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

Do not pose with the Mountaineers

August 11, 2008 by Mike Casazza

From WVU’s sports information department:

The Mountaineer football team will hold its annual “Fan Day” on Sunday afternoon, August 17, giving West Virginia fans an opportunity to get autographs from their favoriteWVU coaches and players.
 
The Fan Day activities, sponsored by RazeWV.com, will begin at 2 p.m. in the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility. Gates will open at 1:45 p.m.
 
Coach Bill Stewart, assistant coaches and WVU players will be signing autographs and visiting with fans until 4 p.m.
 
In an effort to accommodate as many autograph requests as possible, each fan will be limited to one autograph item. Setting up posed pictures with players and coaches will not be allowed in order to keep lines moving and to give as many fans as possible the chance to get an autograph from Mountaineer players and coaches.    
 
The Mountaineers open the season at home on Saturday, August 30 against Villanova at 3:30 p.m. in Milan Puskar Stadium.

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.

– Steve Slaton was pretty busy Saturday night— and right on cue, Ahman Green is hurt. 

- Owen Schmitt escaped the constraints of minicamp and practice to show what he can do.

– Darius Reynaud’s kick-returning debut with the Vikings was better than it was with WVU.  

– A couple of freshmen seem to be earning a spot on WVU’s depth chart.

– The most important player at the Mountaineers cornerback and running back positions? It’s a slot receiver who’s never played the slot. Confused? Good.

Continue reading…

Scrimmage notes

August 9, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Take it for what you will, but here was the first first- and second-team offenses and defenses at WVU’s first summer scrimmage Saturday.

Continue reading…

Friday Feedback

August 8, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback. It was a good week and I think it went nicely. Your thoughts about additions and improvements are welcome. Let’s make this quick today. I just heard Bret Favre was thinking of unretiring and I’d like to see if there’s anything to it. This was a different week in that a lot of your comments and questions have already addressed, which worked out well. We don’t have too much to discuss, but work remains. Nevertheless, it should be fast … but not as fast as Morgan Trent. Take it away, Jim Rome.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, stay strong.

glibglub said:

When I was there, he never stirred up anything, but he’s entitled to think what he wants to.

What is P-Rod implying? With his steadying influence gone, suddenly it’s “Pat White Gone Wild”? Stay classy, Rich.  

Yes. Yes he was.

Continue reading…

Dressed for success

August 7, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Practices are now closed, so we can’t talk much about that. Let’s instead discuss how the coaches are clothed.

Continue reading…

A brand new Q?

by Mike Casazza

Maybe it’s just me, but every time a player with a checkered past offers a testimonial about how he’s changed his ways and the past will never be the future, I’m immediately suspicious. That’s the first play in the reformed athlete playbook. One of the first rules in my profession is, quite simply, you are who you are. For some reason, though, I bought what Quinton Andrews was selling — and I know I wasn’t alone Wednesday night — when he spoke about the new direction he’s taking.

“You can’t be a leader out there if you’re not doing the right things,” Andrews said. “When a young guy sees you blowing up at a coach, he’ll think it’s OK for them to do it also, which is not the case.”

He won’t agree with everything that happens and he admits he still gets worked up from time to time. The difference now is he internalizes his emotions and puts off expressing them until the right time and place.

“If you feel that the coaches are screaming at you for no reason, well, they’re the coaches and they get paid to coach,” he said. “You just take the criticism. If you still feel at the end of practice that you were right and he was wrong, go step to him like a man and talk to him in his office.”

Andrews has yet to do that.

“Now I feel when they’re coaching me,” he said, “they’re telling me something that’s right.”

Seeing red and scoreboard progress

August 6, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Let’s agree to hold of the coaches’ catwalk until tomorrow. Instead, how about an update on the scoreboard? A practice report follows, though again, it’s really hard to say who did what. I can tell you who didn’t have a good day: The guy holding the pad in this running back drill (that’d be Terence Kerns as No. 27 and Noel Devine as No. 7).

Continue reading…

Actual news

by Mike Casazza

Perhaps more significant than the fact one firm billed WVU $332,859.28 for services in the case against P-Rod is the discovery another party worked for free!

WVU received a substantial break when Wheeling attorney Bob Fitzsimmons informed the school his office decided to donate its services, which totaled $109,577.

“WVU also wants to think his firm for its expert advice and services and very generous support,” Lofstead said.

Also of note, Joe Mazzulla and Cam Thorougman had their Wednesday morning hearings postponed.

Here’s looking at WVU

by Mike Casazza

A color-coded glance at practice. Come back later for a trip down the catwalk with the coaches.

Continue reading…

Surprises at practice

August 5, 2008 by Mike Casazza

There were a few that stood out this afternoon. First, a good one…

Continue reading…