Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which has walked a puzzled dog past an empty, though noisy stadium. West Virginia is about to play its first road game of the season and has taken all the appropriate measures — which means, it hasn’t taken many measures.

One of the most overhyped elements to every season is preparing for hostile crowds. Teams do it all the time. There’s no trick. You pump in loud music and manufactured noise and have you players practice under auditory duress and hope they don’t give in to the emotion and the energy, which you can’t simulate. The Mountaineers, who have played two home games, have done it every Thursday. Yesterday, of course, was Thursday and for about two hours my little house one eight-minute walk from the stadium had its now customary serenade.

Now I do mention this for a reason. WVU has played two games and just hasn’t been very good at the start of either. Before the Marshall game, Dana Holgorsen jabbed his players by watching film from their 2010 game and noting the Thundering Herd wanted it more. And then the Mountaineers came out kind of flat. That then became a point of emphasis for practice in the second week as Holgorsen stressed WVU ought to want it more and had better give the opponent proper respect, even if the opponent was a FCS team like wee Norfolk State. Well, said Spartans led 12-10 at halftime and Holgorsen, as you could probably imagine, was flabbergasted.

Now you take that tendency on the road knowing full well a crowd grows throughout the game as long as its team is in the game. The only way to nix that, Holgorsen said, is to get a hot start. The Mountaineers have not had one yet and you’d probably be surprised to learn Holgorsen’s teams the past three years have not been habitual hot starters.

Holgorsen’s offense at Oklahoma State outscored teams 127-62 in the first quarter last season, but was tied twice and trailing twice entering the second quarter. In five road games, the Cowboys led twice, trailed twice and were tied once, but totaled just 44 points.

The story was similar in two seasons in charge of the offense at Houston. In 2009, the Cougars outscored teams 162-75 in the first quarter, but also trailed twice and were tied four times, all on the road. Houston also trailed 14-0 after the first quarter of the bowl game. A year before, the Cougars trailed six times at the end of the first quarter and only outscored teams 80-72. In five road games, they were tied three times, tied once and in the lead once.

“Our opening plays are normally plays we have success with against what we think well see,” said quarterbacks coach Jake Spavital, who was Holgorsen’s graduate assistant at Houston and Oklahoma State. “We look at the success rate of those plays go with those.

“Sometimes the other team brings out a different formation and then we have to take another look at how they play. That opening script, we try to get a feel for how a team plays. Sometimes you have to send some feelers out with how they’ll play certain things and then go from there.”

You know the cliche and Holgorsen’s success has been more about the finish than the start. Look at what’s happened the two games here even. The offense has built and surged and finished pretty strong — and even if the Marshall game ended early, there seemed to be a comforting consensus the Mountaineers were onto something.

What’s it mean tomorrow? Well, it would behoove WVU to be in the game from the beginning and to get past the noon start, but it’s also reassuring for them to know they’re in the game as long as a deficit does not get out of control. Behold the beauty of the passing offense.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t put yourself in position to be badgered.

Jeff in Akron said:

Sheik, and Mike, I took both of you at your word, just got back from Hibbett Sports with something I thought I would never buy, an Old Gold(yellow) hat. If it all goes bad from here on out, its on you two.

Just to keep tabs on who is new here and who are originals, or at least veterans, show of hands: Who knows why it’s funny Jeff went to Hibbet’s and not Dicks? I still laugh, Jeff. Good for you. (Answer can be found here.)

DanaHolgorsen’sPreCirhotticLiver:

I’m glad to see the embrace of youtube.
Some interesting videos in the suggestions bar on the actual page. Tag that thing up with WVU!
Is it a faux pas to wear earplugs in the press box?

You should see me get into a swimming pool or the ocean or eat at a restaurant. This slow emergence into YouTube would be no surprise. But it’s a hell of a lot easier than what I had been doing. I don’t like those who hold cameras and don’t work, so I didn’t want to wear those clothes. I also don’t believe in posting press conferences because my immediate response would be “Why read the stories?” So don’t expect those. But ridiculous videos from inside a press box and outside the stadium. Wheelhouse. As for ear plugs, depends where you sit.

Homer said:

Unclear whether Hertzel’s right-click lecture was the cause or effect of that wailing alarm.

Likewise, but that thing was going when I got there and Hertz was in the throes of not being able to find the menu bar.

Josh24601 said:

Does this Root Sports business augur a diminished John Sanders presence bending, bending, bending around Morgantown?

