Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which sits on the back porch this morning and readies the toboggan as the snow falls. Bowl practice starts tomorrow at WVU with some coach and player availability afterward and a Bill Stewart press conference to follow. There might be one or two or 12 things to talk about, yes?

I expect to see both Jeff Mullen and Barry Brunetti at practice, although it could change as both seem to be pretty fluid situations. Not sure we’ll get to talk to them, but I figure it’s a possibility, and more for Mullen than for Brunetti.

Then again, it wouldn’t be unusual for an assistant coach up for a head coaching job to say, “Listen, I start bowl practice Dec. 11. Kind of need to know by then, ok?” It wouldn’t be unusual for a coach to tweet a player into his office and kindly say, “You can get a head start on your departure, ok?”

Still, it’d behoove everyone involved to have both around, though I’m sure everyone would be happy for Mullen if he were absent. As for Brunetti, you push him out now and you really hurt the other backups and the young kids who will have a different QB giving them all those passes and all those reps that make the 15 bowl practices so valuable.

Plus, for all we know, the players may have already known. They’re together lifting weights and preparing for exams, to say nothing of just hanging out with one another, and since they’re all in college, I’ll have to assume they can read writing on wall. Again, tough spot for Brunetti, but it’s hard not to totally understand his decision here. The kid can play. He’ll go get his chance now … and we’d be naive to think the wheels aren’t already moving in a specific direction.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, make your list and check it twice.

(Also, handshakes for SheikYbuti for the ACBL stuff. Good sport, he is. The same may be said for bridge. I extend this courtesy:

SheikYbuti said:

Is it poor timing and/or bad form to claim victory in the blog’s preseason prediction poll? Yes? Oh, well. Believe me, I take only the grimmest of pleasure at the semi-accuracy of my picks.

SheikYbuti says:
July 6, 2010 at 5:46 pm

. . . . . .

1. Connecticut
2. Pitt
3. West Virginia

. . . . . .

4. Cincinnati
5. South Florida

. . . . . .

6. Rutgers
7. Syracuse
8. Louisville)

hershy112 said:

OK, I know to a point you don’t want to bench a guy for doing something wrong, but how long do you keep giving Ryan Clarke the ball before you say enough is enough? Example: Jason Colson. Love the guy, but you can’t fumble the ball. Not to mention every time Clarke has fumbled the ball, it hasn’t even been a hard hit or the defense ripping at it. He has just flat out dropped the ball. That’s just being careless.

I think we got our answer against Rutgers.

Shannon said:

I think I heard boos as the team went to the lockers. The offense is playing like it is thinking of the bowl game. It’s like I’ve seen this before somewhere.

Oh, you weren’t the only one to make that connection.

Bill said:

I guess hell was in fact raised.

How about those jerks at ABC showing 13-9 like three times. Heaven forbid they show sugar bowl or fiesta bowl highlites.

I’m sorry, but was 13-9 in any way like the Rutgers game? That seems like an outrageous reach. I realize Mike Patrick was on the call for both games, but at what point Saturday does Patrick go, “What am I doing with my life?”

Karl said:

I can’t help but feel a little annoyed reading about Stew showing off his Big East champions shirt, talking like his doubters should eat crow. I mean, yes, technically, we are Big East champions, but with a big asterisk. The true league champion is the one who represents the conference in a BCS bowl. That’s UConn. We’re no better than Pitt in that regard, and nobody is looking at them as the Big East champions.

Nobody outside of Big East diehards remembers what teams tied for the title in 2004. They remember Pitt getting slaughtered by Utah. Nobody remembers WVU getting a piece of it in 2003. They remember Miami. And nobody remembers UConn being champions in 2007. They remember Coach Stew and WVU winning the Fiesta Bowl.

I just hope he doesn’t go any further with this. If he’s satisfied with this “championship” as the highlight of his coaching tenure, it’s going to be a long few seasons in Morgantown.

