WILL THIS DONALD BE TRUMP OR TRUMPED?

by Matt Whitfield


“He is just tough and relentless.” Those were the words out of West Virginia DB Sidney Glover’s mouth as he described Donald Brown. Brown is the nation’s 2nd leading rusher with 1,324 yards; he also has averaged 165.5 yards a carry this season. The Huskies will be hungry tomorrow and if Connecticut should win Brown will be one of the reasons why.

West Virginia defeated Connecticut 66-21 last year. This past week Connecticut head Coach Randy Edsall has been reminding his players greatly of last years game. The dynamics of this year’s game are totally different however. West Virginia is without Rich Rodriguez and much of it’s coaching staff they had at this time last season. They also lost 22 lettermen from last years team. If that’s not enough Connecticut is ranked 25 in the BCS rankings while West Virginia is not, and this year’s game is being played in Storrs, Connecticut.

If West Virginia should win tomorrow they will need to stop Donald Brown. Brown is known for having great field vision and having a superb stiff arm. Brown, who has only played in 8 games this season already holds the Connecticut single season rushing mark.

West Virginia’s defense however ranks 11th nationally in points allowed per game and is just coming off a win where they held Auburn scoreless in the 2nd half. Look for the Mountaineers to swarm Brown when he has the ball tomorrow.

If Connecticut should win tomorrow they must be able to effectively use Donald Brown as a RB and a decoy. Connecticut will also rely on QB Cody Endres or Zach Frazier to get the ball downfield, without throwing an interception, to one of its seven Wide Receiver’s, with more than receiving 100 yards this year. Connecticut QB’s however have accounted for 9 interceptions this season while West Virginia QB’s have only thrown for 4.


Kickoff at Rentschler Field is slated for tomorrow at noon. West Virginia is 4-0 all time against the Huskies, and a win tomorrow would put them in sole position of first place in the Big East. Connecticut was ranked as high as 13th last year, before several losses including a crushing 66-21 loss to West Virginia that keep them from playing in a post New Years Bowl game. Expect tomorrow’s game to be intense and to be won in the trenches.

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'NOW THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!'

by Matt Whitfield


“We all had to click and gel together,” said wide receiver Dorrell Jalloh. West Virginia certainly did as they came back from a 17-3 deficit to score 31 unanswered points to upend Auburn 34-17, before 60,765 thousand at a sold out Milan Puskar Stadium.

Noel Devine had arguably his best night ever as a Mountaineer rushing for 207 yards and one TD in the come from behind win. Pat White playing against a tough Auburn defense threw for 174 yards and 3 Touchdowns. Wide receiver Alric Arnett also had one TD, and Dorrell Jalloh added a pair to help secure the win.

In the loss Auburn QB Kodi Burns threw for 111 yards and 1 td and accounted for 82 rushing yards. Brad Lester also added a touchdown off a 16 yard pass from Burns. Walter McFadden and Joshua Bynes each had one interception.

Tommy Tuberville was very complementary of the Mountaineers after the game. “We played with a lot of emotion in the first half, we just didn’t have an answer in the second half,” said Tuberville. “They are the best team we’ve played.” WVU head coach Bill Stewart was equally impressed with his team saying “our execution in the second half was almost flawless.”

The Mountaineers return to Big East action this Saturday when they go on the road to face a Connecticut team looking to avenge its 66-21 lopsided loss a year ago. The Mountaineers defense has a task at hand in slowing Donald Brown, the nations 2nd leading rusher. Gametime is set for noon at Rentschler Field.

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WVU vs. AUBURN: NOT JUST ANOTHER THURSDAY IN MORGANTOWN

Pat White takes on home state team on national TV


By Matt Whitfield

Pat White is Alabama’s two-time reining amateur athlete of the year; yet he plays football at West Virginia University. In Alabama, football is a way of life, most of the time you grow up rooting for Alabama or Auburn, and if ever you get the chance to play for either school you generally go there. Pat White is a rare exception to the rule, and this Thursday the home state school that offered him a scholarship will have the chance to beat him in what will be his final Thursday night game in Morgantown.

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If Pat White is excited, he doesn’t always let you know it. When asked about the Auburn game this Thursday, White responded by saying, “I am excited that I have another great opportunity to step on the football field and play football.” But to say this is just another game to White is an understatement. The game, which was originally scheduled to be played in Auburn, would have been a homecoming game for the Daphne native. Disappointed, White saw this year’s game get switched to Morgantown but added, “I have a lot of family coming to the game, so they’ll see it.” Pat White may act as if he’s just playing in another game but in reality there’s a lot more riding on the line.

