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

Help rumbling to town?

November 17, 2008 by Mike Casazza

So there was an Owen Schmitt sighting this weekend — and what a sighting it was.

The Seahawks introduced their offense before kickoff and rookie fullback Owen Schmitt responded by coming out of the tunnel and smacking himself in the forehead three times with his helmet. Schmitt started because Leonard Weaver was inactive after bruising ribs in last week’s loss to the Dolphins.

Ah, yes. We’ve seen that before and still we cannot see it enough. Really, Schmitt is the one thing really missing from the team this year. It goes beyond the blocking, the running and the receiving — and the punting! — because the Mountaineers just don’t have that crazy-in-a-good-way presence.

Maybe, though, help is on the way. Branko Busick is quite a player for Steubenville (Ohio) and already committed to the 2009 recruiting class. Word is he’s a linebacker first, but he’s also a pretty big, pretty good fullback. Given WVU’s failures at that position this season, might the son of former WWF wrestler Big Bully Busick get a shot there?

Steubenville answered immediately and put the game away soon thereafter. West Virginia-bound fullback Branko Busick busted up the middle for an 82-yard touchdown and a 21-10 lead.

“We had a chance. That was a key turning point in the game,” Perry coach Matt Rosati said. “That 82-yard touchdown broke our back.”

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. 

– No way. You’re kidding. I did not see that one coming. (Clearly, the Syracuse Post-Standard did. Impressive 10-minute tribute to the Robinson Era.)

– Cincinnati and Louisville got after it Friday night. They also played a football game, which the Bearcats won 28-20.

– “What I meant to say was … ” (Not sure what was wrong with what he said in the first place.) 

– WVU basketball is entertaining before, during and after the game.

– Sad endings for other Mountaineers.

Friday (freak out) Feedback

November 14, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback. Say, Bob Huggins has a great way to start your day.

But he made it known the practice facility is kind of a sore subject with him.

“I’m out getting money for the practice facility and the way I count, we’re at about $22 and a half million,” he said, noting that $25 million is the high end.

“None of the people making these decisions ever goes out and raises any money,” he stated. “But still no earth has turned.

“The reality is, we’ve done an unbelievably wonderful job with football, and they deserve everything they’ve gotten. But the Coliseum hasn’t changed since 1970. It’s the same as it was when I went in there (as a player) in 1975,” he said, although noting that the locker rooms were renovated under John Beilein.

“We’re not very fan friendly,” he added.

“We don’t move very damn fast. To get something done, it’s always painstaking. But we’re going to get it done. I promise you that. We’re going to make it fun. And the most fun will come in watching us beat those people who have beaten us all these years.”

Speaking of innovations at the football stadium, note to the guy who runs the video replay board: It’s wise not to give the opponent a second and third look at a play it wasn’t going to challenge before getting the second and third look. Late in the first quarter against Cincinnati, the Bearcats were driving to the end zone and a 17-0 lead when Mardy Gilyard caught and fumbled a pass. WVU recovered and seemed to have dodged a big-time scare.

Well, that is until the replay board showed the play twice and from an in-tight view. It was obvious Gilyard never had the ball and Cincinnati Coach Brian Kelly was several yards off the sideline on the field getting a good look. Convinced he could overturn the play, he begged the officials to review it. The pass was ruled incomplete and the Bearcats kicked a field goal a few moments later for a 13-0 lead.

Meanwhile, WVU’s offense could have hurried onto the field a whole lot little quicker and simply run a play rather than standing around and looking to the sideline and giving Kelley plenty of time to see the replay.

Hindsight is 20-20 … but so, too, is that video board.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, keep your head on a swivel (My bad, I spent a little too much time on special teams solutions this week).

thacker said:

16 seconds. Can a team drop below 119th in kick return coverage? It is one damn sure way to get your offense onto the field.

Technically, yes. Western Kentucky is a provisional Division I-A member, meaning it’s making the move from Division I-AA. As such, it can’t count as a Division I-A member in statistics. However, the Hilltoppers are playing five Sun Belt Conference games this season and become full-time members next season, when they’ll be the 120th team. Right now, they’re No. 94 in kickoff return defense.

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Nice work, if you can get it

November 13, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Hardly a negative review exists of the Big East’s decision to promote John Marinatto to the commissioner’s position effective July 1, 2009. I’ll fall in line because I’ve always been a fan of continuity and, call me crazy, but I think people who know the infrastructure of an organization are best suited to improve said organization.

Does it always work? God no. Yet if you work so hard to build something up and the leader departs, don’t you owe it to yourself to allow a follower to become the leader?

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One down, two to go

by Mike Casazza

Dalton Pepper became the first player to officially join the 2009 WVU men’s basketball recruiting class.

Pepper led Pennsbury to the PIAA Class AAAA state semifinals and a school-record 30-3 mark in 2007-08. At the recent Eddie Griffin Challenge, Pepper was named MVP, finishing with 19 points and nine rebounds, including the game-winning basket.

“We fully expect Dalton to come in and contribute immediately,” says Huggins. “He has excellent size and strength for an off-guard. He is well-coached in high school so his adjustment to college basketball should be minimal. He’ll remind Mountaineer fans of Alex Ruoff.” 

The Ruoff comparison is an obvious one. Pepper is similarly sized and skilled and will be called upon to replace the graduating Ruoff — and sooner rather than later. Pepper doesn’t shy from the association.

“We’re about the same height and right now he’s probably stronger than me. He’s a really good player with good skills and he’s a good player to be compared to. He’s a good shooter, but I’m probably just a little more athletic than him and maybe a little better at ball-handling.”

