Friday Feedback
October 3, 2014 by Mike Casazza
Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which would like to take a moment and thank you all for your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. I was touched by the overwhelming support from all directions and avenues. Email. Texts. Tweets. Phone calls. Messages in a bottle. Strangers. Students. Friends. Families. Peers. Coaches. Actual pandas.
It’s hard to articulate exactly how I feel at this moment, and I’ll probably need time to figure it all out, but please know it all means a lot.
Rest assure, we’ll make it through this, though. I got past Will Clark’s abrupt retirement. I’ll soldier on here.
Halftime will never be the same. Quick Change will never be more sigh-inducing. Stacks of bowls will never do what a unicycle and a diminutive Shanxi intended them to do again.
But we will always have our memories. Red Panda. For life.
Onto the Feedback. In all black.
smeer said:
Dana’s not gonna have Charlie around to make him nauseous.
So much depth to such a short comment. But let’s stay on topic. The gist of the reaction to the Weis firing was “I can’t believe he got/took that job in the first place!” Confession: I used to be a big fan of his brand of football, and I was surprised it didn’t work for him at Notre Dame … and quite clearly, it was him. He lost a lot of luster off his own golden dome, so to speak, but he kept getting big-time gigs, up to and including a head coaching job in a BCS league. And when it happened, it did feel really unusual, like, you knew you’d be writing about the smoldering wreckage in a few seasons. And voila! But I’d like to point you to one of those oh-this-is-gonna-be-bad moments from Big 12 media day in 2012. Relive his press conference in all it’s wonder.
|
Mack said:
In theory, when KU’s athletic director tells Weis he has to turn it around or be fired … Doesn’t Weis have more incentive to mail it in, get fired, collect a buyout, and get a job making even more money on top of that… instead of working hard to turn it around?
By “in theory,” do you mean “in practice?”
Rugger said:
I wonder if Charlie would have been fired at the end of last season had we not lost to them.
Well, they got bludgeoned 34-0 a week later against Iowa State and then lost the Sunflower Showdown a week after that by three scores. So … Anyhow, I’ll add this here: I think WVU suspected this was a possibility and that it could be seeing a different coach by the time this game rolled around. People had been talking about the Kansas Leadership making calls. That’s one reason I was sort of excitedly following the Kansas v. Central Michigan game in the lead-up to the WVU v. Oklahoma game. I think I even said it on the IMG pregame. Which reminds me: I’m making a meal out of that IMG spot. So far this season, I’ve touted Iowa State as my surprise team, promised a defense-dominated cakewalk against Towson, predicted a special teams debacle against Maryland AND said they’d need Josh Lambert if they wanted to win, let slip that Travis Bell was out before I printed it and suggested Weis wouldn’t be the coach when Kansas came to town. So tune it Saturday, please.
MontanaEeR said:
We were KU’s Superbowl last year. And Maryland’s. We avenged one, against what seems to be a solid Maryland team. KU, unless WVU just phones it in, should be Towson-esque.
…not that easy, but I don’t completely disagree with the general theme. And when’s the last time WVU did what it wanted to do against a worthy opponent?
SheilYbuti said:
I will be disappointed if we don’t beat Kansas like the proverbial rented mule. Win by 35+ and HCDH can give the lads Sunday off, as far as I’m concerned. I imagine the spot will be in the 20-24 range, but bet confidently on the Mountaineers.
I couldn’t avoid that topic this week. Kansas doesn’t want a shootout. WVU can instigate a shootout. Therefore, WVU must engage and enjoy, right? It’s set up that way, too, with the way Kansas plays defense and what the Mountaineers must do to handle that tactic.
smeer said:
after reading this quote form KU’s new coach . . .
“Anyone that would consider this a steppingstone job is an idiot,” Bowen said. “This is a destination job.”
76-2 (Squirt runs backwards into the end zone on a punt return – after backpedaling from the ten – and is tackled for a safety.)
Aw.
netbros said:
When a team really has nothing to lose, that’s when they can (and should) throw all caution to the wind. Unless the coaches that are left running the show at Kansas are totally conservative in nature, I look for a myriad of trick and unusual plays.
Why not try halfback passes, reverses on punt or kickoff returns, blitzing 8 guys, fake field goals, tackle eligible? What do they have to lose? After all, aren’t they potentially auditioning for future jobs?
