Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which wonders if we’ve changed the definition of exclusive. That’s all I’ll say about that, for personal and professional reasons. I’m disappointed and agitated, so let’s jump right into this.

Well, after a reminder: Texts From Game Day. It’s on again.

As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, plan ahead.

Dave said:

“Friends of Coal Bowl” might be renamed “Friends of Pads Bowl.”

Apparently, there is an interesting story developing between WVU and MU and who notifies the NCAA each others infractions. 

Mike, do you know anything about it?

Yes. Interesting is not the right word to use. I’m not going to create a story here. I just ask you read and think.

Wayne said:

Sounds like a good reason to not continue the Minor Infractions Bowl.

Marshall had nothing to do with this one. I’m inclined to believe WVU hadn’t done anything to advance this issue, either. It would seem the truly sad part is the Mountaineers won the game on the field and were winning the game off of it as it. They were content with that and looking good as opposed to the opposition. And then this happens more than six weeks after the fact.

glibglub said:

Keith Tandy suggests the Secondary Violations Bowl, ’cause it works on more than one level.

Unless it’s not a secondary violation. And wouldn’t that be a story? Or even the story.

Jeff in Akron said:

Mike, and fellow bloggers, here is a link that lists all injury reports for all teams in the FBS. Not that anyone really wanted it, or that it is as thorough as Mike’s on WVU. You must register to log in, there is no charge for the service.

http://www.collegeinjuryreport.com/injury-report.php

That’s new to me. Well done.

The 25314 said:

That’s a veritable who’s who of spring ball all-stars.

The Nathan Forse All-Stars, sir.

Bryan Bowman said:

That’s lots of absences to blame a loss on

Perhaps.

Casto said:

Seriously, can we just add Brad Starks to the Wes Lyons “Talent Rich, but Production Poor” Hall of Fame already?

I think he has to be on the ballot for a while. And in his defense, he was slowed first by a groin. This is now a shoulder. Not like that groin has been a persistent problem.

The 25314 said:

Casto – Wes Lyons’s only talent was growing.

Funny thing is, he was initially listed as 6-8. He repeatedly told people he was 6-7. So, in truth, he was shrinking?

Sam said:

25314,

Let’s not forget Wes Lyons blocking abilities: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r07tmiDOMO0&p=858C4E411BB13ACF&playnext=1&index=57

(Note Hogan catching out the backfield. Sigh.)

Those were the days, huh?

Wayne said:

Mike,
The Gumbo Shop in the Fr Qtr is a great casual place for Cajun. Enjoy New Orleans!

Been there, love it. Good call.

JP said:

Hurricanes at Pat O’Briens

Been there, love it. Better calls!

montanaEER said:

To all who are traveling to Baton Rouge, I used to live there and taught at LSU. I once offered a linebacker in my class an A if he could take out Spurrier, back in his UF days. He couldn’t get a good shot at him, the LB claimed.

Anyway, it’s a great atmosphere, and I highly recommend The Chimes (8-10 minute walk from stadium) at the corner of Chimes St and Highland Road. Best bar food in the world. Catch the day’s TV games at the Varsity behind The Chimes. Big movie screens for the games. Be prepared to have “Tiger Bait!” yelled at you often.

Laissez les bons temps rouler!

Sounds like a normal day for me.

thacker said:

Mike–

I ask one question. Has there or has there not been recurring problems offensively since the Fiesta Bowl?

For example, a mature experienced offensive line stumbles in 2008.

Actually, two questions.

Are the same dynamics, problems and solutions available that were present within the special teams of 2008 through 2009 which Stewart has resoundingly solved so far in 2010?

——

EER–

You may have a point regarding the sarcasm of MENSA. Too much thought is being given to offensive play, solutions, strategy?

