Allow me a moment to indulge and expound, this is from Thursday’s chat:

There’s a subtlety I rather enjoy about Holgorsen. He seems uniquely aware of the concerns and critiques people have about his decisions or his management or his coaching staff. Like, we bring up topics and never in a way to say, “Yo, you’re driving people nuts with these timeouts.” We finesse it, but he knows what’s being asked. And not only that, he seems to ever so slightly touch on the most common complaints and address them directly, but never in a way to say, “I know what you’re saying and you’re out of your minds and I’m the coach and that’s that.” It’s a delicate balance and it seems to, well, not disarm the disapproval, but at least temper it. Just something I’ve noticed of late with regard to timeouts, DeForest, special teams, punt returns, Jordan Thompson, so on and so forth.

Thursday October 9, 2014 11:15 

And this is Holgorsen from Saturday’s postgame press conference.

I think everybody was happy, was excited that I finally used a few timeouts and got our kicker in a position to make a school record 55‑yarder, which we knew he could do, had confidence that he’d be able to do it, which got us the victory.

Fantastic. Frustrating, I’m sure, for you because you’re living and dying on these moments and openly and justifiably questioning decisions and indecision, but it’s still fantastic. In one moment, you’re wondering why you picked this Saturday to quit sniffing glue, but then all the pieces come together and you exhale. In another moment, he comes out all cool and calm and even celebratory with a victory and like 11 timeouts in his pocket and he just traces his finger around that nerve of yours and you go from wanting to throttle this man to wanting to muss his hair and call him a scamp.

It’s chaotic, it’s not easy, but it’s 4-2 right now and 2-1 in the Big 12, and for all the seemingly disheveled moments, they haven’t conspired to cost the Mountaineers a thing except maybe a little sanity. The best part, or perhaps the worst, depending on how you look at these things, is WVU seems content and comfortable with this identity its crafted.

“We’ve shown pretty much all season that our guys keep fighting,” WVU offensive line coach Ron Crook said. “They keep fighting and they play to the end. We don’t do everything perfect. We make things hard sometimes. But our guys keep fighting to the end, and as long as we keep doing that, we’ve got a chance to win a lot of football games.”

It ain’t supposed to be so hard. I always said I’d quit if it felt like a job. I’d rather be pissed than pretend that I’m not and try to text along with the whole facade. My edits are in [brackets]. 

11:18 am:
Metroing in to DC on this rainy day to show my cousin around. Did the same thing during last year’s Maryland game. Hoping history doesn’t repeat itself.

12:02 pm:
Did you know the girl on Friday Night Lights, Jess Merriweather (east Dillon, dated”Lance”) was Michelle Tanner’s friend on Full House?! Mind Blown.

12:06:
Did Zorro go to TT?

12:11:
Three yards and a cloud if turf

12:23:
TG! JT ain’t on punts!

12:34:
WVU GETS TAVON’d

12:34:
Is this team going to get well on WVU?

12:35:
Defense needs to get its [shims] together. Playing like _eForest days.

12:35:
Great pass defense – it must be the wind!

12:36:
Can’t lose to a team in white pajamas.

12:38:
But I saw rubber pellets!

12:39:
In what world was that not a complete pass

12:40:
Harrington better replay official than Big 12

12:42:
Air raid in West Texas!

12:42:
I’m not gonna text anything clever for the rest of the day, because I’m just extremely angry.

12:42:
Total [full-frontal] embarrassment of a defense. Phil Elmassian thinks this is poorly schemed.

12:43:
TD! It’s that WIND again!!!!

12:44:
Cue up the old trusty Yakkety Sax!

12:44:
Rope-a-dope…right?

12:54:
I was gonna be Bruce Banner angry if they didn’t confirm.

12:55:
Turnover….now, please

1:01:
What fresh hell is this?

1:01:
Fire Gibbie

1:02:
If you have a long conference losing streak in Big 12, just wait until WVU visits.

1:02:
Apparently the punt team has volunteered to take snaps on the defensive side of the ball today…

1:03:
HEY SMELAND!

1:04:
Most penalized and turnover prone team in country doing neither against WVU. Typical.

1:04:
What in THE HELL are we doing? I mean…this is ridiculous! No kind of defense! At all!

1:05:
I guarantee Bryce Petty has never watched porn that excited him as much as this game film will.

1:06:
Cut me, Mick.

1:09:
3rd and 13. Draw. Get nehlen out of the damn booth!

1:13:
Worst Dillon since 90210

1:13:
If only it had been targeting, they would have ejected Dillon at least.

1:14:
You could say Dillon was… tangled up in blue. /YEEEAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!!

1:25:
You said Howard was playing, did not say he was playing Spur. Context would help.

1:18:
At this point why not go 11 up, punt block every time? No risk of turnover.

1:22:
This team looks more disheveled than Casazza attending a Rednex/White Stripes cover band concert

1:25:
The throws are high or long today.

1:25:
Why does our guy look bothered by the wind?

1:26:
Look at all that energy and momentum that they have. It’s sickening.

1:30:
Since we’re in Texas…played him like a fiddle

1:31:
This did not send when Shell scored, but it must be on the record:
Wife called the run. WIFE, MIKE SMITH. WIFE.

1:31:
Can’t wait to see how Dana “Andy Reid” Holgorsen mismanages these 3 timeouts

1:32:
We have three timeouts remaining, Dana.

1:32:
I’m not sure this [frenetic] guy can read a clock

1:32:
There is no evidence he can reliably interpret numerals

1:33:
Been thinking about trading my 10 year old car. Maybe I’ll just go do that right now.

1:34:
Alabama must suck.

1:35:
How Kliff Got His Swag Back. What a frustrating 1st half.

