Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which would like to point out the two quarterback system the Daily Mail used with aplomb this week.

I’ve been in Missouri all week, but Monsieur McGill — he needs a gimmick … no argyle, no ridiculously large pizzas, no insistence on stopping to get a six pack after every bowl practice — covered the football part of things while I covered Kansas State special teams (Hint: Uhoh), Big 12 basketball, more new rules that might help WVU, the imminent rise of Team Canada and what’s going on inside the head of Oliver Luck.

Football was not neglected and amid the conversation this week about how K-State is different this year because the Wildcats lack Collin Klein, would you believe this?

Through the first six games of Collin Klein’s 2012 season, a year that ended with a third-place Heisman Trophy finish, he had 1,079 passing yards, 515 rushing yards and 17 total touchdowns.

Klein graduated, but that might not provide much respite for West Virginia, which plays at Kansas State this Saturday (3:45 p.m., Fox Sports 1).

The Wildcats use a two-quarterback system in lieu of Klein’s dual-threat skills, but the combined production is similar in 2013. Junior Jake Waters and sophomore Daniel Sams have combined for 1,297 passing yards, 673 rushing yards and 15 total touchdowns through six games this season.

“They both can throw it and run it,” WVU senior defensive tackle Shaq Rowell said of K-State’s signal callers.

So that’s going to be something to watch for Saturday. Specifically, I want to see Keith Patterson in action. Big week for him after his defense came up small the last two games. The Wildcats are capable of two different offenses with their two quarterbacks — Dan Sams being the runner, Jake Waters the passer — and doesn’t that mean Patterson needs to have two defenses?

That might mean different personnel, but we know personnel is at least a question mark this week. Who’s healthy? Who out? How does that affect packages to stop the run or contest the pass? Will Darwin Cook and/or Karl Joseph play cornerback on occasion like they did against Oklahoma State, which also liked to run its quarterback?

The Wildcats are tough at home and they’re coming off an open week. They were getting better on defense and with the running game before the open week, but they’ll have their top two receivers, Tyler Lockett and Tramaine Thompson back this week. It’s dangerous, as it always in on the road and in the Big 12, for the Mountaineers.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, duck for cover.

glibglub said:

You know the old saw about picturing your audience in their underwear if you’re nervous about public speaking? I invite those upset about DH’s black threads to picture him in gold and blue underwear, and never speak of it publicly again. Clearly the man is in mourning for the offense.

And we’re off!

Grumpy said:

I have a beagle and the effort at which they spend trying to hide things is second to none.

It’s uncanny. We’ll travel to Virginia to visit my parents and the dog gets real anxious when we hit the porch. As soon as she gets inside, she bolts to a spot and finds a bone she left behind last time. And while this is funny, I must also point out she picks terrible hiding spots. The other day, it was on my night stand behind my eyeglasses case. I couldn’t see it when I walked in the room, but when I was six inches inside the room and one step to the right, I could see it. Terrible. I could make this a regular thing on the blog, though. 

Spatial Angel said:

I’ve seen the reference to strength and conditioning a couple of times now. I’ll bite. Is WVU’s S&C program coming up short?

That was the first time this season I thought WVU wilted. The players seemed to stand up during the other games that were close in the fourth quarter. They didn’t win all of them, but they weren’t fading like they were against Texas Tech. It was pretty clear, right? I think if it keeps happening, Dana will look at it, but it’s not an epidemic right now.

Mack said:

Is there evidence of fading other than the fact that the score changed?

Yes. Poor tackling. Blitzes couldn’t get home. Linebackers and defensive backs couldn’t stay apace. Offensive line couldn’t win blocks. Just a few.

Rugger said:

I would think that our 5 straight 3 and outs to end the game and their running at will in the fourth quarter are evidence that we faded. Remember, it’s better to burn out than to fade away.

