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

Can he keep this up?

October 10, 2012 by Mike Casazza

That’s Andrew Buie and his superb haircut and a lot of people are curious whether the youngster can continue to handle the work he’s been saddled with the past two weeks. Who knows, really, but it’s only time that can tell — and he’s bigger, thicker and smarter now, so that bodes well for him,

Now, as for the title and the purpose of this post, let’s look at the other guy doing silly stuff on offense. His name is Geno Smith and, perhaps you’ve heard this, he has 24 touchdowns and no interceptions this season and needs 121 more passes without an interception to set the NCAA record.

I don’t think anyone would be surprised by anything at this point, so I think we can all answer in the affirmative that, yes, he can keep this up at a reasonably similar level.

Yet there’s a lot that happens to make any of that happen and Smith’s preparation has become the stuff of legend. He is a relentless purveyor of the details and no one could possibly do more to or expect more from Geno than Geno.

That’s a rare and special ability, but it has to wear on a guy after a while and you wonder how long that rope will run before it frays. Or does it?

Run defense is … good. It’s good, right?

by Mike Casazza

So much dirt has been heaped upon WVU’s defense that it can be hard to wipe enough away to see some things clearly.

Part of me thinks the run defense is actually pretty good, but another part of me has a hard time getting past some other deficiencies on that side of the ball to grant too much credit.

And then a third part of me thinks the pass is so reliable for the opponent that a run may be misguided. But then a part of that third part says teams like to pass against the Mountaineers because it’s not wise to run.

So I’m kind of lost.

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‘They don’t even know what’s about to happen’

by Mike Casazza

It sure looked and now sounds like WVU had a blast at Texas Memorial Stadium Saturday night, which seems to be a not-so-secret secret to the team’s success. This is a team that, whether because it’s been on a roll for nine games and now 11 months or because it follows the lead of a gifted offense that’s seemingly mastered the handful of things it’s made to do, has a very high level of confidence.

The Mountaineers call it a swagger, which is fine, but probably limiting.

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He didn’t start the fires

October 9, 2012 by Mike Casazza

Dana Holgorsen closes the book on Texas, blows the dust off a Texas Tech squad he knows a little bit about and wonders why people were setting things on fire Saturday night. Oh, and there’s streaking involved …

Dana Holgorsen returns to Texas Tech

by Mike Casazza

Not for the first time, but the third, and in search of a third win in games at the place he called home from 2000-07. Given that, and probably a little bit because of the way the Red Raiders ran off Mike Leach, Holgorsen isn’t all that worked up about the occasion.

“I’m not going to think twice about it,” he said. “I’m over that. I had eight great years there, but I faced Texas Tech when I was at Houston in a road game and when I was at Oklahoma State in a road game. It’s nothing new to me. I’m five years removed from that and I’ve been to three different places since then. All the feelings and emotions were gone a long time ago.”

The Good and the Bad of WVU v. Texas

by Mike Casazza

This was emailed to me, so I’m not sure of the source. It’s not my picture and it’s not off the television broadcast — I don’t think. What it is is awesome. Count this as my Good for Geno and all that he did Saturday night.

No matter where you watched the game, you could tell Geno was having some sort of a conversation with people behind the WVU bench throughout the game. Apparently it got a little heated with the Texas recruits before the above “horns down” happened. Looks like the Mountaineers enjoyed themselves in Austin, Texas, and savored the win.

But how did it happen? Let’s examine the good and the bad of WVU v. Texas.

Good: Josh Francis
This is becoming a regular thing now and Francis played noticeably more than Tyler Anderson, even though WVU knew Texas would run the ball and Anderson is the run-stopper in that platoon. Francis just keeps popping up too often to ignore, though, and is actually tied for No. 10 in tackles for a loss.

Not No. 10 in the Big 12. No. 10 in the nation.

The above is not a tackle for a loss, but it’s not a touchdown or a 40-yard play, either. Texas had that thing blocked, but Francis wiggled inside the tight end and made the play. If he doesn’t, the play hits the second level and maybe goes the distance.

As the schedule progresses, you see him becoming more and more comfortable in what had been new and different situations, but are now just situations because he’s seen and played against more of them.

I thought one of a few keys to the game was the drive to open the third quarter. Texas took a lot of time off the clock, but put up just three points. Francis made plays for losses on the final second and third down on that drive that forced the field goal. Really, seven-and-a-half minutes and three points felt like a victory for WVU.

He ended up with nine tackles, three tackles for a loss and a sack that preceded Pat Miller’s big pass breakup.

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Who says WVU lacks depth?

October 8, 2012 by Mike Casazza

The Mountaineers are already on their third punter!

Tyler Bitancurt, who had his seventh career field goal blocked in the first quarter, had his first college punt partially blocked in the second. He hadn’t punted in a game since he was a high school senior in 2007.

Who knows if this will stick, but I’d wager to say WVU has talked itself into trusting Bitancurt. And really, why not? After his issues against Texas, he stepped in and made two significant field goals in the second quarter. The coaches have seen Corey Smith and Michael Molinari goof up for a season and a half now without righting their respective ships.

