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Texts from Maryland Game Day

September 19, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Another day, another surely divisive edition of Texts from Game Day … now regionally recognized!

The volume was different this time, in more ways than one, and that was to be expected in that what happened Saturday was a little unexpected. And no doubt encouraging … for about 35 minutes of football. If last week, if this team has taught anyone anything it is that the game is 60 minutes long and sometimes requires overtime.

It will always necessitate texts. Witness the rise of Tavon, the spotlight on Pat Miller, the scorn of a double pass and the best texts ever. My edits are in [brackets].

(11:07 AM):
Your Teddy Ruxpin link is a TR Exclusive!
(11:07 AM):
It’s an hour or so till kickoff and the Blue Gold News types have already stressed themselves into a stroke
(11:30 AM):
I know everyone rips on the Gold on Gold, but this is my least favorite look we have. White pants make us look like a high school team.
(11:58 AM):
Youre not supposed to be wearing white pants after labor day!
(12:04 PM):
Exclusive — the DP reports Maryland is the opponent today.

Continue reading…

Rejoice! A big game is here

September 18, 2010 by Mike Casazza

10:10 am: Defensive end Will Clarke, who was listed on Thursday’s injury report as doubtful, is out. It’s a blow to the depth up front, but it likely means more snaps for Bruce Irvin. Still without a sack, Irvin has actually found a way to affect games.

Continue reading…

Friday Feedback

September 17, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which wonders if we’ve changed the definition of exclusive. That’s all I’ll say about that, for personal and professional reasons. I’m disappointed and agitated, so let’s jump right into this.

Well, after a reminder: Texts From Game Day. It’s on again.

As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, plan ahead.

Dave said:

“Friends of Coal Bowl” might be renamed “Friends of Pads Bowl.”

Apparently, there is an interesting story developing between WVU and MU and who notifies the NCAA each others infractions. 

Mike, do you know anything about it?

Yes. Interesting is not the right word to use. I’m not going to create a story here. I just ask you read and think.

Continue reading…

WVU injury report

September 16, 2010 by Mike Casazza

MLBs Pat Lazear (knee bruise) and Branko Busick (hand) and tight end Tyler Urban will not play Saturday. Defensive end Will Clarke is doubtful (ankle) while receiver Brad Starks is probable (shoulder).

The 2 p.m. chat wrap

by Mike Casazza

Today’s chat transcript.

WVU owns Big Monday in beginning of February

by Mike Casazza

ESPN and the Big East announced the Big Monday schedule Thursday. It is as follows:

Dec. 27: Connecticut at Pittsburgh, 8:30, ESPN2
Jan.  3: Georgetown at St. John’s, 7, ESPN2
Jan. 10:  Notre Dame at Marquette, 7:00, ESPN2
Jan. 17: Villanova at Connecticut, 3:30, ESPN
                   Syracuse at Pittsburgh, 7:30, ESPN
Jan. 24: Notre Dame at Pittsburgh, 7, ESPN
Jan. 31: Louisville at Georgetown, 7, ESPN
Feb. 7: Pittsburgh at West Virginia, 7, ESPN
Feb. 14: West Virginia at Syracuse, 7, ESPN
Feb. 21: Syracuse at Villanova, 7, ESPN
Feb. 28: Villanova at Notre Dame, 7, ESPN

Look what I found!

by Mike Casazza

The transcript from last week’s “WVU Football Chat with Mike Casazza.”

Meantime, a final reminder about the 2 p.m. edition. Places, everyone.

Pat White’s is Pat White’s and so on …

by Mike Casazza

Freshly inked by the Kansas City Royals, Pat White, at long last, did a little conference call this week and addressed all the pertinent matters. Namely, Denard Robinson, Rich Rodriguez, the Miami Dolphins, WVU and, eventually, life as a baseball player again.

Pat’s an interesting guy in that he’s presents himself to be very humble and gracious and reserved — and that’s not an act, not at all — but he’s slo extremely confident, he could be a bit grouchy and he made point to sometimes make points.

Witness White v. Preston Smith, the Louisville linebacker who “allegedly” spit on White, and denied it, only for White to prett much call Smith a liar. White never forgot that and, I though, never liked the way Louisville conducted its end of that situation. You’ll remember he liked to tease Louisville. Remember the very non-Pat White snapping-my-fingers-while-I-score-this-TD from 2008?

Free from — or is it freed from? — football, one would wonder if White would have something to say about the way his NFL career was handled.

But the battle was too much to win. Physically he didn’t fit any kind of NFL mold. His passing was good, but not exceptional. A severe concussion cutting short his rookie year didn’t help matters any.

Whether he had a real chance to prove himself with Miami is up in the air. He has his own idea about it and says, “Mine’s mine, yours is yours, the Dolphins’ is theirs, and so on and so on.”

In the end, a couple of weeks back, he was cut.

Immediately, he began looking at options. The USFL was one, Canadian football another, trying out for yet another NFL team still remains a possibility.

But in Kansas City, the baseball Royals director of baseball operations Lonnie Goldberg, had a thought. He recalled that White was at one time a big-time prospect. He began calling around, checking on what kind of person he was, getting nothing but rave reviews on his character.

“I thought everyone in baseball would be on him,” Goldberg said in an interview Tuesday.

Come on, Gomer!

by Mike Casazza

Colin Dunlap, if you need him.

QUESTION: Will Bill Stewart ever win Big East coach of the year?

– Gomer, South of Morgantown somewhere, W.Va.

CD: Bill Stewart is an exponentially better football coach than you are a comedian.

Little things on the line

by Mike Casazza

In the hours that have passed, this became less and less significant, but when I first noticed it, it kind of punched me in the nose.

WVU football was 3-0 every year from 2004-2007. Actually, 4-0 three times and 7-0 another. WVU hasn’t started 3-0 since — 1-2 and 2-1 in Oll Stewart’s two seasons — but can get back to what was once familiar Saturday against  Maryland.

Again, probably not very important, except that, with the conditions of late, it kind of is. I guess that’s where you are these days, something you can discuss in the live chat at 2 p.m.

From WVU’s “At least we’re not … ” file, the Terrapins haven’t been 3-0 since 2001. The past three times they were 2-0 they lost to WVU. So Saturday, something has to give. Maryland seems to know and believe this as it prepares to prove itself.

The early direction of the season is on the line, and WVU sure could use every bit of momentum heading to Baton Rouge, but, in at least one household, it’s something of a secondary matter.

Meet Troy Gloster, freshman linebacker for the Mountaineers, and Drew Gloster, senior defensive end for the Terrapins. It’s a brotherly brawl.

Unravel the common thread that binds them as the next in line in a football family and follow it back to when Drew was playing pee wee football as a 7-year-old.

Troy, still four years younger, was admiring from the cheering section.

“Troy saw one of my closest childhood friends break his arm playing football,” said Drew, a starting defensive end who has played tight end and linebacker for the Terrapins. “Troy was young, but he was old enough to remember a thing like that. He remembered, ‘Hey, Travis broke his arm playing football,’ and from that point on as he got older, he said he didn’t want to play football because he didn’t want to break his arm like that.”