That, too. Play calling changed and I have to think the run was abandoned because the line was wheezing a little. Trickett ended up being pressured twice and sacked once anyhow.

oklahoma mountaineer said:

The lack of big time talent on our lines, coupled with attrition, is what is catching up to us. We keep losing D-Lineman to injuries — some have been able to continue to play, but the level of play has fallen off a little since the beginning of the year.

Add to that, we just played two of the best offenses in the country in successive games does not help either. Pocket passers without a great pass rush = big plays.

Our offensive line is not really that good. I don’t think Trickett (or a magician for that matter) can get this group of guys to play well. The better ones are too green and the older ones aren’t that good — Egar and Kinder have started a lot of games, but I think that’s a result of no one in the fold being good enough to knock them out of the lineup.

We have brought several lineman in the last 2 years; real key will be a second year with the same guy coaching them up to know what we have. If we can get a physical, nasty O-line in place for next year, we can win with Trickett at QB.

Nothing wrong with that. It always starts up front, no matter what side of the three sided ball we’re discussing. And there’s a lot of competition for those players. Recruit  a little better, develop a little better and you play a little better. That’s news to no one, though. 

AnxiousEER97 said:

Holgorsen wore blue this past week. It’s true. i saw it. And I think he looked out of place wearing it. The stature of his T-Rex arms and Phil Collins hair improves dramatically through the prism of black shirts.

T-Rex arms. Little, baby fingers. Where was I the past two years?

Mack said:

I’m probably as big a supporter of Holgorsen as anyone… and I’m also as much a member of #TeamGoForIt as anyone…

But there is no possible way that he had a grasp of the game, the down and distance, etc., when he decided to go for it in the first quarter. Contrary to his postgame comments, our offense is rarely ever moving the ball… so to say that we were moving the ball on a drive that landed us at 4th and 14 is insane. That didn’t even strike me as a situation where one has to decide whether to kick it or go for it. That was an automatic-just-kick-the-field-goal. Our odds of making it were probably 50-50.

My gut says WVU finishes the season as follows:

at Kansas State (blowout loss)
at TCU (close game that goes either way but probably a loss)
Texas (win)
at Kansas (win)
Iowa State (win)

None of the above games are sure wins and none of them are unwinnable. But obviously, the Kansas and Iowa State games look the most winnable. As such, one win in the next three games gives you hope.

The only decent playmakers, Dreamius Smith and Kevin White, will be seniors next season. I’m a little concerned. Still haven’t heard anything from And Also Avery Williams this season.

I have my suspicious, but we’ll never know for sure. You could have asked him right away in the news conference and he would have said, “Did I say two? Not what I meant.” You could ask him afterward and he’d use a similar tactic. There was just no bulletproof way to get to the bottom of that. I vetted Shannon Dawson afterward, and thought I did it in a way where he wouldn’t know why I was asking, and he recalled the proper down and distance and walked me through the situation. Then I told  him what I was up to, because I’m a terrific person. I had no choice but to believe him. The takeaway ought to be WVU went for it on fourth-and-14 at home in the first quarter … and later needed those three points. You can get seven points in 61 seconds. I’ve seen it happen! Ten points? Not happening.

smeer said:

DW,

the one benie of playing in the Toilet Bowl is extended practice and this team could use all that they can get

it really would be beneficial for Clint Chillard to get some more reps with the receivers.

I don’t care about streaks which don’t mean much when .500 gets you bowling, but if the kids can turn it around and go 3-2 the rest of the way, more power to them

just please – no Yankee bowl

I don’t know where WVU will land and I screwed up before when I predicted the Heart of Dallas. That’s a Big Ten v. C-USA bowl this season. It’s a Big 12 v. C-USA bowl next season when the cycle refreshes. The good news is Notre Dame might be a part of things this season, too. It can actually take the Pinstripe. The bowl in Houston is for Big 12 No. 6, which might be WVU. The Pinstripe is No. 7. I guess a lot of this will have to do with getting two Big 12 teams in the BCS, which I don’t see happening. 

Mack said:

If WVU wins a bowl game, no matter which bowl it is, people will be happy about it. See Music City and Continental Tire Bowls (or was it Meineke Car Care Bowl at that point?).

