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

6′6″, 240-pound prospect commits

August 26, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Brace yourself … though I’ll be really impressed when he finds a rhyme for Casazza.

On beards and hangtime

by Mike Casazza

If you have a question about either, ask Josh Lider, the senior Division II transfer who nabbed the impossible-to-undervalue kickoff job while sporting a strong beard. I can’t help but think these two things are connected.

“I tell them it keeps my face warm,” said Lider, who admitted it was far more useful on campus in Bellingham, Wash., where the annual average high temperature is just 57 degrees. “Right now, I don’t feel like I need one. The weather is very different.”

It’s still useful, particularly against the irritation of a sweat-soaked helmet rubbing against smooth-shaven skin. There’s also a personal comfort, too.

He’s grown beards in the past and kicked pretty well – 10-for-15 on field goals last season, 19-for-29 in his career; 39.1 yards per punt last season with 10 downed inside the 10-yard line.

“Plus,” he said, “how many kickers do you see out there with a beard? I don’t think there are too many.”

Football roster updates

by Mike Casazza

Truth be told, there aren’t many. When Wednesday’s roster is placed next to the one published before camp, you find no one left the team, as best as I can tell, and that’s either rare, promising or both.

There were 16 fall semester additions and a few of them are noteworthy, like running back Zach Hulce making it back as he rehabs an ACL. Tight end Tyler Rader (ACL) and kicker Ben Rios (back) are also back on the roster and Bryan Logsdon will wear 91. I don’t know about you, but I feel better when my tight ends wear 91.

Speaking of numbers, the numerical roster is interesting. There are 120 players on the team, which means a number of repeats and maybe some issues. What if, for example, safety Jonathan Scott gets to play as a true freshman. It’s likely on special teams, at least to begin. He wears No. 33. So, too, does fullback/tight end Maxwell Anderson, another special teamer. Hmmm.

Special teams is the only place it could happen — and it’s unlikely it does — because WVU manages to prevent two players on the same side of the ball from wearing the same number. Still, we won’t get to see cornerback Brodrick Jenkins and slot receiver/running back Jock Sanders (Nos. 9) returning kicks or punts together. Too bad.

As for the depth chart …

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Grab your calendars

August 25, 2009 by Mike Casazza

The likely preseason top 15 men’s basketball team revealed its nonconference schedule today. See you in Anaheim?

Take two!

by Mike Casazza

OK, so it didn’t go quite as planned last year, but the University Chapter of the WVU Alumni Association is hosting its annual Countdown to Kickoff Sunday. Nothing is confirmed, but I’m hearing whispers the Chapter is trying to line up Doc Holliday and (President) Jim Clements. Cornhole and beer will follow.

Straight outta Schoenefeld

by Mike Casazza

Akon was at Fall Fest at WVU last night and you saw a lot of what you’d expect on the first night of the fall semester. It was full celebration mode, which I always found most enjoyable about college. The first few days were a party, almost as if the summer was over and now the fun could begin.

Anyhow, the headline act was of great interest to most of the crowd and to one WVU football player in particular. Curtis Feigt, a true freshman from Germany, happens to be a pretty big fan.

Ever since he was first introduced to the game, Feigt wanted to play in America. He decided he would experience one season of high school football, which meant preparing himself culturally so he could fit in among his peers.

Some would go for books, television or movies popular in America. Feigt opted for rap.

He was 10 or 11 years old and again drawn to something different.

“I heard it on the radio first and then I started watching MTV and all of that, and I kind of got into it and I liked it,” he said. “I kept listening to it.”

Before long, he had his favorites and was bobbing his head to DMX and Limp Bizkit.

“I started to learn a different way people talk here,” he said. “It helped me out a lot.”

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Taylor made for scholarship?

August 24, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Early in preseason camp, Bill Stewart was watching the defensive linemen work when he grew a little frustrated with the practice tendencies of one of the newcomers Stewart would not name. Stewart approached the lad and said, in essence, “I love your talent. I don’t love the way you work. You need to watch him.” Stewart pointed at a defensive lineman and you’d assume it was Scooter Berry or Chris Neild. Maybe even Julian Miller.

It was Josh Taylor, a walk-on from Miramar, Fla., who may very well be more important to WVU’s success this season than Miramar products Geno Smith and Stedman Bailey.

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Johnny Patrick is fast, yes?

by Mike Casazza

I’ve watched and rewatched the latest Noel Devine clip — this is a sad little hobby, if you didn’t already know — and though I wasn’t sure it was possible, I’m further convinced he’s a transcendent individual you won’t see too often. The skills, the background, the maturation, so on and so forth, you’re just kind of lucky to be witnessing it and only at the halfway point.

Anyhow, five things I note watching this. Well, make it six, five of which are new:

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This should make your Monday go

by Mike Casazza

Meet Bryan Logsdon, a 27-year-old redshirt sophomore walk-on who was pretty busy the past few years and is only now finding time for football. He’s never played the game — and WVU has a number of tight ends already — but I want this guy on my side.

P.S. If you can’t view video at work, make some time to watch this where and when you can.

Friday Feedback

August 21, 2009 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is “swimming” and “spinning” if only because I’ve wanted to use those terms on myself after hearing them so often lately. After watching two weeks of the first hour of practice, I’m qualified only to set up an Oklahoma Drill and run a Jugs machine.

Camp ends Saturday with a scrimmage and then the coaches have to huddle and hustle as they prepare for preseason practice, but do so trying to incorporate far fewer players. It’s decision time, which makes the scrimmage so critical. Maybe major decisions aren’t made — I suspect few, if any, will be — but the staff figures out who it moves forward with as Liberty (and ECU) approaches.

All in all, WVU is pretty satisfied with where it stands right now. Offensively, the group is much further ahead than this time last year. Defensively — and you have to understand Jeff Casteel is difficult to impress — the group isn’t where it wants to be, but that has a lot to do with its own level of heightened expectations. Even special teams seems to be satisfactory, though it’s always the one thing you can’t properly prepare in practice.

So they go behind a thick veil of secrecy now without daily reports to the media, yet you figure this is what they’ll be working on: five starters and two to three subs on the offensive line, depth on defensive line and at corner, kickoff coverage, short-yardage offense, red zone offense.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, be careful even if “things like this happen.”

Jeff in Akron said:

Just a thought. What happens when a huge benefactors son Tweet’s, YouTube’s, or Facebook’s during a game. Is the SEC really going to tell this benefactor he’s got to pay a fine, be removed from a game, or he can’t attend the next game in his luxury box. Yeah, that’s definitely going to happen!

Hadn’t thought of that. I was just wondering how they’d track a Tweet to Section 214, Row D, Seat 21. And really, if someone’s at the game Tweeting or whatever, doesn’t that stand to increase the viewership of a game? Whatever publicity emanates from the stands to people not at the game is probably going to get people to tune in an — wait for it — benefit business. Nobody in Tuscaloosa is following the game via Facebook.

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