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Texts From Texas Game Day

November 14, 2016 by Mike Casazza

A quick note about polls: They’re rubbish. I’m not even sure why they exist now with the College Football Playoff except for people to tout their votes and sometimes even the work they put into them and then to critique the CFP voting, which is the only one that matters.

If we’re being honest, what the polls and the CFP have done is give teams like WVU two ladders to climb during the season. I count seven teams in last week’s CFP ranking with no losses or one loss. The Mountaineers are lowest in the rankings at No. 16 meaning nine two-loss teams were above them. The other six of the no-loss or one-loss teas were the top six. Each was ranked in the top 25 in both presaeson polls. It took WVU a third of the season to get into the top 25, and if you don’t think the polls establish a starting point or a train of thought for the CFP, I don’t know what to tell you.

That said, the media and coaches poll stimulate interest, discussion, matchups and attention, and that’s very good for our fair sport, but they’re still rubbish. I’ll confess I went to bed Saturday night Sunday morning under the assumption WVU would be a top-seven team in the polls, but that’s only because I assumed people have affection for Texas and voters would drop teams that lost and elevate teams that won.

Nope. Nope.

Many people are mad about this. People were mad about a lot of stuff Sunday, like ESPN choosing Western Michigan, which is a really cool story, for College GameDay. I’d like to comfort you by saying I’m certain WVU is relieved by this, not for the disrespect but for the ability to focus on the Sooners without having to devote time and effort to all the ancillary stuff that comes with GameDay. And if you’re miffed about not getting the spotlight, man, where have you been? WVU is a top-10 team that has a chance to win the Big 12. All the games are on national TV. Things are just fine, and the 8 p.m. spot on ABC is as good as it gets. Deep breaths.

As for the polls, I’m perplexed but not surprised. You can take just a little time to make a case that supports the order – or to dismiss it – but I’m not sure why anyone would care. Now, Tuesday night? Different story. From now until the CFP reveal, we can ponder the possibility of the Big 12 champion getting into the final four. It didn’t look good before, but a two-loss Oklahoma has a shot, so it’s not impossible for the Mountaineers. If WVU finishes 11-1/8-1, that could do it, but I think WVU better be in the top 12 Tuesday, and I don’t know how that’s going to be the case.

I wish that I could stay forever this young. Not afraid to close my eyes. Life’s a game made for everyone, and love is the prize. My edits are in [brackets].

9:02 a.m.:
OMG we just saw Bevo go by in his trailer.

10:47:
I’m still depressed, can WVU football save me? Will TFGD provide me peace?? I mango farming hope so!

11:14:
Is it Noon yet?

11:14:

11:35:
Already fightin’ [fight] yeah

11:54:
Desmond, Joel McHale & Herby all just took Texas. Corso was the lone wolf. uh-oh.

11:56:
Texas’s band just played our alma mater song. Not gonna lie. I cried a little.

12:03 p.m.:
Nervous about this one

12:03:
I actually like Charlie Strong. He seems like he doesn’t take himself that seriously.

12:16:
Oh Lort.

12:16:
They’re gonna score 100

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Sunday Brunch: No. 11 WVU 24, Texas 20

November 13, 2016 by Mike Casazza

… I’m still not sure how West Virginia won or how West Virginia didn’t lose yesterday, but the Mountaineers are living right these days. They’ve won 13 of 15 games, and on Saturday they set a new high for regular-season victories in the Big 12 and matched a high for conference wins in the Big 12.

And now we can say this: Saturday’s game against No. 10 Oklahoma will do a lot to decide the Big 12 title and serve as a — I almost can’t believe this — College Football Playoff elimination game.

“Oklahoma’s going to be a decent test for us,” linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton said. “I can’t wait.”

WVU was 3-17 in Holgorsen’s first five seasons when it scored fewer than 30 points, including 12 in a row before the start of this season. The Mountaineers are 3-1 in those games this year, and they’d need some time to credit all the contributors Saturday.

“I think everyone would agree with this one thing,” Holgorsen said with his athletic director, Shane Lyons, seated in the back of the room. “This team has figured out how to play together and win games. It’s figured out if you play together and do it for four quarters, the team’s going to figure out a way to win. It’s what we did. It wasn’t pretty, but I thought the defense was excellent.”

