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Post by elp525 on Nov 2, 2011 4:52:46 GMT -5
November 1, 2011
By Dave Hickman The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - Geno Smith won't be the only highly recruited Miami-area quarterback on the field Saturday when West Virginia hosts Louisville.
In fact, Teddy Bridgewater may have been the more prized commodity of the two, albeit three years later.
He's also getting a chance to show what he can do sooner than did Smith, who spent a year as Jarrett Brown's apprentice after coming from Miramar High School.
So far it's hard to argue with Bridgewater's success.
"He's managing the game and getting us in the right plays when people are blitzing us, and he's making the throws,'' Louisville coach Charlie Strong said of the 6-foot-3, 205-pound true freshman from Miami Northwestern. "He's doing that and he will continue to improve with more playing time. Each week is a totally different challenge for him because people don't run the same defenses.
"It's about him studying the game and on game day being ready for what the opposing team may do defensively.''
That's where Smith has the edge. Having been in West Virginia's program for three years and now in his second season as the starter, Smith is putting up huge numbers in first-year coach Dana Holgorsen's system. He is averaging more than 40 passing attempts a game and throwing for almost 340 yards each time out. Smith has 20 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
Bridgewater has no such flashy numbers. Since assuming the starter's role for the fourth game of the season - a loss to Marshall - he is averaging about 26 passes and about 182 yards per game. Bridgewater has thrown seven touchdowns this season and six interceptions.
But until he becomes more comfortable with playing college football, throwing the ball a ton isn't what's expected of the former four-star recruit who was on the radar of Alabama, Auburn, Florida, Miami and others - including West Virginia - last fall. He chose Louisville, enrolled in January and was able to get a head start by going through spring practice.
Instead, Bridgewater is expected to run the Louisville offense and make as few mistakes as possible. For the past two games he has done just that.
After averaging 29 attempts during his first three starts, he has cut that down to 21 the last two games. And after Louisville lost his first three starts, the Cardinals have won two in a row, beating Rutgers and Syracuse.
It's probably no coincidence that Bridgewater's passing numbers are down and the team's win total is up, but it's been more than just his play.
"What's happening is our offensive line is doing a better job,'' Strong said. "The last two weeks we've had over a hundred yards rushing, which we had not [had in four of the previous five weeks]. We had a 100-yard rusher in Jeremy Wright [against Rutgers] and then Vic Anderson breaks a long run [61 yards for a touchdown against Syracuse].
"And the offensive line is protecting Teddy. We gave up no sacks in the Rutgers game. We gave up some [against Syracuse], but we're protecting him and giving him time to find receivers and throw the ball down the field.''
In a 27-10 win over Syracuse last week, Bridgewater completed his first seven passes for 124 yards and then finished 17-of-24 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. He didn't have to throw after Louisville jumped out to an early lead, so he didn't.
Bridgewater can throw the ball, though, when he has to. He passed for more than 6,700 yards in high school despite missing part of his senior season with a knee injury, and in his final high school game he threw for 436 yards and four touchdowns.
For now, though, both he and the rest of the Louisville offense are just feeling their way along. He's one of six freshmen who regularly see playing time for the Cardinals on offense - there are three freshmen starters on defense, as well - and they all are getting better each week.
Louisville is also dealing with a new offensive coordinator after Mike Sanford, the former UNLV coach, left the program during the season as was replaced by quarterbacks coach Shawn Watson. Strong had taken play-calling duties away from Sanford after the loss to Marshall.
Still, the scheme is the same, so Bridgewater and the others didn't have to deal with changing things in midstream.
"Our whole offense had to improve, not just Teddy but our offensive line, the running backs, wide receivers,'' Strong said. "And we weren't doing that. We weren't playing well there in the beginning. And now in the last few weeks we've gotten healthy on the offensive line, the running backs are running better and the wide receivers are making the plays. We have a young quarterback and people have to play better around him, and that's what's happening.''
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Post by elp525 on Nov 2, 2011 4:50:44 GMT -5
November 1, 2011
By Mitch Vingle The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - There couldn't have been a more festive atmosphere to Tuesday's press conference at Milan Puskar Stadium celebrating the marriage between West Virginia University and the Big 12.
Dignitaries were there. Food was served. The Mountaineer pep band played the fight song.
Unfortunately, though, before the event, another fight song had been played.
The Big East presidents met in Philadelphia and declared they'd fight WVU's lawsuit, which was filed on Monday, and the school's intention to leave the conference before the 27 months agreed on in exit bylaws.
"In light of the lawsuit filed by West Virginia [Monday]," said Big East commissioner John Marinatto via a release, "the presidents also discussed and confirmed our continuing commitment to enforce the conference's 27-month notification period for schools choosing to leave. The conference believes these claims to be wholly without merit and will explore all its legal options to protect its interests and to ensure that West Virginia lives up to its obligations."
The proverbial line in the sand was drawn. Marinatto told the Associated Press he was "stunned" by WVU's tactics.
