Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which will instead advance through the summary disposition process, which eliminates the need for a written response and a formal hearing.

Hard to figure out what inspired WVU’s NCAA update Thursday, though I’d suggest giving Jack Bogaczyk a read. There are far-reaching possibilities and you must also wonder if, or how, this affets the once or future football coach. There also seems to be an urge to reach some agreement between all parties, which would include one Rich Rodriguez and whatever associates he’s working with at Michigan.

Additionally, there will be uniformity in what WVU says will be an “agreed upon summary disposition report.” Kind of takes individuals and agendas out of it. Everyone is going to have to agree to what is written, be it good or bad on one side or both. Don’t breeze past that. Imagine how useful cooperation canbe, as opposed to the alternative. 

Other than that, not a lot of news to come of that apart from explaining that there will be no publicized submission just yet, as was previously planned. This is just a quicker way to resolve this with less paperwork and slung mud and more fluidity.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, respect the rules. 

SheikYbuti said:

Glad to see the team perform well today, especially inasmuch as I got my tix for next week’s Louisville game via FedEx yesterday. It wasn’t going to be as much fun if we didn’t have something important to play for.

Maybe now is the time to document my all-time record following the Mountaineers on football road trips:

1/2/95 (Miami) – South Carolina 24, WVU 21

11/22/97 (South Bend) – Notre Dame 21, WVU 14

12/29/97 (Miami) – Georgia Tech 35, WVU 30

12/26/98 (Tempe) – Missouri 34, WVU 31

9/4/99 – (Charlotte) – East Carolina 30, WVU 23

12/28/02 – (Charlotte) – Virginia 48, WVU 22

It’s a good thing I’m not superstitious; otherwise, I might be worried.

Why?

hershy112 said:

“That awful offense has led three teams 28-0 in the second quarter this season.”

And scored a total of 33 points in 6 quarters the rest of those games, 21 of those against UNLV in 2 quarters.  Just sayin’….

No, no. That’s fair. I guess my point was there are things that, at times, work. I’ll say it again: WVU can sprain its ankles getting away from the good.

Parks said:

While happy with the results (and still suporting Stew at this point), I’m still not sure that our offense was truly good. I have watched the game 3 times now and i think it was more that UC was just plain awful on defense. Their offense isn’t clicking, but no offense is really clicking against our defense. I have not been as impressed with Tandy as I was on Saturday. When we play a Charlie Strong defense on Saturday we will know exactly where this offense is going. And as bad as the OLine has been this year, I can’t lay a single blame at Barclay’s feet. He has been outstanding on a down line this year. Five days left and we should get a good feel if Novemeber will be a month to remember or a month to turn to the basketball team for hope.

Quite a paragraph. Saturday is a definitive game, I think, as to what has been learned and what is yet to be learned. As for Barclay, yes, he’s been good, but I don’t think he’s a slam-dunk first-team all-league guy. He’s a good player and I’ve never had anything close to an issue with him, but on the field he’s had his moments, too, like the hold late against Syracuse. Don’t get me wrong. He’s been their best guy all season, but no one there has been free of blame. I don’t think he’d want that sort of recognition either.  

wvmaniac said:

While I am happy we won we still only scored 7 points in the second half…I’ll go ahead and script this out for you

Because Coach Bill shut down the offense and didn’t keep his foot on the gas we will come out flat on the road against a hungry UofL team and then can’t recover in time for Pitt

History repeating…just like after USF on thursday earlier this year

Entirely possible. We’re going to find out a lot about WVU tomorrow.

The 25314 said:

WVU turned the ball over three times. This can be read to mean: 1) WVU still has a turnover problem; 2) WVU’s offense is now so potent after a “self-evaluation of the team” that it can overcome turnovers; 3) The turnovers were at more opportune times; or 4) The offense is turnover prone, and while not as bad as the 13 point performance against UConn, it’s not as good as the 37 point performance against Cincy. It’s more likely somewhere in the middle – around 25 points – just where the 70th ranked WVU offense sites in the national standings. 25.9/game.

