Welcome back the Friday Feedback, which had anchors attached to its shoes sandals this week to quickly get both feet back beneath it. A fall in Las Vegas, four broken ribs, no, seven broken ribs, three football pledges, a rumor about a rebelling duck and some very compelling stuff from Bill Stewart. Then again, it wasn’t all bad. Why, I only had one call and three emails about You Know Who. (He’s not coming. Apparently that’s a story. Not here.)

Before we begin, a quick flashback. Many years ago I was packing for a basketball trip. Maneuvering around my bedroom with a beverage in my hand, I had at some point dropped a T-shirt or boxers on top of a belt. I accidentally stepped on that garment and the edge of the belt buckle sliced into my heal. I instinctively hopped onto the other foot, but did so so quickly that I landed awkwardly and felt my foot pop. I then fell and scraped my side along the edge of my bed and spilled my beverage.

Of course, it was coffee and somewhere around 10 a.m. When I told the story about how I came to acquire my one gashed foot and my one swollen and sprained foot, people thought otherwise. Of course, others believe me because they know what I know: I’m prone to falls.

What strikes me about this whole Huggins thing is that, first, I think a lot of the to-do, at least locally, came out of care and compassion. True, there are a lot of people who dislike the guy and root against him … what else is new, right? But I think there are also a whole lot of people who hope he’s OK. Not just now, but for the future.

Second, the city in which it occurred is a very public and very, um, scandalous city. Huggins was at a very popular event where, I would think, word would travel quickly about transgressions. And wouldn’t this seem like a story where a jealous/scorned coach might anonymously tell a reporter that what’s being reported is bogus? And yet, there’s nothing. Las Vegas is also a place where the news gets out. Leaking stuff is what people do there. And again, nothing. No sources, no photos, no fly-on-the-wall buzz.

Now maybe there’s a guy with cell phone shots at a bar. Maybe this all changes in a day or a week. But maybe the guy just fell. I really don’t know. I care, but I don’t know. I’ll take the explanation given to me as fact. I understand people will presume things and operate with suspicions. I understand people have a desire for a story to just go away. Unfortunately, I don’t think people — and maybe it’s just “I” — can do either. There are questions until there are answers.

But now we have one and it certainly changes things. To put a ribbon on it, at least for this week, Oliver Luck provided an explanation and he and President Jim Clements seem comfortable in the face of conjecture, confident in their coach and content to continue with business as usual.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, follow the rules. (I’m so tired of my wife making fun of Ohio drivers.)

The 25314 said:

We don’t have room for a Heisman candidate. We need to save those scholly’s for who they were intended for: walk-ons. Not to mention Dwight Wallace might have a footnall playing great-nephew or third cousin twice removed somewhere.

And away we go …

roopoo said:

Really, we are criticizing the fact that this kid ‘likes’ WVU, but perhaps never even approached WVU? Really? What has happened to our fan base? And even if he did approach WVU, I doubt WVU would be very interested. Why? Because character matters to some programs outside of the SEC. Despite his arrest at Oregon and later getting thrown off the team for good for getting caught with pot, how many people are aware he was arrested while in High School for multiple robberies and also spent time in a juvenille hall? Sorry…I am willing to give a guy a second chance, but this kid has burned both his chances already.

http://www.dwightjaynes.com/some-news-about-jeremiah-masolis-background-and-its-not-pretty

…not to brag, but I knew that stuff. You make good points, though. Hard to knock WVU for this one … even if WVU did nothing. I can see the other side of the argument and even get on that side, but it’s just as easy and righteous to be on the other side.

The 25314 said:

It is a fact that Bill Stewart said he would ideally like to sign 18-20 players per class and save a couple scholarships for walk-ons who have earned them. It is a fact that Bill Stewart said giving a scholarship to Matt Lindamood factored into his decision to not take Spencer Boyd. It is my opinion that not using all your scholarships or not using them on the most talented players is the equivalent of self-imposed sanctions. I appologize if you don’t agree with me, but in the future, I would appreciate it if you will refer to me as “THE” 25314.

I think the annual limit is to prevent a cycle in which WVU has four or five seniors at a position and then has to recruit four or five freshman to replenish. By putting a limit in place, it could cause the cycle to right itself, which means this might only last a few years. It’s not entirely for walk-ons, though the scholarships will and do go somewhere. As for Boyd, WVU was interested, but with conditions: First, he had to be eligible; second, he was going to play slot receiver. WVU would have offered a scholarship had he gotten a hardship waiver — he did not — and immediate eligibility. If he wasn’t immediately eligible, he was going to have to pay his way one semester and try to earn a scholarship for the spring semester.

roopoo said:

So you are criticizing the coaching staff for not bringing in a player who may or may not have been interested in playing at WVU and more than likely had zero contact with not only the coaches but the University? What should have the staff done? Committed a major recruiting violation and contacted him and say “what’s up, we heard you liked us?”