With the win Thursday the Mountaineers would be thrust back in the national spotlight with a 5-2 record and more importantly morale would be high going into big games against South Florida and Pittsburgh. A victory for White would be another way of proving a point to the various in-state and SEC programs that only thought of him as a wide receiver.

If West Virginia is to defeat Auburn they will need Pat White, who was knocked out of the Rutgers game and missed the Syracuse game, to be on his A game. West Virginia fans should expect White to pass a lot more often against a stout Auburn defense that’s has been allowing only 13 points a game and has just given up three rushing touchdowns this season . Jock Sanders, and Alric Arnett, the team’s two leading wide receivers should see plenty of balls thrown their way.

If Auburn is to win they’ll need seldom used QB Kodi Burns to play like he’s started all season long. Burns has a balanced wide receiving group with 5 wide receivers, each with over 100 yards on the season, as well as a solid RB in Ben Tate. Burns, however has never thrown for more than a 119 yards in a game and has only thrown for 2 TD’s in his career at Auburn. Expect West Virginia to really limit Auburn in their offensive game plan as their rush defense is 42nd best in the nation and their pass efficiency defense ranks 27th .

It’s not too hard to tell that this Thursday nights West Virginia Auburn game will be a battle of the defenses. On paper Auburn looks like they have a slight advantage; but factor in the frigid temperatures, the rabid Mountaineer fans, and the fact that Pat White is playing in front of his home state team and friends and family and you’ve got what you call a ball game, and the college football odds seem to agree, as the Mountaineers are current a 3 1/2 point favorite on their home field.

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BIG EAST RECRUITING UPDATE: WEST VIRGINIA

October 14, 2008


Commitment Alert: Deniz Kilicli, 6'9 PF from Mountain State (WV) Academy


Projected 2009-2010 Roster

Seniors: Joe Mazzula (PG), Wellington Smith (F), Desean Butler (WF), Dee Proby (BF/C)
Juniors: John Flowers (F), Will Thomas (G), Cam Thoroughman (F), Jonnie West (G)
Sophomores: Darryl Bryant (PG), Kevin Jones (F), Devin Ebanks (F)
2010 Commitment: Roscoe Davis (F), Dalton Pepper (G/F), Dan Jennings (BF/C), Deniz Kilicli (PF)
2010 Commits: Noah Cottrill (G), Storm Stanley (C)

West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins used an 'Early Midnight Madness' this past weekend to get big man recruit Deniz Kilicli on campus and the efforts paid off as Kilicli Commits to WVU (ZagsBlog.net) shortly following his visit.

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Deniz Kilicli has been a hot prospect over the last month as word has spread quickly on the Turkish import than only recently landed in the United States. Kilicli is a skilled, 6-foot-9 power forward than is attending Mountain State Academy in Beckley (WV). He will play for coach Rob Fulford with the Falcons this season. After an impressive showing late this summer at the Adidas Nations Event, schools lined up to see him workout at Mountain State this fall once word spread he had landed in West Virginia.



Kilicli joins previous 2009 verbal commitments Dan Jennings, of New York City, and Dalton Pepper, of Pennsbury (PA) as well as class of 2008 non-qualifying forward Roscoe Davis, who is doing a second prep season, this time at Charis Prep, in the class for WVU.

Pepper has been a top target of Huggins and assistant coach Billy Hahn, who was previously the head coach of LaSalle, so his familiarity of the area was key in landing Pepper.

Pepper recently shined at the Hoop Group's Elite Camp at the College of New Jersey and showed he can fill it up from the perimeter often in high school. Villanova was also considered a strong contender for Pepper's services.

Jennings is a strong and aggressive inside performer who will through his body and weight around in the paint. Making an adjustment to playing a little bit away from the basket will help him at the college level as his 6-foot-8 frame and average athleticism might make things a little tougher. However, Jennings will certainly add toughness to the middle and is not one to fool around trying to do things he can not do.

Jennings was on the recruiting radar of several Big East teams, including Pittsburgh, Rutgers and St. John's, who sees another local get away from them.

