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

Tuesday Haiku

September 6, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Meanwhile, West Virginia moves on with Colton McKivitz, who reminds the Mountaineers of another redshirt freshman left tackle from not long ago.

“He’s going to continue to improve,” Crook said. “As he continues to get stronger in the weight room, it’s going to make him more confident and give him more ability. All that stuff’s going to keep improving. Right now, we’ve got a raw, really athletic, really long tackle who’s learning the game.

“He’s about where Yodny was a year ago learning how to play this game, learning how to see defenses and what that means for his position.”

 

Feel the Gold Rush

September 5, 2016 by Mike Casazza

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We had @ctrcgm at the game Saturday, and he gave us some memorable still shots of the game. But openers are also about the pomp and circumstance, and the start of the 125th season of West Virginia football provided plenty of picturesque scenes to remind us how cool college football truly is.

Texts From Missouri Game Day

by Mike Casazza

I have two pieces of good news today.

1. Skyler Howard is OK. He’s sore, but everyone expects he’ll start Saturday. The ribs will bother him for a while — maybe that open week between the second and third games isn’t that bad after all — but no one doubts how tough he is. My sense is people either acquired or cultivated an appreciation for the senior Saturday. He left the game, his backups were not particularly good and he gave the team a boost upon his return. Personally, I thought he was good. He looked smooth and comfortable, and that was evident with the mid-range passes. We’ll dive deeper in the Good and the Bad, but WVU believes that’s the best Howard has thrown the ball.

2. It’s time. There were definitive moments within Saturday’s texts when the scope of another severe injury hit and there were definitive moments when myriad other reactions set the scene. Oh, how I missed Texts From Game Day. Sarcastic. Salient. Overstated. Underrated. It’s all there, and it’s fantastic. I appreciate your comments of my creation. Your standing up followed by your standing ovation. Your kindliness to listen to the true MC. Those who know me text me because agree. My edits are in [brackets].

11:50:
Dubious game feed queued up!

11:50:
gold capes looking sharp on the pride ?

11:50:
:Clears Throat: IT’S TIME! The Glorious return of the single most important thing in the Country….TEXTS! FROM!! GAMEDAAAAAAY!!!

11:52:
I know I’ve been waiting for this rematch of the 2007 BCS Ti….ah [snap]. Damnit. Anybody needs me, I’ll be curled up in the corner crying.

11:52:
Homme side concourse is a hot [fudge] mess. I missed the band because i couldn’t get to my seat

11:55:
Facilities and field all look sharp.

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And Yodny Cajuste makes four

September 4, 2016 by Mike Casazza

A team source tells me the starting left tackle is out of the season. He follows defensive lineman Jaleel Fields, who was injured in the summer, safety Dravon Askew-Henry and linebacker Brendan Ferns, who were both injured during preseason camp, in the unrealistically long line of Mountaineers with season-ending ACL tears.

Additionally, cornerback Jake Long is out for the season with a shoulder injury. Defensive end Xavier Pegues is out until at least November after offseason shoulder surgery. They need a shaman over at the Puskar Center. (Update: It’s official. Sheesh.)

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Sunday Brunch: WVU 26, Missouri 11

by Mike Casazza

I’m worried, gang. There’s always a question or a line of questioning you sort of have to pursue following a game. It’s obvious, and people will rush to it or someone will get to it early. Sometimes it’s sensitive, and if we’re being honest, it’s not a lot of fun to travel that route.

And because of that, sometimes that question won’t be asked or that line of questioning won’t be pursued, and the reporting lacks. I never liked that, and I’ve jumped on my share of grenades for the greater good. Remember the loss at Colorado? I thought the clock management was a story. I hurried to the postgame news conference after it had started — we were on deadline — and whispered to someone, “Did he go over the clock management disaster?” or something like that. I’m sure I was polite and tame with my wording. Nope. I couldn’t believe it. No one asked it and now I had to ask it.

Sternum. Grenade. But there was no way you could watch that game and not obsess over the way it ended. I remember the quote in the post game: “I don’t want anyone second-guessing me.” And then, in the elevator to the press box, a few of us spun that around, and I said, “I’m going to spend 20 inches second-guessing it.”

