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

WVU self-reports another secondary violation

August 10, 2010 by Mike Casazza

True. And since the AP doesn’t bother with attribution, the Daily Mail and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette were first to report this.

NCAA rule 17.9.2.3 concerns the “five-day acclimatization period,” which begins with the first practice, and how it is to proceed.

Specifically, subsection (d) states:

“During the first two days of the acclimatization period, helmets shall be the only piece of protective equipment student-athletes may wear. During the third and fourth days of the acclimatization period, helmets and shoulder pads shall be the only pieces of protective equipment student-athletes may wear. During the final day of the five-day period and on any days thereafter, student-athletes may practice in full pads.”

The Big East Conference, of which WVU is a member, led a charge to change the rule in 2007, only to see it rejected in 2008.

Multiple photos and videos taken during practice Saturday and Sunday and published in print or on the Internet show various WVU players in lightweight shoulder pads known as “vests” or “spider pads.”

Camp bereft of battles?

by Mike Casazza

Earlier we talked about the depth chart on defense and how, barring something unexpected along the lines of an injury or one player falling off or another taking off, WVU’s starting defense may be in the opening game what it was in the opening practice.

Here’s the defensive depth chart handed out the first day. Not many holes or questions there as it relates to starters … and maybe even backups.

Well, on offense WVU returns nine starters as well and the quarterback spot belongs to Geno Smith. What this means — and the coaches will absolutely disagree with me, but I’m trying to make a point about how well-situated WVU is in camp — is the only true battle for a starting spot at one of the 22 positions is at right tackle between sophomore Jeff Braun — who never played the position before spring practice — and redshirt freshman Pat Eger — who was a LT in high school and hasn’t played in college.

Would you agree with that observation? Take a look.

Fortunately, there’s some action on special teams.

Senior Greg Pugnetti and sophomore Corey Smith, the Bunker Hill native who transferred from Alabama, are having a booming battle for the punting spot. John Howard, a walk-on redshirt freshman from Cincinnati, has been so good as the scout teak kickoff specialist that he’ll get a chance soon to compete for the real thing. And while you could and maybe should see more names among the returners, it’s hard to go wrong with those candidates.

JT’s mom as the key to WVU’s defense?

by Mike Casazza

WVU opened preseason practice with nine returning starters on what could be the Big East’s best defense. You’ll hear people say every spot is open to competition, which is true, but there are only two vacancies at starting spots.

And truthfully, senior Anthony Leonard is the favorite at SLB and sophomore Terence Garvin seems the best fit for SS. Maybe one of those guys is the most important player as it relates to WVU’s defense being that which is it capable of this season. Maybe it’s someone else and you could make very good arguments for specialists like a Bruce Irvin, sleepers like a Julian Miller, obvious choices like Robert Sands or even starters like a Chris Neild.

And if you said J.T. Thomas … well, you might be right, but you might also have picked the wrong person in his own home. His mom, Andrea Blanks, is a factor and cannot be denied.

She does what she can so Thomas can do what he must.

“She can’t lift the weights for me,” Thomas said, “but she’s making sure I eat three times a day.”

And when he says Blanks is making sure, he means it.

“She’s shoving food in my face when I get home, which is great,” he said. “It’s good to be able to go home after a long day of camp and be able to see my mom. A lot of guys don’t see their mom all year.”

Together they’re trying to share the entire experience as best as they can, which often leads to neat little moments like Saturday night after the first practice.

“I made her put her foot in the cold tub, in the bucket of ice,” Thomas said, “just so she feels what I go through.”

Bruce Irvin, American kickboxing powerhouse

August 9, 2010 by Mike Casazza

It’s a video game character from the Tekken franchise, but one does resemble the other, right? Maybe your Bruce Irvin can handle himself as well as their Bruce Irvin.

Practice in pads and helmets today. Back with a report afterward.

NCAA cases can be costly

by Mike Casazza

When schools are hit by NCAA allegations, they are often hit hard in the bank account, too. Alabama rang up a rather large bill defending itself in that textbook case. Florida State spent a ton of money in an all together different manner when it got in trouble. And then there’s Michigan, which is nearly halfway to a million dollars into its defense.

Not to say WVU will have the same trouble. I’d imagine its legal counsel will do a lot of the work, though it does seem like a good idea/gesture to go outside and have an independent entity look at the case and help structure an argument. Who knows where the case goes or from where the money comes, but maybe WVU gets creative in finding funds?

Scooter Berry would rather not be a sissy

by Mike Casazza

There were a lot of one-liners made over the weekend about Scooter Berry’s age and the length of his career at WVU — and he even aimed a few at himself.

It probably shouldn’t have been surprising because for as long as he’s been here he’s been one of the most likeable and most-liked guys on the roster. Last year was just different, though, and you had to wonder how the arrest and subsequent suspension as well as the academic ineligibility for the Gator Bowl — he once tweeted his GPA was fine but he didn’t pass enough core classes — might have carried over into the summer.