Davis is a versatile 6-foot-10 frontcourt player that can run the floor and make athletic plays at both ends of the court. He has a very good skill set for a big man, meaning he can handle and pass on the perimeter, although at 6'10, playing inside is not his strength as he needs to get stronger to battle in the paint within the Big East.

The one thing that stands out when looking over the Mountaineer roster, on paper, for 2009-2010 is the number of players: 15. So, something on the rister has to give as the NCAA scholarship limit is only 13. Obviously, entering the second season under Bob Huggins, there is still a transition of personell recruited for the system of former coach John Beilein, which is like night and day from the style of play that coach Huggins prefers. It will be interesting to see who fits and who does not over the course of the 2008-2009 season to make room for the players Huggins has personally recruited since accepting the job at his alma mater.

The early recruiting prowess of WVU coach Bob Huggins is evident in the fact that 6'1 junior Noah Cottrill from Poca High School (WV) has made an early pledge to WVU. Cottrill is one of the top rated prospects in the class of 2010 and is now joined by his Ohio Basketball Club teamate Storm Stanley.

Stanley is a 6'10 center who is from Toledo (OH) and attends St. Francis DeSales High school where he played for coach Nick Lowe. For more on Stanley, see our recent story for an Introduction to Storm Stanley where coach Lowe gives our readers the lowdown on the Mountaineer's newest verbal commitment.

The Mountaineers added a late addition to the class of 2008 as JUCO transfer Dee Proby, who was let out of his commitment with Oklahoma State when Travis Ford was hired, joined the WVU program. The 6-foot-10, 240 lb Proby signed a grant-in-aid and it is official and he will add some size to the WVU line-up for 2008-2009.

Proby averaged nearly 14 points and six rebounds a game as a sophomore at Angelina college. He will have two years of eligibility left at WVU. The skilled big man, who would rather face up from the perimeter than post up in the paint, is a native of Round Rock, TX and will now call Morgantown home to finish his college career.

Bob Huggins aggressively pursued options to close out the 2008 recruiting class and with Bob Huggins, adding talent is not a problem. Expect WVU to be one to watch as a favorite in the college basketball odds to compete for titles under Huggins and that recruiting prowess was on display as Huggins and staff got their man last spring as Devin Ebanks is accepted a scholarship offer. Ebanks, the nation's top uncommitted player remaining in the class of 2008, visited West Virginia and the Mountaineers definitely helped themselves. The 6'8, 185 lb Ebanks has the versatility and talent to step into Joe Alexander's vacated role and be productive. Ebanks visited Rutgers, Memphis and Texas after re-opening the process and found the Mountaineers to be the right fit for his talents.

Ebanks is a native of NYC and played the last couple seasons at St. Thomas More in Connecticut under Jere Quinn. This past seasn, Ebanks averaged 23 points, 10 rebounds and 5 assists and eclipsed the 1,000 point mark in just two seasons.

Ebanks is long and lean and a versatile scorer who could fill a role similar to that of Joe Alexander if the talented WVU junior keeps his name in the NBA draft. The chance to make an immediate inpact at the college level played a big role in Ebanks decision to choose WVU over Memphis and Rutgers, his other finalists.

Ebanks joins a class with Kevin Jones, a 6'7 combo forward, as well as NYC PG Darryl 'Truck' Bryant as part of one of the conference's top classes. Roscoe Davis was originally part of the class, but it is looking like the 6'10 forward will take an additional prep year to square up his academic standing, as of know, we will list him as a tentative 2009 commitment, but there is still hope that he arrives for the fall.

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2008-2009 BIG EAST PREVIEW: 9) WEST VIRGINIA

October 12, 2008


The toughest position to place a team in the Big East preview is ninth place. Every team from here on out is a legit top 25 caliber team with realistic NCAA aspirations. An argument can be certainly made for any team placed here to be several spots higher, but when it came down do it, with every team here on out returning top players, bringing in high quality recruits, the difference for me comes down to new starters at point guard and a loss of their go-to top scorer from the previous year.

West Virginia is just one of two teams in the top nine that graduated their starting point guard from last season as three-year starter Darris Nichols has moved through the program. Also, Joe Alexander developed into their go-to offensive threat under Bob Huggins and he has moved on to the NBA after his break-out season. Now, coach Huggins, in his second season at his alma mater, must break in a new point guard and find a new source of consistent offense, there are quality options at his disposal to get the job done, we will watch closely this season to see how those options develop to new roles.