I’d target the offensive line, to answer your first question. There hasn’t been one recurring, long-lasting problem, but of the problems there are contributors. Short yardage was a problem. That’s related to the OL. Protection is a problem. That’s OL. The run game can be bottled up. That’s OL … harsh reality, but still so, even if the RB can’t be sprung of the defensive front is winning the battle. That group covers many areas. Recruiting has not provided solutions. The only guy in the two-deep that was a part of Stewart’s first two recruiting classes is Cole Bowers, and he couldn’t make the most of chances at RG and RT. The second question is very interesting in that you can say “WVU fixed that, why not this?” The issue on the kickoff coverage was the quality of the kick and the talent as it relates to the scheme. A new leader of that group has a new idea. He put in new talent to work the new ideas. A new kicker has helped. That’s a fairly common formula for problems and it can be applied elsewhere, I’m sure.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

 

Mike,

I’d agree that two games is too quickly to make any concrete decisions; however, I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that the O-Line should be better at this point than they are.

You have 4 guys who took every or nearly every snap last year. There is one new guy and another in a new spot and sharing time; however, we made Marshall’s guys look like 5-star players and I don’t think that’s a fair assessment of their talent.

Stew was quick to point out the “flaws” in the O-line he inherited last year — when defending these guys. I don’t know if it’s the coaching or the playing, but there is still a lot of work to do.

Marshall will win its share of games this year, and I know there’s a lot of emotion on that side with Doc’s first game, that it’s WVU (for them), and the 40th year of the horrific crash that claimed the majority of their team. That said, we should be able to win that game by at least 2 touchdowns with the talent we have on offense.

Defense did their job — take their 2 long plays away and Marshall is 200 yards for the rest of the game.

In all honesty, we wore their defense out and they were simply sagging back and hoping we made self inflicted mistakes. Almost like a 7/7 drill for Geno…..that said, that dude looks to be the real deal.

Dave said:

 

If what is being said is true, that two of the linemen were sick, MU was calling cadence and calling out plays before the snap, WVU was slow due to the cards, etc., then it’s hard to gauge where we really are with this offense. We still put up 400 yards, even with shooting ourselves in the foot a couple of times.

Marshall was obviously jacked for this game and seemed to benefit from some early calls or lack thereof (the phantom TD).

The next two weeks will unveil a lot about this team and regardless of what happens, if we win our conference we’re in the BCS.

 montanaEER said:

 

Was Jock cooking for the OL again on Friday?

glibglub said:

 

The significance of musing about going up tempo while in the shower cannot be overlooked. Some people can sing in the shower when they can’t sing otherwise. I say run some plumbing up there to the coaches’ box and call plays from the shower.

roopoo said:

Mike do you have any information regarding Busick besides a hand injury? Seems to have come out of nowhere and I don’t remember him getting hurt in the Coastal game. Any truth to the rumor that Brutus the Barber Beefcake hurt Branko’s hand with a chair?

Absolutely not true. He hurt it in a botched chokeslam before CCU. Couldn’t get Jorge Wright in the air. True story.

Mack said:

If West Virginia wins in Baton Rouge, we will ultimately forget almost everything else that happens this season, especially the Maryland game.

Since WVU is not likely to win in Baton Rouge, this game matters for the sake of getting 10 wins… which is where WVU needs to be.

Precisely, though it’s hard to get a feel for LSU. The Tigers aren’t sold on their quarterback situation, it doesn’t seem, and that sleep walk through the second half against outmanned UNC was weird. Still, Maryland is critical, and I think people are maybe overlooking the Terps a bit. I was more surprised by the 10-point line than I was by the 13-point spread at Marshall. Both should be lower… which means something like WVU 31, Maryland 13.

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

WVU big in this one. UM will not be able to stop the run. Take WVU minus the points.

Actually, Maryland has been pretty solid against the run. You have to dismiss the yardage against Navy because of the option attack and that it was the first game of the year. Remove that and the Terps have allowed four of nine opponents fewer than 100 yards. As a team. Their defense has been together and they tackle. And they’ll attack WVU’s offensive line. Speaking of, here’s what that line has to say for itself.

