BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #4 WEST VIRGINIA

September 26, 2008


The honeymoon in West Virginia did not last very long at all for head coach Bill Stewart. After an opening week win over Villanova, the Mountaineers have fallen to East Carolina and Colorado, both as the favorite according to the College Football Lines.

This week WVU returns home and once again is favored, this time by by 15 and a half points against bitter in-state rival Marshall. The average margin of victory in the last two games of this series is 45-16 in favor of WVU. That is an awful lot of points to hope for from the Mountaineers, who managed just 17 in the last two games combines. What is more concerning is that while quarterback Pat White has completed 21 passes in the last two games, they have gone for a TOTAL of 115 yards. To have a total of 115 yards passing in two games is astounding?

The WVU team is going to struggle scoring points against just average defenses. They are a one-trick pony with Pat White or Noel Devine running the ball. Marshall comes into the contest with a 3-1 record, 2-0 in C-USA, but their lone match-up against a BCS conference squad was a 51-14 laugher at Wisconsin. Marshall has given up big chunks of yards this year, but most of that has come through the air...will WVU get healthy in their air atatck this week?

Look for West Virginia to right the ship, somewhat, but it will be mostly keyed by their defense as they pummel Marshall at the line of scrimmage.

Prediction:

West Virginia 27
Marshall 10

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #3 WEST VIRGINIA

September 18, 2008


The love affair with ESPN and the Big East on Thursday night continues as West Virginia travels to meet Colorado for the primetime Thursday night match-up. The Mountaineers are coming off a disappointing loss on the road against East Carolina, 24-3, back on September 6th and will look to get back on the right track this week.

Colorado is 2-0 on the young season with a win over in-state rival Colorado State, 38-17, in their opener. The Buffaloes needed to rally back from a 21-7 halftime defecit in their second contest to edge Eastern Washington 31-24 at home in their second game.

After giving a little back to the sportsbook last night being on the wrong side of the Louisville-Kansas State match-up, we will go back to basics tonight. Colorado is at home under the lights for a primetime match-up. Winning this game is a high priority for the program that hit rock bottom with a 2-10 record in 2006, rebounded to earn a bowl bid with a 6-6 record last season, which included a home win over Oklahoma, and now looks to take another step forward in 2008.

Sophomore Cody Hawkins returns as the starting QB, but leads a largely inexperienced group on offense with just three seniors. The Buffaloes will need to spread the field and use their speed to their advantage.

Through two games we are not quite sure what to make off West Virginia. In their loss to East Carolina, QB Pat White threw for just 72 yards (11-18), but had success on the ground with 97 yards on 20 carries. Stud runnng back Noel devine added 94 more on the ground in just 12 carries, but WVU managed just 12 first downs in the contest. This followed an opener in which White went to the air 33 times (for 5 TD's, but still just 208 yards on 25 completions), so the identity of Bill Stewart's new squad is a little mixed right now. Not an easy job finding an identity in Boulder.

The listing for the NCAA College Football Lines has the Mountaineers as three-point road favorites. Until they settle on who they are...we are going to go with the home team in this contest.


Prediction:

Colorado 30
West Virginia 24

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OUT THE DOOR TO WEST VIRGINIA

by Zach Smart


“One cup of coffee, then I'll go.”-Bob Marley

This is likely my last post before I undergo an abrupt location change. I’m embarking for Morgantown, W.V. tomorrow. No, seriously.....why not? My tolerance for northeast snobbery and northeast-bred, condescending individuals has waned, significantly, over the past few months. A rash and hasty decision it may be, but we all have to explore uncharted territory and discover a sanctuary away from home as well as the old stomping grounds at some point. Don’t we?

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I can probably think of 21 reasons to get the hell out of dodge and trek down to Morgantown tomorrow morning. Imagine that. 50 things to hope for before packing the necessities, clothing and furniture and UHAULing it down to some slapdash little apartment nestled in between two rival bars. It's actually a pretty simple decision, considering that (1) Bobby Huggins has fished out a revitalized recruiting class, one leaking with talent, that could eventually (2) bring the WVU fan base back to the Mike Gansey/Kevin Pittsnogle glory days, when the Mountaineers simply shot teams out of the gym. (3) Though Rich Rodriguez and John Beilein may have morphed the school into the Michigan pipeline and though the football and basketball teams may have lost a bit of their luster (see Alexander, Joe, who authored the March 2008 NCAA Tournament best-seller "Ten Game Tear") the new blood is certainly convincing. (4) The evolution of the spindly 6-foot-8 Kevin Jones, a versatile ringer from a potent, traditional New York basketball breeding ground (Mount Vernon H.S.) could open eyes. (5) Devin Ebanks is a high-rising hellraiser who will also put fans in the seats. Long + glossy-smooth + ultra athletic= major upside.