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Comings:

Bob Huggins certainly made his presence felt on the recruiting trail by out-recruiting other Big East schools to secure early signings from Daryl ‘Truck’ Bryant and Kevin Jones from traditional Big East recruiting grounds. He waited until the spring to land his biggest coup when former Indiana commitment Devin Ebanks chose to commit to the Mountaineers after being allowed out of his signed letter of intent when Kelvin Sampson and IU parted ways. Ebanks is a versatile scoring threat with immense potential that can combine size and athletic ability to make an early impact and increase WVU's College Basketball Odds of making the Big Dance in March. Also, JUCO Dee Proby adds much needed size to the roster and offers a skilled big man to the mix.


Goings:

As noted earlier, Joe Alexander parlayed a breakout junior season into a winning lottery ticket as he jumped into the NBA Draft. Alexander led WVU in scoring and rebounding and was second in blocked shots last season. Steady Darris Nichols, a three year starter at point guard, also graduates as does Jamie Smalligan, who played a key role in their 8-man rotation. Athletic big man Jacob Green left the program in December of last season.


Net Impact:

A trio of Ebanks, Jones and Bryant are a much more impressive recruiting class than the fanfare that Alexander, Nichols and Smalligan brought John Beilein when he brought those players to West Virginia. In the long-term, they should have a bigger impact on the program as well, but for next season, replacing the winning mentality and experience of those veterans, especially with Alexander and Nichols will be tough. Over the last 11 games of last season Alexander averaged 23 points and nearly 8 rebounds a game. He produced four double-doubles. Nichols had a 3:1 assist to turnover ratio, which coaches crave from their primary ball handler. No matter how you slice it, it is going to be a little bit of an adjustment for WVU to replace Alexander and Nichols.


2008-2009 Backcourt Outlook:

The man in the spotlight in the Mountaineer backcourt becomes junior Joe Mazzulla. The 6-foot-2 native of Rhode Island has been a favorite of Bob Huggins since the day he came home to WVU to be the coach of his alma mater. Mazzulla displays the toughness that coach Huggins loves in his players. Last season, Mazzulla averaged about six points, three rebounds and just over two assists a game. Modest numbers for sure (and his assist to turnover ratio was just 1.3:1) and Mazzulla is not regarded as a true point guard, maybe more of a super sub at the guard slot. However, Mazzulla showed his importance to his team with a 13-point, 11-rebound and 8-assist performance against Duke in a 2nd round NCAA Tournament upset of the Blue Devils. Was this just the perfect storm for Mazzulla or a sign of things to come. Not quite sure, afterall, in the previous seven games leading up to that career performance, Mazzulla had a total of 15 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists! Mazzulla also went over a month on two occasions last season without hitting a three-pointer. So, the jury is still out as to what kind of full-time point guard the Mountaineers have.

WVU’s likely point guard of the future looks to be the freshman, Daryl ‘Truck’ Bryant who comes out of St. Raymond’s in the Bronx (NY). Bryant is another tough guard, hence his nickname, and is similar to Mazzulla in that he is not a full-time point guard as of yet. He is getting better at running the show and will have some time to learn the ropes.

Senior Alex Ruoff returns for his final season. The three-point marksman averaged nearly 14 points a game last season and hit 41% from the arc on 239 attempts (98-239). Ruoff has shown the ability to get his shot off nearly on anyone at anytime in the Big East and has the confidence to hit shots when needed.

The Mountaineer guard corps is not the deepest in the league. Seldom-used Jonnie West, son of WVU legend Jerry West, and sophomore Will Thomas complete their guard line-up. West, as expected, is a tremendous shooter, but needs to show other skills. Thomas was a late addition to WVU in the spring of 2007 for last year’s roster and only saw 35 minutes of action in the season, he has physical tools that could be very useful in Huggins’ system with experience.


2008-2009 Frontcourt Outlook:

The deepest part of the Mountaineer line-up is at the forward position. The Mountaineers are stacked deep with versatile forwards who can play on the perimeter as small forwards and match-up against most hybrid ‘fours’ of the Big East. However, they are not very tall or strong to battle inside against the beef that other teams roll out regularly in the Big East, and that is an area of concern for coach Huggins.