WVU cannot win the Big 12 without beating the Sooners, who are remarkably the only ranked team WVU has seen in this 13-2 run of play. A win at home against the only Big 12 team the Mountaineers haven’t beaten and then wins at Iowa State and at home against Baylor — sans Seth Russell — plus an Oklahoma State loss either at TCU or at Oklahoma gives Dana Holgorsen’s sixth squad the crown and perhaps more.

After what happened yesterday and with some other relevant games remaining, there’s a whole lot on the table, and WVU has a say in a bunch of it. Not all of it, but a bunch. Still no word on the time and channel for Saturday’s game. It appears College GameDay will be out west, though. (Wrong! Not out west for Washington State v. Colorado, but to Western Michigan!)

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WVU v. Texas: That which burns a building in two

November 12, 2016 by Mike Casazza

The word of the day is pressure. It’s all over the place here, and it begins with the immense weight Texas running back D’Onta Foreman carries and will place upon West Virginia’s defense. Heck, he already has. He’s ascended to such a height that you know he’s coming and you’d better prepare yourself for 30 doses of 6-foot-1 and 249 pounds, plus pads.

There are a ton of fun Foreman stats — and you can find all of them at the sharp Heisman promotion site the Longhorns have finally unveiled — but this is my favorite. He has 13 touchdowns, which is quite all right. Five are in the past two games against two blah defenses. But he’s averaging 27.5 yards per touchdown: 1, 4, 4, 9, 18, 19, 22, 22, 37, 38, 47, 62, 74.

“He’s doing some things,” WVU coach Dana Holgorsen said, “that I didn’t think I’d see.”

He breaks through lines. He skips around traffic. He’s quick and fast enough to get outside and run away from defenders. He’s big and fast enough to get through the middle, stay in his lane and again run away from defenders.

But here’s the part to appreciate: In a league replete with offensive stars, it is a running back who’s on a roll like West Virginia has never seen. Consider that.

“He’s as good as any one player, stats-wise the last three or four weeks, that I’ve seen since we’ve been in the Big 12,” Mountaineers defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. “Quarterback, wideout, whatever it may be. He’s rolling right now.”

The 6-foot-1, 249-pound junior leads the nation with 180.75 rushing yards per game. That alone is better than 72 out of 128 teams in the Football Bowl Subdivision. He has run for at least 124 yards in all eight games in which he’s played, and he had 157 and 147 yards in his final two games last season. In Big 12 play, he’s averaging 193 yards per game and 7.2 yards on 191 carries.

His 10 straight 100-yard games leads the nation. His 1,446 yards leads all Power 5 running backs. Florida State’s Dalvin Cook is second with 1,134 yards in one more game.

Should Foreman reach 100 yards against West Virginia, he’ll tie Earl Campbell’s school record for consecutive 100-yard games.

“I’ve been on record saying the days of doing this with the one back are over, and I was wrong,” Holgorsen said. “We run the ball as much as they do. We just don’t give it to one guy 35 times. I don’t know how one guy can handle that, but obviously he can. He’s the premier back in the country right now.”

The Mountaineers gave up a 65-yard touchdown run to Foreman at Mountaineer Field last season and 147 yards on 18 carries. In two years against defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s defense, Texas, which really hasn’t changes it’s offensive attack as much as people will have you believe, has run for 277 and 227 yards.

But WVU has gradually and definitely improved its run defense. After three games and 169 yards from BYU’s Jamaal Williams, the Mountaineers ranked No. 105 our of 128 teams in rush defense. They’re No. 46 now. Only TCU’s Kyle Hicks has topped 100 since, and he had 103 yards in a loss.

Texas has a sneaky offense. Tempo sometimes works. The offensive line is underrated. The receivers are fast and make big plays. The quarterback doesn’t quake. But so much of the success or even the operation depends on Foreman spooking defenses, and Texas is going to give Foreman just about every opportunity to do that. He’s averaging 27.8 carries per game — No. 2 nationally — and has 65 in the last two, which is back-to-back career highs of 32 and 33.