I pray that is not the case.

Rick said:

51,000 for this game against a I-AA team. Guarantee Luck won’t say a damn thing about that embarrassing number.

Yeah, stunning number. I don’t think enough was, our could be, made of that. Seriously, about 6,000 people bought tickets and just didn’t show. That’s why WVU isn’t a fan of those mini-packages. For the first time in years, they sold NSU-LSU-Louisville for $180. Go to StubHub or Craigslist or wherever right now and search for an LSU ticket. With few exceptions, it’s cheaper to get the three-game mini-package than just one LSU ticket. Skip the NSU game and it’s no loss to you.

Jeff in Akron said:

I could be way off, but, the routes the receivers ran in the second half did not look like the routes they ran in the first. Holgorsen may have said he ran the same plays, and maybe he did, the routes on the plays were different.

I just wonder if Holgorsen was hesitant to show the soft spots in the 3-3-5 defense. The best way for an opponent to figure out your unique defense is to see how you run your offense to beat it. I don’t believe that Holgorsen ran the ball so much in the first half by accident. Fans may not have liked it, and it certainly wasn’t pretty, I still think there was a method to the madness.

In the past, when the WVU defense has struggled it lookied very similar to what the WVU offense did on Saturday.

I’ll let Lee in Dayton handle this, since he aced it.

Lee in Dayton said:

Jeff – the routes in the second half may have looked different, but not because the plays were different. Remember, in Dana’s offense receiver routes aren’t fixed, but are based on pre-snap reads. It’s that “find grass” thing we’ve heard from the coaches and players. Could be that in the first half the receivers weren’t going where they needed to to get open but were in the second half.

Pretty much just what the coaches said. Also, the receivers were running right into cornerbacks. Often. That changed in the second half.

Karl said:

This story concerns me. Does the fact that Smith had to say these things indicate that the team is resisting its new coach? I haven’t heard that to date. At any job, when the owners bring in a new boss with a totally new way of doing things, it’s always a risk that employees who are set in their ways will complain and defy change. I read a book by Bobby Knight where he said something to the effect of, “Sometimes you have to set the barn on fire to chase the rats out.” It would be a damn shame if that becomes the case here. This team has real potential.

Interesting point here. This may have been the set-the-barn-on-fire moment, on a smaller scale. I do think it’s worth following, though. Are they going to need another sermon Saturday or against LSU? That said, Holgorsen is often a low-key guy and we’re still in the early part of the season where maybe the kids just aren’t used to — ie, scared of — his reactions. Yet a lot of the players I spoke to said he blew his stack Saturday. That certainly had something to do with the team’s reaction, too. Geno didn’t go after the defense.

Mack said:

I want his speech (complete with bad language) transcribed and put on a plaque when West Virginia wins a national championship. Love it.

Tim Tebow agrees. Oliver Luck? Not so much … but maybe, given the celebration, he’d be willing to reconsider.

The 25314 said:

I like how 25-year-old Jake Spavital, who is two years younger than Brandon Weeden, calls the players “kids.”

Yeah, no kidding. And this is the first time I’ve been older than a coach I’ve covered — and Jerrod Calhoun was so close.

pknocker40 said:

Based on those two “runs” for five yards, Jeff Mullen_ would have been required to install a Paul Millard option package for the MD game.

… and then been paid handsomely not to do it for several months. By the way, do you remember how uncomfortable Eu looked running the ball last season? I still feel bad for the kid.

Mack said:

I’m just thrilled to have a good backup QB. It cracks me up how college football fans usually either say:

A) “Our backup sucks.”

or

B) “Our backup is too good. He’s going to transfer if we don’t play him.”

Just a note to you guys: There is no other option! That’s it. I’d rather have choice B than A. In the past couple years, we’ve lost at least three QBs who’ve transferred and yet we still have two that are better than Jarret Brown. I’m happy.

Backups have had to play a lot in recent years at WVU and it hasn’t always gone well. Everyone remembers JB’s Rutgers start, but he had some bad games in relief when Pat White got hurt. Geno didn’t have it in the Gator Bowl against Florida State. You’d rather have a good one for a year and then say goodbye, though.

lowercase jeff said:

yooooooooooo

chill on the jarrett brown bashing

4 reasons

1. jeff mullen stole more years of my life than my high school girlfriend. who how many times brown would have scored without mullen, and i without her. brown and i both deserve the benefit of the doubt.
2. he was a different player after the concussion.
3. rutgers.
4. he was a true mountaineer. short yardage back, good teammate, never whined. ill buy jarrett brown a beer any day. not my ex-gf though. she was boring.

