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

Kragthorpe keeps hits coming

November 4, 2009 by Mike Casazza

For those of you wondering or worried about the crowd and the environment and the value thereof Saturday at Mountaineer Field, perhaps there is reason to be worried. Losses are deflating, especially ones in late October, and it’s not as if WVU’s attendance has been overwhelming this season.

Just know, though, that the fans have been essentially challenged by Steve Kragthorpe, who expects Mountaineer Field to live up to its past reputation. And what a reputation that is.

“They all have good arms, whether they’re right-handed or left-handed. They throw those batteries extremely well,” he said. “They are extremely accurate with those, too. I’m going to have to have a hard hat when I come out of the locker room.”

There was sarcasm involved, of course, and Kraghtorpe seemed fond of the way the town celebrated home games.

“It’s a 12 o’clock nooner so they won’t be quite as tanked as they were when we were there two years ago, but, they get after it, man,” he said. “They love football. I mean, they love playing football there and they love coaching football there and they love watching football there. It’s a great football place.”

Kragthorpe cuts loose

November 3, 2009 by Mike Casazza

So Bill Stewart had an unintentionally interesting choice of words today when in his press conference he said Louisville “has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Our backs are up against the wall.”

I didn’t think much of it. Until later. I’ve been trying to learn about this Will Stein kid who might or might not start at quarterback this week — 54 touchdown passes as a high school senior! — and found a story where Steve Kragthorpe discusses it … and something else. 

In talking about Stein and his successes despite his 5-foot-10 frame, Kragthorpe also jokingly referred to his own job status.

“I was actually talking to Jon Gruden. He wanted to know how tall Will Stein was,” Kragthorpe said of the former NFLcoach whose name has been buzzing on Internet message boards as a possible replacement for Kragthorpe. “I said 5-foot-7 on a good day.”

I like it. Among the worst kept secrets in the Big East — and there are many to be kept — is the temperature of seat on which Kragthorpe sits. He’s 14-18 in his third season and has only three winning streaks, the longest of which lasted three games. 

He’s been fired at least twice this season, according to reports, one of which said he told his team he was done and would coach out the rest of the season. And now he’s wisecracking about it? Yes! Maybe he’s just having fun and riding it out, but those teams and coaches can be dangerous if and when they have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Vanilla sigh

by Mike Casazza

Joe Alexander’s NBA career veered slowly toward a dead end Tuesday when the Bucks announced before Alexander’s second season they’ll decline the option for his third season.

“It was a difficult decision not to pick up Joe Alexander’s option,” Hammond said. “Joe has missed valuable on-court development opportunities due to injury during the first two training camps, and this year he will miss almost the first three months of the season with his hamstring injury.

“We believe Joe can be a good NBA player, but his latest injury has hampered our ability to further assess his progress.”

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Anyone got $100 to throw around?

by Mike Casazza

Noel Devine’s Heisman Trophy candidacy — which, to be fair, was created solely by we media — had a bad night against USF. However, he remains a potentially profitable pick to win it this season. Don’t sleep on Ndamukong Suh!

In defense of the indefensible

by Mike Casazza

Back when Ohio State and Michigan were coached by Hayes and Schembechler and the rivalry was at one of its most fierce levels, the Buckeyes crushed the Wolverines and went on to win the 1968 national title.

Following a touchdown at the end of that 50-14 game, though, Woody Hayes made an unusual decision to go for two and presumably embarrass Michigan. When asked why later, he said, “Because I couldn’t go for three.”

Funny. Simple. Accurate.

This is revisited today because there was a question that needed to be asked about what has become of WVU’s pass “defense” this season.  Teams can pass the ball against the Mountaineers. Teams believe they can pass the ball against the Mountaineers. And so it was asked of USF offensive coordinator Mike Canales is this was something he and others had begun to highlight.

“I watched every game film and watched more from last year,” Canales said. “It is a trend.”

Well, that’s not good. Surely there’s a flaw in WVU’s once venerable-now-vulnerable scheme. Right?

Well, yes and no. The flaw is teams pass on WVU not because they can, but because they must. So why’d the Bulls pass so much? Because they couldn’t run it.

