Fun game Saturday and you saw the inevitable adversity pop up in piles and you saw WVU handle it with a sweeping success it had thus far not exhibited. What the Mountaineers lacked in both losses, what nearly cost them the game at Maryland, was featured in Piscataway. Things could have gone the wrong way at halftime, but WVU pulled it out of the gutter and made a few good plays while avoiding disastrous ones to win a road game by 10.

How nice is the road win? Only Cincinnati (at USF), Rutgers (at Syracuse) and WVU have won a Big East game away from home this season. The Mountaineers have two more to go — is it just me, or might WVU have a lot of fans at Paul Brown Stadium for the Nov. 12 showdown with Cincinnati? — and they’ll have to keep this going.

“After the loss last week, to come into a situation on the road – regardless of the conditions – against a team that wants to win, this shows we may be on the verge of growing up a little bit,” said WVU Coach Dana Holgorsen, whose 24th-ranked team comes home to meet Louisville (4-4, 2-1 Big East) on Saturday at noon.

Holgorsen and his coaches spoke to their players all week about facing and handling adversity and WVU met it in physical, mental and even meteorological form.

“As bad of conditions that I’ve ever played in or coached in, in my entire career,” Holgorsen said. “The first half, the field was covered with ice and slush. We had a hard time hanging onto the ball. Those were not great conditions to throw the ball in.”

Good conditions to text in, though, and the messages flowed like snow plows to encapsulate all the swerves and reactions that fit perfectly at the end of a week like that. Big 12 invitation, political football, Big 12 invitation, October blizzard and 72 points in the snow … but a 17th straight win against the Scarlet Knights.

I’m talking to myself at night because I can’t forget. Back and forth through my mind, behind a cigarette. And the text message coming from my eyes says leave it alone. My edits are in [brackets]. Yours are, for some reason, in (parentheses).

3:10:
Maybe if Luck wouldn’t have run his mouth about Syracuse they wouldn’t have treated Friday like their Super Bowl. Cuse looks pathetic

3:37:
This time next year when you’re in, oh, Austin or Waco you’ll think back on this days weather and laugh

3:39:
Nice crowd

3:40:
The emotion of Eric Legrand leading them out (he said on Jim Romes show yesterday that he specifically chose today to accept Shianos open invite  to do that because ‘it’s West Virgina.’) combined with the weather worries me

3:41:
Things I won’t miss in Big East  playing in front of 22K on the road

3:44:
Yakety sax is going to get some play today

3:47:
When will we start calling 3rd and long,  3rd and Casteel? C’mon man

3:57:
Poor pass, poor judgement putting that knee down

3:57:
Well (facilitate) me!

3:58:
I’m not gonna lie. I got a little dusty when 52 led Rutgers onto the field.

3:59:
Texas and Florida boys not coping too well with snow.

4:05:
I’m not taking it well that Cuse lost to Lville.  Sure it’s good standings wise, but jeez.

4:07:
Shaaaaaaaaaaaaawn Alston!!!!!

4:08:
Snow games are fun!  Will be a lot more fun if we win.  Nice couple of runs!  TD

4:09:
You certainly called that in the blog.

4:11:
Alston did his best Vince Wilfork impression on that TD run.

4:12:
Pass to a wide open TE? Someone watched last week’sgame!

4:14:
Tandy short circuits Radio Shack.  Get it?  Anyone?

4:19:
Yackety f##### sax

4:20:
In.

4:23:
(Fundamentally) poor tackle.

4:24:
Our best offensive player can’t hold on to the ball, and our best defender can’t tackle. Nice.

4:26:
Poetic play call!

4:27:
I may hate Keith Tandy. He needs to rethink his membership in the Jamal Addai School of Technique.

4:27:
But Tavon tempers my temper.

4:28:
That was a nice sonnet by the Poet.

4:32:
Keith [freezing] Tandy again. He likes his toast burned.

