The Sock 'Em, Bust 'Em Board Because that's our custom

Texts from Liberty Game Day

Perhaps it was out of respect for the opponent, but we made it through an entire edition without using brackets, and I’m not sure what the heck’s going on with this blog anymore. This is not to say the texts weren’t good or they lacked imagination or emotion. Indeed, they were fine again, and they hammered on a theme I’d like to cover here.

The red zone. Or as it’s called below, the dread zone. It’s the area from the opponent’s 20-yard line and in, which is two-thirds of what WVU call’s the scoring zone and you’ve dubbed the boring zone.

WVU has 24 offensive possessions this season that didn’t end with W.V. Crest taking a knee. Here’s a breakdown:

  • Seven punts
  • One turnover on downs
  • Touchdown passes of 52, 41 and 26 yards
  • 13 red zone possessions

So 13 out of 24 possessions have made it into the red zone. Only Cincinnati (14), Cal and Memphis (both 15) have more. Memphis has three more possessions, Cal six more and Cincinnati one more.

That’s pretty good. The offense is moving the ball. It’s getting into the red zone on the majority of its possessions. It’s getting points on 62.5 percent of its possessions. Do that for a season and watch what happens.

(We can agree Baylor had a pretty good offense last season, right? The Bears had 118 scores [100 touchdowns, 18 field goals … brackets!] in 195 possessions [scores + 47 punts + eight missed field goals + 13 turnovers +nine turnovers on downs]. That means the nation’s best offense scored points on 60.5 percent of its possessions.)

WVU has scored on 12 of the 13 red zone possessions, and let’s be honest with one another for a moment: It could be 13-for-13, but Dana Holgorsen was antsy early in the opener and wanted to keep going on fourth-and-1 at Georgia Southern’s 17. Josh Lambert makes 34-yard field goals with his left foot.

The concern is WVU has that turnover on downs — a 1-yard loss, no less — and has had to kick a FBS-high five red zone field goals. It’s real, no matter how Holgorsen chooses to treat it. But, man, there have been openings for some of Skyler Howard’s errant passes. He started the season 0-for-7 in the red zone, and that included three throws in the first half against Liberty Saturday. Then something changed, and Howard completed his next three red zone passes, two for touchdowns. A quick screen pass to Jovon Durante and the cheeky playaction pass to Eli Wellman were nuanced, and the 10-yard touchdown to Durante was an ordinary play that hadn’t connected earlier.

It got better.

But this is where I want to intercede for a moment and try hard not to insult anybody. Ready?

Who thought this offense was going to be gangbusters? I mean that. Who really thought this backfield, this offensive line and these receivers would either avoid obstacles altogether or conquer them consistently? Obstacles appear and complicate things, and in no way was this team engineered to immediately scheme and talent its way around everything.

You might take offense to Holgorsen taking offense to certain questions, and it’s easy to throw up counterpoints. It’s probably also be right. But this early in a season that started not long ago with a lot of questions on offense, including the quarterback’s accuracy, counterpunching is one of the few things that’s easy to do. It’s going to matter if we continue to talk about it, but only because we’re compelled to talk about it. If WVU crafts — continues to craft? — ways around obstacles, the discussions and the worries dwindle.

Has someone taken your faith? It’s real, the pain you feel. You trust, you must confess. Is someone getting the text, the text, the text, the text from you? [See above.]

9:59:
Ironically, I am driving through Lynchburg, Va., right now.

10:11:
Will always remember by stroll down Jerry Falwell Parkway.

12:05:
2562 days

12:18:
Last week, you had a wedding. This week, I have a 1 year olds birthday party. I really need to stop being friends with people who schedule stuff on Game Day.

2:00:
Not a fan of the white gold white look.

2:33:
I’ll admit that for a brief minute after the Benteke goal that I thought Lpool might equalize.   Then Skrtl had to defend with the ball on the ground…

2:34:
game over. He’d be great if the game were just headers.

3:07:
The pride of wv!

3:18:
Diamond formation.

3:18:
Lambert for president. 2016. Wait… I don’t think he’ll be 35 then.

3:18:
Good: luck

3:18:
So luck is a thing, right?

3:32:
Thems the #BREAKS

3:32:
Oh Yodney

3:32:
Ca-just block the guy!

3:32:
2-17 and go QB keeper? No.

3:32:
Throw it toRushell!!!!!!

3:32:
Seriously, the man needs to put a sight on that arm.

3:32:
His mom got the sky part right.

3:32:
Do we have a 3rd string OL we can try?

3:32:
How bout some dip n dots and a beer!

