Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which has a confession. There is, to me, nothing more worthy of the pomp and the circumstance than a season opener. So much optimism. So many unknowns. So much faith. So many possibilities. And no one’s wrong on the first day. Yet I’ll be in Hamilton, Va., for a wedding. It’s true. It’s true. The formidable Derek Redd will be running point in my stead all the way through Tuesday’s editions. Fear not, for I have TFGD covered, and everything from there will proceed as planned. You won’t notice a difference.

As I sit here at this moment, I’m with Dann White. Let’s just get to a game already. We’re previewed ad nauseam. We’ve (almost!) run out of players and assistants and parts of the team to feature and preview and contrast against the opponent (and I went with a parenthetical because, whoo, the story in Saturday’s preview edition is juicy [and I’ll use brackets within parenthesis to get familiar with brackets and because I have more to add, namely that I’m still getting used to this seven-days-a-week thing and how to manage the blog with it, because I was ordinarily done after our Thursday chat, but I have to go from here to my office to finish a story and then hit the road for a wedding and, whew, who knew?]).

{What a paragraph.}

Let’s not wait any longer. Onto the Feedback, and I only hope to live up to the Sheik’s standards. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, don’t lack determination.

SheikYbuti said:

2015 TCU TFGD — a mango farming classic.

’twas.

Drew said:

Train fans 1
Clemson 33

Yes, the classics.

Bobby Heenan said:

I’m tempering freshman/first year expectations, but it’s got to be a good sign that these guys are getting this much love and a freshman could start outside (rather than respectable but non-threatening guys like KJ Meyers or Vernon Davis).

If things click for Gibson (I’m worried about his psyche and drops), then next year that’s a heck of WR crew – Gibson, Shorts, Durante, White, Jennings.

Gibson’s a wild card. I think part of Gibson’t time in the scope was by design. He’s hard on himself, and that’s been to his detriment before, so perhaps it was a ploy to motivate and relax him. A lot of what Dana Holgorsen and Lonnie Galloway said was positive and reassuring, so if Gibson was dropping a few here and there, then he was presumably bummed out and feeling low. It helps then to be at that low point and hear good things that can pick him back up quickly. Basically, no one was as worried as he was, so he could lighten up some. But let’s see where he goes and what ploys are used to manage him. What happened early last year didn’t turn out well for him.

Drew said:

“so we’re going to see if he’ll be able to gold up.”

I’m going with this as some new slang and not a typo. Gold up, bruh.

I can do it.

Mack said:

With the struggles against William & Mary two years ago … and the tough game against Alabama last year … I’m looking forward to watching WVU just light it up on offense all the way around, this Saturday. Will that actually happen? I think it will.

Mackstrodamus!

Down South said:

I’ll believe Wellman is ahead of DTW when he is the first sub in the game against Oklahoma. Depth charts and public statements be damned.

The reviews of DTW were much better Tuesday. He’s understanding now there there’s a role for him that isn’t the starter’s role. That’s not easy for someone who’s been the man and who’s dreamed of being the man. Settling in is step one. He can go from there.

Oklahoma Mountaineer said:

Hoping DTW does not end up being a recruiting bust……..hard to believe that someone of his perceived ability is having so much problem impressing coaches….not relative to the other guys, but to the guy doing what he should be able to do.

I’d expect him to be contending for Kickoff/Punt Returns based on his speed and ability to break tackles…..again, from when they recruited him.

We’re still far away from bust status, and remember how much these coaches talk to the players through the media. The kids read about themselves. Their friends read and then tell them what’s being said. It’s a reality check, and, again, JaJuan Seider was saying much better things about DTW a week later. Assume that all got back to the kid. (Also, no way he’s a punt returner. Doesn’t have the body for that. Kickoff returns? He could handle it, but I haven’t heard his name there before.)

Sammy said:

I’m betting the third tackle is… Tony Matteo, meaning that if a tackle goes down Pankey slides out and Matteo goes in at guard. Kind of cheating but that has to be the case.