Karl said:

Vegas has WVU as a 10-point favorite in this one. I thought Maryland looked a lot tougher against Navy than it has in recent years. They reminded me of USF. They’re using a running QB now, and that always seems to be a struggle for us.

Weird action on this game, especially with the personnel news, right? WVU is without Lazear, Busick, Hogan and probably Will Clarke and Robert Sands is not healthy. WVU is concerned, believe that.

thacker said:

Maryland. Ralph Friedgen WVU. Bill Stewart.

Crab Bowl. Coal Bowl.

Navy: 39 1/2 minutes, 82 plays and 485 yards, 412 on the ground.

This might be an interesting game on many levels for either Maryland or WVU.

Midshipmen. Ken Niumatalolo.

Don’t forget Ken’s headbutt! And do you think Jeffrey Mullen dials up some option this week? I’ve been hearing whispers about Jeremy Johnson getting a workout, in some regard, in practice. Just wondering …

The 25314 said:

The “Charlie Taffe Isn’t Walking Through That Door” Bowl

… except that he was. And then the Ti-Cats threw a hissy fit.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

I’m not sure if this would be a factor, but how much does a win/loss affect recruiting for this portion of the country?

I didn’t think that mattered much, but it seems that once Pitt beat WVU in 2007 they started to close the Western PA door a little to us.

We have kicked MD hard (and so have others) in recent years, and we’ve done well over there, to include Poetry in Motion so…….what do you think?

It matters as much as a kid allows it to matter. By that, I mean if a kid is swayed by one game or when a coach says, “Oh, you’re interested in Maryland, too? We beat them last year, you know.” Now, if one team continuatlly beats another, it’s a different topic. This has been mostly even through the years. In fact, Maryland won four straight before losing the past four. And the Terps still recruit that area really well, a credit to their Chris Beatty. Really bright guy there.

Mack said:

After WVU beat Virginia Tech in 2003, on the field, Kay Jay screamed “Let’s go set some (stuff) on fire.” Kay Jay was pretty fun, but also never played anywhere near his potential. My favorite example is when he set the all-time single game rushing record and Rodriguez said in the postgame press conference that he wasn’t even guaranteed the starting job for the next game. The national media thought this was a joke, but I think all WVU fans and local media knew it wasn’t.

Lee Corso was so impressed by the 337-yard day (that’s still a flat-out ridiculous number) he put Cagy Harris atop his list of Heisman hopefuls.

The 25314 said:

The only man in college football history who ran for 337 yards in one game and didn’t reach 1,000 for the season AND charged the mound on CC Sabathia.

… and then went on to play in the NFL. Pretty neat career.

Josh 24601 said:

Casazza-Dunlap 2012.

Um, thanks. And, just for you, we’ve never seen West Side Story. But thanks for asking.

Foul Shot said:

Just trying to figure out how out of it the guy was if he drove the wrong way down the street which has the police department station.
Is there an award in the BE for Idiot of the Week?
Time to cut ties with this problem child.

Hogan made a left-hand turn out of a parking lot at the top of Spruce Street. He was as far away from the police station as is possible on Spruce. And yet, your point remains.

SheikYbuti said:

Shouldn’t it be Dunlap-Casazza 2012? Just saying. There’s probably some sort of ugly Nestea incident in Mike’s past that would make it more palatable for him to run in the second spot.

Have you met Colin?

Drew said:

Will Casazza-Dunlap (or vice versa) be willing to guarantee that the WVU-Marshall series is going to continue past the current agreement?

I give up.