Equal parts 1, 3 and 4. Smith’s interception wasn’t great, but it wasn’t destructive, either. Trey Johnson’s fumble was bad, but negligible. Both players, though, were parts of practices where ball security was hammered home. No. 4 is probably best of the options. I don’t know … I’m not ready to crown these guys, but I wouldn’t rush to crown anyone else, either.

rekterx said:

Will the “Kicking Nikkis” tees and sweatshirts be out in time for Christmas?

Sadly, no. This is all in my back pocket, though, for when I get fired and need income.

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Attention WVU Football Team:

Jeff Mullen just tweeted, “This is my house! This is my field!”

Proceed with the butt kickin’…

That’s not true.

Right?

JL said:

I would like to thank the month of November for being so hot that I was forced to go buy a Zul’s and miss the hit of the year.

An Inconvenient Zul’s.

SheikYbuti said:

I don’t think Shooting LeBlancs will do. I’ll continue to work on it.

No, that’s off the woodwork. Fantastic effort by those lads last night. Didn’t look like it’d end that way. I took my wet section of bleacher with my wife and our mutual soccer legend friend just before the match started. I barely had my gloves on and it was 2-0. Then it started to rain and I was thinking about Jay’s Getaway. Can’t say enough about Franck Tayou and the consistent threat he posed, or how I can’t wait to get a Ray Gaddis MLS jersey.

Drew said:

The (or Le) Blanking LeBlancs

Not bad.

wvu304said:

Marlon’s Brando Football?

Yes.

glibglub said:

I know Josh Jenkins isn’t talking about me, because my armchair QB fuel of choice is dark chocolate Raisinets.

I’ll ask, but I think you’re in the clear.

Drew said:

Shame on us for judging someone’s performance by actual results and benchmarking!

The nerve of you!

KMS said:

I appreciate his devotion to his coach…I really do. But be careful, Jenkins. People pay a lot of money to watch these games and have been fans of the program since before you were born. I don’t doubt that any of us have the football IQ of a player or coach, but we know enough to know when something isn’t working and certainly have the right to moan and groan about it. Of course, most of us moan an groan and then there are those that fly planes around the stadium. If you want to put a smack down on that guy….I say go right ahead.

Agree on all accounts, especially Jenkins chasing down the pilot. That’d be neat to see. Also, I wonder if Josh ever imagined his words would get this sort of traction.

Foul Shot said:

If people did not take an interest and discuss this stuff, then there will be a lot more empty seats than last Saturday.
That is a flawed argument at best.

Also true.

Bill said:

I appreciate Josh’s devotion to this team and his/our coach, however, I strongly disagree with his stance. Losing a couple games is really THREE games….two of which should not have happened. I would have given us a pass on ONE of the two conference losses, but not both. Those were both winnable games. Having said that, I will be generally happy if we win out from here, including a bowl game, but I will still want some changes made, as a FAN, not as a self proclaimed expert on anything about football.

If he wants to shoulder the blame on behalf of the players, then by all means….especially when we all KNOW which players are struggling the past TWO years. It doesn’t take much football IQ to recognize actual results on the field boys…..against pretty lame competition I might add!!!

We aren’t losing to RANKED Big East teams.

One simple question, to me, really proves the market value of Coach Stew: if he is so good, then how many top 25 programs would hire him, right now?

That’s a simple question in that it requires a simple number. The thought to be put into it? Not so simple. That said, it’s a provocative thought. For that, I’ll throw it out there.

rekterx said:

On the one hand Josh is correct. There are a lot of people who know little about football that talk constantly about Stew and the program. On the other hand Josh should not have chosen to run his mouth just after the offense scored 37 points on the worst defense in the Big East. Talk to us in a few weeks, Josh.

Some of us may not understand all there is to know about football. But some of us can see trends. I hope that you guys, Josh, buck the trend. But the trend for a Stew coached team is to now start showing signs of struggling before we again see full-fledged offensive football malfeasance on the field.

I hope I’m wrong, Josh. And I’ll be watching and pulling for you guys along the way. But it’s up to you and your coach to demonstrate that you actually are getting it together. One quarter (game) down, three to go. I say you guys fade away in the second half. Prove me wrong. I dare you.

Let’s agree to revisit this in three weeks, yes?

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Is there any truth to the rumor that a box of doughnuts was confiscated from Mullen’s station in the coach’s box?

None.

