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

Decoding Bill Stewart

September 29, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Bill Stewart gets a lot of grief for the sometimes meandering manner of his press conferences. Sometimes we get confused trying to follow along and sort sense from nonsense. Quite often, there’s a good point lost in translation. 

Fortunately, there’s value in Decoding Bill Stewart. This week, WVU’s head coach is asked what his teams need to do better to win on the road. He details some of the details to his 7-8 road record and attempts to approximate the merit of road wins as they relate to a coach’s bottom line.

From Tuesday’s press conference:

Question: “Bill, you have to be spending a lot of time in your mind wondering why you haven’t had more success on the road. You know, you have a 7-8 record.1 I know part of it is that a lot of your road games are against tougher teams.2

“I’m sure you’d like to be above .500 in road games. What do you think you have to do to turn 7-8 into 10-6, or 10- 5, if my math is right?”

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Let’s watch the chess pieces move now

September 28, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Suppose WVU is going out of its way to arrange a non-conference schedule that’s without any green — this isn’t entirely absurd, by the way — and is “actively looking” for opponents.

One and maybe two popped up out of nowhere, which is how these things tend to happen. Georgia and Oregon have decided not to play in 2015-16.

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Not to say things are bad for the Big East …

by Mike Casazza

… but a 1-10 record against teams from BCS conference will lend you to sattire.

The TNIAAM Times-Picayune  has learned that Villanova has asked the eight football members of the Big East Conference to drop from the FBS level to the FCS level in order to combine their efforts.

“This is a complicated issue with numerous, multi-dimensional factors that come into play,” said Villanova President Peter Donohue, “When we investigated the scenarios we came to the conclusion it would be better for everyone to just stop wasting all that money and join us down here where they can actually be competitive.”

According to high-ranking sources, the league schools are heavily-considering the move.

“The way I see it…we’re 1-10 against BCS teams but 9-0 against FCS teams” said West Virginia head coach Bill Stewart, “We could drop to FCS and have the exact same outcomes. It’s a no-brainer.”

The gold has been sorted

September 27, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Bill Stewart’s spot on the Big East teleconference

Sorry to report this, but Bill Stewart’s spot on the Big East teleconference didn’t solve many things. Actually, it kind of exacerbated a few topics, namely the idea he’s a little defensive when the sitaution isn’t entirely critical of him, the present or the future.

I will allow that he was tempted a little but — the Big East meme is tiresome, yes/no questions can be answered thusly, no reporter should ever say he thought a team was going to lose — but it seems to me he’s heading in a direction others are not.

I did re-watch the majority of the game and a lot of the areas in question and I think I can understand things a little better. Funny thing is, what I thought then is mostly what I think now. Seems you are all on the same page, too.

Oh well. Away we go …

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A Monday morning shakedown

by Mike Casazza

Let’s put a bunch of issues in the sifter this morning and shake them until we’re left with only gold. Saturday night no doubt created questions and concerns and we’ve had nearly 36 hours to think about them. Answers were not abundant after the game — testy! — but things have since cooled down and some things have been made to make more sense.

So here’s our plan. What are things you’d like to explain or have explained? What are your questions, comments, concerns and/or criticisms? Post your items. Comments on others. The Big East teleconference is about to begin, so we’ll give it some time, and maybe some more explanations, and then we’ll circle back and round up the most popular items and put together some insight.

Texts From LSU Game Day

September 26, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Uhoh! Another revealing, reflective and riveting edition of Texts From Game Day … in retrospect, make that Distinctively Adept Texts From Game Day. The texts arrived in waves and were gathered nicely by the anonymous assistant, who you can thank in the comments. This was a good one and I’m glad it was captured.

Suppose you hadn’t watched Saturday night. Too late, too busy, too whatever. Read along and experience what others witnessed, either at home or at Tiger Stadium. Or suppose you did watch. Revel in what others felt and see if you were moved to the same extremes.