I think he likes the championship because that was one of his expressed goals at the start of the season, but I don’t think he likes sharing it, especially with a team he beat. (Don’t get me started on these ties.) I know he likes the championship T-shirt, odd a scene as that was to witness. Do we give him a little slack for coming back from the dead? A lot of people did think he’d be gone Dec. 4. He was, instead, a tri-champion. And to reiterate, one day, one outcome or one statistic won’t get Stewart fired or retained. Luck will take the CEO approach and weigh everything.\

Jeff in Akron said:

UConn won the games they had to win to take the BCS bid, WVU did not.

I am not sure how I feel about Oll Stew displaying that t-shirt in the post game presser. Part of me believes he deserves it having rallied the lads to win out. Still, part of me believes that t-shirt is a reminder that WVU fumbled this season away. I do not believe that I will be purchasing one of those t-shirts, it would be a constant reminder of what could have been.

With that said, how many of us are happy that Oll Stew raised a t-shirt and not his hands over his head asking to be a Mountain Man?

(Ir)Regardless of how it happened, from where I sit today, WVU got the better deal in December of 2007. Oll Stew sometimes comes across wrong in his press conferences, he never sheds tears, NEVER.

True. And a far better taste in music.

The 25314 said:

WVU’s offensive performance over the winning streak can only be called brow-arching if it is compared against itself. When compared the rest of the country, 31 points and 390 yards per game would only be good enough for T-40th and 52nd respectively.

This is my problem with Bill Stewart offenses. Even at their best, they are remarkably mediocre.

No, no, I agree with you. It’s not setting the world on fire, but it qualifies as trail-blazing here, correct? And they’ve never said they will be confused with Oregon and Auburn and even WVU circa 2007. What you see now is about what they envisioned a few springs ago … except the turnovers.

Gordo said:

Yet those kind of offensive numbers (if carried out consistently) would make us undefeated right now.

Distinctly possible.

ccteam said:

With the defense this team had a mediocre offense all season would have been enough this year. Unfortunately they were less than mediocre for much of the season.

Correct. Swap what you have now for what you had then. You’d take it.

p.i. reed said:

I was kind of hoping for more expansion chaos with the desired outcome being a lifeline from some other conference. or some sort of acc-big east mega conference

I think Big East fans/alums are more bummed out by that then they are excited about the TCU addition.

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Again, maybe I am an idiot, but I still am baffled by the ACC not taking WVU, Pitt, UCONN, and syracuse and going to 16. It would effectively kill Big East football and bring down the level of Big East basketball by adding these 4 programs to the ACC. It also gives BC some geogrphic rivalries…

If you’re an idiot, I am, too. Kinda. I thought you’d see something like that happen. Maybe not exactly, but within similar parameters. Either that or the Big East would throw a bomb and hope it scored. I think TCU is the latter.

Matt said:

Please. WVU doesn’t want the ACC. That is their last option. They are already in a less than good football conference, why would they go to a conference where football continues to suck. If WVU is holding out on an invite to a conference, they will be headed to the SEC when they go to 14 and bring A&M with them.

For starters, they’d be in a BCS league. I think previously there was concern the Big East might not retain its automatic bid in the next BCS cycle. Secondly, WVU could be more successful and a champion more often in the ACC than in the SEC. Third, the geography and the rivalries are better fits in the ACC. All of that said, I don’t think WVU would/could turn down an SEC invitation if it were to come before an ACC invitation.

Karl said:

Anyone remember that conversation we had here where people were agreeing with Stew that the spread offense was a trend in the process of sunsetting? Agreeing with Stew that abandoning our old offense for Jeff Mullen’s “more balanced” attack was the right thing to do? And yet the national championship game will be between Auburn and Oregon.

This cannot be! (Some  people did not like this.)

Drew said:

USF and Pitt would shut Oregon and Auburn down, Karl. They have the spread figured out. Period.