I think I won an award for that game story, though.

Yesterday, of course, was not as dire. All things considered — 19 first-time players among the 55 who played, new left guard, new left tackle, a blow to the quarterback’s rib cage, nine new starters on defense, an opponent that was almost entirely new and hard to anticipate, etc. — it was a fine afternoon for the Mountaineers.

But what was one of the prevailing points of the offseason? Prevailing by scoring more points. Remember, 34 + 2012 = 42. But WVU scored 26 points and won by 15, thanks to a late touchdown that only mattered because Missouri recovered the onside kick and moved to the WVU 6-yard line and HOME (-10) was suddenly very interesting.

The game was never in doubt, but it should have been put on ice far sooner in the day and it would have been had the Mountaineers found ways to score more than one touchdown in five red zone opportunities. We joke about the .250 hitter who’s going to strike out 180 times but also hit 36 homers and drive in 107 runs. WVU was a .200 hitter yesterday and slapped a few singles around the yard. There was one homer, but when you’re that muscly and seeing that many fastballs with runners on base, you should hit a couple more out of the park.

Anyhow, Missouri graduate Bob Hertzel and I discussed the red zone offense in the press box during the game, and some others here and there reminded me how salty Dana Holgorsen was last season when I asked about red zone possessions — and Eli Wellman … remember that? — and I said, “I can’t ask that question again. He’ll think I’m messing with him.”

Welp!

“Heeeeere we go…” Holgorsen.

And away we went.

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WVU v. Missouri: Finally, they’ll show me something

September 3, 2016 by Mike Casazza

 

At long last, we have a real game. I was thinking there isn’t much else we can talk about before we get started, but then I remembered the essence of this week. It’s strength v. strength. Missouri has a productive defensive line. West Virginia has a veteran offensive line. But is it a protective offensive line?

Not really. At least it wasn’t last season. The pressure Skyler Howard felt in 2015 led to some of his problems with accuracy and decision-making, and WVU’s passers took 32 sacks. That ranked No. 93 in the country. Missouri ranked No. 59 with 27 sacks, but Dana Holgorsen and his staff are highly complimentary of the Tigers and especially Charles Harris.

The Mountaineers embarked on an offseason project, not because they knew Missouri was coming but because they knew Howard and the offense could not survive, never mind thrive, with more of the same. So we got to know one of those cool football terms, not unlike stretching the field or shortening the game or whatever is your favorite.

This spring and summer was about — wait for it — widening the pocket.

“It means your guys on the edge — the tackles — are expanding the defensive ends and giving the quarterback comfort so he can sit in there and not feel like everyone is collapsing on him,” offensive line coach Ron Crook said.

WVU’s pocket in 2015? Not too wide. The pocket belongs to two municipalities. The two guards and the center are in charge of the depth. They can’t retreat or be pushed back. The tackles are responsible for the width. They can’t let the edges give in on the quarterback.

If the depth collapses, the tackles have to make sure the quarterback as an escape route around a corner. If the tackles surrender their space, the center and the guards must allow the quarterback to step up and either pass or run before the pressure off the edge arrives.

WVU’s guard-center-guard arrangement is pretty good. The tackles could be good, but both Yodny Cajuste and Marcell Lazard were first-time players last season and each has started just six times. The Mountaineers are asking them to fan out and create some extra space for Howard in 2016.

“It’s not rocket science,” said offensive coordinator Joe Wickline, who coaches the tackles. “It’s the same thing we’ve been teaching for 100 years now.”

A pocket can vary. Howard’s launch point can be behind the center or he can roll out and take part of the pocket with him. The length of the routes can be different, too, and the pocket can adapt for how quickly Howard throws a pass. If it’s a quick throw, the linemen will take short sets to quickly combat the rush. If the route requires more time before the pass, the linemen will set deeper so they have a better chance to last longer protecting the passer.

Yet the linemen also have to account for situations, and Wickline said the down and distance causes ends to act one way and for tackles to counter.