And one can understand why. WVU wanted out so desperately, wished for a safe haven so much, it seemingly told the Big 12 it would join next season despite the bylaw provision.
In the end, will the Mountaineers begin play in the Big 12 next year? Probably. WVU was shrewd in filing the lawsuit instead of simply moving to the Big 12 and waiting to be sued. The school can claim that when its lawsuit was filed, the Big East was in chaos and not a viable conference. It can claim the league "breached its fiduciary duty" to "maintain a balance between football-playing and non-football members."
In the end, perhaps there will be a settlement and WVU can go on its merry way.
But at a cost. And not just financially.
WVU, which wore the white hat in the mess that was the Rich Rodriguez departure, has unquestionably donned the black hat in this case. Marinatto, heretofore seen as a bumbling commissioner desperately trying to keep his league together - and his job - will now be seen as the good guy. As Rodriguez tried to weasel out of his contract buyout, WVU is trying to weasel out of its notification period.
And that's not how we in this state roll. West Virginians are known for their handshake and their good word.
It's already met with national scorn. One writer criticized the school's lack of class. Asked if its lesson to students is to litigate out of, rather than honor, a contract. And the hits will continue.
On Tuesday, West Virginia University president Jim Clements called it a "historic day." Athletic director Oliver Luck said he was "proud and honored to accept the invitation to join the Big 12 Conference."
But WVU isn't honorably leaving one conference for another.
Sure, the league had problems. Big ones. For much of West Virginia's time within, the football side was a punchline. But the league saved a Mountaineer program adrift via the football conference, opened the door to BCS games and provided great men's and women's basketball moments.
And then it was stunned by WVU's declaration.
Meanwhile, WVU partied on Tuesday. There were smiles . There were laughs. ("Probably the only people who are hesitant about accepting West Virginia," said Big 12 interim commissioner Chuck Neinas, "are some of our coaches, 'cause they know the quality of West Virginia athletics.") There were handshakes.
But the celebration felt odd. Didn't feel right.
Because the way WVU is leaving the Big East isn't right.
Neinas was asked if West Virginia's invitation was contingent on being able to join next season.
"Yes," said the interim commissioner. "We needed a 10th member for next season to fulfill our TV commitments. There's an inventory that goes with the contract. We have to be able to [fulfill] that."
Is he expecting West Virginia to begin play next season?
"Yes sir."
If it can't?
"Well then I guess for the first time in college football history we'll have home-and-home [games between conference members]," he laughed.
It was a jovial atmosphere. But ...
Are there any contingency plans in case WVU is ordered to remain in the Big East?
"Oklahoma State told me they don't want to play Oklahoma twice," Neinas said, and added he's "not concerned because I trust the two gentlemen [Clements and Luck] on each side of me."
He did get serious for a moment.
"It would be very difficult to obtain games at this late stage," Neinas said. "But we fully expect West Virginia to be there."
Of course, it will also be very difficult for the Big East members on WVU's 2012 schedule to obtain games at this late stage. Unless they demand, say, incoming Conference USA members to join next season. Somewhere, schools will be left in binds.
Clements was peppered on the subject. He was asked if he was optimistic the lawsuit will be settled by July.
"Yeah, but I don't want to make any comments on that issue," he said.
He and Luck both refused to comment on the litigation.
Finally, though, I asked the one question I traveled up Interstate 79 to ask: Do you feel good about the exit?
"As I said by phone on Friday, during the media availability, we were a very proud member of the Big East for a long time, and a good member," Clements said. "But now it's all about the Big 12 and we are thrilled to be a member of the Big 12. The stuff with the Big East will work itself out."
And indeed it will.
But at a cost.
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:52:12 GMT -5
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:49:45 GMT -5
10/31/2011 MetroNews Sports Morgantown
West Virginia University will celebrate its acceptance into the Big 12 Conference Tuesday afternoon. A reception will take place at Touchdown Terrace inside the North End Zone of Milan Puskar Stadium with many Big 12 officials in attendance to talk about this historic day for the Big 12 Conference.
Big 12 Interim Commissioner Chuck Neinas will be on hand, along with Deputy Commissioner Tim Weiser, Associate Commissioner for Communications Bob Burda, WVU President James P. Clements. Director of Athletics Oliver Luck will be present to speak about the Mountaineers joining the Big 12 Conference.
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:48:39 GMT -5
Tuesday, November 01 2011 Staff MetroNews Sports
Big East Conference Commissioner John Marinatto released a statement Monday night about the lawsuit WVU has filed against the Big East and the 27 month exit period:
“We are disappointed that West Virginia has adopted this strategy and cannot imagine why it believes it does not have to respect and honor the bylaws it agreed to as a member of the Big East. Based on an initial review of the lawsuit, it is clear that the allegations and claims in it are false and inaccurate. Certainly there is nothing in it that would justify WVU’s not fulfilling its obligations. To put it simply, a contract is a contract," said Marinatto.
