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

The quizzical comment

December 8, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Bill Stewart was a different man Saturday night. He hollered at officials. He went nose-to-helmet with players. He pointed at this guy and tapped that guy on the helmet. He injected himself into huddle after huddle after huddle and allowed almost nothing to occur without his involvement.

He was fiery and emphatic. He coached and walked and acted with a clear purpose. This is not to say it was a first. I’ve watched closely all season and he’s been some and all of those things during preceding games. Yet that was the most active and demonstrative I’d seen him during a game. You could then understand an animated postgame peformance.

He touched on many things — using lineup changes to define the expectations he has for his team, defending the 8-4 record while admitting he wasn’t as delighted as many seemed to believe, stating there was a method to his madness that would be clear in a year or two — but he was adamant in saying how proud he was of his team and his staff during a transition year.

“It y not have been the greatest of years in some people’ standards and I’ not a big stat guy, but maybe some of you guys with a little time on your hands can look up and see what happens during transition years.”

That’s another discussion for another day. The point here is Stewart was apparently fed up with the negativity and followed with the quizzical comment I cannot explain.

“We’ve got enough coal in this state to heat the world. We’ve got enough oil in this state to lubricate the world. We’ve got enough brains in this state to run the world. Good evening.”

He then walked away.

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Talking points

by Mike Casazza

…from the weekend that was. For your use in elevator rides, trips to the water cooler and other awkward moments on a Monday.

– The Whiteout worked and actually looked pretty nice.

– Car Care Bowl travel packages are available. 

– He did it again.

– True, it was a blowout, but Joe Alexander cleaned up at the Staples Center.

-There you are, Devin Ebanks.

  

Friday Feedback

December 5, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to a Where-the-hell-was-that-all-year-Rutgers? edition of the Friday Feedback. At some point last night, WVU fans hoping to avoid Birmingham, Ala., had to hope the Scarlet Knights would do something wrong and stop looking so appealing to the Sun and Car Care bowls. By the way, cue the Greg Schiano coaching carousel in 5, 4, 3 … That was an overall frightening display of football — and by frightening, I mean, “Am I really headed to Birmingham for Christmas?”

I say no and the most likely destination is Charlotte and the Car Care, but Birmingham and the PapaJohns.com is possible, especially if Pitt and WVU lose. The Sun then has to really think about Rutgers. The Car Care, which doesn’t need a second school in ACC country if it gets the University of North Carolina, can pick WVU or Pitt and win in either case.

The biggest Birmingham obstacle is UNC. The Tar Heels already played and beat Rutgers and the bowl doesn’t want a rematch — but if it really wanted Rutgers, it could avoid one by picking another ACC team. WVU’s only route to the Sun is a win Saturday and a Pit loss.

My head is spinning and we haven’t even gotten to the big stuff. Fun little doubleheader tomorrow with WVU finding itself against a really good Cleveland State team. And if you think that’s a bias, you’re absolutely right. The State is coming off a brutal home loss, but to battle, Vikings all. Then it’s off to Mountaineer Field for an emotional farewell to a pretty good senior class and its leader, Pat White. Can’t say much that hasn’t been said already. Just enjoy it one last time, if you know what I mean.

Onto the Feedback, which today will begin with an interesting e-mail from a famous name I’ll have to keep private:

???? said: 

I’ve been thinking about it, though, and I kind of think he isn’t a starter, considered that he could possibly not get into a game until the second half …
WVU receives opening kickoff, never scores or punts in the first half and only kicks off ot start the second half. It’s even possible that he not get int he game at all, say WVU decides to receive the opening kickoff and the other team decides to kickoff to start the second half (because they screwed up and went with the wind in the first half … it happened with WVU, you remember).
 
So, therefore, I am officially elimintaed Pat McAfee as a starter.

Fair enough, and that may be right, but that doesn’t make it right. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, there are no shortcuts.

Bonnie the Bartender said:

How do you like Vegas so far?

You have no idea how funny that is.

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The charm of college sports

December 4, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Every now and then, you come across one of those quirks about college sports that just makes you shake your head and smile.

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The new TBA

by Mike Casazza

Wow, Tajh Boyd won’t be playing for Tennessee. So who didn’t see this coming?

“Basically, he just feels that Tajh is not suited for their style of offense,” Tim Boyd said. “He’s looking for more of a pocket quarterback like they’ve had at USC, like Matt Leinartor (Mark) Sanchez. They don’t want a dual-threat quarterback like Tajh, so he’ll be looking elsewhere.

“(Kiffin) said he would honor the scholarship if he still wanted to come, but he didn’t want Tajh coming there and then being unhappy. It’s not like he pulled the offer. He said he wants what’s in Tajh’s best interest.”

From the very beginning, you knew the first TBA wasn’t the last. That tends to be the case when you commit to a school just before the coach is forced out the door.

Meanwhile, Bill Stewart, who reached and passed the point of no return a long time ago, keeps throwing his hay-makers. He was back on the radio this week talking about how you recruit a kid and the more you hang around him and his dad the less you like them. That’s paraphrasing, and so, too, is the final salvo from Stewart in which he said people had asked him to stop talking about it, but that he couldn’t because he wanted to get the point across.

Point made and now a bloodied Boyd walks back to his corner to regroup. Oregon and Ohio State are interested, but why do I get a feeling Michigan is a player?  

A (your adjective) win

by Mike Casazza

Hey, good thing that wasn’t on a lot of TV sets, right? It needs to be said again it’s very early and this WVU team is still very much an unfinished product. Heck, the work has barely started. Huggins keeps saying he could do different things with his lineup and the team would be better right now — Flowers for Ebanks being No. 1 — but not necessarily better later in the season.