“If it’s first-and-10, the end is going to be on the tackle to play run or to play play-action pass, and he’ll squeeze gaps,” Wickline said. “As it gets to second-and-long and third-and-long, he wants to get on air. He’s, like, way out there. The reason is he wants to get away from the tackle and get off his hips and now get by the line and run around the quarterback.

“We’re going to throw the ball on first down, second down and third down, and [the tackle] is going to have varied sets based on who’s responsible and how wide [the end] is. If that end is tight, he’ll set up. If the end is real loose on third-and-long, a two-minute drill, the last play of the game, I want to give ground and expand all at the same time to get between him and the quarterback.”

Not in the story? Something potentially important today…

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Friday Feedback

September 2, 2016 by Mike Casazza

Welcome to the Friday Feedback, which is getting limber before the opener. Knuckle cracks, neck cranks, journeys down the Smart Football rabbit hole, trips through the faded paperback Roget’s. All that’s left is somewhat early to bed and early to rise.

A review of what to expect from me over the weekend:

  • Pregame radio on IMG, and they’re going to share the segment shortly afterward
  • Live blog post during the game, with a rollicking pregame, news and analysis during the game and postgame quotes and reviews
  • Facebook, Twitter and Instagram updates throughout the game
  • On Sunday, I’ll post our stories and whatever photos and videos our team generates
  • On Monday, your texts and my Texts from Game Day (if you’re not familiar with this, I’m sure someone can give you help if you ask for help)

New this year? Snapchat! We’ll give it a whirl. I’m at mgcasazza. Wednesday was a fun one in JRL493. I’ve been teaching the students sports reporting through my lens, but we flipped it around that day and I had them school me on Snapchat. The lesson within was I could write a story with words and I could put together a story with snaps. Each would accomplish similar or the same things, but if we’re being honest, the students are more likely to pick and enjoy one than the other.

I’ll be sure to stop by the WVUSBw/MC tailgate and get some footage.

Onto the Feedback. As always, comments appear as posted. In other words, pay attention to your content.

Sammy said:

Are we starting 9 seniors on defense?

Yep, and do you know what? I knew that, but I didn’t really know that until I read this. That’s pretty wild when you consider WVU started seven seniors last season. Lost them all, and Daryl Worley, and then lost Darvon Askew-Henry. So the team that needed nine new starters comes back with nine seniors. That’s uncommon. Seven of the nine seniors, plus junior Al-Rasheed Benton, are in their third season with defensive coordinator Tony Gibson and his 3-3-5. 

No one’s comparing this defense and all the unknowns to last season’s defense and all the certainties, but Gibson is willing to admit he has a similar level of comfort.

“As far as schematically and understanding what I want, yes, because they’ve been here,” he said. “A majority of them have been through a season. They’ve been in the meetings. That part of it I’m happy with.”

There’s another part, of course, and it’s alarming. Nose guard Darrien Howard, linebackers Justin Arndt and Sean Walters, Crawford, Douglas and spur safety Kyzir White will all make their first starts. Each is a senior, except for White, who is a junior college transfer preparing for his WVU debut.

“Can we go execute the game plan?” Gibson said. “I know we can get lined up and go where we’re supposed to go. Now, can we finish tackles and make plays? Those are the reasons I haven’t slept since probably last week.

“It’s never kicked in this early, but the last few nights, it’s been like I’ve taken a two-hour nap. But I think I’m more excited and anxious to watch these guys than I was a year ago.”

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Plan your emergency snow route accordingly

September 1, 2016 by Mike Casazza

We knew the non-conference opponents and dates in June — and we learned some more things about some games a while later — so here are just a few more notes about WVU’s basketball schedule, now that we have the Big 12 slate.

It’s kind of weird…

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Four-Minute offensive on the way

by Mike Casazza

Apologies to the dissenters, but the question-and-answer portion of the week will be over at Facebook Live at 12:15 p.m. EST. Come armed with questions. Please?

Losing Clay > losing Smallwood

by Mike Casazza

 

Title = Fact! This could be good or not-so-good for West Virginia. We’ll know in two days, but we trust our hunches here.

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