(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mv7gF22z7UI)

(6) Maybe, if the 'Eers buy into coach Huggins' (7) sophisticated hoop methods, we can expect a (8) media circus that doesn’t mention his DWI history in every article or column (9) and watch Huggins maneuver the big blue and yellow bus deep into the NCAA Tournament Pool. (10) If Alex Ruoff continues to scorch the nets, Joe Mazzula avoids encounters with the cops (while proving his sophomore season wasn't a one-game wonder) and the New York neophytes pan out, West Virginia could vault into a new area code this winter.

(11) Hopefully, the fans keep filing in decked out in home team paraphernalia, (12) posters like the one that Alexander recently designed (when he waited for UConn's Stanley Robinson in transition and quickly planted his face with a rim-ringing slam) keep printing, and (13) the house that Jerry West built continues to rock.

(14) Perhaps Mr. West can watch his son, Johnnie jack up the crowd's pulse (possibly blowing the roof off the gym) by popping off the pine and draining some threes when the South Floridas and Johnnies come to town. (15) With the University and the Morgantown community joining forces to create one of the wildest pack of diehards in collegiate athletics, the post-game festivities make even Joakim Noah and Bill Murray's after party regimen look soft. (16) All I ask is that you move my couch out of site when these festivities take place. Word around the campfire is the loyal WVU fans' affinity for setting couches ablaze in joyous celebration runs parallel to Eliot Spitzer's prostitute penchant. (17) That gives the fans more motivation and stimulates fanfare.

(18) The backyard brawl, one of the best and now evenly-matched rivalries in college hoops will be off the charts this year and (19) West Virginia will light up Las Vegas, where Mazzula and Cam Thoroughman will need to be held in check. It’s a good thing D’or “Nightlife” Fischer is no longer on the squad. Him and Vegas could never be a healthy combination.

(20) The Big East’s 18-game format permits teams to play each opponent once and three teams twice. Thus, the Mountaineers will play home-and-home games with Louisville, Pitt, and South Florida.

(21) Don’t let the non-conference schedule deceive you, the ‘Eers won’t be consuming any cupcakes this season. They’ve got games against Ohio State, Davidson, and Longwood, which features one of the most underrated players in college hoops in versatile 6-7 forward Kirk Williams. This makes for entertaining regular season life.

I’m out the door.

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: WEEK #2 WEST VIRGINIA

September 4, 2008


This might be the most interesting game on the schedule for the second weekend amongst Big East teams as West Virginia heads to East Carolina to take on the upstart Pirates.

ECU got the nation's attention last week with their upset of nationally ranked Virginia Tech by giving the Hokies a little taste of their own medicine with a blocked punt returned for a touchdown that provided the winning points in the 27-22 upset.

This match-up is an annual rivalry that has not been that competitive in recent seasons. West Virginia has won the last six encounters by an average score of 39-12, including 48-7 last season. However, looking over the Sportsbook listings for the 2008 edition of the WVU/ECU rivalry, most oddsmakers believe the Pirates are ready to give WVU more of a game with the line coming in around 8 points in favor of the Mountaineers.

ECU limited Va Tech to just 243 yards of total offense and 12 first downs last week. While it is really tough to judge the WVU offense in week #1 against 1-AA Villanova, there is definitely a philosophical change from the Rich Rod era to the play calling of coach Stewart. QB Pat White took to the air 33 times, completing 25 passes, as the Mountaineers only ran the ball 22 times. In their opening win over Western Michigan the previously season, the run:pass ration was the complete opposite with 67% of the plays staying on the ground.

It will be very interesting to see if the Mountaineers can be successful in a new offensive scheme. Pat White is too good to keep under wraps and in the pocket, if the game gets tough, which it probably will, look for him to make the big play when needed with his legs to help WVU to the win.

Prediction:

West Virginia 31
East Carolina 24

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