He was a different “kid” after the concussion. I’ll always admire the guy for not exploding after the Syracuse game in ’08 when he played with a bad arm and leg and didn’t use the healthy finger on each hand to tell the booing fans what to do with themselves. And, boy, was that an awful game. Everyone realizes Syracuse probably should have won that one, right?

Lee in Dayton said:

I’m just glad the staff had Millard run the full offense when he came in, unlike, say, Barry Brunetti in the second half of the UNLV game last year. For game experience to be meaningful, the backups have to run the full playbook otherwise they’re not getting prepped in case they’re needed to win a game. It’s not running up the score when you’re playing a true freshman QB, something the previous staff didn’t seem to get.

Careful, we could start quite a conversation there. The thing about Brunetti last season, as I heard, was he checked out and didn’t really invest in the experience. And don’t look now, but he might not be as advertised. He got yanked from the opener, didn’t play in the second game and may have lost his job to Shaw Rowell’s juco QB — and there were signs that was coming.

The Artist Formerly Known as EER96 said:

Millard can apparently operate a phone and most likely a headset. Plus he likes to score touchdowns! By my count that is:

Millard 3
Bill Stewart 0

Moving on …

MontanaEER said:

I can see it now. Ol Stew and Fridge getting together in Hagerstown for the game, watching it in an Applebee’s, Stew going on and on about the Battle of Antietam–McClellan sending too few troops to Miller’s cornfield and Dunker Church and Lee forcing a stalemate. Meanwhile, the Fridge throws down all of a 2 for $20 deal…

I’m shocked Ralph Friedgen doesn’t have a coaching job somewhere. That’s all I’ll contribute to this one.

JP said:

I understand Luck’s point, but I am not offended by a curse word on a shirt. People that judge “the reputation of our state and its flagship institution of higher learning” on the basis of a stupid slogan on a shirt are probably too shallow to reach anyway. It’s a word – get over it! Too bad George Carlin is dead, I’d love to hear his take on this. Long live the first amendment.

Viva la Carlin! The odd part about this is the shirt isn’t new. It just hasn’t been caught for several uninterrupted seconds on television lately. I like your point about the shallow audience, too. These are the same people, I presume, who think WVU facilitates or endorses this shirt.

Dr. Love said:

Could there be a trademark infringement case be in the making? I don’t know if the block gold “West Virginia” is a trademarked logo or not, but a suit against the manufacturer of the shirt could prevent continued sales of the t-shirt. It will not, however, prevent those from wearing the shirt and may draw more attention to the shirt than WVU would like. Just a thought and not a very good one. Maybe Cotton Eyed Joe shirts could be offered as a trade for the offending t-shirts?

Lawsuits could go both ways, right? I mean, what if this proprietor claims Luck’s edict has adversely affected his sales and seeks damages? What if WVU seems a cease and desist? I hope we don’t answer these questions.

AnxiousERR97 said:

It’s not just a “curse” word. It is perhaps the most vile vulgarity in the English language. And perception matters. Luck would be remiss if he did not try to address this; and as fans and stakeholders, would be remiss if we casually just disregarded how stupid it is for one of our own to affect perception in this regard.

I think it matters that Luck did something. No more, no less. Proactive approach. Not heavy-handed. Hopes the people handle it themselves. I could have seen him doing nothing and just hoping the problem either went away or wasn’t caught on TV again. By the way, where was the seven- or five-second delay? As for the word, how many times do you hear it caught on a field mic in a game? Heck, Ron Jaworski might drop it Monday night.

pknocker40 said:

Waiting for Mike’s open letter to WVU concerning the perpetuation of CEJ…. As my dad used to tell me, ‘just because some fans dance to it does not mean that it won’t make me puke up my Mike’s Hard Lemonade.’

This was pknocker40’s week. He was Tom Brady.

Dave said:

Maybe if we could make $500,000 from the shirts, it would be ok?

Dave! Surely you know he looked into it. Roughly $460K. Not worth his effort.

overtheSEC said:

Here’s hoping the next idiot to wear the shirt to the stadium can’t hear the game over the chants of “@$$hole!” being directed at him or her.

No joke, I had a conversation with a WVU person this week and said person made that very point. Hilarious.

