot of WVU fans beginning to think the unthinkable.

Marshall actually has its best team in years. I do think we win by 10+ in the end. So if I were a betting man my money would be on the Herd in this one.

That seems to be the consensus outside of the functions I attend. Close and calculated early, a few swings and then WVU’s talent takes over, but Marshall is good enough to keep it respectable. I won’t be surprised at all if it follows that script. Then again, if WVU pops out of the box like it did last week, Marshall can’t run the ball, which is a problem because Marshall can’t pass the ball. You don’t want to be one-dimensional against WVU’s defense.

thacker said:

If the WVU squad shows the same attitude (lack thereof) as they did within the Syracuse game, I will probably be pulling for Marshall … not because it provides any tactical advantage for the Herd but on mere principal … and a hell of a lot of it at that.

I would agree with you, of course, but I think a lot of the perceived attitude had to do with WVU’s decision to juggle personnel throughout the fourth quarter. The third quarter left a good bit to be desired, though. Just something else to work on for a team that, if nothing else, seems to address a new task every week.

Jeff in Akron said:

WVU will be recieving Marshall’s best game. This game is “it” for Marshall.

I’m concerned about WVU’s attention span. There are a lot of reasons to circle this game. I’m not sold that WVU has done that. I am completely sold, Marshall has.

WVU doesn’t have to bring their “A” game to win this one. But, their “C” game might not get it done.

I don’t think WVU will have an alarm clock issue for this one. Good point about the “A” and “C” games, though. 

Jeff in Tidewater said:

I’m not worried that we’ll lose, but I’m almost positive that we won’t cover the spread. No matter how much you despise Marshall, you can’t discount that they’re improved over last year. As long as we can hold onto the ball in the cold and possibly rain, we’ll be good, but I don’t expect the blowout that some people predict.

As my financial advisor says….past results do not predict future performance…..

For a while, I didn’t think the Mountaineers had the blowout offense, though that was mostly last season. They’re starting to click in multiple areas now, so maybe we see one before long. Also, you said it, not me. Weather might be a factor with ball security.

roopoo said:

I hope for his sake that he has turned the corner in his life. He sounds like he has matured and learned from his mistakes. I wish Scooters half-brother all the luck in the world.

Sad, but probably true — if Jason Gwaltney learned from his mistakes, he’d be one of the smartest people you know.

thacker said:

As far as the past events within Gwaltney’s life, who’s to say. “Con la vida muchas cosas se remedian.”

You probably didn’t know this — and it’s actually true — but I’m bilingual. And thacker’s right … While there is life there is hope.

Michael said:

Hopefully, Jason has learned ” Mas acompanados y paniguados debe di tener la locura que la discrecion”

(You’ll have more followers and comrades for folly than for discretion.)

oklahoma mountaineer said:

If you were watching the game, she appears to be spot on. Stew bristled up like a porcupine on this last year, but a picture is 1000 words and there were about a million that didn’t support his claim……

Oh, what a difference a year makes, but I still don’t understand end arounds in the last 5 minutes of the game (Colorado) when you clearly have it in hand, the OLine is having their way, and they cant stop your run offense…..

I watched the replay of the game when I got home last year and noting Erin Andrews’ report. I remember thinking to mysel not that it was true or false, but that a sideline reporter actually gave me something useful.

Foul Shot said:

We will never forget Erin at the WVU vs. Pitt game in Morgantown a few years ago calling our school the “University of Western Virginia.”
Not only messing up the U of but also not even getting the state right.
So, anything she really has to say should go in one ear and out the other.

Disclaimer: She’s one of the nicest and most grounded people relative to their stature I’ve ever met. I’d wager to say you could take “relative to their stature” out of that sentence, too.

normlguy said:

Why is it that every football game has a woman on the sideline? I am very much pro-woman, but just to gratuitously put a woman on the sideline as eye candy is not advancingtheir cause. It all started with Suzy Kolberon ESPN, who actually knows something about what she is reporting, and the rest of them have just copied ESPN’s lead.

A theory I’ve heard and understood in the past — and I realize I’m going to get it for this — is it’s hard for a coach to blister an attractive woman in the heat of the moment than it is to blister a man in the same instance. Billy Gillespie might disagree, though.

Mack said:

That was a clasic rant. Caridi certainly predicted the fall of Marshall… And look at the college careers of the in-state recruits that were being discussed. It WAS inferior talent.

This is what I was talking about in the intro. We could have used a Caridi moment this week. We need more vim and vinegar.

Josh24601 said:

Send it in, Caridi!

Yes!

EER96 said:

The series should end…WVU gains nothingfrom it. However, if Joe insists on “encouraging” this series to continue, perhaps we could all agree that Marshall be spotted a 10-0 lead in each game to make it interesting.

Marshall fans: Wake up, get in the real world, and come to the realization that your program would be better off back in I-AA or whatever they call it now. You are never going to a BCS bowl, you are never going to be in the Top 15, and no one outside of Huntington cares about your program!

*DISLCAIMER – I actually root for Marshall except for when they play WVU – I hope they are successful, but you folks need to come to grips with reality.