While many outsiders believe Devin Ebanks will be the key player in replacing Joe Alexander’s production, it might actually be junior Da’Sean Butler who replaces the more important role that Alexander provided. The 6-foot-7 small forward from Newark (NJ) did average 13 points and 6 rebounds a game last year. How consistent was Butler, he averaged 13 a game without scoring more than 19 in any one single game. Butler is not one to force any of his offense, but WVU may look to encourage him to be a little more aggressive for his own offense later in games as he could emerge as their go-to-performer in the clutch.

Ebanks will most likely step into Alexander’s position and the thin 6-foot-8 forward has the ability to play inside and out, handle the ball and score in a variety of ways creating offense for himself. Alexander really took off last season after learning the physical way to play in the big East to get himself in position to score. With Ebanks, there will be a learning curve at how physical the Big East is and gaining position to score your points takes hard work and a willingness to be physical. It will be quite an adjustment for Ebanks. His points and rebounds will come naturally, but his efficiency will be something to look for as he tries to step into Alexander’s shoes.

Fellow freshman Kevin Jones of Mount Vernon (NY) is also in the mix at the forward positions. Jones is a very solid all-around talent that will always put in an honest effort on the court and in practice. Jones is not an elite athlete, but has very good skills for a forward and a high basketball IQ that will make him a solid contributor early and a top player before he is done at WVU.

Also returning this season are a pair of long and athletic forwards in Wellington Smith and John Flowers. Smith, a 6-foot-7 forward out of New Jersey, played about 20 minutes a game last year and led WVU in blocks. The physical tools of Smith has you believing he could really take off under Huggins, but he just has not put it together yet. Flowers, another 6-foot-7 forward with solid athleticism and a willingness to play inside and out, was productive in his minutes last season and is another with a ceiling that if he begins to approach, will be a nice surprise for WVU fans this season.

Another 6-foot-7 forward on the roster is Cam Thoroughman. Known as a power forward with a nice shooting touch coming into WVU, injuries and need of a bruiser has seen Thoroughman play a different role under Huggins. He is more likely to go into the game and bounce a few people around for a few minutes than spot up for a few jumpers on the baseline. Rounding out the frontcourt is JUCO transfer Dee Proby. Proby comes to WVU from Angelina CC in Texas where the 6-foot-9, 250 pound forward showed a perimeter game. The Mountaineers may need his big body (as the biggest Mountaineer on the roster) to try and battle inside in the Big East, which would be an interesting development for Proby.



2008-2009 Team Outlook:

Bob Huggins has his second season as head coach of West Virginia ready to tip-off and there are high expectations for his club. A promising recruiting class to combine with five key returnees is enough to put the Mountaineers into discussions of a top 25 team for this season and a possible NCAA Tournament club, and you never want to ignore a Huggins coached team when you plan your March Madness Betting of teams to make the tourney. There is no doubt that WVU has a deep pool of quality athletes at their disposal, but finding replacements for the leadership and intangibles provided by Darris Nichols and Joe Alexander will key the success of their season.

The biggest question will come at point guard for the Mountaineers where Joe Mazzulla is poised to take control of the team, but his effectiveness as a full-time point guard is still a question mark for this club. Their lack of size and physical strength in the post will also be an area to keep an eye on this season once the Big East conference schedule rolls around. There is no doubt this is a very good team that could, and would not surprise us, if they match last year's success, but a couple questions need to be answered first if that is to happen.






2008-2009 Big East Prediction: 9-9

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #6 WVU

October 9, 2008



Despite the rocky 1-2 start under first year head coach Bill Stewart, the West Virginia Mountaineers have begin to right the ship a bit with a win over in-state rival Marshall and began the Big East portion of their schedule by beating Rutgers, 24-17, last week. At 1-0 in the Big East, WVU still has their conference title hopes alive as they try to get better each week.

On the other side of the field this week is the Syracuse Orange. The 1-4 (0-1 Big East) Orange are coming off a bye week as the Greg Robinson era continues mercifully for the dwindling fan base. On the weekend that the much anticipated move 'The Express' opens, it only serves as a reminder of what was once a proud program that is now among the dregs of major college football. SU opened Big East play looking improved, leading Pittsburgh for nearly 75% of the game, however, in the end, it was yet another loss for the Orange as they fell in the Dome, 34-24 as Pitt scored the game's last 21 points.