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Traveler’s checks: Texas

November 11, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Quietly, it would seem, West Virginia basketball begins the regular season tonight. I say quietly because the Mountaineers were picked second in the Big 12’s preseason poll and ranked No. 18 by the coaches and No. 20 by the media in preseason polls and it’s sort of secondary right now. Football is happening and the Nikkis are kicking.

But the Mountaineers open up at home tonight against the Mount St. Mary’s. Mascot? Mountaineers.

Interesting in the video is the projected starting lineup: Jevon Carter and Nate Adrian for sure and probably Esa Ahmad and Elijah Macon. That’s four. Dr. Naismith suggests five. Quite likely, Dax Miles won’t start/play tonight.

“Dax probably can’t go,” Huggins said. “He didn’t go to the Purdue scrimmage because of the flu and hasn’t been able to stop coughing.”

That probably means Huggins’ starting lineup will be Carter, Phillip, 6-foot-9 Nate Adrian, 6-9 Elijah Macon and 6-8 Esa Ahmad.

A goal, Huggins said, is to integrate newcomers like Maciej Bender, Sagaba Konate and others into his system.

“Just trying to get the younger guys involved,” Huggins said.

There are a lot of things to watch when it comes to this team as we know it and as it begins and develops. Does Huggins start three guards? Three forwards? What about depth? Who are the sixth, seventh and eighth players? Is he cool using Bender and Konate — and Chase Harler — with the second team? And I’d keep an eye on Lamont West. There’s been a healthy amount of buzz, and Huggins finally unveiled a little bit of it.

“He scores the ball too well not to play,” Huggins said. “He could play a whole lot more if he guarded somebody. I think the good thing about Lamont is he can play multiple positions. We can sub him for Esa or we can sub him for Nate. At this point in time it’s probably easier for him to guard a four than it is a three, but he’s getting better and better all the time.”

But what has people buzzing most over at the Coliseum? That’d be the renovations. I’v not seen the place, but it was described to me this week as “disaster.” WVU posted a video tour with Shane Lyons acting as emcee Wednesday and then Thursday led the media through the project.

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With a little old driver so lively and quick…

November 10, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Three cheers for Tony Gibson and a head start on the Christmas Spirit.

“We’re going to help out in Boone County with Christmas,” Gibson said. “Right now we’re targeting 100 families, retired coal miners, laid off coal miners. We’re really focusing in on the coal mining communities in Boone County. That’s Madison, Sherman, Van, obviously.

“What we’re going to do is put together gifts for 100 families — whether gift cards or gifts. Also, we’re going to give out 100 turkeys, one to each family, on Dec. 8.”

Gibson said an additional $2,500 has already been raised to help with that area’s kids for clothing.

“We’re donating to buy jackets and hats for kids,” he said. “We’re going to have a fundraiser, a dinner between the two hospitals in Boone and Logan counties.”

When Kyle Bosch met Colton McKivitz outside

by Mike Casazza

Sew

 

Following Saturday’s win, and after saying he thought the offense should have called inside zone maybe one time on the goal line after inside zoning the way there, West Virginia center Tyler Orlosky added that the right side of the offensive line is more physical and thus better at run blocking than the left side.

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Brandon Knapper first, others follow

by Mike Casazza

 

Wednesday was the first day of the early signing period, and a player who signed last year was the first to sign this year. West Virginia, which loses Tarik Phillip to graduation after this season, inked a point guard it’s liked for quite some time. (Juwan Staten once had a hand in recruiting him.)

Knapper signed a letter of intent to WVU in 2015, then went to Hargrave for the 2016-17 season, where he is averaging 24.4 points, 5.1 assists and 2.1 steals per contest. Hargrave comes to Teays Valley Christian for an exhibition game with Huntington Prep at 6:30 p.m. Thursday.

 “We are really excited about Brandon,” Huggins said. “Brandon loves the state of West Virginia and West Virginia University. Those are the kind of guys we want to have here. He was excited about going to prep school to make himself ready to play at this level. Because of that, we think he will be ready to come in and play major minutes with the loss of two senior guards.”

As a senior at South Charleston High, where he played for coach Vic Herbert, he averaged 28.5 points, 6.0 assists and 5.4 steals per game and was named to the All-USA West Virginia Team by USA Today. Knapper was a three-time selection to the Class AAA all-state basketball first team and the All-Mountain State Athletic Conference squad. He was a two-time MSAC Player of the Year.

