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

Bruce Irvin hears the hype, doesn’t entirely believe it

April 26, 2011 by Mike Casazza

We went through this last summer and we’re going through it again this spring. There’s a lot of hyperbole involved in talking and thinking about Bruce Irvin. It seemed irresponsible and almost absurd last summer to project great success when he was doing one or two things, but doing them really well in preseason camp.

Then he had 14 sacks in 13 games and managed to take over some games and situations along the way.

He’s at it again, now as a guy making the transition to playing every down for WVU’s redesigned defense. What in the world are we to make of it this time?

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The ambition of Daron Roberts knows no limits

by Mike Casazza

The audicity of this young man!

Student body president during his undergrad days at Texas. A master’s degree and a law degree from Harvard. Walks away from the formidable education and subsequent future to toil as a volunteer assistant in the NFL. Takes ihs first college job days before spring practice. Placed in charge of WVU’s punt and kickoff return teams, which haven’t been as good the past few years as they many years before. Aim at the end zone?

“My philosophy is the catch is a given, first and foremost, and we’re going to catch everything that comes our way,” Roberts said. “Once that happens, we want to score. We’re not looking at punt return and kickoff return as being safe types of units. We’re looking at them as a true offensive play.

“We’re going to scheme up and draw up punt returns with the sole intent to get into the end zone.”

Ryan Nehlen has, quite possibly, too much class

April 25, 2011 by Mike Casazza

Surely one of the most appetizing aspects of Dana Holgorsen, his arrival and his offense is the idea of fresh starts and equal opportunities in the interest of finding the appropriate number of players. The slates have been wiped clean and the offensive coaches didn’t even bother watching old film of the Mountaineers. They would instead observe and report on their own and form new and unbiased opinions.

Perhaps this is why a Wes Welker or a Joel Filani or even a Justin Blackmon can go from nobody to somebody in a spring or a summer. This is not to say Ryan Nehlen is any of those three, but it’s silly to forget the offense invites anybody, so long as they work hard, minimize mistakes and find ways to be consistently impressive.

Someone might catch 100 passes and somoene might catch 80, but someone can catch 25 and that would be a lot for Nehlen and a lot of guys like him. 

“I really feel like I have a chance to play. I want to help this team every chance I get. I really enjoy the offense. I think it is suited for a player like me,” he said.

And just what does he mean by that?

“I don’t have blazing speed on the outside, but I do know how to get open and I know how to use my different attributes,” he said.

And that is just what offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen is looking for.

“[Holgorsen] had different receivers come in without the accolades and perform well for him. That impresses me and makes me look forward to something,” Nehlen said.

Holgorsen is equally impressed with Nehlen, with one interesting exception revealed after Monday’s practice. “The problem with Ryan is he is never here. He takes too many classes. I guess school is important to him. Weekdays he’s here about 30 minutes. We get him on weekends. But he’s been incredibly consistent, one of the more consistent guys we’ve had since Bradley left.”

Here I ask a question far too early to expect a definite answer

by Mike Casazza

But are you concerned about Tyler Bitancurt?

The spring is not designed for kickers and punters, or really any aspect of special teams, but it hasn’t been pretty for WVU and the field-goal/PAT block units have been making a meal out of those drills.

First, Tyler Bitancurt missed a 27-yard attempt wide right. Then Qudral Forte got his hands on a Corey Smith 28-yard try, but really, any number of defenders could have taken credit for the block with how many of them were in position to make it. On the last play of goal line, Bitancurt was called back on the field for a 22-yard attempt and he missed that one, too.

One reporter noted after practice that in the past eight attempts the media has been present for, the kicker have connected on just one of eight. The one kick made all day Friday was a 49-yarder by Smith on the final play of the scrimmage.

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What, Dana worry?

by Mike Casazza

Interesting spring-long dynamic between WVU’s offensive and defensive coordinators. Dana Holgorsen has the airborn attack with three and four and five receivers, but also sometimes three running backs. There are no huddles, but Holgorsen presents a whole lot of pace and far more pass plays than run plays.

Jeff Casteel has the 3-3-5 he’s catered to his own style and preferences through the years. It’s an odd front with obtuse angles from which defenders attack and pursue. It compromises blocking plans and generally makes things uncomfortable for the quarterback.

The story here, of course, is Holgorsen isn’t going to see a whole lot of three-player fronts and probably fewer instances of five defensive backs where the fifth is a safety who behaves more like a linebacker. Casteel won’t see many offenses who come out of the locker room content with a, say, 60-40 pass-run split.

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Friday Feedback

April 22, 2011 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which won’t be coming to you a day later than planned. As for WVU v. Marshall and the sixth annual — do you believe that? — Friends of Coal Bowl, what was once a standard Saturday kickoff is no more.

