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

ESPNU Top 150 2009 recruits

August 5, 2008 by Mike Casazza

WVU football claims two: receiver Logan Heastie at No. 92 and quarterback Tajh Boyd at No. 121. Perhaps the most interesting aspect, though, is the Mountaineers are contenders for many uncommitted players: linebacker Manti Te’o (No. 6), running back Jamaal Berry (No. 11), offensive tackle Morgan Moses (No. 48), offensive tackle Xavier Nixon (No. 50), offensive tackle Marcus Hall (No. 78), athlete Logan Thomas (No. 99), athlete E.J. Banks (No. 131) and outside linebacker Jerrod Askew (No. 148).

Obviously, the coaching staff won’t get them all, but they will get some of those targets, which could postion this recruiting clas to be one of the school’s best yet.

No-huddle

by Mike Casazza

– To Chris in D.C., Josh Jenkins looks big. He’s easily one of the bulkier offensive linemen, but he’s strong, too. He’s doing a lot of watching and I’ve noticed he asked a lot of questions to coaches and teammates. Nothing wrong with anything he’s doing so far.

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What drills look like

by Mike Casazza

Proof that I’m neither ungrateful nor incompetent with a camera, a peek into exactly what happens during WVU’s early preseason practices.

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Quick practice notes

August 4, 2008 by Mike Casazza

In between practice and interviews — and attempting to upload some pictures and video — just a few items to keep you busy:

– Pat Liebig was at practice. No word on where his appeal stands.

– Noel Devine, Jock Sanders, Ellis Lankster and Brandon Hogan were fielding kickoffs. Lankster, Guesly Dervil, Quinton Andrews and Eddie Davis fielded punts.

– Jordan Roberts, the Kennedy Award winning running back from Scott High who isn’t hearing very many bad things from his coaches, blocked a punt.

– Ryan Stanchek is still in a red jersey and merely watching practice. He said he feels better physically. Mentally? Not so much. “It’s driving me crazy,” he said. Reed Williams wore a green jersey but was one of the three players who stood between the punter and the long-snapper on punts.

The good and bad of depth

by Mike Casazza

…as defined by Donny Barclay, the gifted redshirt freshman who has been practicing at left tackle with the first-team — and holding his own, to say the least — but only because the All-America at that position is out. Ryan Stanchek will return sooner rather than later and Barclay will return to the second-team, where he aparently does not belong.

Certainly he caught Bill Stewart’s eye, for seldom has any coach talked higher about an unheralded redshirt freshman who has yet to play a collegiate game than Stewart did about Barclay at the Big East’s media day in Newport, R.I., last week.

“We have a young talent, a boy named Barclay, a redshirt freshman,” he told a throng of newsmen. “He has a chance to be better than all five of those guys we have there now. He has a chance to be the next special lineman … and he can’t get on the field.”

That, obviously, speaks volumes about his belief in Barclay and, at the same time, it speaks louder yet about the five men who make up the Mountaineers veteran, experienced offensive line that some say in the best in the nation.

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. Obviously, an all-football edition…

-WVU has some questions, but plenty of time as camp opens.  

– There seems to be a belief WVU’s receivers are as good as they’ve been in many, many years and there’s a difference-maker on the outside.

– Pat Liebig, a good kid who’s in a bad predicament, should find out soon whether he’ll be allowed to play or not this season.

–  One of a few first-year players who did not show up, freshman J.J. Dorsey got tangled up in homesickness before his eligibility fell apart.

– The latter part of the headline — and the subsequent zinger included in the ending quote — made me realize why I kind of miss all that drama. Seriously, she had to release a statement.

Now, about practice…

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Updates on the incident

August 1, 2008 by Mike Casazza

Greg Van Zant broke his silence with a splendid little retort to WVU quarterback Patrick White. As told to The Dominion Post (Sorry, no link. You know how it is):

“I have never talked to Pat before. I have never met him before, and it would not be intelligent for me to make comments on Pat because I have never met him.” 

Allow me to translate: Touche!

– Statement from Director of Athletics Ed Pastilong, again by way of the sports information department:

“I have spoke to Pat regarding his comments earlier this week. We had a good discussion of the issues surrounding college baseball and our baseball program. I continue to have great admiration for him as a quality young man.

“Greg Van Zant has dedicated 13 years to WVU as head baseball coach. He has accomplished a great deal for the program during that time and continues to have my support as an outstanding leader.”

Van Zant, for the record, has won 413 games in 14 seasons. He’s coached six 30-win teams and one NCAA Tournament team. 

– Rich Rodriguez, of all people, had Van Zant’s back when he was asked for his thoughts.

“Pat’s a great young kid, and Coach Van Zant is a great coach, but Pat is really quiet and reserved and usually doesn’t say a lot,” Rodriguez said. ” In my opinion, Greg Van Zant is a good guy and a good coach. I don’t know what would drive Pat to say that. When I was there, he never stirred up anything, but he’s entitled to think what he wants to.”

– A blog for The Sporting News, which so proudly boasted Pat as one of its contributors this season, broke down the quarterback’s apology.

Friday Feedback

by Mike Casazza

Welcome to a it-can’t-be-Saturday-soon-enough edition of Friday Feedback. It’s the end of a bizarre week that only got weirder when WVU became $2.5 million richer when the University of Michigan paid its responsibility in the P-Rod settlement yesterday afternoon.

Let’s get right to it and hope it’s a quick one today, for a few reasons. First, the fingers are tired from typing stories and responding to every e-mail I received on the Pat White topic. Secondly, many noteworthy comments this week were about the incident and I think everyone did a very good, very fair job presenting and exploring different opinions. No need to spend too much time on that here.

I do want to touch on the apology, though.  

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Pat White speaks again

July 31, 2008 by Mike Casazza

“Thinking back on my recent comments at Big East media day, I believe that I may have overstated my feelings on college baseball and the WVU baseball program. I have not played collegiate baseball in the past because I have concentrated on football and building on our success with my football family. I am sorry my comments have caused so many distractions. I am looking forward to putting this behind me and getting on the practice field with my teammates on Saturday.” — Patrick White, 7/31/08, 5:40 p.m., via sports information department 

Jim Leavitt will miss P-Rod

by Mike Casazza

South Florida is among the least popular entities among WVU fans — they have their reasons — but maybe the Bulls coach is trying to mend the relationship by praising Bill Stewart.

“This guy’s probably better than Rodriguez. I’m worried about him. We beat Rodriguez. We haven’t gotten this guy. This guy worries me. I wish Rich would have stayed. But he didn’t, so we’ll have to go play Michigan now.”