The Mountaineers, of course, have four seniors in Phillip and fellow guard Teyvon Myers as well as forwards Nathan Adrian and Brandon Watkins. They welcomed two more players in the Wedneday. Two more names are in the wind. There seems to be nothing about which to worry.

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The Good and the Bad of WVU v. Kansas

November 9, 2016 by Mike Casazza

 

If not for Skyler Howard semi-somersaulting toward the end zone, I’d have a hard time thinking of one hallmark of Saturday’s game. And if we inventory our memories, Howard has put himself in harm’s way often enough that years from now we might confuse that play with another. Also: West Virginia got zero points out of that play and out of that possession. So take that away. No one’s looking back and saying, “Oh, yeah. That’s the game McKoy and Crawford had 100 yards each,” or “That was the Rasul Douglas game!”

I’m not taking anything away from them or from anyone else who had a big play or a big game. But WVU v. Kansas just sort of popped up on the schedule, started and eventually finished. And let’s be honest, it was a night game because ESPN2 went Iwo Jima with a white flag opposite ESPN’s Alabama v. LSU. The officials took the occasion to workshop seemingly every procedure and interpretation in the book. Kansas coach David Beaty was fine-tuning his game management and using his challenge — on an incomplete pass, no less — on the way to a 31-point halftime deficit. The two teams were separated by 11 games relative to .500. The point spread was 34 1/2 points.

And it was impossibly prosaic. Believe me. I watched it twice. On purpose. I think one way we could remember the game is as the one that happened right about the time we started seeing movement toward ways to legislate faster games. Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy openly wondered Monday why we’re not hearing about the idea of 12-minute quarters. I suspect it won’t be quite that dramatic, but something’s going to happen to the rule book.

Still, the pace and the frustrations turned out to be good for West Virginia. Kansas aligned itself in such a way that was going to allow for some deep passes. But there was also an opportunity for the Mountaineers to run right at the Jayhawks, which is sort of what they wanted to do anyway. The offense felt like it could do that and win the game, but there’s always this impetus to look at the defense and take what’s available. There’s some sort of self-destruct mechanism if WVU doesn’t look at the defense, count numbers and follow the if-then scenario.

So on the second play, WVU went deep to Shelton Gibson and and gained 40 yards. On the first play of the second drive, a pass to Ka’Raun White drew a pass interference penalty. On the second play of the third drive, another deep throw to White had a chance. White was behind the defense, but the throw was out of bounds.

Plan A was not working, though. With 6:10 left in the opening quarter, WVU had three possessions, three points and two punts, and Dana Holgorsen (pictured) had enough. He decided to put in a tight end and use a fullback, let the Jayhawks crowd the box and simply move them out of the way.

Fourth drive: Run, run, run, imcomplete pass just because, run/touchdown. The next punt came with 4:55 left to play in the game.

This is not merely the story of the game. It’s the story of the season and of Holgorsen’s — what’s the word for this? It’s a renaissance year, but he’s never been associated with this variety of offense. It’s a metamorphosis, but that implies he hasn’t been successful when he has. Renamorphosis? No. Renaimorphosis. That damn “i” always screws me up when I try to spell the word or book certain hotels.

Anyhow, this renaimorphosis. It got serious Saturday night. WVU didn’t mess around. Well, it did, but only briefly. There were some jabs and there were some haymakers early, but once Holgorsen and his crew measured things properly, they really did go after it. He could have kept throwing the ball deep and probably found a way to make that work on occasion. Eventually, Kansas would have to adjust and then make way for the Mountaineers and their run game. The more immediate success came by getting swole and pushing people around. And later on, there were some vertical throws. It wasn’t quite a Hannibal Smith game, but maybe it was a Hannibal game. Rode massive beings through rough terrain and made the most of their balance and their talent on the field and on the sideline.

How did we get here? Let’s find out by taking a look at the Good and the Bad of WVU v. Kansas.