This could be a long week for the Mountaineers. The players felt they were better and were left upset they couldn’t get the win. I’m not convinced that’s true. I think WVU did play well enough in that game to win, but I think you could make the very same argument for LSU. I don’t think WVU was so clearly better that it can be said the Mountaineers deserved to win.  

They played well on defense, yes, but there were miscues they had to avoid and could not. There were also the special team blowups and there were more errors on offense — 10 turnovers in four games now, more poorly timed penalties and some disjointed play-calling.

The team is off this week in advance of UNLV, which precedes a game the following Thursday against USF. Lots of time to discuss and debate items, such as the decision to test Patrick Peterson and whether it should have been avoided, the uneven use of wide receiver screens, the Marshall rally and how it relates to the LSU rally and depth at running back … where it would appear depth is not the appropriate word.

I’m sure those issues are on your mind. I’m not sure the discontent with the coaching, particularly on offense, has been as high as it is now, 30 games into this.

At least that’s what I gather from Texts From LSU Game Day. Operator, won’t you put me on through? I gotta send my love down to Baton Rouge. Hurry up, won’t you put her on the line? I gotta to text the girl just one  more time. My edits are in [brackets].

(12:43 PM):
So I guess Denard Robinson is hurt? Did it happen when he was walking on water, or turning water into wine?

(8:30 PM):
Getting nervous that this Cincy game will cut into our kickoff

(9:06 PM):
Where the bleep is our game….f u espn

(9:19 PM):
Lets hope this is a game where we dont look at avg starting field posiion after its over

(9:20 PM):
John Beilein as the official again, so at least its a BE crew

(9:20 PM):
I can’t see the game. Damnit Cincy!

(9:22 PM):
Woo-hooo! Tandy!!! Way to redeem yourself!

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Live from LSU, apparently a tough place to play

September 25, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Jamming to the PA at Tiger Stadium, where the soundtrack has thus far included the White Stripes, MIA, Phil Colins (guess what song!), Nirvana and other head-nodders. Just not as cool as the soundtrack for Les Miles’ little corner of the Internet.

Let’s roll — and let’s try to stay dry. I say that because, well, you tell me …

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Pregame Feedback

by Mike Casazza

Long wait before kickoff, so here’s an impromptu Friday Feedback, Saturday style. I felt compelled this week. The input was too good to overlook. I can’t even really offer Feedback for a lot of what was said. I mean, what can I say about this:

glibglub said:

Another LSU-WVU similarity is that Tiger fans spell “o” sounds e-a-u-x, whereas some of us have taken to spelling “u” sounds E-u.

Geaux figEure.

I can’t beat that. Nor will I try. Instead, onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, use your head.

rekterx said:

Mike … I guess it makes a good story. None of us really know all of the details, do we? And its always possible that Stew is taking a more measured response than he has in the past.

I think articles like Hertzel’s really only serve to stir up animosity amongst a bunch of people who do not know the inside story. So in that sense, Hertzell’s piece is really no different than gossip.

As I said, it makes for a good story in the paper.

There’s a line people see and blur all the time — and I mean this as no disrespect to you or your opinion, which I get and can agree with on many levels. However, it’s a story that must be covered. Must. Be. How it’s covered, sure, that can vary. But a lot of people have suggested we the media have made this out to be something bigger than it is. In my view, how people digest news develops a story. Someone saying, “You’re making a big deal out of this” would make me think that that someone has made it a big deal individually. And you know what else makes for a good story? The talk about how losing a game isn’t the end of the world and football and the program are about much more than wins and losses. Goes both ways. I’m not saying I disagree with what’s been done with regard to Hogan. I don’t really even know what’s been done, but I do think it’s an open topic and subject to discourse.

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What if I told you …

September 24, 2010 by Mike Casazza

… there will be a Friday Feedback tomorrow? And an open post for the game? Is that something you’d be interested in?

New Orleans feels euphoria

by Mike Casazza

In case you missed it, or if you were there and want to enjoy it again, the chat transcript is available for inquiring eyes.