WVU gains a seventh home game and a sellout and clears more than $1 million when the day is over and all the bills have been paid. That’s a fine deal for the Mountaineers. The 10-0 lead, however, is intriguing …

AnxiousEER97 said:

There is absolutely zero benefit to WVU in playing Marshall. And if WVU doesn’t want to, it’s not a crime; it’s not a travesty; it’s not a moral issue – it’s a choice. The fact that Marshall is even in Conf. USA is sort of a joke. It should have stayed in the MAC where the competition and rivalries were more natural and conducive to Marshall’s fanbase and recruiting. Although WVU regularly schedules ECU, there are several benefits to playing the Pirates that simply do not exist witha series against Marshall. First, ECU actually has decent football program that only experienced a 3 year slide during the past 15 years. They have consistently played competitive ball andhave knocked down some big time programs over the years. For better or work, ECU is often mentioned as a possible Big East addition. Second, that series gives WVU exposure in an area that is a recruiting hotbed. None of these factors exist with Marshall and WVU shouldn’t be forced to play them in order to artificially create a rivalry that just doesn’t exist.

Well said, sir. I was hoping for a counter, but no one from the Marshall side stepped forward.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

“They are dying a slow death…” wow. yup. It’s a shame, really. Would have been cool to have two strong football programs in the state. Would have been cool if this could have become a real rivalry.

I disagree with EER96 that “our in-state rivals” should go back to the FCS (I-AA). But it’s hard not to say that they should have stayed in the MAC. Being among the best teams in the MAC is worth a lot more than being middle of the road at best in C-USA.

I had a hard time circling my favorite part of the rant, but I think “dyyyyying” is it. It really is. The whole “no more props” thing hurt WVU, which had a good history with such players, but it really hurt Marshall. 

John Radcliff said:

Turns out they were dying a slow death on the field too. Turns out they couldn’t do it cleanly either.

Zing!

Sam said:

Did Jon Hunter just quote from Copland’s fantastic, “You had your chance but you BLEW it!” scene?

Paraphrasing, I’m sure. Caridi really stole Hunter’s thunder. Hunter opens with a vicious uppercut and then Caridi goes Jerry Stackhouse-on-Jeff Hornacek.

Karl said:

So Mike, by your analogy, Marshall 2003 was the RepoMan the time he stole Bret Hart’s belt from ringside so he’d be forced into giving him a title shot? The Repo Man got squashed, too.

I’m so glad someone understands this stuff.

 Erinn said:

Can we add “this team down south” to the blogtionary?

And “dyyyyyyy-ing”?

These can be Definition 1 and 2 for “Thundering Herd.”
Origin: Bill Stewart (1), Tony Caridi (2)

Oh, “dyyyying” is in. I don’t care much for the “team down south.” Hey, what if Billy had said that sentence this week?!?!

JP said:

“Leave us alone.” My thoughts exactly.

No way he knew then what it’d mean now.

glibglub said:

That clip is way too long to be a ring tone. Pity.

So true.

JP said:

16 AA batteries to wing at anyone in a green shirt – $10.
A Zul’s frozen lemonade to mix with the Everclear you sneaked into the game – $5.
A gold t-shirt from Zides – $25.
Going to the game and not having to listen to John Sanders butcher the call – priceless.

Poor John.

Homer said:

BENDINGBENDINGBENDINGBENDINGBENDINGBENDINGIt’s not going to get any better next week with Clay Matvick and David Diaz-Infante on ESPN-UBENDINGBENDINGBENDINGBENDINGBENDINGBENDING

Poor Homer.

rekterx said:

Not only should we not mention Marshall’s name, we should give the school to Ohio.

Oh, come on. That’s just not fair. Huntington is a better fit for Kentucky.

Dave said:

I know there is a lot of talk about the intra-conference games and all that goes along with it, andI understand that rivalries or such games can often mean that you throw out the record books. But do we really need to incite Marshall withnot referring to them by name. How is that different from a player boastingthat we’ll hold them scoreless or whatever nonsense makes the news?

There’s not a team on our schedule that do not have the ability to beat and we really need to act like it rather than talk it up, or contrive “big games,” … just go out there and beat down the other team. I thought we had our swagger back in the first quarter of the Auburn game, but took it as an inexperienced QB with a bunch of hurried mistakes … a learning opportunity. I thought that we were on the right path with a 27-0 first half against Syracuse, but didn’t expect to be outscored in the second half with their backup QB contributing. If it’s a case of “winning with class” and beating up teams, they’re playing with fire. Long-term, it’s bad to try to flip switches and think they’ll come on every time.

I’m probably analyzing things much more than I should … not being a coach … but it would be nice to not “wonder” what might happen in the second half for a change.

I like animosity, but I’ll admit it’s mostly because it makes my job fun. I have to say, though, that there’s absolutely nothing wrong with anything you just shared.

JP said:

Ryan Clarke is a man. On his 2nd td, Syracuse knew he was getting the ball and still couldn’t stop him. Props to the OL of course, but he’s a bulldozer.

There are many reasons WVU’s offense is improved, but the fact it can sustain is the biggest and Clarke is a/the reason why.

Sam said:

JP,

Ryan Clarke is a man? Fine. But is he 40? Can we come at him?

Yes, no and yes.

NCMountaineer said:

These texts from gamedaynever cease to amaze me. Have we really gotten to the point of bashing Tony Caridi? Really? These are probably the same people that criticize what Bill Stewart wears on the sidelines and obsess over what uniforms the team will wear on gameday.

As for special teams, there is more to special teams just kickoff. All other aspects are pretty solid. Both punt units have been pretty good and the field goal unit has been much better than most anticipated.

The only person that needs fired on special teams in Josh Lider. If the kickoff only gets to the 10 or 15 yard line, you are doing pretty well to stop the returner at the 35.

Well, to be honest, this is what we do here. We laugh and joke and goof on people. I’ll agree on one thing — the texts never cease to amaze me either!

drlove said:

Where can i purchase said sweater vest? It looks great on the sideline andis equally suitable for a night out of rump shaking to the sounds of Beyonce.

Enjoy the weekend!