NCAA Football Odds currently have the Mountaineers listed as 23 1/2 point favorites to route the Orange. Look for the Mountaineer defense, which has been coming around, to put the clamps on the SU attack. On offense, spreading the field with their superior speed will open up more lanes for Pat White and Noel Devine to run down hill all game against the abysmal SU rush defense. Syracuse surrenders over 207 yards rushing and 36 points a game, among the worst in all of college football, while on offense, they have among the worst passing attacks in the nation. While the West Virginia rushing attack might not quite be what it was under RichRod previously, it is still among the top 15 in the nation and look for them to have the ball all day against the Orange and come up with an easy win, showing just a little more comfort under their new staff.


Prediction:

West Virginia 41
Syracuse 14

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LACK OF FIREWORKS MEANS NO BURNT COUCHES AT WVU

by Zach Smart


Just call me the “couch torch man.”

This Halloween, I’m bound to replace Michael Myers, Freddy Krueger (who may have the second longest fingers on this planet, second only to Syracuse freshman forward Mookie Jones), and Pacman Jones as the scariest beings to hit the wild Morgantown landscape.

The couch torching that takes place this Halloween will mostly be out of exasperation for the Mountaineers shortcomings on the gridiron.

There are no ghosts, goblins, or any other evil spirits haunting the West Virginia football team. No lingering effects of Rich Rodriguez’ loss. Nothing that Bill Stewart has really done to cause the Mountaineers’ stock to dip the way it has this season.

Nothing but a few pairs of size 13+ cleats, none of which are too easy to fill. Steve Slaton is running into new territory, establishing himself as a significant cog in the Houston Texans offense.

Noel Devine’s yards-per-carry have dipped from 8.6 to 5.7, and while his receiving numbers have dipped, significantly, there’s more to it to that in the backfield. Devine is less explosive. The holes aren’t wider than the Sargasso Sea, as they seemed to be at times last year.

The pyro-maniacs who lit up the “Devine Hype TNT” early this season did not take it account the lack of running room that he may have. An absence of some significant players and an offensive line that’s playing smaller has led to this. Those diehards and college football gurus alike projected that Devine would burst up the middle, sweep to the outside, and rip through the runways. They said that the pint-sized back would stake his claim as the NCAA’s fastest man.

Not so fast.

The loss of Slaton (A 2007 Heisman candidate), coupled with the loss of Owen Schmitt, has given Devine less running room while lowering the efficiency level of the spread offense. Schmitt, who’s now on the Seattle Seahawks, was a unique threat because of the fullback’s ability to execute key blocks and run the football. Thus, the NFL draft and 2008 graduation claimed many VIPs and thoroughly cleansed some essential components of the roster. Darius Reynaud, whose dynamic mix of brute strength and speed helped him emerge as Pat White’s favorite targets, has also been sorely missed.

It puts more of the onus to lead and produce offense on White, who thrown for 590 yards and hit his receivers at a 75-for-103 clip this season.

While Bill Stewart’s skeptics have certainly surfaced this fall (the cut-throat Mountaineer fans didn’t really give Rodriguez a memorable sendoff either), you can’t point the blame on the coach. There games where it seems the ‘Neers just flat-out haven’t been working hard enough.

Take, for instance, the East Carolina upset. WVU, blessed with an early no.8 ranking and college football odds looking good for WVU in the Big East after walloping Villanova, the 'Eers got clubbed 24-3. They looked lackadaisical on defense, allowing Patrick Pickney to throw the ball down their throats (22-for-28, 236 yards). Pickney has been lights out this year, but against Colorado, the pattern of matador defense continued.

At the scenic, Boulder, CO, the ‘Neers gave a career day to true freshman Rodney Stewart. Stewart, who hadn’t eclipsed 38 yards in the first two weeks, erupted for 166 yards on the ground.

As a Mafia man would say, “not (bleeping) cool, bro.”

The Mountaineers need to resuscitate itself and revive the season. While wins over Marshall and Rutgers (oh, how the mighty have fallen) injected some confidence, they need to run the table over these next few games.

An Oct.23 under-the-lights date with no.20 Auburn looks like a real litmus test for them.

If anything, it should be a chance to rehydrate the mindset they shouldered for much of last year.

Right now, the chances of the WVU faithful burning couches (out of joy) is about as likely as Ron Jeremy being warped in a dry spell during the mid-eighties.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/video/ncaaf_video/2008/10/07/tour.guy.wvu.SportsIllustrated/index.html

This is not good.

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