Dave said:

Any chance we could persuade you to reverse the polarity on the decoding machine and have you encode the press conference into SunStew?

Sure, but it’d require a lot of, uh, inspiration. I’m not opposed to either, by the way.  

Barry said:

Mike, how about instead of decoding Bill Stewart, put what a normal coach would say.

EXAMPLE:
Bill Stewart —
“He’s a fine, young lad. I’d like for him to date my sister.”

Normal coach –
“Butch Jones is a great, up-and-coming coach who’s going to eventually win at Cincinnati.”

I say two things to that: 1) It’s a fine idea and Colin Dunlap more or less cornered that. The worst kept secret around the Big East is that Stewart’s press conferences are prone to highlights. Some of us, who are subjeted to in regularly, were thinking of ways to relay it to the readers. Colin chose that, which is fine, except it takes a whole lot of the presser into account. I chose to present one part I felt got lost among too many words or too much confusion. There is no wrong way to — and I can’t make this point enough — clearly state what Stewart attempts to state. 2) I’m not ditching “Decoding Bill Stewart.” I just asked if anyone found something to decode this week because I had not.

SheikYbuti said:

And now it’s time for another entertaining installment of “DECODING MIKE CASAZZA!”

**********

Casazza: Bill, their running back is a little bit …

Stew: Which their?

Casazza: The other team’s. (1)

Stew: Powell or …

Casazza: Yeah.

Stew: …Anderson or …

Casazza: Bilal Powell.

Stew: He’s not the only one now, ya’ll keep saying Powell.

Casazza: Their guy who is top five in the country. (2)

Stew: He’s pretty good.

[audience laughs]

Casazza: Very good. Very quiet, too. A little bit like your guy, too. (3) Doesn’t do a lot of interviews and has, despite that, become the face of the offense, the face of the program.

Stew: Hmmm.

Casazza: How does that work, when a guy who would prefer to stay out of the public eye is the guy you put on media guides and really people identify with on the outside looking in. How does that work? (4)

Stew: Well, Mike, I don’t know that young man.

Casazza: I am just saying in your situation. (5)

Stew: I see him as a competitor. I think that is a tribute to the kind of young man, to his parental guidance and how he was raised as a young man. He looks to me like he’s the heartbeat, so to speak, of that offense and he’s tough to bring down. Powell is tough to bring down. That’s why they put him back there in the Wildcat; you’re going to look up there and see 15 right there taking snaps and say ‘oh boy, he comes motion and things.’ It is good for young men, I hope he has a tremendous career except for this Saturday.

Casazza: In your situation though, where a guy like Noel, how does he do it behind closed doors? Behind the locker room doors, but, again we haven’t seen him for awhile? (6) I don’t want to bring all that up but you see it is two different guys. How do they ….

Stew: I don’t know. I don’t know the other young man, so …

Casazza: I’m talking about your guy. No, no your guy. (7)

Stew: I don’t know what you mean.

Casazza: There’s the team guy, that we hardly see and there is the guy that, well, we hardly see, I guess. But he does something, obviously to be the person everybody looks at (8), but he doesn’t do it out in other areas.

Stew: Which he are you talking about now, Mike? I’m not …

Bob Hertzel: [interjects, unsolicited] Noel! He’s talking about Noel! (9)

Stew: You started off with Powell, but I’m with you now …

Casazza: [heavy sigh] (10) No, I kept saying ‘your guy.’ Noel. There are two different of him we see. How does that guy do that?

Stew: You’d have to be in the arena with him. In the weight room, in the locker room, at practice. I mean … Anyone else? We got time for one more.

**********

(1) WVU is apparently playing Louisville this week.

(2) Bilal is actually 6th in total yards for the season, but his gaudy 6.6 yards per carry would certainly appear to rank within the top five averages in the nation for running backs.

(3) Casazza (a/k/a “Moon Mike”) seems to be obliquely referring to WVU running back Noel Devine.

(4) Mike is known for being one of the few members of the media to pay more than cursory attention to the media guides of the schools and teams on which he reports.

(5) For purposes of clarification, Sun Stew is not in charge of the WVU Football Media Guide. If he were, there would be more photos of jaws jutting and backs bowing.