3:33:
Howard throws high in the red zone. I’m shocked

3:33:
This defense sucks

3:33:
Not liking the play calling in the redzone.

3:33:
Dana’s a genius between the twenties.

3:33:
I wish I were a tuba player. Looks like they really have a fun time.

3:33:
They really need to rename the score zone.

3:33:
Score zone? More like bore zone.

3:33:
Karljoseph will git you.

3:36:
Liberty goes to Jared and pulls out the diamond!!!

3:38:
Possible Liberty coaches read you more than GSU’s?

3:42:
Christian being a little rough on the Christians.

3:42:
Is that goal regulation size or what?

3:44:
That’s the way to do it. Bypass the red zone altogether.

3:44:
Entire ROOT broadcast needs to be Huggs interview.

3:55:
Guess they don’t have an “all-world” kicker.

3:55:
Gimme, gimme Shelton

4:01:
Can you head over to the Root booth and tell Marc to stop breathing into his mic? Thanks.

4:01:
Why are we introducing golf while a dude is hurt on the field?

4:01:
Dwight Wallace talking about quarterbacking in 2015 is like exhuming the Wright Bros and asking them to build a 747

4:01:
I see Liberty dressed Josh Scobee at kicker

4:09:
Their kicker is our best defender

4:16:
Every time WVU runs up the middle, a hot fudge sundae appears in Don Nehlen’s hands. It was part of his annuity.

4:16:
Red zone = dread zone

4:16:
The ball continues to bounce the right way this season, as predicted.

4:16:
Most blatant late hit on a Skyler since Walter White went off the air

4:16:
A series of fortunate events. Maybe you’re right about luck.

4:16:
Great strip by Chestnut…

4:18:
Orinarily don’t mind one defender in a pack to strip at the ball. When it’s one player getting carried???

4:24:
Holy Roller 2015 by El Bosque Pequeño

4:24:
More good fortune shines!

4:24:
Shutout streak might be ending soon

4:24:
So we lose Luck and get luck? I’ll take it.

4:55:
Where s U2? Someone needs to cover the edge!

4:46:
Is that a Zendajas?

4:56:
Smallwood and Shell are not Slaton and Devine.

4:59:
OL needs work. Or different players.

5:00:
I believe the list time WVU shut out two straight opponents, Anthony Chez was coach and the defense was led by Mortimer von Snert

5:11:
Anytime you can open the pre-season on a 71-0 tear…wait, there is no pre-season in college? Ok then.

5:14:
The thought of what Durante could be in year 3 has me like… http://i.imgur.com/KfVRjeQ.gif

5:18:
Well, the shutout is over.

5:19:
Is the liberty mascot Howard the duck?

5:22:
Boom beard in rhythm

5:23:
DeFore$t

5:27:
Edsall is going to have to produce a zombie Jazz to motivate Maryland in 2 weeks

5:29:
Where was that against Bama?

5:36:
Play action roll out works near the end zone. Who knew?

5:36:
Nice play action fake. A new play for the B12 to think about

5:37:
I loved Clint, but the nose would have walked him down on that rollout.

5:37:
Good: TD Eli!
Bad: Everyone in my section rose and yelled “Durante!”
Good: People reading g&b

5:37:
Ho hum blowout

5:39:
Play for national stats

5:39:
Doink!!

5:39:
Is scobee dressed for the Flames?

5:41:
This defense sucks

5:44:
Ah crest in. Wake up

5:45:
Please tell me William Crest’s nickname is Falcon

5:46:
WVU o line has less push in close quarters than Ray Rice’s wife in an elevator

5:54:
Maybe enough with the best D in the country smack?

5:58:
What does Marcellus look like?!?

6:03:
If it doesn’t work the first five times, run it again.

6:03:
Toke on that, Flames.

6:04:
Smallwood works harder than Shell. Of course, he didn t go to Pitt first.

6:09:
The only problem with catching the punts are the invariable blocks in the back.

6:10:
Penalty sucks the yards away from Jenning’s great spin move

6:11:
Liking this Jennings kid!

6:12:
Yawn

6:19:
“Defense gave up 17 to Liberty! Season is doomed! Bring in Terry Bowden now!!!” – HCDH haters right now.

6:22:
Aw some kid walking out of the game in front of me was so excited to have retrieved Karl Joseph”s gloves

8:40:
Great news, gang! Oklahoma doesn’t play in the first half, either!!!

8:43:
Gee Dana maybe I don’t understand why we would talk about your red zone offense….. Maybe because it’s terrible against an FCS school

8:48:
By the way, OU isn’t back!

10:08:
Maybe they are!