I guess Sylvester Townes was a bust? JUCO tackle from two years ago who can’t crack the two-deep when we don’t know who the third tackle is.

Mike — Any chance Gibby has a third down package on defense with Jefferson and maybe Preston or Benton subbing in to help rush the QB? We need help on the pass rush and getting some physical young guys in there seems like it makes sense.

Close on the third tackle. It’s a guard, but it’s Grant Lingafelter. Townes was hanging around, but Marcell Lazard passed him by. And, certainly, Jefferson will be a guy WVU uses situationally. Not sure who the linebackers will be, but I’m not sure Benton is automatically part of that group. Xavier Preston and Nick Kwiatkoski and Shaq Petteway would be in the mix, too. 

Matt said:

Who was the last true freshman to start at as a receiver? Especially this early in the season. I remember Tavon even having to take a few weeks to get on the field.

Daikiel Shorts started. Jordan Thompson started the year before. They’re inside guys, though. Holgorsen hasn’t started a freshman wide receiver. 

dgffyhjj said:

If wvu doesn’t win at least 10 games with this lineup they need to fire Holgerson.

cbvvhnmm!

Karl said:

I worry the strength of the defense is getting overplayed. We were so dreadful for a few seasons that simply being competent last year looked very good. That said, a competent defense aligned with a Dana offense should be enough to win some games.

Definitely not sold on the idea that we have a solid stable of running backs. We’ve got a group of experienced guys, none of whom are apparently talented enough to emerge as the man.

I just think it’s their best defense since 2011, and I am well aware that’s not saying much. Competent is certainly attainable. The secondary seems fit, but the thing the defense has to do is show it can consistently stop the run. And I’m with you on the running back situation. The Mountaineers have a few, and the way they’re used kind of prohibits one of them becoming the man, but someone at least has to present that possibility.

avb31 said:

The linebackers and the secondary are stacked. I still worry about the D-Line and how effective the D can be getting after the passer. It doesn’t matter how good the back in end is if the QB has all day to throw.

Don’t let this first game be your gauge for the pass rush. There won’t be many blitzes and the defensive line isn’t going to be racing at the quarterback.

JDM said:

The Atlanta Journal and Constitution reports that Georgia Southern is very good. I hope we are not underestimating them.

I love this comment.

Kevin said:

Freshman WRs getting playing time, let alone starting, has me wondering…Was the position devoid of true talent, people didn’t step up, or the Freshman are just that good? I’m not sure I’m buying Dana’s hype, that they are just that good. I guess we’ll find out during the brutal stetch in October.

Combination, probably. This is the best recruiting they’ve done at receiver. Vernon Davis was a cornerback. Devonte Mathis is a nice player but didn’t have the reputation of Jovon Durante or Gary Jennings. The underclassmen, like Lamar Parker and Ricky Rodgers, didn’t have those reputations, either. Good freshmen start or play because they’re good. That may come at the expense of returning players. It’s a good development.

Sid Brockman said:

I really hope we do see Dana’s multiple formations with the same personnel. I feel like we’ve been hearing that for three years now, but it’s never really come to fruition. Much like the O-line depth that was touted last year, but saw the starters play almost every snap.

I think he was hamstrung because he didn’t have as many options he trusted as he does now. Dana’s used four- and five-receiver sets, but he’s been hesitant to do so a lot. His best formations, and thus his team’s identity, were best seen with two or three backs. He might not do a ton more four- and five-wide stuff, but I think he’ll feel better about doing it because of the pool of players at his disposal. But at the center of it are the same players who’ve been around — Smallwood, Shorts, Thompson, Myers, etc. There are new parts, but the old pieces have to be the ones who make room for them.

Mack said:

Hasn’t Holgorsen put out depth charts in the past that have proven to show that Holgorsen’s depth charts don’t mean anything at all? His injury reports given right before kickoff aren’t even accurate.

