The Twitter topic rages on with the New York Jets striking a big victory for the micro-bloggers. One wonders if WVU will be encouraged to do the same after a weekend incident. Really, what if you were the subject of this Tweet and it found its way to your Smartphone Sunday?
I give you a reason today to think about Usain Bolt’s absurd world record performance Sunday. WVU has a Jamaican on its team and just about everyone — he is the exception — think he’s the fastest linebacker, which is a significant distinction given the speed the Mountaineers have at that position.
It is, at that spot, like being dubbed “World’s Fastest Man.”
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That’s good news for the offense because that’s freshman quarterback Eugene Smith in a gold jersey. Remember, Smith broke his left foot June 26. He’d been wearing a green jersey thus far in practice, which limited his participation. In Saturday’s opening scrimmage of camp, he was full-go as the second-team quarterback. He was 8-for-13 for 85 yards, including a pretty corner route pass to Will Johnson for a 41-yard gain.
Smith was under center, he was in the shotgun, he ran option. Basically, there were no limitations.
“We’re not going to have just a package for him. He has to know the whole gamut. He’s really good, really sharp,” Bill Stewart said.
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Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is being typed today with sore hands from a lot of juggling this week. The first week is always the craziest, but it’s in the past now. We’ll continue to vet the Mountaineers, but … well, so far so good. Five impressions:
1) Very capable freshman class–I don’t know how or why I think this because all I’ve really seen is stretching and footwork and very basic drills, but I like what I see and, more importantly, what I hear. Not a day goes by without someone volunteering information about a freshman. Also — and this matters a lot — they’re visually impressive.
2) Not as much depth as we think–That’s chronicled in today’s Daily Mail.
3) This is the year of the TE/FB–We’ve already gone over the I-formation and the Bubba package, so you know it’s going to be a focus. I’m not sure we know right now just how good Tyler Urban will be. Will Johnson is getting a lot of compliments. Ricky Kovatch has progressed as well as expected. Ryan Clarke is maybe the biggest story going because of his total personal renaissance and his value as a RB/FB. I really wonder if Chris Snook doesn’t redshirt … and think of how unlikely that would have seemed in February.
4) No injuries–Really, everyone got through the first week unscathed. Geno Smith and Ryan Spiker both started in green jerseys, but no one picked one up … especially Donny Barclay. This has to be a good development.
5) Special attention to special team–Who knows how it’ll turn out, but in Novemeber you can’t possibly say, “Damn, they should’ve spent more time on this in practice.”
5b) Facebook doesn’t fail–The blog’s Facebook page is up and running like Tavon Austin. Thanks to those who’ve helped us to the nice start. Now go tell your friends to become my friends. No, seriously. I need to get past a certain number just for my own ego.
Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, pay attention.
Michael said:
Mike –
Blutarsky!
Love film arcana, especially the Verbal Kint /Kobayashi / Usual Suspect references.
You think Tevita Finau is really Keyser Sosa?
No, no I don’t. We actually saw Keyser Soze.
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Conspiracy theorists will have to chew on this, but College Football News thinks highly of WVU’s fleet fleet of linebackers.
9. West Virginia
Whatever the defensive linemen miss, these talented linebackers will be prepared to clean up. Even after losing Ivy to the NFL, it’s a very talented and diverse group that knows the 3-3-5 stack intimately. Reed Williams and J.T.
Much grief was given to WVU’s short-yardage woes last season — and for good reason — and much concern is being given to that area now. A lot of the questions being asked to and around the football team involve third-and-short and getting seven points in the red zone rather than three.
A lot of the answers should probably come from the running game. Whether that happens remains to be seen, but we’re getting a look at some possibilities in practice.
WVU has tinkered with personnel packages for short-yardage and has even featured a big I-formation with 6-foot, 230-pound Ryan Clark as the tailback, 6-2, 240-pound Ricky Kovatch as the fullback and 6-2, 230-pound Will Johnson and 6-5, 245-pound Tyler Urban as tight ends in practice. The distribution of run and pass has looked fairly even.
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Today was the first day of full pads and full contact. Bill Stewart likes to get things going with the Oklahoma Drill. When the offense wins, it looks like this: That’s Parkersburg’s Matt Lindamood getting blocks from Donny Barclay (64), Matt Timmerman (59) and Ryan Nehlen (80) to get away from Scooter Berry (93), Sidney Glover (11) — who are two pretty good players — and Demar Harmon, a freshman walk-on who’s been a pleasant surprise so far.
When the defense wins, it looks like this: Stedman Bailey, meet Mr. Glover.
When Tavon Austin runs, it looks like this.
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In 2009, West Virginia University will feature 27 players on its roster from its home state. That includes five players from the projected starting lineup or two-deep plus a bunch of always undervalued special teams players.
It comes and goes in this state, but the Mountaineers are determined to find and attract the best players in the state, no matter their reputation.
“You don’t have to be a five-star, four-star, three-star or any star. All you have to be is our star,” said head coach Bill Stewart. “We have a number of good players come from the state of West Virginia. There is good football in West Virginia.”
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Quickly…name five options to return punts for WVU this season. Did 6-foot-6 safety Robert Sands make your list?
Well, he was back there catching punts Tuesday with Brandon Hogan, who should have been near the top of your list. Was it just one of those things where Sands wasn’t busy while others, like Jock Sanders, were in drills? Or can we expect to see Sands back there this season?
“Ehhhhhh, I don’t know about that,” Coach Bill Stewart said. “He’s doing a lot of things, but he’s just a sophomore, a second-year man. He’s a real treat, but we think — and I know — with Jock Sanders and some of the young ones we have back there we can take the heat off Robert. He needs to concentrate on defense.”
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So I was watching practice Sunday and paying attention to the running backs because I’m still wondering how WVU is going to convert those short-yardage situations. I was watching one kid run and lean and do just about everything to seem like a solution.
“Who is this No. 24?” I thought. I looked at my numerical roster, which has no height, weight or class, and saw “D. Hargrett.” That’d be Daquan Hargrett, from Miami’s Northwestern High. Knowing I couldn’t talk to him until next week, as is the case with all the other freshmen, I made a note too look him up later.
I’m glad I did. Here’s his bio from the media guide:
Daquan Hargrett
RB, 5-10, 190, Miami, Fla./Miami Northwestern HS
Coached by William Rolle at Miami Northwestern High School … Florida Class 6A honorable mention all-state … Miami Herald Top 100 (No. 97) Florida prospects … Miami Herald first-team all-Dade County … No. 20-rated player in Dade County according to the Miami Herald … Orlando Sentinel Florida Top 100 … ESPN Top 150 list … Florida Varsity Top 100 … had 128 carries for 1,129 yards and 17 touchdowns as a senior … helped Northwestern High school to a pair of Class 6A state championship appearances … Northwestern’s bid for back-to-back-to-back titles ended with a 28-21 defeat of Seminole High School in the state finals, finishing 13-2 in 2008 … Northwestern was trying to become the first team from Dade County to win three consecutive state championships since the playoff format was first adopted in 1963 … helped Northwestern to a mythical high school national title as a junior … finished with 117 carries for 882 yards and 12 touchdowns … also had eight catches for 161 yards and a touchdown … also offered by Clemson, Iowa State, Minnesota and USF.
“Really?” I thought. So I made another note to bring my camera to Monday’s practice. Ladies and gentlemen, Daquan Hargrett, 5-10, 190-pound freshman from Miami.
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