I think you’ll see something. Maybe some things. And WVU is preparing for it.
Mack said:
I think a lot of it is the recruitment of Florida. Florida recruiting dropped off in Holgorsen’s first years. JaJuan Seider recruits Florida big and Damnon Cogdell was hired directly from Miramar High School (Geno and Stedman’s high school). Those two guys are probably the biggest difference.
Also, it seems like they’ve put more time into the 2015 class. They had it built up even before 2014′s signing day. I haven’t heard as much about the 2016 class, so I somewhat worry that the staff is going “all in” on the 2015 class.
Good point, and this grows out of a part of the chat about what’s changed to help turn the program around. I said “time” and that “time” has allowed things like recruiting to take form and make an impact. Certainly Florida has helped that.
Sammy said:
I think Mack is right, though I’ll throw Baltimore in the mix too. In Holgorsen’s first few years they didn’t recruit Florida quite as well and many of the Florida guys they brought in washed out or just never made it (Roshard Burney, Torry Clayton, Travares Copeland, etc). Seider has done a good job of bringing in guys who both can play and want to be here, and presumably Cogdell will be part of that too.
We’re not quite there on recruiting and the roster simply because this year we’re going to lose a bunch of the top offensive guys again (Trickett, Alford, White, Spain, Glowinski) and then by next year we’ll have lost basically our entire defense (Joseph, Dillon, Golson, Tonkery, Rose, Kinsey, Bruce, Kwiatkowski, Chestnut, Jaylon Myers, etc). I want to see WVU not only keep bringing in top guys but also keeping them around and developing them.
As a side stat, we might have at least 9 seniors starting on defense next year.
Spot on, though Tonkery is a senior. The point remains.
netbros said:
Camaraderie may take these guys a long way.
That, or an ambulance.
Down South said:
You see camaraderie, netbros. I see a Rushel Shell heel turn involving a Pitt t-shirt and Worley’s girlfriend by his side. And Calicchio in an Undertaker role. And no good can come of any of it. Not surprised this would happen after a Jim Ross visit to Mountaineer Field.
Not surprisingly, here’s where the week took a turn. It was Thursday, though.
Drew said:
Who will team up with Stone Underwood to form the Natural Disasters?
I vote for Brandon Jackson.
tls62pa said:
Good call DS. I thought of Calicchio too as the Undertaker on the team. I saw this earlier today and probably texted it to 40 friends. Love it!
Perfect. Tattoos. Tall. And left tackle is quite an undertaking.
Bobby Heenan said:
Calicchio has been running a wrestlers court in the locker room like ‘Taker.
I’m pretty sure he issued a 3 game suspension for icky banks for breaking kayfabe when icky was seen hanging out with offensive arch nemesis Kevin White.
Kayfabe! Go find that on another college sports blog. Also, I want the locker room John Cena theme as my ring tone so much.
Oklahoma Mountaineer said:
Does improved play = better morale or does this team seem to truly “like” each other?????
I may be totally off base, but I don’t know that there has been great team chemistry on the football team since the Orange Bowl team. Geno’s last year seemed like it was the Offense against the Defense and last year…….well, I don’t know that anybody liked anybody.
It’s all on a string. But that so many of these guys were new last year and are together again this year can’t be ignored. How many of you lived with your freshman year roommate as a sophomore? How many of you found new roommates as a sophomore? You learn your way around a locker room and figure out who you know and who you like and then you spend more time with those people. I’d agree it hasn’t been this affable since the 2010 year, and that was a veteran team with a ton of guys who’d been around one another for a long time. The 2011 team was high-strung, I always thought. And last year, yeah, I’m with you.
Mock said:
Tier 4 appears to have a disembodied head floating above two hands. Probably need to adjust my contrast.
Yep, my bad. Wasn’t thinking. I’ll wear the pink outfit next time.
I love you, Doug! said:
What’s the windmill in the back? A journalism prize, for tilting at them?
It’s a putting obstacle, and also my way around writer’s block. I live in a 92-year-old house. The floor undulates. It’s fun … but perhaps too … quixotic? (Sorry.)
