Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which would like to begin today by addressing three things:

(Pours Johnny Walker Green, taps mic…)

1) I’m not a Marshall beat writer and I have no agenda, but thank you for asking.
2) I’ve never been contacted by John Calipari and I’m not even sure what that means.
3) I prefer weeks that don’t contain the unfortunate stories and issues contained in this week.

Thank you for your time.

Moving on, just a final note on Jasper Howard. You may recall Rob Lunn, the Fat White Guy, from years and posts past at UConn. He had a fine editorial this week for the New England Sports Network that put things in a pretty proper perspective. The word most commonly used by West Virginia’s players this week was “weird,” but the Mountaineers have to play the Huskies Saturday.

The Mountaineers are 71/2-point favorites against UConn, led the series 5-0 and have beaten the Huskies the past two years by a combined score of 101-34.

In a way, though, they are not the favorites. They know who virtually all of college football will cheer.

“I would, too, but now that they’re playing us I can’t,” WVU cornerback Brandon Hogan said. “I know there’s going to be a lot of emotion in this game, but we’ve still got to do what we’ve got to do. It’ll be difficult, but we’ve still got to get that victory.”

This is not an ode to “Woe is WVU,” but it is indicative of what that side is going through this week, as well. Emotion will be a key and if WVU is to win, it’ll have to match and stay above UConn’s level — and that could be really difficult. You know they Huskies are well-coached and Randy Edsall will have that team humming with a singular focus. This should be a very good football game.

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

Erinn said:

Geez, Mike. When did your blog turn into another one of those ridiculous message boards?

I’m telling you, it was that kind of week. And to think, it all began with a rather ordinary post early Saturday afternoon showing scenes from Mountaineer Madness. And that’s all I’m going to say about that for now.

Jeff Halliday said:

Mike, thanks for being the ever faithful ‘new media’ guy and posting the pics and those dunks. I am still shaking my head over Flowers’ triple jump. I’ve never seen that before, and considering their placement in the paint, it was very impressive. Excellent work and thanks again.

Underrated dunk, I say. Three people standing in a single-file line. Figure each person standing that way is about eight inches wide. Add another four inches for the space between them. That’s three feet Flowers had to jump and from not very deep in the paint with his legs spread wide, which usually stops the height and distance of your jump. If I were still in school, I’d be doing physics report on this. Well, I’d be asking a friend to help me, but the fact remains.

Josh24601 said:

Jarrett was running in the open field and lowered his own head. The hits didn’t look dirty live, and they don’t look dirty in replays. Plus, it seems there isn’t a great chance of tackling Jarrett unless you square up on him, and good luck squaring up on him without your helmet touching his, since he’s a bull. Take the universe of all above-average-or-harder hits: doesn’t at least a quarter of them involve helmet collisions, and isn’t it really rare that one of those gets flagged that doesn’t seem really ticky-tack.

Reverse the helmets in that picture: imagine the quarterback is Anderson and the defenders are J.T. Thomas and Robert Sands and that they make that hit and Anderson fumbles and a unnecessary roughness flag is thrown. You’d be incensed about the flag, and Marshall would rightly be incensed about the Brown hit if it had been flagged.

Agreed on the latter point, for certain. As for the former — and I haven’t seen the replays after the ones shown during the telecast — it looked to me like he was trying to get down. You’re supposed to let the quarterback get down. Had the defenders or even one defender hit Brown, even in the chest, that usually gets called.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

Unfortunate, but not dirty. Jarrett was the victim of the Malachi crunch (gratuitous “Happy Days” reference). This hit, unlike the cheap shot in the ND-USC game, did not need to be called.

Actually, this was probably somewhat of a good thing. Marshall was clearly not able to deal with our defense, and Geno faced a pretty respectable group in a game situation and looked OK. He is what he is….a true freshman in his first real game on the line action in college.

Better to get that experience this week, rather than against USF or Pitt later in the year.

I must admit, I’d never been offered this perspective this week — and I can’t disagree, especially since it seems J.B. is going to play this week.

Karl said:

I thought the refs let Marshall off the hook on a lot of dangerous plays Saturday. Anyone else catch that horse collar/necklock/out-of-bounds tackle on Tavon Austin’s kickoff return? How on earth did they not call that? There were any number of penalties they could have called there. Thanks goodness he wasn’t injured.

I thought that was the more egregious of the plays. It looked scary. Then I was talking about it with someone later and we agreed it wasn’t a horse collar — by the kicker! — and there was no facemask. He asked, “What are you supposed to call? Hard tackle?” There really isn’t a rule in there to govern that specific hit.