Good: Skyler Oww-ard

Speaking of legislation, in high school, this would be a penalty on Howard. Given the way college football has addressed and managed player safety, I wonder if we see something soon. It’s dangerous for the defender, who sometimes catches a knee in the head, and, of course, the player with the ball. And on many occasions, the reward isn’t worth the risk. Spec, he’s trying to score. Oh. Did he? Did they? I could have done with Howard just lowering his shoulder or, you know, sliding. I’m sure Holgorsen agrees. Watch that replay. If the defender hits him just a little differently — lower on the legs, more from the side than straight on — it’s certainly possible Howard doesn’t get the full rotation that kept him form landing on his coconut. It’s a little frightening.

That said, it was fun to watch and wholly unsurprising from Howard. He thrives on and probably even seeks out plays like that. It’s who he is. It’s what he does. It’s part of the explanation for his success and the team’s record. It’d be nice to see that last 13 games, though.

Of course, some of that concern is out of his hands.

Josh Carraway thought this was savage. (Aside: I think right guard Kyle Bosch innocently facilitates this. Right tackle Colton McKivitz seems to have it under control. It’s not out of control. Bosch has some free time and shoves the defender, and that re-routes him to Howard’s gullet.)

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Tuesday Haiku

November 8, 2016 by Mike Casazza

For the second time this season, Texas has won back-to-back games!

“I know this: I have a really good team, and I have a special team, and I have a team that I really care about and a team that really cares about me, and it’s not a program that’s in disarray, which many of you think,” coach Charlie Strong said. “It’s not a program that is going backwards. It’s a program that’s headed forward, and it’s a program that is going to be a special. It’s going to be special one of these days when you watch this program really take off.”

Meanwhile, the top-ranked and Big 12 champion women’s soccer team is a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament and has a home a home match Saturday. If the Kicking Nikkis stay alive, they should be the home team all the way through to the Final Four.

All in all, not a bad time for WVU to be relevant.

 

Texts From Kansas Game Day

November 7, 2016 by Mike Casazza
2013-11-18_15-25-50_635

 

Saturday night was a long and odd night at Mountaineer Field. It began with Kansas getting a personal foul for taunting on the opening kickoff. It was a touchback. The offender was the defender who flipped Skyler Howard later in the game, and the defender and not Howard had to leave the game.

The best and strangest shenanigans came after West Virginia’s second series, and if nothing else, the Jayhawks boarded the plane thinking they were going to win.

The taunting that started the trend also triggered the chattering by the Jayhawks. The Mountaineers stalled in the red zone after the first drive and settled for a field goal and then punted after four snaps on the second drive. Safety Fish Smithson took the opportunity to give Mountaineers receiver Shelton Gibson some advice.

Never mind Gibson already had a 40-yard reception.

“He told me to Google him,” Gibson remembered after the Mountaineers shook off their first loss of the season with a 48-21 win before 56,343 at Mountaineer Field.

But let’s talk about the other chatter. What in the world was going on between Anthony Becht and Rocky Boiman? I couldn’t tell if Boiman liked Becht or hated him or if he was jealous of Becht’s homecoming and the attention it received. Becht seemed on the border of annoyed and amused by it and did well to keep me guessing. There were a few tense moments when I didn’t know what was going to be said next.

And poor, capable Beth Mowins.

I dunno. Curious what you think. I don’t listen to the game when I’m re-watching it, but it was hard to ignore all the production ESPN put into that game. It felt a bit like an experiement. For all I know, it’s normal. Maybe it’s the new normal.

That said, I didn’t mind the effort. I liked Becht’s POV report from the tunnel. I prefer when a sideline reporter does more than interview a coach or say a player’s return is questionable, and Boiman was certainly involved. The interactions between the booth and the field were, at the minimum, an attempt to spice up the broadcast. It was different, which is not a synonym for bad, and Lord knows that game needed a diversion.

7:05:
Watching at a place called Bert & Ernie’s

7:06:
blue on blue with the dope Storm Trooper helmets. I approve of these unis

7:13:
Taunting? Seriously? Isn’t that what they do the whole game?

7:14:
How long we gonna be here if they’re calling taunting on a touchback??

7:17:
I love that Anthony Becth is calling this game.

7:17:
gotta catch those

7:19:
Only 13 more FGs to get to 42 points

7:22:
#FieldGoalU

7:25:
Soft start

7:27:
13!

7:32:
what the –

7:33:
[Fairly] awful series

7:34:
Horrible series. Smh. No more “sneak” runs for Skyler.

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