Multiple sources report as a done deal what was speculated as likely to happen in this space back on April 6.

Sept. 4 is the Sunday of Labor Day weekend. The Coal Bowl will have a 3:30 p.m. kickoff on ESPN, and an announcement from the network is expected as early as today.

It’s the third time in six years the game has drawn a national cable slot, the two previous times at Edwards Stadium. The game had been listed on the Big East master schedule as having the potential to move from a Saturday kickoff.

This, of course, is going to bum out a number of people who were planning their holiday weekends around this and have made and perhaps prepaid hotel reservations.  Instead of a Saturday night slumber and a Sunday trip back home, the plan must change. Unintended victims, I suppose, but I like it.

The game needs something to make it mean something. The spot at the start of the schedule helps. Getting it on national television is big for Marshall, of course, because those are not regular occasions. It’s as big for WVU and Dana Holgorsen, too. Don’t overlook the day of the week, either.

If the NFL sustains its lockout and Sundays are open, Fox, CBS, and ABC/ESPN will have to fill programming slots and I suspect the football starved can only take so much rugby or soccer or other alternatives. There are agreements between conferences and networks already in place — the SEC and CBS, the Big XII and Fox, the Big East and ESPN — and the schedules could be juggled. So is WVU v. Marshall the first game of their seasons or is it also the first time the NCAA satiates the NFL crowd?

(Kind of related and  unrelated, WVU. V Syracuse is now Friday, Oct. 21 at 8 p.m. on ESPN2.)

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, seek proper help.

WVMANIAC said:

Mike,
In my time in Morgantown I was always told by prominent people that the only way WVU is going to get rid of pass-outs is by selling beer in the stadium. Could Ollie be pulling a political move here to get the pass out policy removed without beer sales?
Think about this: The columns all week have stated that beer sales have to be approved but the university doesn’t have to sell beer right a way, but the pass-out policy is something that Ollie says will be taken away no matter what. So who is to say that the BOG doesn’t pass the alcohol sales and Ollie still looks like a good guy that tried, but is still taking away pass-outs

That would be diabolical, but pretty shrewed. 

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Growing up Kirelawich

April 21, 2011 by Mike Casazza

There is no larger void, neither physically nor strategically, to replace on WVU’s defense in this coming season than at nose guard where Chris Neild unselfishly manhandled opponents the past two (plus) seasons. It’s the keystone position in the 3-3-5 and the Mountaineers have to be good there to be good across the field.

Among the candidates — and perhaps the leader today — is a reformed and reshaped outside player, Jorge Wright.

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WVU’s pass-catching superfriends

by Mike Casazza

Ivan McCartney, he of the neat little nickname “Sticks,” is already out in front of his partnership with poetic Tavon Austin. He likens McCartney and Austin to Batman and Robin and says it’s already been decided.

I have to respectfully disagree — but that’s a good thing for West Virginia.

McCartney, who is a  sophomore from Florida’s Miramar High, can remain Batman, but Austin is Bruce Wayne. He’s been unmasked and the opposition knows his capabilities after two seasons and 73 receptions for 938 yards and nine touchdowns.

“When I go out there, a lot of teams haven’t seen Ivan yet,” said Austin, a junior from Baltimore who last season caught 58 balls for team-high totals of 787 yards and eight scores.

“I know a lot of teams will probably key on me, but that opens up Ivan. As soon as they see Ivan play, they won’t be able to double me and that’s going to open things up for everyone.”

That’s the designed danger of first-year coordinator Dana Holgorsen’s offense.

This will shock and upset you

by Mike Casazza

I started and finished early yesterday and even after doing a few things to get ahead, I was able to get away for a few hours for personal reasons. I didn’t check the email after a final glance in the late afternoon. Naturally, I saw this morning that “A Guy” had sent me an email saying Kevin Jones was going to declare today he’s entering the NBA Draft.

And, of course, that’s exactly what happened.

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It looks as though Vernard Roberts will play

April 20, 2011 by Mike Casazza

Dana Holgorsen said Monday the true freshman still just shy of what would be his senior prom at Dunbar High, in Washington, D.C., had improved the most over the previous week.

When Shawne Alston was out Monday after injuring his neck in Saturday’s scrimmage — and right on cue! — it was Roberts who seemed to take those vacated handoffs more than anyone else.

Wednesday wasn’t much different.

– After receiving high praise on Monday, true freshman Vernard Roberts got the majority of the first-team reps and showed a quick first step to hit the hole and get going up field. In goal line drills, Roberts found the end zone twice, one coming after he spun away from two tackle attempts along his way.

(More good stuff in there, including more field-goal woes).

This is a big development in the fraternal battle between Vernard and Vance.

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