And if WVU loses a bowl game?

Loganville Jeff said:

Meineke. I remember seeing George Foreman on the field for the trophy presentation.

Oh, I remember that well. Stew had the mic and the look on Foreman’s face was priceless.

SheikYbuti said:

Was Pat White all up in George’s grill?

Endorsed him for the head of Meineke.

Down South said:

Been a while since my expectations for the basketball team were this low. It will be very hard for this team not to surprise me pleasantly.

I don’t know how you did it, or if it was your goal, but you made that sound promising.

avb31 said:

I’m actually looking forward to this season. I don’t know, maybe I’m crazy, but I like the. Potential of this team, and I’m excited about the fact that these guys will be playing together the next three years.

I really like Harris and Henderson and I also think the three high school recruits (Williams, Adrian, and Watkins) will be good players. Aaric Murray was just the worst, in just about every way. They’ll be better just because he’s gone.

He’s got great guys. Wonderful guys. I feel like it’s a little early to be  playing the, “Just wait until next year!” card. But they’ll have their hands full with Fairmont State, so …

SheikYbuti said:

No inside presence, so they will have to rely on outside shooting. Not enough capable bodies, so shooters will play too many minutes, lose their legs, and miss shots down the stretch.

The whole football/basketball thing has become just too depressing. Men’s soccer and rifle are down this year, but won’t stay that way. Women’s soccer is solid (at least til they get to the postseason), while baseball, volleyball, tennis, and rowing all seem to be on the rise. Gymnastics, cross country/track , and swimming/diving generally make respectable showings and occasionally have nice individual stars.

We have a wrestling team, also.

Volleyball! They had a whiteout for the Texas match Wednesday. Had actual fans there, plus the  marching band and swim team members in Speedos. And now I yield the floor …

MontanaEER said:

Sheik has become that desperate guy at the bar at last call, willing to pick up anything that moves.

Aw.

Rugger said:

I can see Sheik sitting there with a Macallan 25 y/o neat, tie a bit askew, beer goggles firmly affixed.

Totally ruined SY for me forever now. This is the permanent image.

avb31 said:

We didn’t do all the great with an inside presence last year. Huggs’s best WVU teams didn’t really have a true post presence. They were long, they defended, and just played hard.

He’s shaping this team the same way. A plodding big man with no ball skills grinds the motion offense to a halt.

I will go out on a limb and say that this team wins more than it loses. If Holton is eligible and Dibo gets healthy this year could be fun.

Well, they’ll be better without playing with and around Kilicli and without Hinds and his me-first ways. But Holton isn’t going to make it and Dibo already has knee issues. Juco guys don’t get the best training treatments, so maybe this is something that’s been something. Maybe he’s clinging to the new luxuries in Division I. Whatever the case, he’s a big guy who needs to move around to be effective and he has a bad knee at the time the team is supposed to be taking form. That’s a concern to me.

Dann White said:

Mike,

Where in the heck do you find a hotel with a “functioning WiFi”? I would travel there just to try it out, after not ever experiencing one while spending about 80% of this year’s nights in hotels.

Marriott, dog.

Rugger said:

This presser reminded me of a time in junior high when I was headed for a fight that I knew was going to hurt.

A road win here would be huge but I don’t see Dana beating Snyder anytime soon.

Oof. That bad? I don’t know, but it reminded me more of the presser before last year’s Texas game, complete with the reverence for the head coach. That turned out OK.

Karl said:

Kansas State is a 10 1/2 point favorite in this game. This is a 2-4 team that lost to an FCS school at home. Ouch.

Yeah, that’s not good, but NDSU is really good. They’re better than a lot of FBS teams. A lot. And Oregon State is doing fine after its FCS loss. It happens in the opening week. I don’t expect Furman to even keep it close against LSU tomorrow, though.

SheikYbuti said:

The problem with podcasts featuring Daron Roberts is that they take way too long to play, because there’s so much buffer.

Enjoy the weekend!