SheikYbuti said:

Shouldn’t that be the Marshall-WVU series? (I kid, I kid.) On that note, however, I’ve been thinking about an article written yesterday by a (presumed) journalist for the Herald-Dispatch, one allegation of which was that our governor had called Luck on the carpet for stalling the series negotiations on the theory that our governor would soon be our senator, and therefore no longer intimately involved in such things. It seems to me (others might disagree), that discontinuation of the series being objectively in our legitimate interest, particularly in light of the potential effect on our scheduling posed by the recent extension with Maryland and overture to Villanova, Luck might be able to defy this latest directive with minimal adverse consequences.

Who disagrees with that? I’ve always thought WVU could delay and eventually distance itself from gubernatorial influence. The funny thing about all of what happened last week — whatever it was — was that nothing is signed. WVU can still say, “Eh, changed our mind” and, if done at what it deems to be a proper time, walk away with no consequences. That’s if that’s what WVU really wants to do. Nothing I read or was told last week said the series absolutely will continue. The people I talked to were even stunned it was even given a 10-year life beyond 2012, which made me think longevity, at least on an annual basis, is not what WVU really wants from the series.

Josh24601 said:

Sheik,

Manchin is going to be a US Senator with an election-proof seat; he’s getting more powerful, not less.

Maybe, but maybe not with regard to what influence he was on the respective schools. I guess it’s debatable and a matter time will explain.

SheikYbuti said:

My point is that Luck was already popular, and has grown much more so after only a few months on the job. If I were advising the governor, I would not want to take on the WVU AD, particularly if could be demonstrated (and I think it can) that continuing the series hurts the school. In other words, I don’t think Luck has to fear for his job by doing the right thing (and it may be his duty to stonewall the governor, regardless of the personal consequences). Now, if you want to argue that Manchin would be in a position, as a U.S. Senator, to visit adverse consequences upon WVU down the road, that’s another thing. I don’t think he’d dare, but that’s just my opinion.

Hmmm. This might be more interesting than I first thought.

Dr Love said:

Why is a a sledge hammer being carried onto the field? Silly.

It’s symbolic of a prize awarded throughout offseason conditioning. Ironically, Hogan, who was not in love with conditioning, was the guy carrying the sledge.

JutYourJaw said:

I think Cole Bowers should carry it out. Considering he has two sledgehammers for feet and all.

And yet he moved with ease through the Coastal Carolina defensive line. What? That’s a problem? Oh.

SheikYbuti said:

Keith Tandy should carry the sledgehammer, but leave it on the sideline this time while he’s trying to cover somebody.

You joke, but that’s you No. 1 CB now.

KMS said:

I think Stew carries the sledgehammer. He comes out like a mad man, swinging in all directions….with a little Peter Gabriel rocking through the loud speakers

In a stunning development, no one made any jokes about what Peter Gabriel song would accompany this scene.

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

In my opinion, Stewart should dismiss Hogan IF he is proven guilty or admits guilt. You just can’t have people who are constantly (more than once) in trouble with the law associated with your program.

I would agree with some on here that say that Stewart has to practice what he preaches. The whole men of character thing is going to run real thin real fast if Stewart is going to back it up. Everyone gets a second chance in my book, but even a not so smart guy like me knows that this is not Hogan’s first transgression.

So I guess I am saying a suspension is in order until the authorities come down with a decision or verdict.

Eh, not sure there’s an acquittal coming here. These matters are pretty cut and dry. And while I agree Stewart talks big and preaches of philosophies and consquences, and that there are times you could argue it sounds hypocritical, I think there may be issues with the person here that need the sort of assistance a prompt dismissal will not provide. Trusting Stewart knows more about Hogan than I or anyone else, it might be hard or even wrong to let a troubled kid address his past, present and future alone. And remember, there’s no guarantee Hogan plays for WVU again.

rekterx said:

Being indefinitely suspended as a senior while having real NFL potential is a pretty big deal. This guy, a senior with NFL potential, is going to miss at least a significant chunk of his senior season.

I think Stew did the right thing. I expect we will hear little to nothing about this situation for several weeks or more.

The first sentence nails it. He doesn’t have adequate recovery time to behave in a manner that vanquishes character concerns.

