Meineke Car Care Bowl Preview

by Matt Whitfield


West Virginia and North Carolina have both seen their share of highs and lows this season. North Carolina showed unlimited potential when they crushed Rutgers on the road 44-12, demolished Boston College 45-24, and squashed Georgia Tech 28-7. The Tar Heels have also shown why they haven’t been to a bowl game in four year when they lost two of their last three, including a 41-10 blowout by North Carolina State. West Virginia, a team that early on was a top 10 ranked team, opened up the season 1-2 with losses to Colorado and East Carolina. They then stormed back winning five in a row and many considered them the team to beat again in the Big East. That was all speculation however as they lost two of their last four and showed they weren’t exactly what they were last year with Rodriguez and Co. Saturday one team will need to come up with a New Year’s resolution and a solution to their declining fortunes as the two teams both look to end their seasons on a positive note as the NCAA Bowl Games schedule kicks into high gear.

Wet Virginia faces North Carolina for the second time in team history Saturday. In the prior meeting the two teams faced off in the 1997 Gator Bowl in which then North Carolina then coached by Mack Brown defeated the Mountaineers 20-13. The 1997 Mountaineers team was known for their defense and ten years later the team is quite different. The 2008 Mountaineers are a team known for its high powered offense.

To win Saturday running the ball seventeen more times than passing won’t be the way. 6’3 300 lb Marvin Austin and 6-4 330 lb Cam Thomas anchor the large and stout Tar Heel defense. While the Mountaineers only have the 109th best passing offense they probably will be forced to use it much more often Saturday. To counter this option the Tar Heels have playmaking safety Eric Goddard. Goddard has accounted for seven interceptions and five pass breakups this season. West Virginia most likely will give frequent looks to slotbacks Noel Devine and Jock Sanders down the field. The two despite their size have game breaking ability. Dorrell Jollah and Tyler Urban should also see their share of passes thrown their way Saturday. If West Virginia is to keep this game close and come out with the win, they’ll need OL Ryan Stancheck and Greg Isdander to use their speed to make up for their size in giving Pat White enough time to create plays. White undoubtedly will be forced to throw more than he has in the past and an off day could lead to a disastrous outcome for the Mountaineers.

While West Virginia is known for it’s offense North Carolina’s at times can be a mystery. This season the QB duties have been primarily split by Cameron Sexton and TJ Yates. Neither has been overly impressive with Sexton seeing more minutes than Yates. Yates will most likely be the starter Saturday, however if he plays the way he did in the loss to North Carolina State Saturday look for Sexton to come in. West Virginia is rumored to possibly be without members of their secondary Saturday and if that is the case that could open up the field for the Tar Heel WR’s. If North Carolina is to win their first bowl game in seven years they will need their defense to control the tempo and their offense, especially their QB (or QB’s) to not play like slouches in front of the home crowd Saturday.

The current NCAA Football Odds list WVU as a 1 and a half point favorite.

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WVU-USF PREVIEW: NOT FOR ALL THE MARBLES

December 5, 2008


When the Big East schedule came out, December 6th at 8 PM was when the schedule makers were hoping the Big East title would be decided. Morgantown was set to be the scene of the big match-up when South Florida came to town. However, along the way, neither team was able to hold up their end of the bargain.

Both teams enter the season-ending contest with identical 7-4 overall records, so there are still some NCAA Bowl Game implications on the line. Especially for the Bulls, whose 2-4 conference record is a big disappointment for the team that started off 5-0 and was once ranked in the top 10 in the country. A loss, and a 7-5 record is definitely bowl-eligible, but at 2-5 in the Big East, they distance themselves even more from the other teams that are bowl eligible.

West Virginia will look to finish their Big East schedule at 5-2, good for at least some form of a share of second place in the conference. as one of th ebest traveling schools in college football, the Mountaineers will likely receive the plum bowl invitation outside of conference winner Cincinnati with a win.

The game is also the last home appearance for record-setting quarterback Pat White, the catalyst of the WVU success the last few seasons. Look for the Mountaineers to make every effort to send their quarterback out on top for his home finale.

NCAA Football Odds have WVU as a 7 and a half poitn favorite. Nightime in Morgantown is a tough atmosphere for an opponent, look for WVU and their crowd to be revved up and ready to roll in this one.

