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

Men’s basketball schedule is out

August 31, 2011 by Mike Casazza

How about 16 games on the ESPN networks? Game times won’t be official until a later date when they’re all set, but we do have some tip times after the break.

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Finesse? Why, yes. But Holgorsen’s system physical, too.

by Mike Casazza

Again, it’s hard to say for sure since we’ve seen almost nothing live and lucid from the offense, but we can be sure of two things.

First, what Dana Holgorsen likes to do can sometimes be defined as finesse. Let’s not misinterpret that. It’s not an insult. I’m going somewhere with this. Honest.

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Steve Dunlap breathing easier?

by Mike Casazza

Probably not, but I spoke Tuesday with WVU’s safeties coach and the coach who handles the special teams defenses — that is, the teams that go and tackle the kick and punt returners. It was part of a conversation for a story I’m working on for Friday and within Dunlap said he was concerned about facing Marshall’s return man Troy Evans in the first game of the season.

Remember, teams rarely go live on kick and punt returns in preseason practice, and even through all the special teams work we got to see in the first week, it wasn’t at full speed or with full contact. You can imagine the potential for disaster in that first game, especially with someone as skilled as Evans. 

Well, quite likely, Dunalp won’t have to worry about Evans Sunday.

Nevertheless, he and the rest of the defensive coaches have a lot on their minds because mysteries remain around Marshall. Oh, the Herd named a starting quarterback Tuesday, but what does anyone really know about true freshman Rakeem Cato?

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Upcoming schedule for people talking to other people

August 30, 2011 by Mike Casazza

Dana Holgorsen’s first weekly intra-season press conference is at 1 p.m. today and you can follow here.

The weekly WVU sports chat featuring the guy seen squinting at the top of this page returns Thursday. Probably going to aim for 11 a.m. once again, if that works for you. We do need a new name. As brilliant as “Ask Me About WVU Sports . . .” was, I feel like it’s time to move on.

Two early suggestions:

– “Now it’s time to get the chatter back!” (possibly in ALL CAPS!)
– “Chat smart. Chat hard. Chat fast.”

I’m open to others, of course. For all things Marshall, including his chat appointment, target Chuck McGill.

Who’s your starting RB? Who’s your featured RB?

by Mike Casazza

Still no indication who will start at running back for the 24th-ranked Mountaineers Sunday or who will get the majority of the snaps — and understand those roles aren’t necessarily the same. Dana Holgorsen is entirely uninterested in naming a starter because, to him, it just doesn’t matter.

That’s not a gripe. It’s his wont, his consistent preference. And I doubt it’s some sort of smokescreen. I instead think he’s got four players who are fairly indistinguishable and he’d like to see someone step forward in this week’s practices, which, by the way, begin today. That’s a good way to manufacture productivity and effort, right?

But mostly, “starter” is just not an important title to Holgorsen. It means someone will be on the field for the first snap, but it doesn’t mean he’ll get 16 carries or the nod on the goal line or the responsibility to run the wheel route on the key third-and-11. Those things will be sorted out during the game when Holgorsen and Robert Gillespie, the running backs coach Holgorsen completely trusts, get a feel for the players and their play.

That said, we’re here to have some fun. Someone is going to start — unless Holgorsen reads this, shakes his water bottle and says, “Up yours! I’m going five wide!” — and someone is going to emerge as a featured performer.

So …

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Mountaineer Mantrip: Your thoughts?

August 29, 2011 by Mike Casazza

WVU revealed the details of this little gimmick we’re been whispering and hearing about for a few weeks now. I suppose we can’t have a feel for it until we see it — and people really seem to dislike the entrance video — but the description of the idea has to generate some reaction, right? I have just two:

1) I wonder how the players will feel about this when they’re marching to the stadium the night of the Pitt game and it’s 12 degrees out with the wind cutting through the sweatsuits.

2) I like the idea. Forget the details. I don’t care if it’s trite or awesome or cheesy. I think the fact WVU is just doing it is a very good sign. It’s one of those things a lot of schools have and it’s something that looks good when ESPN shows it before or after commercial breaks or in game intros or highlight packages. I also think you’re going to see WVU make the most of some parts of the program it has not properly exploited in the past few years, too.

 

Whoa! Look who’s in the top five

by Mike Casazza

The New York Daily News top 25 poll isn’t really relevant anywhere outside its pages, but it’s going to get some traction today. Guess why.

 

Results matter, but to who and how much?

by Mike Casazza

In short, the reason Oliver Luck hired Dana Holgorsen was because the WVU athletic director wanted a more powerful and appealing offense so the Mountaineers could win more games and make more money. There’s more to it than that, but when you take all the explanations and examine them properly, you find those two common denominators — and that’s both acceptable and normal today.

So the season begins for real today with the first day of the first game week and we’re reminded of what Luck said the day he introduced Holgorsen: “At the end of the day, results matter and we weren’t getting results.” By convicting Stewart and Jeff Mullen and all the others of designing and running an offense that wasn’t getting the job done, Luck also charged Holgorsen and his offensive hires with designing and running an offense that will, quite frankly, live up to it’s reputation.

“I’m very aware of it,” WVU quarterback Geno Smith said. “He doesn’t talk about it or boast or brag about it. He doesn’t say we have to live up to those expectations. But we know what he’s about.”

The 24th-ranked Mountaineers begin the final week of preseason practice today and ready themselves to play host to Marshall at 3:30 p.m. Sunday at Mountaineer Field, but to also bear the burden of Holgorsen’s past.

It’s important that WVU is a dynamic offensive team in 2011.

“It’s more important to win the game,” Holgorsen said. “That’s what matters most when you get right down to it. But if we’re winning games, the chances are we’re doing what we want to do on offense.”

WVU not impressed with unimpressive brand of past football

August 27, 2011 by Mike Casazza

We’re getting closer and closer now to the start of the 2011 regular season and, of course, the unveiling of Dana Holgorsen’s vaunted offense. Stories and videos pass the time and serve as your Mountaineers methodone, but this one, in particular, is probably more therapeutic than others.

We’re told this is the 2011 entrance video, which is exciting because it means you’re nearly there, but you might feel better when you read the divorce papers at the 1:25 mark …

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