Remember, too, that he had shoulder surgery after the season and didn’t pratice in the spring, which is where players form a lot of opinions about those around them.

But that players and coaches were not just joking about Scooter, but rubbing their hands in excitement about what they’d seen and what he can do again for the defense was a very good sign.

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Bruce Irvin is a kind and generous fellow

August 8, 2010 by Mike Casazza

I’m not going to say anything bad about that dude. Truth be told, no one’s saying anything bad about the junior college transfer. Not because they’re afraid, but because he’s done nothing but wow those around him. Granted, it all comes with the typically tempered newcomer expectations — and WVU people are going to be very careful how they speak about juco DEs — but the agility, the explosion, the speed and the demeanor all point to him being a difference-maker at defensive end.

Or, as Oll Stewart said Saturday, “not like many we’ve had here before.”

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‘Amen’

August 7, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Bill Stewart addressed the NCAA violations in a broad and brief sense with an answer to a question about how he handled it with his team. Nothing particularly riveting and he closed that reply, in essence, by saying, ”This is about the twenty-ten Mountaineers.”

Then some schmuck in the back, who no one knew as a writer or TV/radio guy or one of the other people who don’t belong in press conferences but are usually there, chimed in and goes, ”Amen.”

Heads turned. Pens stopped. Jaws dropped. Completely inexcusable.

The press conference went on and afterward the same idiot was walking around the area designated for player interviews with what looked like something he wanted autographed. I was really hoping he tried on my watch, but it never got that far.

Mike Fragale, assistant AD for communications, tossed the guy. Found him and asked him to leave. Highlight of the day … especially after the guy wondered aloud if Fragale were a good Christian.

Also, massive offensive lineman Quinton Spain and receiver Dante Chambers are not on campus. Stewart said they’re being held up by the NCAA Eligibility Center. Stewart said Washington, D.C., ”athlete” Avery Williams is also back home and will probably enroll in January.

A brief review of a brief part of practice

by Mike Casazza

The media was allowed to watch an hour of the afternoon’s practice and, as far as first days go, there were some interesting sights and sounds. Freshman safety Travis Bell, for example, has abs, a zip code and a pretty sick tattoo.

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Friday Feedback

August 6, 2010 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which must hurry today or risk going over the 37.5 hours I’m allowed to work in one week.

We’ll be heavy on the NCAA’s special delivery and for that I kind of apologize. There’s some stuff I’ll leave out — you handled the scholarship numbers debate quite nicely — because this NCAA thing is too big and too complex to merely flip through today.

No need for an introduction today. I think everything I think and know can be wedged into the replies to the very smart and very appropriate comments regarding the case.

I will offer four observations. Two might to increase your heartbeat and two might slow it:

1) When did Rodriguez begin closed practices? Prior to the 2005 season.
2) If someone is thought to have done something that merits an accusation from the NCAA and that someone’s job no longer exists, but that someone remains employed by the university, what kind of dirt might that someone have?
3) You’re not going to lose past wins or future television appearances.
4) You’re now a more qualified candidate for the SEC.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, file the appropriate paperwork.

Foul Shot said:

This all just makes us look bad.
Since this all happened on Asbestos Ed’s watch, can he be let go from the emeritus position which is paying that ridiculous salary for doing absolutely nothing?
Also, about the comments regarding Stew, if he was doing wrong, I think he should be cleared out too.
I like Stew and I like his values that he speaks of, but practice what I preach and not what I do just won’t cut it. Especially if WVU goes on some sort of probation.
I agree, I dont see how WVU compares to a USC regarding a probation, but just the thought of us not being clean really bothers me. I guess I would have to have my head in the sand though to think we would be totally clean.

A lot of people were thrown from high horses. WVU could always punctuate a conversation with a rival like, say, Marshall by saying, “Well, at least we do it the right way.” That changes now, no matter how widespread this sort of behavior is today. It does make WVU look bad — not SMU or USC bad, but still bad — and that’s never happened with football here. Let’s give Stewart and Pastilong a look. First, Pastilong wasn’t asked to appear at the infractions hearing, which I thought was strange. Not because I feel he’s guilty, but because he was the AD during the years in question. The NCAA requested the former compliance director appear, so why not Ed? There’s a very serious allegation compliance was making a fuss over the football staff breaking rules and the fuss went uncured. Someone in charge decided to overlook that, right? And it’s the athletic department, and not the institution, that’s charged with a failure to monitor. It’s almost always the institution. As for Stewart, he’s hurt the most, I believe, because everything he says and does in his daily walk contradicts what is said and done by a cheater. I don’t think he’s a cheater, but he’s accused of allowing rules to be broken on his watch. There are clauses in both contracts that say both can be fired for running afoul of the NCAA, but I highly doubt that happens.

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