You want to talk about surprises? Jovon Durante, heretofore muted as he completed some sort of personal restoration project prescribed upon being deemed unfit to participate in the Cactus Bowl, was allowed to talk to the media Saturday.

I think I understand interview eligibility rules — you need to finish a full year on campus before you talk, unless when there’s an exception — so I always ask for Durante when we have to submit a list of names for interviews during the week or after the game. (I also ask for Marvin Gross, who made a big play Saturday and was still nixed, but I also think I understand targeting, and that keeps getitng nixed, too.) I’ve had a few people tell me Durante is one of the funniest guys on the team, and I happen to think he’s extremely intriguing as a player, as a person and just as a story as a whole.

He, like the rest of his burgeoning teammates, did not disappoint Saturday.

I’m off to Kansas City and Big 12 basketball media day tomorrow. I expect to have no WiFi there, and I’ve planned accordingly for you here. @derekredd is covering the team in my stead tomorrow and writing the stories for the week. Pepper him with suggestions!

Welcome to the room of people who have rooms of people that they loved one day, locked away. Just because we check the guns at the door doesn’t mean our texts will change from hand grenades. My edits are in [brackets].

11:59:
The dirt sheets are saying that Patterson didn’t have time to review much WVU film because he was so wrapped up in the James Ellsworth AJ Styles angle.

11:59:
Seems legit.

1:02:
Tailgate band is playing Copperhead Road hglllll yeahhhhh

3:19:
Bob Bowlsby (spelling?) just walked past me in the concession line

3:43:
Once this Louisville joke is over, I bet I get Nebraska/Purdue. [Fantastic.]

3:43:
This game has me way spooked…and not in a Halloween kinda way

3:43:
Oh…hello….what’s this? A special teams error WENT OUR WAY? Will

3:44:
Guy behind me is an enthusiastic fan. Just yelled “Impregnate me, Skylar!”

3:44:
Shorts broke the plane!

3:44:
Specials teams in our favor, red zone offense didn’t choke….hell,

3:45:
well, that’s a good start 😀

3:45:
I just heard an “Eat [sushi] Pitt” in our section.

3:46:
Instead of pukers behind us we have a bachelor party. I love them.

3:54:
That was a…Thrilling interception.

3:54:

3:54:
13!

3:54:
R’asul always was one of my fave Batman villain.

3:55:
Eff. Going to be a Bad Skyler day?

3:55:
Somewhere, Josh Lambert is doing Josh Lambert things.

3:59:
time to make Patterson not like playing here

4:00:
Daikeil killin’ it

4:01:
Just throw the damn ball the shorts! #gameover

4:01:
Get some, Gibson!

4:03:
not gonna get cocky….still got a spooky feeling…but this is fun.

4:03:
Crawford sighting?

4:04:
Dakiel Shorts is improving his draft stock every week

4:09:
Ticket issues, nasty creme brule beer, drunk chicks falling…are we wearing white pants? Lol! It’s all good! Great start, boys! Let’s go!

4:09:
Worried about these cutbacks to the left side

4:11:
Also worried about cutbacks to the right

4:12:
Tackle! [Criminy]..

4:13:
Looking forward ot Crest playing the run against Hicks!

4:14:
TCU with dumb penalties. Probably egged on by Billy Bush.

4:18:
Have I ever seen a lefty kicker?

4:19:
Not a country boy…not a boy at all…but I love my team!

4:19:
If you’re a frog, it’s very hard to be a 10 if you have horns. Sad!

4:19:
Gotta forgive Shorts there

4:23:
That was a fumble.

4:24:
thanks, ref!

4:24:
REF TACKLE! Obviously Gibby getting creative with the 3-3-5-1 D today.

4:24:
Sign the ref up!

4:24:
TCU apparently sees a Thing with the #DAWGS over-pursuing and not taking proper angles. Lots of misdirection so far and it has worked.

4:24:
Marvin Gross made a play???? Say what? Didn’t even know he was still on the team!

4:25:
When did TCU hire Roy Scheider as their offensive coordinator?

4:26:
good – coulda been great – first quarter

4:31:
bending. bending.

4:31:
Is Hill coated in vaseline or something?

4:41:
This is Big 12 tackling

4:41:
[Forget] that 3rd down knell.

4:41:
13 more minutes without Fleming

4:44:
O is efficient. D will be tired.

4:44:
Jennings TD makes Skyler a nice 6/9 on the day.

4:47:
Don’t get beat by a Gary.

4:47:
Where’s turbin?

4:48:
That is not targeting. Terrible!

4:48:
bull [sneze] call

4:48:
This targeting rule is a spectacular pile of [baloney]

4:52:
damn head keeps getting in the way of the shoulders

4:52:
Probably a facemark, too

4:53:
TV puts up the definition of targeting, like that matters.

4:53:
What? An ejection? I call bs!

4:53:
Damn. Elijah lost the … battle … and the … war.

4:53:
Big 12 refs are trash

4:53:
That is just flat out mango farming baloney

4:54:
I mean…how could they even call that? Freakin terrible!

4:55:
That targeting call was the worst ever!

4:55:
Yeah, don’t field a punt inside the 10. Can’t we agree on that?

4:56:
Well, in Jennings defense, he’s used to being all alone inside the 10 today.