Pepper is one-third of WVU’s recruiting class. Forward/centers Dan Jennings and Deniz Kilicli are committed and plan to sign and send their letters of intent soon.

Deniz Kilicli, a forward/center from Turkey playing this season at Beckley’s Mountain State Academy, is the final player committed to the 2009 class. He didn’t sign Wednesday, but his coach, Rob Fulford, said everything should be finalized by the end of the week.

A parent or guardian must also sign the letter and Fulford is waiting on the signed letter to arrive from Turkey before Kilicli signs and sends it to WVU.

“No hold-ups, no worries,” Fulford said. “It’s just a matter of paperwork.”

Jennings, who is from New York City and plays at a prep school in Connecticut, hadn’t received the signed letter from his mother, either.

Even more on kickoffs!

by Mike Casazza

Honestly, I thought Mardy Gilyard’s comments last Saturday were indeed eye-opening, but maybe a little bit of an exaggeration, too. No offense to Marshawn — that’s his name … I don’t understand the need for a nickname — but when a guy says he didn’t study much film, I tend to place slightly less value in his opinion.

So while he made sense, especially considering WVU’s struggles, this just didn’t make as much sense as every detractor wanted. For starters, I don’t recall ever seeing a kicker run down to cover kickoffs. Well, not anywhere outside of high school, when a kicker doubles as, say, the starting linebacker and is therefore very able to make tackles and absorb hits.

“If I did, I bet I’d get down there. Nobody plans to block the kicker,” WVU kicker Pat McAfee said before pausing to think for a moment. “You may see that next week.”

But probably not. Anyhow, that’s 11-on-10. For as long as I can remember actually watching WVU’s kickoff team and paying attention — and let’s face it, that team has kicked off a lot the past few years — I seem to remember something of a sweeper staying back behind the action. Not as deep as the kicker, but not in the play, either. Had to be a safety. That’s 11-on-9.

Can this be that unusual? The Mountaineers say no, and in explaining their scheme, one offers a rather simple solution.

One way or another, the Mountaineers agree they must handle blocks better.

“One thing we have to start doing is we can’t run into a guy trying to block us and try to run him over,” said linebacker Jim Lewis, who will return from a broken foot and rejoin the coverage team for the first time since the Colorado game. “It looks cool on film when you blow someone up, but when you blow that guy up, you take yourself out of the play and the guy runs to the house.

“We’ve been getting caught up with blockers too much, plain and simple. Some guys will get double-teamed and if you do get double-teamed, the chances are you’re not going to make the play. If you only get one block, you’ve got to make that guy miss and get to the ball. You can’t try to run through his chest.”

Meet the commish

November 12, 2008 by Mike Casazza

John Marinattowas named Big East commissioner Wednesday, a bump from his current position as senior associate commissioner. Wouldn’t you know it, WVU approves!

But seriously, Marinatto has had a pretty big role in the Big East the past six years and despite what you say about status quo, the conference has been on fire since the collapse-rebuild fiasco of 2003-04. He won’t take over until July 1, 2009, which means he’ll take target for the Big East’s bowl alignment right away.

On his conference call today, Marinatto wouldn’t pressure Notre Dame into anything greater than its current role, said there is no talk of or plans to split the conference and generally promised that whle the league was stayng the course, the best is yet to come.

Brown out (in a good way)

by Mike Casazza

On-the-mend backup quarterback Jarrett Brown dribbled a tennis ball into player interviews last night and was asked if he was adding tennis to he repertoire. He said he was not. He was then asked if it was preparation for basketball season. The answer was no again.

“Do you even have a choice to make there?”
“With basketball? No.”
“So you’re not playing, right?”
“Nope. Spring football. I need to focus on that.”

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On Cottrill and Kilicli

by Mike Casazza

The Academy at Mountain State University played host to Oak Hill Academy last night and the Mountain State squad featured two of WVU’s future recruits. Most notable was Noah Cottrill, the 2010 point guard recruit, formerly of Poca High fame who put on quite a show in the 85-63 loss. Also of interest was forward Deniz Kilicli, the 2009 recruit who is somewhat mysterious.

He came to the U.S. a few months ago after creating an international profile for himself back home in Turkey. While there seems to be no questioning his potential, especially with Huggins, one bit of feedback I received this morning reported Kilicli was “terrible” and “timid” in what was his first so-called big-time game in the states.

“It’s disappointing,” Fulford said. “I’m not upset with Deniz over his scoring, but two rebounds is just not acceptable. Rebounding is ‘want to.’ I told him after the game that this is the American style of basketball. And he’s going to have to adapt.”

Odd odds

November 11, 2008 by Mike Casazza

A little while after WVU was picked to finish ninth in the Big East, I finally got around to taking a really close look at the predicted order of finish. I didn’t have a single problem either the order or anyone picked ahead of the Mountaineers.

Notre Dame, for example, isn’t a powerhouse, but has a ridiculous home-court advantage. That’s eight wins there and the Irish are good enough to win five or six more on the road. I wondered about Syracuse, but the Orange are loaded — and they get Eric Devendorf and Andy Rautins back. Maquette has a new coach and seems to have been stuck in place for a few years, but the Eagles are so good defensively and good enough at home with a favorable schedule it, too, made sense.

That said, it’s difficult to doubt a Huggins-coached WVU team that’s going to see great improvement by returning players and gradual to great progress by the newcomers. Maybe it’s the ninth-best team in the Big East, but a season spent in that league trying to prove otherwise sets the Mountaineers — and everyone else in the conference — up for something bigger.

Danny Sheridan gives WVU 25-to-1 odds to win the national championship, which is the fourth-best in the conference (lower-left, bottom of the page). Â