Daikel Shorts is a name I’ve heard for the past several years (I assume he’s a senior or at least a junior), and I’ve never associated him as being one of the better players on the offense. Maybe that will change this year, but I’ve never been one to go into a season assuming that mediocre will turn into great.

Shorts’ sophomore stats (last season) were more the product of Kevin White and Mario Alford. No one has bad things to say about him. He’s learned the inside and outside positions. Skyler Howard looks for him a lot. He was their most productive receiver in 2013 and he doesn’t have a ton of competition right now. It’s right there for him now.

Ron from Morgantown said:

An upset Sat ? That would not be the way Dana would want to start the season as he lobbies for a contract extension . It wouldn’t be an FCS upset over an FBS ( I hate those terms – I get them confused all the time – ) but it still would be huge . It’s a long season so I won’t say the season would be lost but it certainly would put Dana on a seat hotter than the suicide wing sauce at BW3 . A loss Sat ? It will be midnight and folks are looking at an hour wait to get out of Morgantown and then 3 hrs to Charleston ( counting the groggy stop at Flatwoods for coffee and a candy bar ) all the time dodging deer and wishing the worst for Dana . Not a good scenario .

Remember when WVU’s post-Final Four team lost an exhibition game to Division II Northern Kentucky? Made the NCAA Tournament that season. Kansas State lost to a true FCS team — North Dakota State, so maybe not true FCS – – and then got hot late and finished 8-5 in 2013. The start of the season is never the end, but, man, the mood would change. (Also, no active lobbying for an extension. No one over there’s in bed with the idea a recruit has to know a coach is going to be around for at least four years. That Dana has three years left is merely a reality. Now, how Shane Lyons feels about that, I don’t know.)

abpriddy said:

Having watched him for awhile now, my biggest fear with Holgo is that he can be a little too high / low with his team. When they’re playing well he’s chest-bumping and high-fiving with the best of them, when they’re struggling he’s going through headsets at a RedBull-esque pace. The paradox is that while it makes the wins much more fun, it also magnifies the effect of the losses. I often wonder if his personality has anything to do with his team’s propensity to lose games in bunches. In fact what would be REALLY fascinating is to study “emotional coaches” (Holgo, Harbaugh, etc.) and see how they stack up against “boring” coaches (Bill Snyder, Saban, etc.) when it comes to losing streaks. Anyway, I digress.

My point of all that is to say if the unthinkable happens the damage could be pretty significant and have a cumulative affect. Say they do that and then follow it up with an uninspired effort against Liberty. Now you’ve got a week to wallow in negativity before Maryland comes to town for a game that might have just become season-defining. That’s not good times, that’s bad times.

I don’t like these negative vibes. Can we start a “Sunshine Wednesday” where we all just game out best-case scenarios for the game, the season and maybe even our lives?

Honestly, I think the Tuesday Taboo was a hit.

ffejbboc said:

I’m picturing a robotic Skylar Howard with a teeny-tiny little Holgorsen sitting in his skull running all the controls. Like “Pacific Rim” on a smaller scale…and minus the inter-dimensional monsters.

Yes!

netbros said:

My favorite G&B was the very first one because it was new and unique. That isn’t to say the feature hasn’t improved since then, it certainly has, but it doesn’t have the shine of a brand new thing. These days, I tend to devour the content following Mountaineer victories and stumble through the text while ignoring the videos of a defeat.

Now that things are settling in for the new season at WVUSBw/MC, perhaps those responsible for maintaining and managing the website could get with the program. The blog still displays the old Daily Mail header graphic. The RSS feed in the right hand column has been broken since the merger. Caz himself has been sporting a goatee for at least two years now. What’s with the photo with the clean shaven face?

One of these years. One of these years.