Prediction:
West Virginia 34
South Florida 21

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IT'S MAKE OR BREAK TIME

By Matt Whitfied


“We’re far from being out of it. As long as we only worry about ourselves and take care of us, then we’ll be perfectly fine,” said Dorrell Jalloh.

If Jalloh and the rest of the Mountaineers think and play that way they could be headed back to another BCS Bowl game once the NCAA Bowl Games roll around this holiday season. However, despite what the Mountaineers say, the stakes are high this weekend as the Mountaineers visit Louisville to partake in what some might call a make or break game.

West Virginia has won five of its last six, meanwhile Louisville has lost three straight. West Virginia (6-3) is trying to define its season, while Louisville (5-5) is just trying to finish with a winning record. West Virginia is bowl eligible and could see a repeat of last season, while many Louisville players will likely be sitting at home, possibly hung-over during the holidays.

Despite their records, recent history tells us to expect a close game Saturday as the margin of victory has been no more than 10 points by either side since the two teams began squaring off yearly in 2005. Current NCAA Football Odds list WVU as a 7.5-point favorite in this one.

The Cardinals are led by Senior QB Hunter Cantwell who is considered an NFL prospect. Cantwell leads the team in TD’s with 14, however he has also thrown for 12 INT’s. Cantwell has a fairly balanced rushing and receiving corps with Victor Anderson and Brock Bolen leading the way through the defenders, and Doug Beaumeunt and Josh Chichester leading the way in the air. The four have combined for 2,197 yards and half the team’s touchdowns; other than those by Cantwell. If Louisville is to win Saturday they’ll need Cantwell to not be INT prone and West Virginia’s 15th ranked pass efficiency defense and 20th ranked total defense to play down.

West Virginia is led by it’s Senior QB Pat White. He leads the league with a 140.7 passer rating, and has thrown for a conference high 15 TD’s. When rushing White ranks sixth in the Big East in averaging 73.2 yards per game. When White doesn’t run the ball, he most often gets it to one of two Sophomore sloatbacks Noel Devine or Jock Sanders. The two have accounted for 1,591 yards of total yards and 11 TD’s this season. If Louisville is to win, they’ll need their 39th ranked total defense to be clicking on all cylinders Saturday. West Virginia is vulnerable to good defense, however, it also has shown that with the weapons they have they can erupt instantaneously.

The last time West Virginia was in Louisville they lost a gut wrenching shotout to the Cardinals. Steve Slaton and Brian Brohm are gone but pride is on the line for both teams. West Virginia wants to show people they can be as good as the preseason polls said while Louisville just wants to finish with a winning record. Expect a high scoring game as the last three times the two have played they have combined to average 68 points a game.

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BIG EAST FOOTBALL PREVIEW: GAME #9 WEST VIRGINIA

November 7, 2008


Don't look now, but West Virginia has taken their normal position atop the Big East standings with a 3-0 conference record as we head down the home stretch. After a rough start to the Bill Stewart era, the Mountaineers have won five in a row, but what is more important, they have begin to rev up their offense of late, scoring a 34-17 win over Auburn back on October 23rd and following that up with a 35-13 win at UConn last week.

The key? Pat White returning to health and being in sync with coach Stewart's offense. White threw for 175 yards and three touchdowns against Auburn and he ran for 109 and scored twice on the ground against UConn. With White back as a dual threat, it opens the lanes for Noel Devine, and he shredded Auburn for over 200 yards in that win that seemed to re-energize WVU.

Quitely, Cincinnati remains in the Big East title race and their 24-10 win over South Florida last week re-inforced that notion. With four quarterbacks shuffling in and out of the line-up because of injuries, it looks like Tony Pike has grabbed ahold of the position and his effecient outing against USF (20-28-282-2-1) is a great building block. Facing the Mountaineers in Morgantown on a Saturday night will be a whole new set of challenges, though, for the senior QB that was not even listed in the three-deep depth chart not long ago.

The latest Latest NCAA College Football Odds list the Mountaineers as 7-point favorites. With a team that seems to be coming together, especially offensively, at home in a tough place to play, I think they take care of that number and make another statement that the Big East title needs to be taken from WVU first.

Prediction:

West Virginia 33
Cincinnati 19

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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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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 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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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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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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