Karl said:
These reports of Weis falling asleep in meetings speak to me that the guy is having health issues. I look at that picture at the top of the blog right now and it’s hard to believe that the man I see is the age reported in the Feldman blurb — 58. Weis should really step away from football a while — or better yet, for good — and focus on getting in shape and enjoying his life and family. Given what Hertzel reported today about the money he’ll be earning for years from Kansas and Notre Dame, the guy should be set for life.
Terrible picture, and not my intent. I actually thought he looked much thinner in July when I saw him at media days, and he was said to be feeling as healthy as ever. And don’t forget, the guy almost died once. He has a daughter with special needs, as well, so maybe time home will be good for everyone. I happen to think he’d be good on television.
Brother X said:
In 10 years, when we’re discussing All Time Cult Favorite Mountaineers, who gets the number 2 slot behind Owen Schmitt? BoomStache? Or Patty Mac??
That’s a really tough question….
Jim Lewis. I’d put Pat above O’Toole, too. McAfee handled all three and would tackle dudes. And where’s Noel? I don’t know, O’Toole’s got a long, long way to go. And tell me if I’m wrong, but I get a feeling there’s O’Toole fatigue. Like, people don’t enjoy being force-fed his schtick.
lowercase jeff said:
i think there is a certain level of denial occuring mr o’toole. he is kind of just okay. at punting.
nice fella, good sense of humor.
not at all a weapon on special teams.
inconsistent and overhyped.
for that reason, and unless it changes, he wont make my favorite ‘eer list.
…like so. I find him enjoyable in the doses I receive, but I don’t much talk to the punter — and that’s not a slight; that’s the truth. He’s more consistent this season, right? I don’t recall any shanks, though he did contribute to that Will Likely TD.
glibglub said:
If he’s really serious about his novelty sock and moustache game, he needs some knickers and a high wheel bicycle. Perhaps a nice sleeve garter as well. A straw hat wouldn’t kill him, either.
What if he led the team out on the field like that? What would happen? What would happen?
Sammy said:
Off topic, but in reading about the ruckus about Michigan playing a concussed player, I remembered that Clint Trickett played against Kansas State with a concussion.
In fairness he said he didn’t tell anyone about it, but we also played a quarterback with a torn pectoral muscle in an entire game last year. What it says to me is that college football is a bit more of the wild west when it comes to diagnosing these kinds of injuries in game than the NFL. It seems like something the Power 5 conferences could mandate and get formal policies together.
I talked to some folks about that Trickett thing back when it happened and what I remember is being told that the hit was imperceptible. You’ll see a hit and go, “Man, someone go check him out,” because it’s obvious. There wasn’t one of those in the Kansas State game, they said. And in the Texas game last season, Trickett took one of those hits and he was checked out and then taken out. I have a harder time understanding the Childress incident because a bunch of us were like, “Is his arm OK?” Someone on the sideline should have wondered the same, right? Anyhow, to your point, and without getting too far down the road, the players ought to be educated on warning signs and alerting the proper people. The proper people ought to play much closer attention. Sidelines are chaotic and it’s not hard to miss things. But that hit on Michigan’s Morris was violent. And it was replayed on the video board and fans were booing that it wasn’t targeting. How the hell did the Michigan sideline miss that?
NotFooled said:
Mike – what is the deal with the wink, nod and smile after answering the question about Worley??
Just the relationship he has with Ed Owens, who Dana and Shannon have targeted as Guy Who Will Ask About Bad Stuff.
SheikYbuti said:
Bria Holmes is the Big XII preseason player of the year in women’s basketball. Huge deal for her and for Mike Carey’s program.
Absolutely, and to little fanfare, too. Juwan Staten won the award on the men’s side. Believe it or not, it’s the sixth time the same school has claimed preseason men’s and women’s player of the year in the still-brief existence of the Big 12.
ccteam said:
Giving a Johhny Unitas award to someone who shares time with a guy who wears a mullet would be an aggregious insult to the Unitas flat top!
I know, right?
Brother X said:
He may not get the Golden Arm Award, but I defy ANYBODY to say he doesn’t have the best HAIR of any player in the country.
Heisman Hair you might say.
Long past time for me to do a story with Clint on his hair, don’t you think? I’d have to finesse it, but I think I can pull it off. And he’s a good sport. I think he’d play along, and I have an angle I want to take. Someone asked earlier who the best interview was on this team now that Darwin Cook is doing something weird, I’m sure. My answer: Trickett. He’s conversational, aware, funny, thoughtful and allergic to cliches.