Jeff in Akron said:

One of the worst officiated games I’ve seen. Does anybody know if that was a Big East, or C-USA crew?

The double whammy on JB should have been 15 yards, twice. The NCAA was supposed to be trying to protect QB’s from this type of hit. Apparently, the officials on Saturday didn’t get the memo. WVU should protest the call to the Big East, even if it was a C-USA crew. That crew should be fined, or replaced.

It was a Big East crew, and not only that, but the very one that officiated WVU’s game against Liberty. In that game, J.T. Thomas was called for a, um, curious penalty when he went low to tackle Liberty’s quarterback. That penalty was later rescinded by the Big East. Now the same crew won’t throw a flag on what we can all agree was a more serious hit. Is this a case of lesson learned or lesson averted? You can’t have trigger-happy or gun-shy refs. The game’s too fast and physical for that.

thacker said:

Missed the first ten minutes of the game and did not see this hit occur. However, looking at this photograph, examination of the angles .. particularly that of direction, entire body angle of the defensive players, head placement, shoulder angles … that is nothing less than a blatant series of cheap shots … helmet to helmet and what looks to me of at least one, possibly two separate hands in the face mask of Brown.

Agree with Jeff. The Big East needs to take a very hard look and be very public about that hard look and the conclusions drawn. Hopefully, the press will bring some pressure to bear upon that.

Turns out WVU thought so much of the hit it didn’t report it to the Big East. I won’t discount the fact the Marshall players saw J.B. out in their territory early in the game and decided to come at him with some bad intentions. The replays look rugged. I just don’t believe it was intentionally dirty. Again, J.B. was trying to slide and the players were probably going at his lower body to make a tackle. It happens.

SkeikYbuti said:

A helmet-to-helmet hit shouldn’t have to be “dirty,” or even intentional, to be penalized, IF it is against the rules. No way do I think either of the tacklers intended to hurt JB on the play, but they should still have to live with the consequences of making what I presume to be an illegal hit, whether they meant a (literal) head-on collision or not. After all, I suppose neither of our guys who got caught offsides early in the game intended to jump the snap count. Does that mean their transgressions should have been overlooked? The contact that was made was more than “incidental” (which I believe the officials might rightly overlook), but less than “dirty” or “cheap.” If it had been a cheap shot, then the officials should have ejected the offender(s) in addition to imposing a yardage penalty.

Honestly, you could have said anything and I would have used it based on the name alone, but these are all really good points. Dirty or not, if it’s going to be classified by the rulebook as illegal, it has to be called.

glibglub said:

Really, listening for John Sanders bloopers is what kept me sane in the first half.

Sane?

Jeff in Akron said:

Last week there were some requests to add words to the Blogionary. I have a request for the logo, WVEu.

Hilarious. And done. Thanks you.

Mack said:

That “celebration’ penalty on Devine was absolutely ridiculous. He didn’t toss it that high… and he caught the ball and gave it to the official.

Why must people try to destroy this beautiful game?

What got me was Noel went out of his way to catch the ball and give it to the ref. He was righting his wrong. Commendable!

Foul Shot said:

Will the BE conference eventually give some sort of ruling on if that was a helmet to helmet illegal hit against JB? Does that get reviewed at Conference HQ following a controversial call/non-call – such as what happened in the LSU vs. GA game a couple of weeks ago?
Glad to see that we have a backup QB now.
Have not seen any of the plays from Saturday yet, but could JB have taken a slide or was that out of the question?
Glad to see the win. Hoping WVU can keep it up for the last 6.

Well, while WVU didn’t submit the play for review, Oll Stewart said it was being looked at by the conference. To me, that means the conference decided to look at it of its own volition, which means it’ll get the attention many feel it deserves. If there’s a punishment/decision/whatever, it’ll probably be kept quiet. Unless we ask about it.

JP said:

Devine’s unsportsmanlike conduct is the same thing Chris Henry was flagged for on a too-regular basis. Devine should have known better.

When JB cut to the middle of the field before he was concussed, I thought “Slide!” I need to work on my telekinesis. I hope Geno is studying his playbook.

The a-v guys at Milan Puskar definitely need to get on the ball with Yakety Sax.

Am I the only one wondering WHAT IS UP with Scooter Berry and his injuries?