Bitancurt doesn’t know if the job will remain his, but he doesn’t mind it, either. He said there’s no physical toll and he likes the added responsibility.

“I feel like it keeps me focused more,” he said. “In the game now, it’s not like, ‘Oh, this could be a punting situation. I’m not going in.’ They threw me out there for just field goals before, so this keeps me in the game. Mentally, it’s better for me.”

And, lo, it was Pat Miller

by Mike Casazza

Ever get a song stuck in your head and you just can’t get it out until you get another song in your head? I think this explains what happened to Joe DeForest Saturday night and I think he called a great defense in the postgame media menagerie.

He was again pinned up against a wall and again taking all the questions, but he broke stride when the doors on the opposite side of the room flung open to accommodate a visitor. DeForest stopped what he was saying and doing and then said the following:

Pat Miller is a huge reason why we won this game.

And right there, as Miller strode in and took a seat in a corner by himself, the conversations and the stories about Pat Miller changed. DeForest knew everyone had a song stuck in their heads and he gave them a new song.

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Texts from Texas Game Day

by Mike Casazza

To review: West Virginia had lost 12 straight road games to top-10 teams and hadn’t won one of those games since the Oklahoma triumph in 1982.

Only once had WVU won before a crowd of 75,000 or more people and not since that same game against the Sooners.

So with the season and all its faraway dreams, even in the fifth game and sixth week, very much on the line, the Mountaineers have a field goal and a punt blocked, allow Texas to score a non-offensive touchdown, lose the turnover battle, come up empty on the only turnover caused and go 3-for-12 on third down.

I would like to plug that into a computer to see 1) if that had ever happened to the team and 2) if the team had ever won a game like that. That is a long list of circumstances to overcome – and not unlike Louisville in 2006.

Improbably, and perhaps impossibly, WVU won this one.

All of that, mind you, happens before the largest crowd in stadium history and the largest crowd to ever see WVU play football.

I still think WVU played very well and I’m just as sure Texas was just as fit. They really hit one another with the available arsenal. They each played to their strengths and had moments when a weakness wilted under pressure. There was just an awful lot to like about WVU’s performance and the outcome.

I have to think that when we were back in October 2011 and talking and thinking about the Big 12 that we – and I mean all of us, even with our varied incentives – had nights like that in mind.

Pack it up, pack it in. Let me begin. I came to text. Battle me, that’s a sin. My edits are in brackets – and thank God for that. Buckle up …

5:50
Just rode a live bull. A real one.

6:26
Apparently “where’s jesco?” Is a taunt for us in Austin. My reply? ” at your mom’s.” … Crickets

6:48
Stanford/Arizona going to overtime. [Shame on] you forever [Rich Rodriguez].

7:05
I really miss those Thursday night barnburners with uconn [dripping with sarcasm].

7:10
Hot damn!!!!! TD!!!!!

7:11
We’re not in Piscataway anymore

7:12
If Vince Young could read & saw the scoreboard, he’d be pissed

7:14
Is Pat Miller out there? Oh no!!!! Hope Texas didn’t read his scouting report!

7:18
Nice scheme, DeForest Gump

7:19
I know Dana’s hair looks like crap but Gump looks like he just rolled out of bed

7:19
Um…do we know how to play defense at all???

7:20
_eForest is the worst. No D. Mullen_’d.

7:20
Is this de ja vu? Baylor game?

7:22
Opening the wine bottle…

7:27
Pouring a large glass…

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WVU v. Texas: Party like it’s 1956?

October 6, 2012 by Mike Casazza

You are looking live at one of the wonders of the world. Behold Godzillatron, a video board so big it has a Wikipedia page.

You know that story from the Orange Bowl about how a wee Geno used to sit outside his home in Miramar and watch the bowl games on the Jumbotron? His mom can see today’s game from the very same spot. True story.

I’m not going to get too “Ohh! Lookit!” about this place and show you things that are just things, but the things here are indeed top shelf. The facilities are really quite impressive. I’d go watch a track meet just because of the track stadium. Also, they have a track stadium. You wonder how a kid who grows up a fan and gets a tour as a recruit ever says no.

And that video board is amazing.

OK, got that out of my system. Pregame notes: No Shawne Alston, of course, and no Travis Bell again. Cornerback Avery Williams and safety Matt Moro are both out for the fifth time in five games this season and I want to point out that they were both supposed to give WVU some depth in 2012. Moro was very good n the spring and there was cautious thought Williams was good enough to push for a starting spot.

The available Mountaineers are wearing white on white and it looks like Texas will wear its orange on white. WVU is 16-7 in its look since 2001 — and that’s not bad since that’s mostly road games. Exception: The Whiteout in 2008 that was not — repeat: NOT! — about Pat White.

More significantly is this date in history. The Mountaineers are 10-5 all-time on October 6 including a slobberknocker 56 years ago today. It was a spirited competition among the gridders that made onlookers say “Huzzah,” I tell you. Final score: WVU 7, Texas 6. And it was a night game, too.

I’m thinking we’re going to see a little more offense tonight, yes?

Onto the live action. Creep with me as I roll through the hood …

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