Hunterdon said:

Indefinite suspension versus being kicked off the team probably has scholarship implications too. Hogan is a senior. Maybe Stew is trying help him become a better person by graduating rather than just writing him off. I don’t know, just a thought.

That’s a very good thought. Stewart has taken an active role in Hogan’s academics in the past.

Sam said:

Keep Mazzulla! Let Hogan go! I can’t keep track of our shifting standards.

It’s a legitimate question: Does one affect the other?

overtheSEC said:

If only it were more clear as to which coach “personally recruited” Brandon Hogan, I might be able to more accurately form an opinion.

I’ll work on getting you that information.

The 25314 said:

You can take the kid out of Bull Run, but you can’t take the Bull Run out of a kid?

Please don’t think this is a defense of Hogan. And, in truth, I’m not even sure this is applicable since Hogan, according to the police report, said he was picking someone up. Then again, perhaps it is. Either way, it is really, really hard to get a cab on a Saturday night in Morgantown. There aren’t nearly enough taxis in this town, and part of that is how the system is regulated. Also to blame are these parking lots that only allow cars to stay until a certain hour and nail you with an enormous ticket after that hour. It’s supposed to keep people from being out late, but more often than not you see people who press their luck and drive home, not because they can, but because they feel they have to or they’ll get a parking ticket. The system, on many levels, is flawed. It’d be a great story for someone to thoroughly investigate and explain … but I guess there’s only so much time left after being fed stories and accepting corporate offers for free flights and a hotel stay in exchange for covering that company’s event.

Karl said:

Can someone please now say what it was that kept him off the bowl team a few years ago? I always read and hear people making cryptic “as long as he keeps his head on straight” statements about Hogan, but nobody ever specifies what his problem(s) is. Like it’s a secret everyone knows but is too taboo to say aloud.

The public will never know, unless Hogan chooses to disclose it.

Erinn said:

Texts from Marshall Gameday said:

“(8:19 PM): The silver lining is if Marshall wins, half the team will be suspended next week because they’ll be out pistol whipping people in a bar or robbing people

(8:19 PM): or whatever the team does to celebrate.”

Maybe Hogan didn’t realize he won.

D’oh!

Alli said:

There is still plenty of time for Stew to kick Hogan off the team. Other players have been suspended indefinitely before they were officially kicked off the team. Wait until Hogan plays again before you immediately call the man a hypocrite.

So what really matters: how will this affect the defense against Maryland and the rest of the year? Do we play more zone? Jenkins was ahead of Hogan on the depth chart at one point, so hopefully he can be effective. (Ir)Regardless, the one thing that will help the secondary more than anything is pressure on the QB, which is something we haven’t done this season. That seems to be a theme every year though: the success of the defense only goes as far as the line takes us.

Bingo. With regard to the defense, it could be situational, it could depend on the opponent, it could depend on what corner is hot/slumping. I don’t think there’s a formula, but I think WVU would like to keep the defense as close to optimal as is possible, which means playing the corner who can fit in best and create the fewest … worries.

thacker said:

I have recently started to question the existing dynamics with this program. It may be a stretch as you pointed out that Hogan’s problems are directly related to this programs dynamics. If, however, a similar situation occurs with another player, then the answer could be ‘yes’.

Now, the defense and overall dynamics. Casteel has always been a constant until this past Friday. The Maryland and LSU games may answer that.

Agreed, except there is a player precedent. Jock Sanders was suspended an entire offseason and has been a model citizen since then. It’s entirely possible this is the way to do things. I don’t think Stewart’s decision to act similarly was surprising or even wrong. But pity the person who does this next, especially if it’s soon. As for the defense, I did not speak with Casteel this week — nor did anyone else, I believe — but they got shocked on a run early on and then beat on a 96-yard TD pass that, I thought, was a blown assignment in the secondary. And a very good throw. There was no blitz and yet the CB was 1-on-1 with no safety help. Beyond that, the defense was sound and again made sharp and secure adjustments throughout the game. I also think pressure/sacks is wildly overrated.