Highlight of my season? After the Jock fumble, somebody in the press box goes, “Yackety Sax!” It wasn’t even me. A while later, a writer turned to me and goes, “Thanks, I’ve had that damned Yackety Sax song in my head for an hour-and-a-half.” What would have to happen for that song to get onto the in-stadium list? I’m thinking it involves a winning lottery ticket, a sizable donation and a series of apologies.

Bill said:

I finally watched the game last night on ESPN 360 after being outta town last weekend at another wedding. Anyway, John Sanders continues to amaze me with his cluelessness. Reed Williams looks good but I wish WVU would find a pass defense.

I must say that beating Marsha College in this fashion is almost as satisfying to me as a total beatdown by 5-6 touchdowns. The evil side of me loves the fact that the poor Turd fans definitely got their hopes up seeing JB go down and seeing themselves up 7-3 at the half, only to have their dreams come crashing down to reality a short time later. HAAAAA HAAAAAAAAA HAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Future reference, Bill. My exclamation mark threshold is 15. You checked in just under. Good for you.

Country Roads said:

I’m honestly a little surprised at some of the “sky is falling” type texts that came through in the first half. Honestly, at no point did I feel like the outcome was in doubt. If Marshall had scored again, perhaps I would have felt differently. But as things stood, I felt like it was just a matter of time before Geno got comfortable and/or Devine got loose. The defense played quite well, with the possible exception of not covering Cody Slate, but nobody has been able to do that and it really didn’t come back to hurt us. Nice, workmanlike victory with our backup QB, IMO.

That, Mr. Roads, is the beauty of Texts from Game Day.

ccteam said:

Can’t get too conservative if Geno is the man. Need to let him throw on 1st and 2nd down, not just 3rd and long. When the coaches let him do that in the second half against MU, then the offense started clicking. Only throwing in obvious situations leads to getting a freshman qb blitzed into making mistakes.

Couldn’t agree more. You are who you are and when you forget that is when you get in real trouble. Geno’s been groomed and been preparing himself to play the way WVU’s played this season. If he comes in and things are watered-down, what message does that send? That said, he’s not playing this week.

overtheSEC said:

If Mullen and Co. hadn’t called as aggresive of a second half against Marshall as they did, I would be more scared going into UConn. But because they’ve shown they’re willing to let our true frosh throw it and are mpw working on getting him comfortable with our motion I think Geno is just as capable of a sub for JB as JB was for PW. Sure, if he throws 4 INTs and fumbles once we’ll lose, but JB has shown he’s capable of that as well. You will, however, see every Mountaineer coach player and fan though hold their breath everytime Geno gets hit–more so than JB and PW in the past.

I think everyone must consider the reality Jeff Mullen is good at his job now.

latin hillbilly said:

little off topic: any thoughts on how brunetti’s commitment could be affected by witnessing geno step up and help engineer that win?

Good question, especially when you consider the situation at quarterback at Tennessee. Barry was in attendance Saturday, too. What seems interesting to me is these are different quarterbacks. I think they’re throw-first guys, but Eu is 6-2, Brunetti 6-0. Brunetti’s been in an offense that’s allowed him to run. Eu hardly ran in high school. Then again, it seems the offense can welcome both players without changing too much.

Karl said:

Bill Stewart has a long history of bluffing when it comes to speaking publicly about injuries. I’d take what he says with a grain of salt.

If Brown is out, there’s a good chance we lose this game. Despite all the glowing press this week, it didn’t look to me like Smith had a great grasp on the offense yet, especially in the first half. What was good enough vs. Marshall will not win many games in the Big East.

No one respects gamesmanship quite like Billy, but I don’t blame him for that whatsoever. You need whatever advantage, however small it might be, that you can get. You also need Eu to prepare like a starter all week and not tell him, say, Thursday he’s the backup when Saturday he might have to start. Mullen, by the way, was slightly critical of his freshman and said he made a lot of mistakes many didn’t see. There were plays there he didn’t take and the offense is all about taking what the defense gives you.

roopoo said:

Karl consider that the game plan from last week had to be changed at half time. Geno and JB possess two very different skill sets. It seemed to me they were struggling in the first half mainly because they were trying to find plays that were inserted for JB that would work for Geno. His strong second half can be attributed to play calling that better suited his strengths. I think with a proper week of prep, he would be fine. Remember JB wasn’t always that stellar when PW got injured, mainly for the same reasons (game plan not matching skill set).

Halftime? It changed before the fifth snap on offense. I think the change at halftime was to go back to the plan before that fifth snap. Mullen said this week he doesn’t yet know what Eu’s strength’s are … and J.B. took all the first-team reps in practice this week. I do think J.B. and Eu are closer in skill and the structure of the offense than were Pat and J.B., though.