4:55:
It feels like we’re a couple injuries away from Crest and a stray dog in the secondary

5:00:
So much for a 7-minute drive. Got out of the hole, though

5:05:
Just as a reminder: the same Texas Tech [academic] that speared our player well after the play lasts week sits out the same amount as Battle and Fleming. This

5:05:
black and white rule has to be given more shades of gray

5:07:
Durante!

5:08:
Seriously, if that’s not an #SCTop10 catch I demand a recount!

5:08:
JOVON MANGO FARMING DURANTE

5:08:
Skyler has gotten some stellar bail-outs from receivers, tbh.

5:09:
Dude how do you even handle Twitter. Some of these people in your mentions…over targeting!

5:09:
Durante=Houdini

5:13:
There’s a confused man in black pajamas and a visor on the field…. Someone please help him

5:13:
How the hell was that not targeting???

5:13:
THAT WAS TARGETING! HOLY [SYNOPSIS], ZEBRAS!!! #Big12Refs

5:13:
Coach Patterson needs a belt

5:16:
Wow that was PEAK #Big12Ref [salt] there. Ignore the horsecollar tackle, over explain the penalty and [fix] everything up. Jesus.

5:17:
The hell is Holgo doing w these timeout at end of 1H?

5:19:
Dana deflecting half time questions about officiating at purely Trump-ian levels.

5:22:
hope the team is as pissed as i am. and takes it out on some toads

5:23:
If you don’t mimd, what’s it like to see Gross, Sharif and Durante play like that AND have Dana screw up the end of the half? Can you stand?

5:22:
Dana needs to grab a rag and ether and run the ball. This is over if he wants to to be over.

5:22:
Lets go live to the stadium for exclusive footage of the officials leaving the field after that half;

5:22:

5:25:
Lets go live to my Man Cave for footage of me watching the First Half;

5:25:

5:25:
and, finally, lets go live inside Mike’s head for his feelings on 1st half officiating;

5:25:

5:28:
Holgo’s timeouting confounds me.

5:28:
His timeouting comes from the same random-# generator that governs replay.

5:28:
During his tenure, the timeouting hasn’t improved or declined, as much as it’s become psychedelic.

5:33:
That feeling when you’re bitch about refs then remember the score at the half;

5:33:

5:33:
WVU is using PFTCommenter on the call board. I have nothing to add.

5:36:
I’m not ok singing country roads at halftime

5:46:
What the heck are these refs doing?

5:46:
#Big12Refs REALLY wanna be the center of attention don’t they?

5:47:
My bad. He needs 2 belts

5:50:
So the refs are literally trying to keep us from running plays now

5:50:
This is some cockamamie officiating

5:50:
This officiating is unreal

5:50:
There’s eight of them out there. One of then has to realize how absurd this is, right?

5:50:
I’d dominate a game of Clue against these officials

5:54:
Are these refs part of a Syrian refugee program?

5:54:
I did not know the circus was in town this weekend.

5:54
Corrupt refs trying to sap our momentum. Rigged! Sad!

5:59:
We need mandatory #Big12Refs post game press conferences.

5:59:
8 minute drive to get 3 points; put that on our application to the Big 10

5:59:
just saw a mountie texting Mike

5:59:
D’s rested, at least.

6:05:
munez not smiling after that shank

6:06:
Just have to say, DAWGS!!

6:08:
Many people are saying West Virginia is an air raid team. Some of the best people.

6:09:
Need Shell to run like this the rest of the year

6:12:
Shell can’t reverse field like Hicks can. Sad!

6:15:
Again, the receivers today – stellar.

6:15:
“WHAT A CATCH BY BABY GAM! I MUST SHARE MY FEELINGS WITH MIKE!!”

6:15:

6:17:
You’re under review.

6:17:
Ether.

6:28:
Take that, Gary.

6:28:
So…for the record? I don’t have a spooky feeling about this game anymore.

6:28:
I’m sorta falling in love with this team

6:28:
It’s not that Nana has made plays today, it’s that he’s executed when called upon.

6:28:
Kyrehm (sp?) is a special teams gangster today

6:29:
That was a mutha effeminacy safety. What is there to review?

6:29:
I am so tired of these refs.

6:29:
no review of the safety?

6:30:
WRONG!

6:33:
That no safety was another blown call

6:33:
That missed safety call was el terribre.

6:38:
I swear if Dana 2014’s this lead I’m driving to Morgantown

6:39:
don’t take foot off gas. still more toads on the road

6:39:
I got two words for you…bowl eligible!

6:45:
sign the man, Shane

6:45:
Patterson still love to play here?

6:48:
I think the refs want this game to be super long.

6:49:
Defensive holding? This game has EVERYTHING

6:49:
I’m afraid McKoy has Robert Sands’s shoulders

6:54:
one more down on the 125th anniversary payback tour

6:56:
The corrupt media is saying I was for firing Dana. I was always for extending his contract. I know more about football than coaches. I will tell you.

6:57:
I will give Dana a big, beautiful contract extension and make Pitt pay for it.

7:02:
Gibson is best D coordinator in country. #boonecounty

7:18:
pay the man, Shaneley

7:18:
Mood

7:18:

Hey. pic.twitter.com/9sT0CnMjXq

— Not Dana Holgorsen (@FauxHolgorsen) October 22, 2016

7:18:
New Mood

7:19:

7:19:
wow. having a running game is nice.

7:22:
#paydana

7:26:
Called it – Patterson is such a mark, couldn’t put down the WWE network