5:03:
Think Pat Miller and Keith Tandy are big Jeff Daniels and Jim Carrey fans? My gosh. They make my heart sad.

5:03:
You cannot tell me that there is no alternative on the entire roster to Perlo Miller.  I would prefer Quenton Spain back there at this point.

5:25:
Don’t laugh; they may lose out. Can’t stop anybody.

5:31:
It seems Holgo is having serious trouble calling offense and managing the clock. Hamburgers.

5:31:
Holy Stewart at Colorado!

5:31:
I’m prepared for everyone to criticize Holgs for that, but the refs would not get away from the ball. And you can’t call the timeout early and then go for the EZ

5:32:
Woooooooooooowwwww.

5:35:
Sooooo your opinions of this team are cementing themselves right?

5:41:
Your book is either falling apart or falling into place this week…

5:49:
Dear Defense, Like the gameplan, love the execution!
Impressed,
Phil Elmassian and the record-setting 2001 Mountaineer Defense.

5:54:
See the Big East scores today? Black and Blue league.

5:59:
Why will tavon not field a punt and why is he still back there?

6:01:
Pat Miller should just stay in New Jersey and transfer to Rowan.

6:01:
Paging Bailey, Stedman.  Where are you?  Have not heard his  name all day.

6:07:
Has tavon fielded a single punt this year?!  I feel like I’m on crazy pills

6:12:
We suck

6:16:
Holy tip drill Steadman Baily!!

6:16:
Bailey wants a piece of this “I only catch TDs” pi

6:23:
Mickey Furfari thinks the navy blue parkas with the generic “WEST VIRGINIA” on the back have been around way too long

6:24:
Absolutely amazing what pressure on the QB will do

6:25:
Only thing helping me is I keep reading the blog and you keep saying WVU is getting it together on offense. Don’t lie to me!

6:27:
WVU is [slushy].

6:28:
If WVU equals last year’s win total it will be a miracle.

6:28:
The Syracuse offensive game plan in full effect

6:44:
I really think your car is not leaving that lot.

6:46:
If RU wins and no one is left in the Stadium to see it, does it still count?  Looks like a sPitt game.

6:50:
TV guy said you have to love a fullback. What is this fullback you speak of?

6:52:
If I’m Schiano, I go for it

6:52:
Oh [soothsayer]! Fake! What’d I say? Go for it! Not like our O is doing anything

7:01:
Gotta gofer it

7:02:
BALLSY call by the Holgonator

7:02:
Option? There? Or did Geno blow it up?

7:02:
Just did Cerrano’s pinchhit HR marbles dance!

7:02:
That just took years off my life

7:03:
That was agonizing. Geno is not fast but he sure wanted that

7:03:
Um, was Geno not speared in the head?

7:03:
Must be a thin year for Groza award semifinalists.

7:04:
Just got yelled at by my four year old for scaring her on that missed PAT

7:06:
Only at WVU do we miss an extra point in q4  to make it a 3 pt game and then follow that with a kickoff out of bounds. I am super pissed off right now.

7:07:
Why does that surprise me? I should not be this surprised.

7:10:
Fuuuuuuuumble! Fumbleeyeuh!! Fumbleroooski!!!

7:11:
Rutgers blitz thru the middle has left either side open all day for the bubble. Haven’t seen it once.

7:12:
You better put that text in Casazza!

7:12:
Tavon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

7:12:
Breathing room…FINALLY!

7:13:
I woulda called the fade there.

7:15:
Don’t do anything dumb and get out here with the W m!

7:18:
Aaaannnddd we’re in the prevent, after giving up ZERO points so far in the 2nd half.

7:21:
I know I will regret this, but it seems like Schiano puckers against WVU more than any coach ever has against any opponent.

7:22:
That fake FG gone awry was match point for Rutgers, and they doublefaulted.

7:24:
I think RU should just take all the red off those unis and go full ninja.

7:30:
Win AND cover.  So what’s the problem?

8:07:
Has Geno reached the end zone yet?