Drew said:

The problem is the people who wear these don’t care or might not even comprehend why they shouldn’t wear them.

JP, the issue isn’t just your personal opinion, but those of the general population of those in attendance. Our society has placed restrictions on that word. You should respect that fact and the fact that those around you may take offense. If there was none before, this is a clear sign that some, if not most, do. Personally, I think that should be enough for you to abstain from such behavior.

Obviously not you nor anyone else has to, but it is my personal belief that you should.

I like that. I just wish it was that concise a topic.

JT said:

I’m glad Luck finally said something. The shirts are offensive and it does reflect negatively on us. You don’t visit other campuses and see shirts like that. I guess immature folks will try to garner attention in any way possible, being good or bad.

Eh, I’ve been places and seen things as bad and worse. In fact, check out this coincidence.

The F###### 25314 said:

“We are often ‘captives’ outside the sanctuary of the home and subject to objectionable speech.” Rowan v. Post Office Dept., 397 U.S. 728, 738 (1970).

Touche. Also, I wonder if the ###### was part of a draft and revision process. Did he submit @%$&*!, or some variation, first?

glibglub said:

Respectfully, of course it isn’t a sign of the fall of Western Civilization. It’s merely a sign of the coarsening of society. And let’s not drag the First Amendment through the mud anymore. This is really about social mores, and how we are increasingly abandoning them in our race to the cultural bottom.

Spoiler alert: Stop reading now if you dislike rants.

No, there’s no law against wearing your idiocy on your chest like some self-imposed scarlet letter, nor should there be. Likewise, there is no law that people should pursue lifelong education, but darned (pardon my French) if it doesn’t benefit the individual and society when education is valued. People may have the right to be willfully stupid, but I’m not inclined to defend that right to the death. I’m inclined to say that they are mistaken to abandon learning in their youth.

I’m suggesting that it might be a good thing if people aspired to wear something other than a vulgar T shirt in public. Doing so wouldn’t weaken the First Amendment one bit. In fact, it might start a positive trend in the lives of these individuals. Next thing you know, they might aspire to pepper their speech with other, more appropriate words. They might decide to finally sit down and learn the diff between its and it’s, or the proper spelling of definite. They might stop spawning cultural phenomena like Jersey Shore. They might stop littering. They might start treating others with respect and courtesy.

They might decide all on their own to get the heck (sorry) off my lawn.

Freaking (sorry) A!

The 25314 said:

glibglub,

You have a right to your opinion, but I will not sit idly by while you disparage Jersey Shore. Those are fighting words not protected by the First Amendment.

Also, J-Woww’s new face is incendiary.

There’s a right to bear arms, though.

gordo said:

Besides the vulgarity, these shirts are just dumb. They’re not even a little bit creative. This has been my biggest problem with any vulgarity issues with fans especially at basketball games. Most of the cheers our fans do are not original or clever at all. A funny jab at the opponent or ref is way better than just chanting bulls$&@ over and over again.

Agreed, but I’m serious, I hadn’t seen one in what seems like years. I wonder how many the guy sold this week.

Patchy said:

I’m usually quick to condemn heavy-handedness in college and pro sporting venues (e.g. a silly ban on homemade banners that used give battleship gray MF a bit of atmosphere) but Luck et al should simply turn away anyone wearing such a shirt as is THEIR right already printed on each and every ticket. Through grapvines high and low tech the word would get out quickly and the decision would be up to the individual: squander your precious First Amendment rights via a mindless, vulgar shirt or see your football team in action, but you can’t do both. No letters, no PR campaigns required, just a simple choice.

If they won’t take such action, perhaps they could dispatch a team of census takers and query each WFV fan for his/her state of origin. I have a feeling the letters N and J would be written frequently.

I’d have to think that idea — the first one, to be clear — was considered, but it seems extreme, if not premature. If it persists and it becomes a true and irreparable problem, I could get with your idea. Again, the first one. To be clear.

Dann White said:

The first amendment may guarantee free speech but it does not say that you can’t ban obscene and offensive language, much in the same way it doesn’t excuse the use of racial slurs or other hate based expression. Given the Milan Puskar Stadium is a paid entertainment venue, there is no reason that the athletic department or the university can’t set reasonable limits on behavior and improper or offensive expression for those entering the facility.
I use this word, perhaps too much, in my conversation with some folks; but I don’t use it when addressing others who feel offended or even horrified by its use. The act of forcing this word on folks who feel that way, by displaying it openly and in bold type, is hurtful and inappropriate. It rightly should be banned by the university ot the athletic department, and enforced by removing the offending party from the event until they can return in inoffensive attire.