JutYourJaw said:

Who is the IDIOT media member (I assume it is a media member) you can hear laughing loudly at the Stew press conference after Stew makes a comment about Marshall?

Grounds for immediate dismissal. Doesn’t anyone regulate those press conferences?

“Amen!”

Dr Love said:

The most shocking thing that Coach Stewart said in the press conference was that Marshall should contend for a Conference USA title. Wow! Marshall also has the best defensive line in their conference! Coach Stew should delegate these press conference to others. He is probably wonderful in the “living room,” but good grief, his team did not play well. If he doesn’t own that, then it will be a long, long season.

He owned it. On his Sunday conference call with the media he was talking about good and encouraging things when someone asked, “But Billy, are you happy with how you played?” Response: “No.” He went on to describe why. And really, it’d be hard to watch that and think many good things. Even the ending, with the soft defense/hard top on the secondary, allows for some “…yeah, but” conjecture. 

p.i. reed:

W.
V.
WVEu! 

Not bad.

p.i.  reed:

Eu the Man!
where’s my copyright attorney?

The Eucatan Peninsula? Nevermind …

Drew said:

Eugene was remarkably euthymic in delivering the herd’s eulogy Friday night.

The Big East got it wrong. No offense to Noel, but he was not the offensive player of the week.

Actually, WVU is the one that nominates players for the award.

Drew said:

We could go the Kevin Youkilis route with some Biz Markie –

Oh baby, Eu. Eu got what I need.

On second thought, it would probably be more marketable for the lady mountaineer fans.

I think  WVU will rue — reu? — the day it allowed the name change. I know I do.

Josh24601 said:

When Sands went down after tackling Ward to end the back’s long, 1Q carry Friday night and Sands’s chances of playing the rest of the game appeared bleak, I sent Casazza-san a text that didn’t make the cut for TFGD: “Players harder to replace than Sands: Noel, Neild, Tavon, Geno (maybe).”

Because WVU has no one with size and skill remotely similar to Sands or Neild, and because, even though Noel could replace Tavon’s quarkback contributions and vice versa, losing one would mean not having them both at once, Geno doesn’t move ahead of any of the four (Sands, Noel, Neild, and Tavon, in that order) in terms of irreplacability, but there’s no longer any ambiguity about his place on the list.

Maybe Brunetti — and, honestly, he’s the clear back-up here; why else wouldn’t J. Johnson get in on any of THREE garbage-time drives v. CCU — is really good, but until Friday, neither he nor Geno had really done anything substantive in a tight spot (you say, “Marshall ‘09;” I say, “phooey”). Now Geno has.

Quite likely I post this sometime next week as a discussion topic. Probably now wrong answer, I would imagine.

Karl said:

During that fourth quarter, I was thinking Eugelway. I’ve been a skeptic about Smith, but man his poise was awesome. I still need some convincing though, since I believe we’ll come to learn over the season that Marshall is a pretty bad team. As Han Solo said, “Good against the living? That’s something else.”

I thought he had you, Karl. He’ll keep trying.

SheikYbuti said:

(With apologies to the sign guy in Shea Stadium): Eu gotta believe! Actually, there is one I like better:

THE State EUniversity.

He would leave no doubt Friday night, yes?

ffejboc said:

Someone needs to do a Geno highlight to the background music of “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by the EU-rythmics.

I’m sending email as soon as I finish here.

midwestwvufan:

Stewart did not win the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma. He never called a play in the game. I think everyone forgets that. It’s time for Oliver Luck to step up and take control.

I’ll let this one in because I have a question: Step in and do what? I’ll hang up and listen.

jtmountaineer said:

That Feb. 7 game sounds like a coin toss.

Sorry. Too easy.

Enjoy the weekend!