SheikYbuti said:

netbros, I don’t know about all those tech issues you’re talking about. All I know is the ADs will need time to reignite WVU-Pitt series. It’s all I think about, whether at home or at work. It’s as if someone or something has pounded it into my head so often that, through sheer repetition, there’s no room for anything else. I feel a little like Malcolm McDowell’s character in “A Clockwork Orange.” Weird, huh?

Huh?

Bobby Heenan said:

So if Howard turns out to be pretty good, does this mean:

1. Dana is a wizard
2. Stephen F. Austin is insane for telling the kid he’s not good enough to play QB
3. Howard had a light bulb come on and he transformed from an incapable FCS player to a Big 12 starter

I’ll hang up and listen.

I’d say Nos. 1 and 3 for sure, probably an emphasis on No. 3. The thing we hear all the time is about how ticked off he is about past experiences … which then mixes No. 2 into this. Flat circle.

Oklahoma Mountaineer said:

Well played Mike!!! Only fly in this ointment is that the trigger man is no Pat White….that said, there’s only one other in my memory that’s in the same sentence and that’s the Major!!

Don’t know this team can get to 11 wins, but not out of the question to see 9/10 regular season wins…..with a couple of breaks and takeaways than giveaways.

This defense keeps us in games……I believe……think…..hope……while the offense finds the MoJo — man, if Howard could have the iconic performance that Pat had against Louisville, I believe I could die a happy man

It’s not a perfect fit, but I think we can agree Bednarik and Howard have similar grasps of the position — which is to say they’re the starters without great credentials or a ton of room between themselves and the backup. Someone could definitely get on the field if given the chance to turn in a suitable performance. 

Snzzy Britches said:

Well said, Oklahoma Mountaineer. I think 9/10/11 wins could happen. Right now, I am hoping to see 1-0 come Saturday night, and then onward and upward! I’m wondering if William Crest has mastered the mental side of HCDH’s game planning? I never see anything written about his being a film room guy. He certainly seems to have all the physical attributes one would desire a QB to have. But does he have a very high football IQ? Not saying he doesn’t, but it makes me wonder what’s holding him back? At this point, he could be a lifetime second stringer if Howard plays next year, and Sills steps in after that.

Crest could be an X factor or he could be just a guy. I wouldn’t be surprised by either, to be honest. I haven’t been able to get a read on him yet because he’s here then he’s there, he’s not doing this and then he is. He’s a puzzle.

John Hodges said:

Nice article. It is a bit eery…the parallels of this with the 2005 team. The difference is the head coach. Hope he proves me wrong…but I have yet see Holgerson call a game where he runs to set up the pass. You’re right in pointing out that this would be the perfect occasion.

I dunno, I feel like most of last season was running to set up the pass — handing it off to sneak a safety up so that they can throw over a cornerback without deep help. I think it’ll be pronounced this season, but you might see passing to set up some runs, too, because where’s WVU’s proven talent? In the backfield.

Karl said:

Oklahoma State and TCU both looked beatable last night. Would we really be shocked if KSU finally has a letdown season? We always give Baylor and Texas good games. Who knows, maybe the 2005 thing isn’t so far-fetched.

This presumes WVU doesn’t look beatable and thus worrisome tomorrow night. I get the point, though.

smeer said:

kept thinking there would never be another Renauld, then Tavon . . .

Drew said:

I don’t think there ever was a Renauld.

lowercase jeff said:

Darnell Renauld

what a guy…

We do need a kickoff.

tls62pa said:

So I’m getting married on Saturday. The soon to be misses isn’t too happy about the huge white sheet on the side of the reception tent with a projector hooked up for the game… way too many mountaineers and former wvu wrestlers in attendence.

One of my wvu groomsmen actually filled out the paperwork and was going to pay for the Mountaineer to attend. The response from the school? “You do realize there is a home game that day.” Touche…

Two weddings! But congratulations all the same.

Mack said:

Texts from Gameday is still a great feature . . . but like anything else, I think it was better when it was less self-aware.

Enjoy the weekend!