Dann

Wondering if Luck fired across the bow here. I think he, and WVU, have the right to set the standards in their building. I just don’t think we’re there yet.

Seoul Man said:

Patchy and Dann White: Exactly. Venues have the right to set standards of behavior. End of story.
If a jerk shows up in the t-shirt, turn him away until he takes it off. If he waits until he gets inside to put it on, have a usher remove him (or her) and tell them to take it off, pending ejection.
Police state? Puh-leeze.

Maybe one of those signs you see when you enter a convenience store: No shirt, no shoes, WFV shirt, no service. Same thing, right?

The 25314 said:

“They can turn someone away for wearing that shirt if they want, and they should.”

No, they really can’t. Read the legal precedent that Luck threw in our face. The shirt is not considered obscene because it is not erotic. It is not fighting words because it is not directed at anyone in particular. If you threw someone out for wearing said shirt, you would also have to throw everyone out who spoke the curse word during the game. And as a public institution, WVU does not have the right to limit access to its facilities based upon speech.

I believe in that, but I also believe we’re getting a touch too litigious, even for me. I’ll just say Luck was within his right to do what he did. I hope he isn’t compelled to act further. We good?

Sam said:

Respectfully, are we really at a point this year where we are convinced that this defense isn’t going to going to get routinely pushed around? Because although Marshall and Norfolk State haven’t scored touchdowns, there have been times when they competently moved the ball up and down the field, seemingly at will. Every team we face isn’t going to have an offense as inept as these two.

Or, to put that another way, I don’t think they defense will be able to hold every team to 21 (or 23) points.

I’m not there, but I don’t think stops and saves are at the premium they were last season. I just think it’s their mindset. They’re not playing with that dreadful anchor they had last season. Really, a guy was watching and wincing on the sideline last season when the other team had … 17 points. I doubt that’s happening this season. And I do have my concerns, some I think you’ll see come forward Saturday.

johnny oz said:

Sports, stripped down to the barest of bones, are supposed to be fun. West Virginia U. football is fun again. So match those mountains …

Hadn’t scored 50-plus since the UConn game in ’07, hadn’t had a 28-point quarter since earlier that season against Mississippi State, hadn’t scored 45 points in a half since Rutgers in 2001. Those were fun times … well, not 2001, but the promise was there. Wait … was it?

Karl said:

As Mike alluded to, one of the things I’ve been interested to learn about Dana Holgorsen the head coach is his propensity for mind games. He’s clearly one of those coaches who likes to use the media to motivate his players. Those press conference rips on his offensive line were clearly an attempt to light a fire under the starters. Also, the Nehlen-McCartney position battle at WR — I haven’t had the pleasure of watch a full game yet (the Marshall debacle being what it was and Norfolk St. not being televised here), but I haven’t seen or read anything about Nehlen since, while McCartney seems to be doing pretty well.

Nehlen had an upper extremity injury I like to call a concussion against Marshall and he didn’t practice the following week, but I’m not sure he’s going to best McCartney any time soon. He’s playing at a pretty high level right now. I’d say, if nothing else, he listened to Holgorsen’s spring prodding about body language and effort and consistency.

overtheSEC said:

Level had as many tackles in the Norfolk State game as he had illegal block penalties.1.

Almost discouraged my story. Almost. I honestly tried to talk to him twice before I finally got him.

JC said:

overtheSEC……you should never let facts get in the way.

That’s my motto.

Josh24601 said:

I hear you, and I’d be salty too were I in your socks, but we know what we’re getting from Tavon interviews at this point, don’t we? He’s confident, looks forward to playing at “home,” and thinks it’s gonna be a good game. Tavon isn’t Bruce (funny with a side of power potential), Geno (~15% chance he’ll say something insightful about the offense or Holgo), or Darwin Cook (sneaky funny and wry); he just says generic things and retires to attach the rockets to his shoes.

So you want to ask about the injured finger? What money quote is that really gonna get you?

I don’t care about the finger. It’s a sentence, maybe a paragraph, in a story about one of the regions best prep players ever going home the only time in his career.

The 25314 said:

“I’m still hoping that an opportunity for me will open in December when schools start looking around.”

Uhhh, he never waited until December to look for a job before. Something tells me The Waterboy has already been making calls.

Enjoy the weekend!