I see your point, but it really has nothing to do with a story about a guy who once said that he had interest in WVU.

Wouldn’t have been a recruiting violation. Masoli is a free man.

The 25314 said:

It was not my intention to criticize the staff for Masoli. While I think we should have gone after him, I understand why we didn’t. I was attempting to use Masoli and sarcasm to point out what I percieve to be a makor flaw in our recruiting philosophy, which I will never understand. I’m sorry and will do a better job next time. But I don’t want to live in a world where we can’t laugh about Dwight Wallace.

Agreed. Let’s continue.

overtheSEC said:

Have you seen Furyk do the first down cheer? He starts out with his hands much closer to his body than most and then takes his arms straight up vertically instead of out then up. It’s identical to everyone else on the way down though.

It’s loopy.

Birch said:

overtheSEC,
His first down cheer has been compared to an octopus falling down the stairs. He also takes FOREVER to get prepared for said cheer.

I didn’t see that.

overtheSEC said:

Yeah, Birch. Before singing Country Roads he lines himself up with everyone in the stands. Then stands over his seat. Then has Fluff stand over his seat. Then, just when he’s about to sing “Almost heaven…,” he backs off real quickly to line himself up again.

Do I need to be here today?

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Anyone else think Huggs had one too many? I believe this is the second one of these “accidents” in three years. As long as he is not driving a vehicle, I guess it is none of our business.

I think a lot of people thought that … but I think that can be unfair. I got several email saying — and this is paraphrasing several of them — “I don’t understand why you’re pursuing this story.” Well, I can’t help you there. The fact I don’t understand what happened is motivation enough. And think of it this way: Pursuing the story — and Luck’s medication revelation — changed the story. What happened to Huggins is a common, innocent occurrence. Letting speculation simmer is perhaps unfair to Huggins, his wife, his kids, his players, his school, his employers, etc. As for the last part, I’d say a coach/administrator/executive on company time, on the company dime, out for official business representing a specific entity for a specific purpose should probably not be doing something that would be so reckless and possibly embarrassing, no matter if it’s in a car or not. That’s very much everyone’s business.

SheikYbuti said:

I would be surprised if he were not in complete control of his faculties at 4:00 in the afternoon, and especially having earlier attended a couple of work-related appointments (as opposed to being on vacation, like Mike and his Nesteas). Though anything is possible, sometimes a cigar is just a cigar.

Agreed. For what it’s worth, I had a several people — more than the contrary — insist Huggins was sober.

wvu304 said:

I saw where Andy Kennedy said something to the effect of “don’t worry, this wasn’t heart related.” That’s what everyone was wondering, right?

First thing I thought. Honest.

Foul Shot said:

You have to begin to wonder what is going on.
This guy falls down an awful lot and has wacky accidents a lot.
There always seems to be a story to cover.
Now, I am not saying one way or the other, but it causes you to pause and think.
Of course, as long as he is showing up for practice and games and recruiting trips and carrying out his duties as a good employee, then not an issue.
But, I am hoping something big does not happen which causes the new AD or the President to make some harsh decision. He has a high profile position and whoever is in there has to be stable.

Oh it’s cause for pause, but let’s be fair: There’s a cause for everything … and maybe this is what you/we call a cover story. Did he trip on a cone in Charlotte? Or was that the cover? Personally, I don’t care what state he was in when he walked into a bathroom door. He’s on his own clock there. None of my business. Did he simply get woozy and fall here and suffer severe consequences? Or is that the cover? As the predecessor liked to say sometimes, “It is what it is.” It hasn’t affected his job previously — he actually made it to the scheduled alumni event in Charlotte the same day as that fall; he was hilarious with two black eyes at his fantasy camp — and he didn’t miss any of the games in Las Vegas. OK, he didn’t make it to Orlando for the next AAU event, but physically he could not. As for the final concern, Luck and Huggins have a pretty open, pretty honest relationship — “choir boy” — and Clements seems very pragmatic and considerate. I don’t think an empty stomach is going to wrinkle anything.

It Happens said:

I have a very low resting heart rate due to my fitness. When I stand up quickly, I get very lightheaded. I have keeled over myself from it.