Along those lines, a win last night at a tough place to play is … well, it’s up to you, and I can understand the tough time you might have putting it into perspective. It wasn’t emphatic, but it wasn’t meaningless. The Mountaineers:

– didn’t shoot it well again from the floor or from the line. And won.
– won in a place no visiting nonconference team had won in the previous 25 games.
– rebounded really well: 36-28 edge, 22 offensive rebounds for 17 second-chance points.
– trailed by five with four minutes to play.
– had all sorts of odd personnel combinations in at key moments, which did not work against Kentucky.
– were miserable from the free-throw line — and I hate to say this — but made them when they counted.

Alex Ruoff, who’s in a funk as it is, has a shaky history at the line in big moments. He went 2-for-2 when he had to go 2-for-2. True, Bird Sowards didn’t really do anything with his 1-for-2, but I imagine coming in cold and stepping to the line in that spot isn’t easy. Still, if he goes 1-for-2 or 0-for-2, Ole Miss still takes a shot to win the game, but if you’re going to make 1 of 2, you better make the second so you can set up your defense.

And as bad as was WVU’s free throw shooting — and at this rate, we’re going to need stronger adjectives because rarely do teams or players get a lot better within a season — the story was probably what the Rebels did and did not do at the line.

For now, get used to these root canals, but imagine the way that smile looks later on.

How to watch tonight’s game

December 3, 2008 by Mike Casazza

WVU and Huggins take on Ole Miss and former Huggins assistant Andy Kennedy tonight at 9 p.m. ET and I think it’d be a fun game to watch. The Mountaineers will try to make some shots — possible Bird Sowards appearance — and the Rebels like to run and shoot and score. Good formula for fun.

One problem: Most of WVU’s fans won’t be able to see the game by conventional means. The only television is Fox SportsNet South.

In and bordering West Virginia, you can go to listen on your MSN affiliate or sign up for the streaming audio online.

Other audio options include XM Radio channel 199. If you don’t have XM, can’t stand Caridi, don’t appreciate Jay Jacobs or just want a different take, there’s RebelVision. Don’t be fooled — it’s audio. The Rebels will also provide live stats.

My suggestion? The surprisingly good (and free) ESPN360.com, though you have to hope it’s not a blackout, which probably shouldn’t be a problem at the 8,700-seat Tad Pad.

Grothe focused on WVU, not NFL

by Mike Casazza

Frankly, I’d forgotten Matt Grothe was just a junior, but the South Florida quarterback will return to school for his senior season.

“I’m coming back next year, ” he said. “I guess I’ll just come back and play well next year and hopefully go out with a bang my senior year.”

Grothe is having arguably the best season of his career at USF through 11 games. His passing yards (2,486), passing touchdowns (15), completion percentage (63.5) and passing efficiency rating (136.01) are all above his 2006 and ’07 totals in the 11-game span.

Grothe hasn’t lost a fumble this season. He had lost four to this point in 2006 and three in 2007. But can still improve through the air. He has just as many interceptions this season (12) as he did his prior two at USF through 11 games.

I was even more surprised when reminded USF destructive defensive end George Selvie was also a junior, yet less surprised to see he’s not sure what he’s doing.

While Grothe definitely will return, USF officially announced it would submit the paperwork with the NFL Draft advisory committee for junior defensive end George Selvie, who is projected as a first-round pick.

Selvie, who purchased an insurance policy before the season in case he suffered a career-ending injury, has said he won’t make a decision whether he will return for his senior season until after USF’s bowl game.

…or we could wait until Sunday

by Mike Casazza

(Ugh. Sorry, can’t spellcheck headlines, which is a problem when you can’t spell) 

Our latest gathering of only slightly more credible bowl projections and placements has North Carolina in the Car Care Bowl against Pitt.

The Meineke Car Care Bowl has been a success story since its inception in 2002 in part because of its ability to attract regional teams.

The Tar Heels’ Big East opponent will be determined on Saturday but Pittsburgh, which is 8-3, is considered the favorite heading into its game against Connecticut on Saturday.

That would mean WVU to the Sun Bowl, likely win or lose Saturday. And that would only be the case if this report were true, which I’m leaning toward since it’s a Charlotte bowl, a Charlotte newspaper and a N.C. team.

Remember, Rutgers has to win Thursday against Louisville or Notre Dame gets the Sun Bowl and messes everything up for everyone else.

If Rutgers, Pitt and WVU win, the Sun would take WVU and it’s bowl rep, the Car Care Bowl would take Pitt and counter its bowl rep by having a UNC team that will fill plenty of seats and the PapaJohns.com will take red-hot Rutgers. This scenario is probably the same for a Rutgers win and Pitt and WVU losses as well as for Rutgers and WVU winning and Pitt losing.

If Rutgers and Pitt win and WVU loses, it gets tricky. The Sun could still take WVU, but should opt for a 9-3 Pitt team over a 7-5 team. Rutgers, still red-hot, could bump WVU for the Car Care and send Pat White to Birmingham, Ala., for some pizza.

Or we could wait until Sunday, when everything is finalized.

The (not Pat) Whiteout

December 2, 2008 by Mike Casazza

It’s official. Saturday’s 8 p.m. season finale at home against South Florida is indeed a Whiteout. USF agreed to look past the NCAA rule requiring home teams to wear dark uniforms and will allow the Mountaineers to wear white. So much for hard feelings, huh?

WVU Coach Bill Stewart was emphatic in stating this was not about Pat White, but rather about 18 seniors who love their senior quarterback, who  just so happens to be named White.

Gee, that’s interesting…

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