Period. … Somewhere my college roommate is laughing right now.

The 25314 said:

I remember that conversation. I wonder if 13 games is enough to agree that Oregon has a good offense or whether the jury is still out…

Chip Kelly needs three  years, I’d say.

SheikYbuti said:

California found a way to stop it. Had something to do with skipping their Gatorade and getting leg cramps.

“We just have to fall faster…”

Michael said:

Let me re phrase the mission statement of the committee to better reflect modern sensibilities:

The Heisman Memorial Trophy arbitrarily recognizes one outstanding college football player whose performance best exhibits the pursuit of marketing hype & big money politics with maximum exposure. Winners epitomize great ability combined with luck, media saturation, and dubious institutional ethics. The Heisman Trophy Trust ensures its existence by the continuation of this hidebound, irrelevant award.

/changed

The 25314 said:

1. Pete Rose
2. Cam Newton
3. Kellen Moore

Mike, did you have a vote in 2008, and did Stew persuade you to include Jim Lewis?

Well, this caught me off guard like Monty Grow. Do we need to explain why this is hysterical? Can someone forward this to Dan Shrensky?

Sam said:

When you turn an 11-1 team worthy of a BCS game into a 9-3 team playing in the Champs Sports Bowl, you have to reward that coach with a ton of money that couldn’t possibly be spent better literally anywhere else.

I sense sarcasm.

Michael said:

That’s odd, I thought he was bonused by the fumble.

That’s not in his contract.

Michael said:

or the platitude…

Nope. I have the contract right here. Even checked the fine print.

hershy112 said:

Mike,

Does he get more for winning 10, 11, or 12 (or dare I say 13?!?!) games? Does he get more for winning the Big East outright? So does he get $30,000 if he is ranked in both the coaches and AP poll?

The money goes up (and is not cumulative) for getting 10 ($50k), 11 ($75k) and 12 ($100k) regular-season wins. An outright Big East title is the same as a shared one. He gets the bonus for being ranked in one of the two polls or in both. Being in both does not double the bonus.

Sam said:

What’s the Match The Mountains bonus?

Clarity. Enlightenment if done outright.

hootiefan07:

I am not sure why Bill Stewart is getting bashed for merely collecting what his contract said he should. The contract is not name based or anything. Every single coach in the country gets incentive bonuses. If you don’t like it, blame the Athletic Dept, not Stewart. I’m guessing all of you complaining, if given a bonus at work, and others don’t think you deserve it would just simply give it back saying no thanks. You wouldn’t do that, why should Stewart apologize for meeting what his contract called for? You guys are ridiculous.

With a little love and some tenderness we’ll walk upon the waters, we’ll rise above this mess.

Parks said:

I know you can’t rush Noreen in there, but the kid has looked like a lightening bolt when he’s gotten in. He gets after the ball and truly looks like the new Kevin Jones off the bench. It might be worth while if Kilicli or Jennings don’t play well to get the kid in a bit quicker. I really like what I’ve seen out of the line up of Jones, Mitchell, Noreen, Flowers and Truck (when playing to his abilities). They seem to work well and it gets a good mix of experience in there with the young guy. I know we wanted more size in there this year, but the way that Flowers and Mitchell (SURPRISE!) have been playing defense with the quickness of Mitchell and Truck to get back out in transition has been when we have looked the best.

Noreen has the conch. He’s the annual guy who people believe needs more PT. We’ll see, but I don’t have an issue with his usage right now. Clearly the team is better in the long run with Kilicli and Jennings playing the post. It’s a tired explanation, but they need time to settle into their roles. Swap one of them with Noreen and you really do go in reverse for a while. That said, there are minutes he can earn. And I’ll say this: The kid works. I’ve seen three home games and he’s been working out on the floor after every one. Also, I have concerns about WVU’s defense and ability to keep guards out of the painted area. That’s a red flag before Big East play.