Now, I’m sure Huggy doesn’t have a low heart rate to deal with, but I can completely understand getting lightheaded and falling. And, yes, taking medication on an empty stomach can do that to you. Read the warnings on your prescriptions and see for yourself.

It Happens said:

Forgot to add: Huggy probably has high blood pressure meds that caused this.

It Happens said:

From mayoclinic.com:

Postural hypotension can occur for a variety of reasons, including dehydration, prolonged bed rest, pregnancy, diabetes, heart problems, burns, excessive heat, large varicose veins and certain neurological disorders. A number of medications can also cause postural hypotension, particularly drugs used to treat high blood pressure — diuretics, beta blockers, calcium channel blockers and angiotensin.

Thanks for the input. Hope everyone reads and absorbs that.

I actually believe this report. I am sure Huggs takes several forms of prescription medicat

rekterx said:

ion. I am willing to bet that he takes blood pressure medication. And I am willing to bet that he, like most people who take blood pressure medication, don’t understand that the majority of people who take blood pressure medication die from heart attacks and strokes anyway. That’s just one of the dirty little secrets of the medical profession. (BTW, dizziness and a light-head are some of the side-effects of BP meds.)

Seriously. If you, or someone you love, takes BP meds, ask the doctor to tell you how many people who take BP meds die from heart attacks and strokes anyway. Chances are they won’t be able to tell you because the powers that be in pharmaceutical companies don’t go out of their way to tell doctors to tell their patients, “Yeah. This stuff will certainly lower your BP. But chances are you’ll die from a heart attack or stroke anyway.”

What financial incentive do pharmaceutical companies have to inform the public that the best way for people to control their cardiovascular health is through nutrition and exercise? Answer: NONE!

Now maybe Huggs has a doctor who has told him that the only sure way for him to best protect himself is to lower his BP through diet and exercise without medication. And maybe Huggs is too busy to do that and would rather exclusively rely on the meds. But the research is there. People who rely on medication to lower their BP and their cholesterol still have high rates of heart attacks and strokes. Meds control the symptoms. They don’t get at the underlying cause of poor cardiovascular health.

But then maybe Huggs doesn’t take any of these meds. But I used this anyway as a quick opportunity to maybe get the attention of at least a couple of people living in just about the most heavily medicated state in the country.

Mike, your blog provides a greater public service than you realize.

Thanks to you, too, and I hope everyone reads and absorbs that. Something tells me I might need that last line soon.

JutYourJaw said:

EerSports.com has learned that Tevita Finau was seen around Las Vegas for months before the incident.
He was supposed to be there to catch Huggins as he fell, several unnamed sourced exclusively told EerSports.com.
But logistical paperwork issues kept Finau from entering the hotel room and seizing Huggins as he toppled.

Must be true.

Josh24601 said:

Tenderized Bob Huggins. That should be the name of the cheapest Jimmy Johns sandwich.

I’m working on the email now.

notruB said:

“And then I’m gonna we’re gonna find my best friend Hug and then I’m gonna give him a best friend hug.”

Well played, sir.

SheikYbuti said:

By the way, the animal control guy had it all wrong, probably because he’s one of those flatlanders. The proper protocol for native West Virginians confronting your ‘possum conundrum is as follows:

1. Shoot the ‘possum
2. Eat the ‘possum
3. Feed the bait to the dog
4. Drive to Red Lobster for crab

Noted. I’ll remember this because it’ll probably happen again.

Josh24601 said:

When Gov. Manchin is elected to the US Senate, President of the State Senate Earl Ray Tomblin would become Governor (not sure whether he’d finish Manchin’s term). Tomblin, a Logan County native, is a WVU (BA) and Marshall (MBA) alumnus.

That’s not going to work. Some people will have nothing to complain about and no one to blame.

Spatial Angel said:

Who would be filling the Marshall spots on the schedules? If it’s BCS teams, I’m for it…if it’s anything less, let’s stick with the herd.

That’s the interesting angle here. Marshall, for all intents and purposes, has been considered a “win” in the scheduling process for WVU. Really, the Mountaineers would only put a team in that spot — before or after the Marshall series — that was going to count toward the plus side. Say this series disappears? Who goes there?

Wayne said:

I don’t mind the game if WVU gets the # of home games that it wants. Otherwise let the series die a merciful death. It does’t do that much for me.

That’s the other angle. I really do wonder if this game excites WVU fans these days. I think you can manufacture it by making it the first game and having the summer as a hype generator, but apart from that, it’s just another game played every year now.

