10:10 am: Defensive end Will Clarke, who was listed on Thursday’s injury report as doubtful, is out. It’s a blow to the depth up front, but it likely means more snaps for Bruce Irvin. Still without a sack, Irvin has actually found a way to affect games.

10:38 am: In honor of Michigan State v. Notre Dame, a reflection on the 40-37 classic in 2006 and the subsequent meltdown of one Mike Valenti. And the transcript.

11:10 am: First text from game day says, “Your Teddy Ruxpin link is a TR Exclusive!”

11:14 am: Someone has filled the entire lower deck, from under the scoreboard around to the corner near the opposite end zone, with 10,000 gold T-shirts. The Mountaineers are wearing blue jerseys.

11:18 am: WVU introduced its new tennis coach, Tina Samara, in an brief press conference. The applause was the first in the press box this season to not involve octogenarians.

11:20 am: WVU is 3-2 in today’s blue jersey/white pants combo since 2001. Only three other combos have been used fewer times: gold/blue (4-0), gold/gold (2-1), gold/white (2-1).

11:27 am: With a win today, WVU matches third-longest home winning streak at 10 games. The Mountaineers also won 10 in a row in 1968-70, 1992-94 and 2003-04. Defeating the Terrapins, UNLV Oct. 8 and USF Oct. 14 matches the 12 in a row in 1942-45 and 1987-89. Follow that with woms against Syracuse Oct. 23, Cincinnati Nov. 13 and Rutgers Dec. 4 and they break the record 14-game streak in 1924-26.

11:37 am: Pat Miller will start in place of Brandon Hogan.

11:55 am: While wondering who will carry the sledge today, it was also asked if anyone would carry Hogan’s jersey out onto the field. No need. Hogan is with the team and was on the field for warmups in a gray T-shirt.

11:58 am: Keith Tandy had the hammer, which, if you read Friday Feedback, is somewhat comical.

12 pm: Hogan is on the sideline.

12:07 pm: Devine’s 50-yard run was the 12th in his career that’s gone for at least 50 … and the second against Maryland.

12:12 pm: Credit that timeout to Bruce Irvin.

12:16 pm: Terrapins really living up to their name. Two delays and a timeout on this possession.

12:17 pm: Make that three delays. Third-and-28.

12:19 pm: Text –> “We must protect this clock!”

12:22 pm: Prior to the third-down snap, I wondered, “Maybe they’ll run the same play they scored on before.” If it occurred to me, why not Maryland? WVU up 14-0 and Tavon is haunting the Terps on a Slatonian level.

12:28 pm: Eu Smith has already tied a career high with two touchdown passes. He’s 4-for-4 for 58 yards. On his last four drives, he’s 18-for-21 for 209 yards and three TDS. He really wants that Big East player of the week prize.

12:29 pm: And just to keep Smith in familiar territory, Jock Sanders muffs a punt and recovers at his 3-yard line. That leaves Eu with 97 yards between him and the other end zone.

12:34 pm: Teammates not helping Smith here. Two false starts, including one by Brad Starks, whose two notable plays this season are penalties.

12:35 pm: Third-and-5 and it’s a 22-yard gain on a pass to Austin.

12:40 pm: Press box veteran: “What’s the NCAA record for most (screw-ups) in a quarter?”

12:42 pm: Tremendous quarter for the Mountaineers. Flawless if not for Austin’s fumble. WVU has 20 plays for 212 yards, Maryland 10 for 29 (and five penalties for 22 yards). Smith has completed all seven pass attempts for 122 yards and two scores. Austin has five receptions for 77 yards.

12:47 pm: This might be over soon.

12:49 pm: This Smith-to-Bailey touchdown might not count … but it’s a pretty darn good play all around.

12:51 pm: Maryland better get the PS3 controller out of Eu’s hands: 10-for-10, 173 yards, three TDs.

12:52 pm: WVU has five plays of 22 yards or more and 10 of 10 ore more. And the ink has, in fact, dried on that four-year extension contract,  in case you’re wondering.

12:55 pm: Had my finger on the play button, but Corey Smith made the tackle on Torey Smith on that kickoff return.

12:58 pm: … going back to erase all the favorable things I said about Maryland this week. Didn’t see this ineptness coming.

1 pm: Tyler Bitancurt’s extra point gave him 100 career points. He’s still 14 points from even reaching the top 10 in career kicking points … and he might get there today.