Sam said:

We’re going through now what we went through last year at roughly the same time: endless lineups in pursuit generally of the one that might work. Except unlike last year, there don’t seem to even hints of functioning lineups. This is going to be a nerve-wracking team that might have a very low ceiling. 18 wins maybe?

Exactly. Buckle up. And pull tight. Huggins always finds a way to get to 20 and WVU will most likely have seven Sunday night (Duquesne) before playing host to a really good Peeking Viking. Then the conference begins. Getting to 11/12 Big East wins (don’t forget Marshall in the middle) could be tough. Individually, there’s talent. Collectively, it’s still being assembled.

The 25314 said:

Grim reaper stew strikes again.

Stewart updates his twitter, “BUTCH Davis, you’re NEXT!

It’s uncanny, really.

p.i. reed said:

If Fraudriguez took the Pitt job they’d have to play the games inside a warehouse with no fans for fear of someone from the WVU section throwing an anvil onto his head.

I hear Randy Shannon will be available.

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Let’s hope they make another bad hire! Hey, PITT, here is an idea – hire you next coach in the middle of the night after you win your bowl game!

Ouch!

Spatial Angel said:

I have a nephew who is a recent Alabama grad…he’s working at a Seven Eleven in Tuscaloosa…well this guy comes in, he looks a lot like Saban…the guy buys a West Virginia road map…then his cell phone rings, he listens for a sec, then replies ‘yeah, I’m going there’…YES!…I’m thinking done deal.

Today, I hit the local 7/11…happen to notice the road maps…it’s not just a West Virginia map, it’s Pennsylvania/West Virginia…then it hits me…OMG!, it’s Saban to Pitt.

OMG! Tell Zeise! His head will spin 720 degrees.

Mack said:

What is Stewart’s record against coaches who have “moved up” to other jobs? Offhand, he was 0-2 against Bryan Kelly. Is that the only one he faced?

He was 1-1 against ECU’s Skip Holtz and is now 1-0 against USF’s Skip Holtz. Bobby Bowden is “evangelizing” now. Is working for a higher power a move up?

Spatial Angel said:

How is Huggins able to sneak the ringer on to the court when Flowers has free throws?

Ssshhhh! Don’t jinx it. Everyone told me Flowers was appreciably better after the offseason. I never considered that to be a part of the progress. Not as dramatic, at least.

jtmountaineers said:

Mike,
I’d be curious if anyone suspects the “new and improved” parking situation for some fan absences, particularly when the weather is less than ideal.

And Hershy, you’re clearly not the problem. 5 hours away and with season tickets–you’re the kind of fan we need more of. It’s the students who have no excuses.

The parking is a factor. Maybe no one will say it, but it is. I didn’t like my 20-yard walk Tuesday night. Can’t imagine a walk from the CAC in snow and wind. No offense to RMU, but that school wouldn’t fire me up appropriately.

overtheSEC said:

The Collaros selection this year had to be a tip of the cap to last year’s performance in which he stepped in for Pike, yes?  Dude lost seven games this year.  SEVEN!

A copy of the all conference 1st and 2nd team offenses has been printed and added to an expanding file that Luck is compiling for his conversation with Sun Stew regarding Mr. Mullen and Mr. Johnson (and perhaps Mr. Beatty?).

CEOs do that sort of thing, yes. I don’t put a lot of weight into all-conference stuff, but the Eu slight is pretty perplexing. The unanimous bit made me put my spectacles on to make sure I was looking at the right line. Bill Stewart thinks it’s a knockout — not a TKO — when you compare stats.

hershy112 said:

Mike,

On conference teams and awards selections can a coach vote for his own player, or is it like “the other 7 coaches voting for a player means it’s unanimous”?

Bad job by me. Meant to follow up on this and totally forgot. However, I believe coaches cannot vote for their own/themselves for the individual awards, but can vote for their players for all-conference.