Spatial Angel said:
Regarding the red card…was there a lesser call that could have been made? Ref had to call something.
Yes. Yellow card.
pknocker40 said:
Looks like a dubious penalty as well since the defender’s arm is against his body until the ball strikes it. Is Curtis Shaw the head of NCAA soccer officiating too?
Probably.
The Red Panda said:
I’m sure it was the ref’s salute to my retirement!
How’d I miss that? Of course.
Down South said:
We’re not laughing with you, Michigan. Great win for Jeff Casteel. Pat Narduzzi was the hot D-coorindator with a scheme to combat any offensive attack, and Oregon shredded Michigan State at Autzen. Casteel’s guys looked really good last night. I always thought Casteel’s D was built to combat the spreads before the spreads really took over. It’s neat watching him in a conference like the Pac-12 where everybody spreads you. I remember how frustrated I would get about how easily teams moved against his defenses between the 20′s, but they would usually stiffen. The utility of turning 7′s into 3′s wasn’t apparent to me at the time, before I was introduced to Bryce Petty and Art Briles. I’m not one with a ton of ill will toward RichRod and, even if I was, it wouldn’t override my desire to see Casteel and Kirlav succeed.
Now that everybody has been reminded how good RichRod is at building a program, it will be interesting to see if he uses this success to get a better gig. I hope he stays in the desert for a while. He’s one move away from being Todd Graham or Bobby Petrino.
I know people think The Product is coming back to WVU. Maybe he replaces Beamer at Virginia Tech. But have you seen his roster? It’s loaded with freshmen and sophomores who are starting and starring. He has staying power there, if he wants it to work. As for Casteel, I wonder if last night resonated in Lawrence, Kansas. That defense matches up with Big 12 offenses. It does.
BobbyHeenan said:
Cook has always been a bit of project, but one with potential. I’ve seen him play, and I’m not sure I’ve seen a ton of development to the point that I’m at all disappointed with this announcement.
He’d be fine, but he’s not a can’t miss in-state talent. He seems like a good kid, so I wish him well.
Project is right, and I’d like to see where a 300-pound 7-footer might be after two or three years here, but we’ll never know. But let’s not forget: He’s 17. He hasn’t been devoted to basketball full-time for that long. He’s been at different schools, which is neither fun nor easy for a teenager. He’s on a really good team that’s seen some changes as well. The pieces have not been in place for him to take off and excel, though, yes, a lot rests on his considerable shoulders.
smeer said:
if you read his tweet, this looks like a mutual decision
That’s what it looks like. That’s not the reality.
TAJH BOYD FATHER said:
I JUST THOT IF TAJH BOYD WENT TO EVERY COLLEDGE ON THE EAST COAST HE WOOD GET A BETTER EDUCASHION SO EXCUSE ME FOR LOOKING OUT FOR MY SUN TAJH BOYD WHO IS A GUD FOOTBALL PLAYER
OH?
Rugger said:
I’m not sure who TB’s father really is but I think it’s safe to say that it isn’t lcj.
Nope.
Drew said:
I hope I never actually meet Tajh Boyd Father, because if he doesn’t actually talk in loud, monotone, punctuation-less run-on sentences, life will never be the same.
Never.
netbros said:
Touching on smeer’s comment about mutual decision; I kinda wonder if the WVU staff might have been nudging Cook in another direction. It seems plausible the staff has an inside track to a potentially more talented individual and would like to have a scholarship available. Having said that, I wish Cook well wherever he goes to college.
I’ve heard different versions of a similar story, but I suspect WVU is going to hand out the free one sooner rather than later.
KeatonsCorner said:
Levi can’t/won’t get his weight under control.
Huntington Prep can’t/won’t work him hard enough to lose said weight
Levi’s family think he’s just fine
WVU’s coaching staff wanted him to move to another prep school, who would focus on his weight and conditioning this upcoming season. The Cooks said “No, thanks.”
The rest brings us to where we are now…
The centrifuge supports this theory.
glibglub said:
Kid is doing OK for himself. He’s got LTE and I have 3G.
That might make a good country song title.
Enjoy the weekend!