Sam said:

There’s no doubt having Geno in weakens the team. But if things are going badly, JB’s always available off the bench. But if things aren’t going badly, then JB gets another week to rehab, and prepare for the big USF game.

Yep, though I think the worry is UConn can beat a WVU without J.B., which would then drain the importance from the USF game. Not sure who said it, but I believe someone once vowed to never leave any bullets in his gun.

Mack said:

“Louisville is going to beat a good team. ”

Wanna bet?

Yes.

overtheSEC said:

That’s odd. I don’t see anything about Martin staying on in an Emeritus role after he retires.

I think that emeritus position is a unicorn.

Birch said:

“We’re getting the band back together!”

— John Beilein

If in a few months there’s a news flash about a Division I men’s basketball coach holed up in a bank with 25 hostages, just change the channel.

Patchy said:

Ah, Bill Martin – bless ‘im.

I will always remember him as the man who declared that he “wouldn’t be involved” in any NCAA investigation of the Michigan football program. How convenient! If I rob a bank with 3 other people can I declare that I won’t be involved when the police catch up with us?

Just retire from the crime.

thacker said:

[…] to which Berry reportedly said, “Arrest me. I’ll be out in an hour.” So the officer did and some of Berry’s boys got involved and things got a little heated.

Berry’s boys??? As in ‘groupies’?? If such is the case … if Berry needs (or has or depends upon or whatever) ‘groupies’, there are some disturbing self-confidence and pseudo ego issues involved. The kid needs to get his head and ass wired together.

I’m all for wiring a kid correctly, but what’s most unusual about this is I bet if you polled the people who cover the team Scooter would be among the least likely players we’d expect to get into a mess like this. Just a strange and sad situation.

jtmountaineer said:

Is it me, or is it always Bent Willy’s where these bad things happen?

Da Lazy Lizard would like to speak with you!

EER96 said:

Dear Scooter:

The only place you are guaranteed to be out of in an hour is the restroom. Just something I have learned along the way…

An hour? I drop my contacts every now and then and I’m virtually blind without something to help me see and I’m usually out in no less than 45 minutes.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

Can the punishment for Scooter be that he is sent over to Huggs for about a week and introduced to the treadmill. Funny…when the BBteam has issues like this, the mill is used, and the problem seems to disappear.

Mike, do you have a feel for what he has to do to get out of the doghouse or how long his stay will last?

I have no clue what the punishment will be, but I’d have to imagine it’s in line with previous infractions. That is, reasoned and gradual. Scooter’s not a bad guy and he’s respected by everyone on the team. My guess is if anyone could get back faster than normal, it’s him. What’s interesting is Scooter is a 23-year-old junior and I’ve wondered before if he played at an expected high level if this might be his last season. Given his age and the relatively low ceiling for defensive tackles in the draft, it was possible. Now you’re looking at two games missed because of injury and a few more for this suspension. You just wonder if a lot of things changed that night. 

Foul Shot:

Get it over with already.
We need him for USF, Cincy, Pitt and Rutgers.
It seems a sure thing his debt to the team will be repaid by 10/30 (as long as he is healthy.)

Stewart’s not going to hurry restitution so that he might win a game or two. And let’s be honest for a moment…how much do you need Scooter? The defense is doing pretty well without him. I’m confident his return will be based solely on Stewart’s requirements and not competition.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

Three things to consider in this: 1) he is of legal age, 2) from what I heard, he did not resist arrest, and 3) he does not have a history of being in trouble.

I wish that it would not have happened, but I’d think it’s a one game suspension with lots of steps, law center hill, and getting dogged out by the coaches….and probably an apology to the team.

Yeah, he did not resist arrest. Just mouthed off, according to the police report, and people he was with injected themselves into the situation, which it seems was when it got ugly. From what I’ve heard, Scooter is also none too pleased about the inaccuracies about many of the reports and accounts flying around out there.

rekterx said:

I think he’ll be dealt with appropriately and that he will respond appropriately. I suspect that the young man was extremely frustrated after working to get back on the field only to come off with another injury. I think he doesn’t make the same mistake again.

He wasted no time calling a spade a spade. That speaks very well of him.

Hey, you know what’s never a bad thing? Accountability. I’m amazed how few people understand this.

Birch said:

Three Tweets apologizing for Three Sheets

Enjoy the weekend!