1:35:
Wanny blasting WVU like it’s 2007

1:41:
Uninspiring performance so far. But it would be nice to see a Dana team pull a game like this out of the fire. Once. Ever.

1:59:
Tony Gibson is getting a free clinic today.

2:02
Apparently TT is allowed to tackle when blocking

2:06:
Finally! Our D makes a statement!!

2:13:
Short and low.

2:14:
High.

2:15:
What is wrong with Clint today?

2:15:
Take the pts

2:16:
Wow! Holgs made a smart move that involved a timeout. Suck it, Kliff.

2:17:
Keep NOT talking to Dana Josh.

2:20:
Our slots are coming up all lemons

2:21:
FS1 needs to just play yackety sax when our defense is on the field

2:25:
We can’t stop the run…we can’t stop the pass…we can’t stop a damn thing!

2:29:
What do we have? Five possessions in a row where WVU has run for about five yards every time, and the possession ends when we start trying to throw the ball.

2:31:
Ball game

2:31:
Game over

2:32:
#HeismanHair still in tact. Whew.

2:32:
Texas Tech hasn’t stopped WVU running the football on a single play this half and WVU has three points to show for it.

2:33:
A three and out with a turnover… Number of run plays on that drive: 0.

2:33:
Run the [(fine)] football.

2:35:
Clearly the halftime pep talk encouraged more penalties and bonehead plays…

2:36:
This is 2013 Kansas all over again

2:41:
Jordan makes himself the MAN!!!!

2:41:
I fully expect Jordan Thompson to now go stare down the TT mascot as revenge for this from 2012 -> http://is.gd/sROJAF

2:42:
Now…can someone go get the defense off of the bus?

2:43:
Deforest reads your blog. In response, we squibbed a ko after a huge td.

2:43:
Wtf is a sideline penalty?

2:44:
Kwiatkowski man…that guy

2:44:
KJ Dillon = Dillon Panthers?

2:45:
I swear I just heard 7na very faintly in the background…

2:46:
Thought bubble over Worley’s head: “No wonder Squirt doesn’t catch these things.”

2:47:
Why wouldn’t you want to return punts?

2:48:
It’s perfectly normal to have 150 heart rate while sitting on my couch drinking a beer.

2:52:
Is Nehlen the OC?

2:53:
Is Don Nehlen calling the 3rd down plays?

2:54:
Running on 3rd and long is going to kill me.

2:54:
That’s three blown third down calls and one fourth down, if you’re scoring at home

2:54:
‘Bye, Momentum. Come back sometime when you can stay longer.

2:54:
Teamgoforit is befuddled.

2:54
Two runs for seven yards. One incomplete pass. RUN THE FOOTBALL.

2:54:
We are the most inept, dysfunctional, unpredictable, frustrating, and stupid football team in America.

2:56:
Terrible play calling all day

3:00:
Most penalized team in Big 12 doing what they do.

3:01:
Now this is the Texas Tech I heard about.

3:02:
3 penalties on one SENIOR

3:04:
And that’s the West Virginia punt return team that I’ve heard about.

3:08:
The bubble to GAM isn’t working, but hey, let’s do it over and over again.

3:08:
#IJustCant Holgersen. Really???????

3:09:
Meh stache

3:10:
Back-to-back. WR screen, 2 yds. WR screen, stop for loss. Offensive genius.

3:14:
Is Lubbock the new Carrier Dome?

3:16:
Ball game.

3:18:
Trickett and the receivers have not played winning football.

3:19:
My heart just stopped! Literally! I died a little! #NervesShot!

3:20:
GAM

3:28:
Farming all the mangos.

3:28:
If cormerbacks had good hands, they’d be receivers!
/Every coach, everywhere.
Let’s make our CB who missed 2 games the punt returner
/DeFo

3:28:
punt return lack of coaching isn’t just the returner. I just watched both wide guys not lay a hand on anybody on that punt.

3:28:
2 100-yard backs. Neither carries on first and goal.

3:30:
Play of the season coming on 4th and goal

3:30:
I am at work and cant watch game until 8 pm. I can only assume our special teams have f’d something up at this point.

3:31:
Dana with the TO!!!

3:31:
Timeout AFTER a replay review. Because THAT won’t be costly…

3:31:
Come on, Dana. Make it interesting and go for 2.

3:33:
When the naysayers nayed, you picked up your pace. You said nothing’s gonna stop me so get out of my face. Rushel, Rushel! – Bette Midler

3:33:
What a comeback. Too much time?

3:37:
That’s not even funny.

3:38:
Not sure if I love or I loathe Gibby’s send-the-house-every-down tactic here. Please help.

3:41:
Jesus…take the wheel!

3:47:
Leggy Lambert!

3:47:
TEAM CHAOS

3:47:
Josh Lambert is my HERO!!!!!!!

3:48:
Every West Virginia player is taunting the entire stadium now.

3:48:
GAK! Redemption after the miss!

3:48:
Dana Holgerson….time out wizard!

3:50:
Sorry Mr. Woodside,someone just stole ALL of your thunder!

3:50:
something pithy.

3:50:
OUT OF THE FIRE! Atta boy Dana.

3:50:
Lambert is a beast. You know Papaw Lambert is gonna get trashed.

3:50:
Grand theft ballgame! Fire up the get away bus & get outa there ’cause u flat out stole 1.

3:53:
I had to pull off the road to get through the end of that game. Hot damn!

4:57:
Just heard Kingsbury’s presser. Said he went with the sky kicks because of the wind. You won’t make a big deal out of that. Not at all.

5:45:
Red Raiders are who we thought they were. Not sure anybody knows what to think about WVU.