Mack said:

Spatial Angel, I agree with you. If nothing else, the Marshall game is a game that I at least care enough to watch. If we’re playing Memphis, UCF, SMU, Buffalo, etc., then why even bother playing the game?

Since I find it extremely hard to believe that WVU will pick up a BCS conference team (unless it’s Vanderbilt or Indiana), I really have no problem with playing Marshall. Marshall brings fans that care about the game, fills the stadium, and it feels good to beat them every year… especially on the years when it’s a blowout. If Marshall ever wins, we’ll never hear the end of it . . . but who cares?

Agreed on the replacement team. It probably won’t be a BCS team and certainly won’t be a good one. If it’s a BCS team it would be one of those teams WVU could schedule as a win … and there aren’t many of those. Maybe there are some nice non-BCS teams out there and I do think fans would get exited to see a new team or a new conference every year, but it’s not easy. First, hardly any quality teams will do one-year deals. Second, if they do, it’ll cost WVU. UNLV is getting $740K this year.

Mooresville Jeff said:

I’ve been critical of the coaching at different times these past couple of years, but there have been legitimate reasons for our struggles. This year, those reasons no longer exist and I really believe we’re on the brink of a fun and successful year. The defense will be stout and the offense should be the best we’ve had since Bill took over.

I think that’s a good definition of where the bar is this year, yes?

Jeff in Akron said:

Devine needs just shy of 1800 yards to reach the top yardage spot all time at WVU. Simple math says that’s 300 carries at 6 yards a carry, or 25 carries a game. Is Oll Stew going to give him the ball that many times a game?

If you add catching passes to that equation, then Devine will be running/catching close to 30 times each game. If 90 offensive snaps are the goal in the FBS, that means that Devine will be a third of the offense this coming season.

What happened to the idea that he wasn’t big enough to take the punishment additional touches would cause on his body? Further, what happens to WVU’s game plan if Devine goes down?

I get that he has worked to put his body in the best possible shape for the coming season. Still, it gives a person pause when you consider the premise to date concerning Devine’s lack of increased touches. All of the sudden Devine’s body can handle the punishment? Or, could it have the entire time?

The yardage mark will be fun to watch, but that’s a big number a long way away. Today, I think he could handle the carries … but I’m not sure the offense could. In the past, I don’t think he could have handled that workload and held up physically. He’s stronger and more durable today. The body matures. Still, 25 carries/30 touches a game is a lot and there seems to be a spread-the-wealth mantra with these Mountaineers. His numbers will probably check in where they were the past two years, trending upward, of course. The offense will be based around him, sure, but I think WVU wants to keep defenses as honest and basic as possible.

Drew said:

There’s definitely a balance between relying too heavily or not enough on certain players. We will need Devine to be healthy, but we will also need him to touch the ball often.

I’ve never been a fan of limiting touches to try to prevent injuries, though. By and large injuries are unavoidable accidents. What’s the point in saving a player for later if it costs you right now?

It has seemed whoever has been pulling the strings on offense would, at times, try to keep the playcalling balanced no matter what. There were times last year when we seemed to have exploited a weakness, but instead of adjusting to take full advantage, we would almost completely ignore the opportunity to take over a game for the sake of spreading the wealth.

The most obvious of these was Devine in the Gator Bowl, but there was also Ryan Clarke agianst Cincinnati. He was giving their undersized defense fits. Instead of using that advantage and giving him the ball more than usual, however, he had only 5 carries. He finished with 60 yards and a TD on only 5 carries. That’s 12 yards per carry. Take away the 37 yard run and it’s still almost 6 ypc. I don’t care what your game plan is, when one player is dominating a game like that you have to notice and take advantage of it.

No argument here. The Clarke thing was particularly egregious.

Trip said:

Noel Devine needs more highlight reels. He isn’t going for a “yards” record…he needs more marketability for the scouts. To say he’s after a yardage record is nowhere in this article or the one hyperlinked. However, I do get angry when there are obvious opportunities and we refuse to capitalize on them. I agree what Drew said, if something works and it doesn’t fall into what your original plans were…isn’t that what a coach or coordinator is hired to do is make offensive and defensive adjustments to achieve the ultimate goal, a win. It kills me when I hear a coach say, “Our offensive game strategy is to have balance. This many passes, this many rushes.” Really? So if they can’t stop your running game and your goal is to throw 35 passes, you’re going to continue throwing passes to force something to work when you don’t even need it? A coach/coordinator like that should be fired for not doing their job. Adjustments. Or, I could be wrong and shut up and get back to work

No, no. That was good. Do stick around.

The 25314 said:

Who can ever forget the fear in opponents eyes when Pat White and Dorrel Jalloh were running that read option to perfection?