“If I’m playing West Virginia, I’m looking for ways to push the ball downfield against them because they’re going to stop the run,” he said.

“You’re going to have to throw the football to beat West Virginia, bottom line. You’ve got to throw the football because that’s the only way you’re going to beat them. You’re not going to line up toe-to-toe and run against West Virginia, so you better throw it.”

In case you were wondering, all is not lost. There is still hope. Why, Hayes had perhaps his best OSU team the next year. Michigan won 24-12 to snap the Buckeyes’ 22-game winning streak.

Missed calls

November 2, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Hey, look at that play on words!

I was traveling yesterday and didn’t catch Bill Stewart’s conference call. I was, however, hipped to some details once I got to the airport in Pittsburgh. Among them:

– The status of Reed Williams
– The reason WVU punted from the USF 33
– Possible lineup changes and tweaks to the kicking game
– Not throwing Keith Tandy under the bus two days after saying Tandy wasn’t as good as his opponent
– Lousy officiating

Huh?

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The sad decline of Reed Williams

by Mike Casazza

His days as an every-down player are probably over, according to Bill Stewart. Those labrum surgeries last year fixed the tears, but I’ve always been told it’s never the same and it sure looks like the accumulation there and various other foot and toe injurues have had an effect on the senior from Moorefield.

“Reed is not going to be an 80-play guy,” Stewart said. “Will he play? Yes, he will play, and he played very well for the time he was in there. Reed made a difference. Anthony Leonard got some nice acclaim from the coaching staff. He did some good things. We’d sure like to have Reed in there for 80 plays or however many plays we have to play in any ballgame.” 

Monday Feedback

by Mike Casazza

I have to do something this morning. My cell phone went berserk at Raymond James Stadium, which apparently is not uncommon, and I had to reset it afterward. That, for some reason, eliminated a majority of the texts I’d received during the game. So there went Texts from USF Game Night.

And perhaps that’s a good thing. It would have been weird and possibly rude to share those texts this morning.

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A deep explanation of Noel Devine’s success

October 30, 2009 by Mike Casazza

And by deep, I mean 36 inches deep. Most running backs stand seven yards behind their quarterback when in the I-formation. By now, though, we know Noel is not like most running backs.

“We moved him back an extra yard so he can see a lot broader and use his peripheral vision,” WVU running backs coach Chris Beatty said.

Most backs line up 7 yards behind the quarterback in the I-formation. Devine is a yard deeper to allow him to see that much more of the field and to allow him to use his eyes to use his feet.

What WVU also found, though, was quite unexpected, but quite welcome.

“It’s slowed him down a little bit,” Beatty said. “The farther you are from those blocks, the easier it is to see them.

Just a few other notes to send you on your way:

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Friendly fire

October 29, 2009 by Mike Casazza

I like the way Bob Huggins thinks.

The schedule this season doesn’t give his team a chance to scrimmage a Division-I team as it has in years past. That’s no small concern for a team that’s earned a spot as a top-10 team in the preseason poll — and may find some other good news to accompany that here shortly.

The Mountaineers scrimmage Mountain State Nov. 8 and then play two tune-up regular-season games before heading to the 76 Classic, which could at the end of the year have five conference champions in the field.

So those opportunities to practice and improve early in the season are important, especially if they’re not available for a team likely to rely on as many newcomers as WVU.  

Yesterday afternoon, though, the Mountaineers revealed they’ve found another top-10 team to scrimmage Saturday.

The West Virginia University men’s basketball team will hold a Gold-Blue intrasquad scrimmage at the WVU Coliseum on Saturday, Oct. 31 at 1 p.m. Admission is free and fans are encouraged to attend.

I won’t be there, but if you’d like to report for me, I’ll welcome the contributions.

Additionally, that’s it for me today. I’m off to Tampa via Air Tran, which I’m told has WiFi and could make possible a Friday Feedback authored from a mile high above terra firma. If not, I’m afraid we’ll pause for a week. It’s supposed to be 85 and sunny Friday. Please do not hold that against me.