(6) Casazza is implicitly venting his frustration at the media’s curtailed access to Devine following the running back’s injury at LSU and, more specifically, in the wake of the team’s recent travails. Subtlety is often lost on Coach Stewart.

(7) Mary Wells once sang, “Nothing you can say can tear me away from my guy.”

(8) For a guy we hardly see, Devine is undoubtedly a person that everybody looks at.

(9) Hertzel has also been known to scream during horror movies, “No! You dumb***! Do NOT go in the basement!”

(10) Moon Mike evidently requires oxygen, thus discrediting the popular theory that he escaped from Area 51 in 2002.

I do enjoy laughing at myself — and all of this was enjoyable in that regard — but I need to clarify. Where to begin? I don’t sigh heavily. That’s another person. Powell is No. 5 in rushing yards per game. He is probably top 40 nationally in yards-per-carry, though I suppose a higher number of attempts would, or should, limit that list. I don’t care if Noel talks to me or us or Jed Drenning. That’s the truth. And I wasn’t trying to fry the kid for that. I wanted to point out and, if possible, explore how two players who are so exciting and prolific on the field and are the faces of their programs and the heartbeats of their offenses are kind of reluctant to be the same on the outside. Charlie Strong got it. I do believe Stewart is a little sensitive to this, and I can appreciate that, but I wasn’t prosecuting anyone or anything. His odd reaction caught me off guard and I already get twisted up in my words and hand gestures without outside interference. Bad moment all around. Loved Hertz interjecting, though. We needed another voice. It was strangely tense.

Parks said:

SU might be a rivalry, UCONN certainly isn’t. I don’t think UL is a rivalry either, but it has been a fun series to watch. Trap games are gone to me. We should know already the task at hand–win. I think this game will be very close, but I hope Geno gets some time to get Jock and Tavon out in space. Let’s hope the staff and everyone involved has this team pumped and knowing what it’s going to take to go home with a win.

Louisville isn’t going to give Eu time — or at least will try not to. Promise. If I’m a WVU fan, pressure and blitzes frighten me more than anything else. And what makes rivalries? One side beating the other.

ccteam said:

I watched Louisville beat Syracuse by blitzing with multiple players on nearly every down. I have watched WV’s offense struggle against the blitz this year. This is going to be a very tough game on Senior Day. WV needs to limit turnovers and hit some quick strike big plays to win this game.

Bingo.  I’ve watched more of Louisville than any Big East team apart from WVU and every game I’m either impressed by what the Cardinals do or impressed by the fact they haven’t done much to win, but, gosh, there are eight minutes left and they’re ahead/right in it. And the defense is tough. They blitz and tackle — and can give up plays and yards — but generally keep teams from going wild. It’s a very interesting matchup.

Jeff in Akron said:

I watched Louisville beat Syracuse by blitzing with multiple players on nearly every down. I have watched WV’s offense struggle against the blitz this year. This is going to be a very tough game on Senior Day. WV needs to limit turnovers and hit some quick strike big plays to win this game.

I’d agree with all of that except the Ridley part. Certainly comparable inside, but much more dangerous outside. He’d make plays Ridley could or would not. I do like the comparison though. Big guy who’ll bang it inside and rack up yards, but he’s also a guy who’ll run away from you, too. And they use him in the Pistol and the Wildcat and all sorts of things. Very good player.

JP said:

bah humbug. My kids love RJB.

Your kids, no offense, weren’t trying to, in essence, clean up the Coliseum. A few signs and one RJB, it seems, does the trick.

KMS said:

My first irritation with the Ollie Era. Love that guy.

Be irritated, but it predates Mr. Luck.

JB said:

Maybe get rid of “LOUD NOISES!” ?

… and fast.

hoot said:

Bring back the Buckskin Babes!

… and fast?

wvu304 said:

One fall day, several football seasons ago, RJB cruised through my tailgate after another Mountaineer victory.
“Hello. Do you think you could spare a beer?” the ample fan inquired.
“Probably so,” I responded, as I opened a cooler for a quick inventory.
“Do you ever go to the basketball games?” he asks, as I am digging out a cold, refreshing beverage.
“Sure,” I reply.
“I’m the YMCA Guy!” he proudly states.
I know, big man, I know.
You had me at hello.

 Enjoy the weekend!