Jalloh actually did line up at fullback against UConn in ‘08 and caught a pass on the wheel route. I believe we tried to sneak him in there again the next week against Cincinnati, but the Bearcats sniffed it out.

He only got in for that UConn play because Will Johnson was nicked — maybe dinged, I can’t recall — and WVU wanted to run that very play in that very situation at that very spot on the field. Jalloh was always there when you needed him.

Mack said:

Dorrell Jalloh’s name probably only came up about five times during his four year career at WVU, in which he was a starter for all four years, but all of them were good. If I’m not mistaken, he caught the game-winning pass against Louisville and Rutgers (both in the third overtime) and he dominated Auburn.

People forget he caught like 120 balls as a high school senior and was a highly recruited player. He ended up with a sneaky good career. Here’s a question: Would you take Jalloh’s career or Miquelle Henderson’s? Jalloh or Brad Starks? Never mind Jalloh kind of humbled Mike Vick on the TV show…

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

“When I came in, I thought I was going to do the same things, but it’s not like that. I thought I was going to be able to make a couple people miss and score, but the reality here is if you make one person miss, someone else is going to come in and tackle you.”

This is true unless you are returning kicks against WVU…

Ouch.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

This kid may be the best of all 3 — and that’s saying a lot since I love both number 10 and number 7.

We just have to get the ball in his hands in space and magic will happen. I hate to sound like Stew’s cheerleader, but imagine the pain a D Coordinator will experience if Poetry in Motion has progressed in his route running.

You got him going down the field; Jock running the slip screen, Devine in the flat, and the TE down the seam or dragging across. Geno, PLEASE get the ball in these guys hands in space and listen for the train whistle.

Big if regarding Austin and his route running. He’s never played the position and, not to pick on the guy, but you see how Starks has progressed. It takes time. But if it hits, yeah, it could be dynamite.

Jeff in Akron said:

A thought, how many linebackers or safeties that WVU will face this year can cover Devine one on one? I’ve got to believe there aren’t many.

By throwing to Devine, will that force teams to play a nickle defense against WVU more regularly? Or will defenses just crowd the line of scrimmage and allow The Poet and Starks to scorch their secondaries with speed?

I’ve gotta believe that early on teams will force WVU to beat them with someone not wearing number 7. If either Starks or The Poet catches a lengthy touchdown in the first couple of games, oklahoma mountaineer is right, d-coordinators will have a week of sleepless nights preparing for the Mountaineers.

Well, sure, but WVU will be especially vanilla against Coastal Carolina and then show a little more against Marshall. Then it’s somewhat vanilla again against Maryland with LSU looming. And of course …

jtmountaineer said:

Those sleepless nights of preparation will end with post-game slumber when, despite holes in the secondary, Gino Smith is instructed to hand it off to Noel Devine at the line of scrimmage, producing a two-yard loss. On 2nd and 12, Gino Smith throws to Noel Devine in the backfield, but after avoiding two tackles, Noel gets back to the original line of scrimmage. On 3rd and 10, Gino Smith goes downfield to a well-covered and overthrown Bradley Starks, whose fingertips are three yards from the pigskin.

Not trying to b a pessimist, but we’ve been here before with regards to talent, speed, potential.

I wish you would step back from that ledge, my friend.

overtheSEC said:

You may not be trying jtmountaineer, but you’re succeeding mightily.

Success is result of strategy and execution plus luck. (Can you call the right play and do it?) There are probably twenty teams in the country that have the talent and the scheme to win every game they play. Is WVU in that category? Yes. But there’s a reason why everyone doesn’t go undefeated: $&*% goes wrong. So nearly every team in that group of twenty except for one will fall short of their ‘potential.’ Let’s at least be encouraged that we have talent and we have the plays in the playbook to win. Will Mullen call the right ones and will we execute them (don’t forget (in case you were taking a stab at the coaches), just because Noel catches that pass in the backfield, that may have been the wrong read by the QB)?
In the meantime, until I feel that we’re significantly underachieving, I’ll TRY to remain optimistic. In the meantime, I think I’ve created a new slogan
West Virginia Football: where $&*% goes wrong

… you could cut ties with all the lies that you’ve been living in.

rekterx said:

We’ve been Frohnapfeled!

Talked into believing in a tight end?

SheikYbuti said:

rekterx, I wish I had thought of that. On the other hand, WVU remains in the running for five-star prospect Earnest B. Bamboozle, so I have my hopes up that I may some day adequately retort.

Enjoy the weekend!