Karl said:

If Mullen leaves, Stew needs to give whoever the coordinator is the opportunity to choose his own staff. Nobody there now should be viewed as untouchable.

I wouldn’t be surprised if Stew kicked the tires on Charlie Taafe (spelling?) again. It was only due to some bizarre circumstances that he didn’t get the gig the first time.

Excellent point on the staff. Remember, Mullen was hired late in the process. Doc Holiday,  Dave Johnson and Chris Beatty were already on the staff. The Charlie Taaffe thing fell apart because of this CFL team. He was in line to be hired when Stewart began building his staff and inked Doc, Steve Dunlap and David Lockwood.

Drew said:

Mike, do you have concerns about the difficulty of a long distance relationship?

I guess the plus side is you’ll be close to Cleveland when you visit him.

This is what I get for wearing ties this season. That’s where it all began, really.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

Let me give you another name…….Herb Hand at Tulsa. Was, I believe, on the Product’s staff at one point and has been with Todd Graham at Tulsa as his Co-Offensive Coordinator before moving on to Vanderbilt for the 2010 season.

Tulsa runs a spread offense that ranks in the top 10 of total offense. Regardless of how Sun Stew spins it, he is slowly trying to turn a spread team back to a pro style team.

WVU, in my opinion, does have trouble drawing the quality 300 guys for the line — offense or defense. The 3-3-5 and the spread are both systems that mitigate the lack of size with quickness.

That should be a good fit and one to consider. Vandy is now in a state of disrepair and he would seem to be a good fit for consideration anyway.

Herb might not have a job soon, either. He’s an offensive line coach, though.

Bill said:

I think losing Lockwood and Beatty would be a major loss for us. Not to mention, if ALL these guys leave, ….that is a lot of coaching turnover in the last two years….and what does that say about Stew? That would be a significant portion of his staff. Hopefully Dunlap and Casteel stick around. I haven’t been overly impressed with Galloway.

Might say something about what those guys know that we do not.

Josh24601 said:

(McDaniels for OC bonus: WVU fans retain the “is it or ain’t it plural-like” quality we’ve grown to love in OC’s.)

Ye_!

ffejboc said:

Will the backup be Brian Athey or another true freshman not yet committed? Maybe they get a JC QB or a transfer to help ease the backup numbers? It’s not fair to keep jerking Coley White around. Not really a good situation at all.

Right now, don’t they have to think seriously about asking Coley to move again? Then put your eggs in the Athey basket. I’d also call Jeremy Johnson and see what he is up to, if that is as reconcilable as we were led to believe it was upon the split. As for a juco, first, good luck. Second, he’d be a senior the same time Geno was a senior. I think you’re more likely to see WVU go after a high school player.

overtheSEC said:

Not to wish away Noel’s last game in the Blue and Gold before it comes, but it’d be interesting to see how Noel does in the Senior Bowl or East/West game (he’s got to get invited to one of those right?). He won’t know what to do getting to run outside the tackles and through (hopefully) big gaping holes.

He was invited, and presumably will play, at the Senior Bowl. I’m interested to see how he’s used: Feature back, third-down back, return man, slot? He needs the look after slipping off the radar this year.

Sam said:

The announcers intoned that the penalty was incorrectly called on Noel. We never got any further clarification from them, mostly because they were busy talking about running up the law school hill.

Meanwhile, how do they not get Noel into the end zone in his final game? How, when they do give it a grudging attempt, do they run him into the middle of the pile again? No player at WVU has had his talents wasted more than Noel has. It’s just galling.

Yeah, why not give him one of Clarke’s goal line carries? That would have been appropriate: 1-yard gain, but also a TD and a chance to take in the applause one last time. Then again, I very much doubt Noel cares. Not his thing.

SheikYbuti said:

Jerry Porter and James Jett would like a word with you, Sam.

They’d like to, but …

Dave said:

Jett tried to call … but dropped the phone.

Enjoy the weekend!