1:07 pm: One of the dumbest late hit penalties ever gives Maryland seven penalties for 42 yards. The Terps has 14 plays for 39 yards on offense.

1:11 pm: Yikes, Geno has only completed two of his past six passes.

1:13 pm: Happy 65th birthday to David Hardesty, per stadium scoreboard.

1:23 pm: Noel mails in a chip block and a guy names Draper destroys Eu to force a fumble/turnover. Sideline has mad men.

1:25 pm: On third-and-1, Maryland is in shotgun and Chris Neild gets WVU’s first sack of ths season. Interesting to see what WVU will do with this possession. First-and-10 at the 9 with 1:06 to go.

1:27 pm: … and Maryland calls timeout after WVU gains seven on first down and has no desire other than to go to the locker room up 21-0.

1:28 pm: … and Noel runs out of bounds on second down. Noel gets no gain on third down. Maryland wants a punt … and Maryland hasn’t blocked a punt in 125 games, the longest such streak in the nation. Conversely, the Terps have Tony Logan, maybe the best punt returner in the country.

1:32 pm: And Bruce Irvin arrives.

1:51 pm: WVU has 345 yards of offense. Maryland has 63 and just two on the ground. Austin (92), Sanders (83) and Devine (83) have all outgained the Terps.  And how about Eu’s last three quarters of football: 28-for-35, 377 yards, four TDs.

1:54 pm: Touchback, West Virginia?

2 pm: Stedman just set the school record for TD receptions reviewed in a single game, as well as the record for TD receptions upheld in a game. And the press box observation is WVU is stupid to show the replay on the scoreboard.

2:02 pm: Attendance today is 60,122, the largest at WVU since 60,765 watched the Auburn game in 2008.

2:08 pm: Welcome to college, Pat Miller. The 60-yard TD pass was the second-longest allowed by WVU this season.

2:26 pm: Quite possible WVU ends up with a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and two 100-yard receivers … and Stedman Bailey might be the third to get 100 receiving.

2:28 pm: Welcome to college, Pat Mi–wait. Now an 80-yard touchdown to Smith on Miller. Someone next to me called it the 3-3-4 odd stack. Still only the second-longest passing TD allowed by WVU this season.

2:33 pm: Very smart play by Will Johnson to prevent the interception there. Question now is if it’s a forward pass.

2:35 pm: Should be a forward pass, but, man, Maryland saw that one coming. And we can agree WVU hasn’t run a ton of screens this season.

2:38 pm: Haven’t seen Josh Jenkins anywhere lately. He was in street clothes at the start of the second half. Also, WVU can run Pat Miller out there again on this series?

2:39 pm: Brandon Hogan caught that punt. And Miller is out on field.

2:46 pm: Mullen deserves some heat for that double pass … if he’s the one who called it. Not a good decision and WVU nearly paid in the form of a return TD.

2:48 pm: And Miller escapes the hat trick when Smith trops a TD pass in the corner. I’m wondering if sun-in-the-eyes is a factor here.

2:58 pm: Irvin to the rescue on third down. And how about this scoring drive: 11 plays, 22 yards, 5:09 of possession.

3:09 pm: Ryan Clarke wearing down the Terrapins here.

5:32 pm: Very unusual postgame, highlighted by be putting two new AAA batteries in my recorder, walking down to the locker room and discovering the batteries were dead. I winged it.

Nevertheless, WVU is, as you can imagine, much more encouraged and, I gather, somewhat relieved with this performance in its pocket as it heads to LSU.

Two things I’m trying to explore: Can WVU’s offense finish? Who are the Mountaineers heading to LSU? Heck, those two might not be mutually exclusive.

Presidential nominee Colin Dunlap and I wondered if, for example, WVU is a team that got busted on two long pass plays and is otherwise that close to perfection … or a team that doesn’t have depth it hoped to have and has twice now had safeties doom cornerbacks on 96- and 80-yard scores.

Something to think about, I believe.

Also, people hate that double pass call, but I think it’s indicative of WVU’s desire to throw a haymaker and land one to end that game. In the end, the Mountaineers settled with a steady wave or jabs and hooks in the form of Ryan Clarke and Matt Lindamood. Different style, but still a finish.

Either way, if they get a lead at LSU, especially in the second half, WVU can’t tinker and give away time, plays and yards with bad execution, penalties and turnovers.

Game story, with quotes, is up for your perusal.

… and now, I’m onto texts from game day.