“Once we have reviewed the filing, we will explore all our legal options and will act vigorously to ensure that WVU lives up to all its obligations to our conference. In the meantime, this lawsuit will not interfere in any way with our ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand the Big East.”
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:45:09 GMT -5
Tuesday, November 01, 2011 By Jenn Menendez Pittsburgh Post-Gazette West Virginia University made clear Monday its game plan to begin playing sports in the Big 12 Conference next fall: It is suing the conference it is leaving -- the Big East. The university filed a lawsuit against the conference in Monongalia (W.Va.) County Circuit Court, alleging poor leadership and conflicting needs among member schools that led to the "denigration of the conference." The suit claims a breach of contract that should void the 27-month withdrawal period in the Big East bylaws. The Mountaineers joined the Big 12 Conference last week and immediately announced a plan to begin play next fall. West Virginia is planning a 2:30 p.m. reception today on its Morgantown campus with Big 12 officials. The university had no comment on the lawsuit. "The denigration of the Big East football conference is a direct and proximate result of ineffective leadership and breach of fiduciary duties to the football schools by the Big East Conference and its Commissioner," the suit reads. "The Big East and its Commissioner failed to take proactive measures to maintain, let alone enhance, the level of competition for the Big East football schools." The Big East, meanwhile, has stood by its bylaws. Neither the University of Pittsburgh nor Syracuse University has indicated that they wouldn't honor the 27-month period since those schools announced plans in September to leave for the Atlantic Coast Conference. "We are disappointed that West Virginia has adopted this strategy and cannot imagine why it believes it does not have to respect and honor the bylaws it agreed to as a member of the Big East," said commissioner John Marinatto in a statement. "Based on an initial review of the lawsuit, it is clear that the allegations and claims in it are false and inaccurate. Certainly there is nothing in it that would justify WVU's not fulfilling its obligations. To put it simply, a contract is a contract." Mr. Marinatto went a step further and intimated that the Big East might have some legal plans of its own. "Once we have reviewed the filing, we will explore all our legal options and will act vigorously to ensure that WVU lives up to all its obligations to our conference," he said. "In the meantime, this lawsuit will not interfere in any way with our ongoing efforts to strengthen and expand the Big East." It's unclear if other programs will follow suit. Scott Andresen, an attorney and professor of sports law at Northwestern University in Chicago, said the suit could work. "I think it might've been filed to quicken the process," Mr. Andresen said. "The Big East doesn't want somebody who doesn't want to be there. On some level, they're going to try and extract a little pain out of West Virginia. At the end of the day, I think West Virginia will be in their new next conference next year." The suit, West Virginia University Board of Governors v. the Big East Conference, claims league instability dates to 1996, when Notre Dame was allowed entrance as a non-football school, followed by Providence, St. John's, Georgetown, Seton Hall, Connecticut and Villanova as non-football members. The suit then says after Pitt and Syracuse left, Connecticut publicly acknowledged it was looking for another conference. Then Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati engaged in discussions with other conferences "for the purpose of trying to obtain invitations to join these conferences and withdraw from the Big East." The suit also alleges that West Virginia believes the Big East will lose its position as a conference whose football champion is an automatic qualifier for a Bowl Championship Series game and, " ccordingly the Big East Conference and its Commissioner, through their actions, breached their contract to WVU and nullified and voided the Bylaws."
Expansion is expected to be the main subject today in Philadelphia, where Big East officials will meet.
None of the schools that are leaving will be in attendance.
Multiple reports have said Mr. Marinatto has been courting programs around the country and is expected to extend invitations to Central Florida, Southern Methodist University and Houston for all sports, and Boise State, Air Force and Navy for football.
It is not the first time West Virginia has been involved in legal action about conference realignment.
In 2003, West Virginia joined Connecticut, Pitt, Rutgers and Virginia Tech in a lawsuit against Boston College, Miami and the ACC, seeking monetary damages and an injunction preventing the two colleges from joining the ACC.
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:42:26 GMT -5
Monday October 31, 2011
University claims football conference has allowed itself to deteriorate
by Jared Hunt Charleston Daily Mail
CHARLESTON, W.Va. - West Virginia University filed a lawsuit against the Big East conference Monday, alleging that conference leaders have failed to support football schools and asking a judge to void conference rules so WVU can join the Big 12.
Attorneys representing the WVU Board of Governors filed the lawsuit Monday in Monongalia Circuit Court in Morgantown.
It asks that a circuit judge issue an injunction prohibiting the conference from blocking WVU's move to the Big 12 conference on July 1, 2012, and seeks compensation for damages resulting from the Big East's breach of contract with member schools.
The legal action comes as little surprise following Friday's announcement that WVU was accepting an invitation to join the Big 12 conference on July 1, 2012.
Once WVU's move to the Big 12 was announced, Big East Commissioner John Marinatto issued a statement saying the conference intended to hold WVU to a Big East bylaw clause requiring exiting schools to give at least 27 months notice of their departure.
But WVU officials stood firm on their intended exit date Friday.
"We've resigned as of June, 30, 2012, and we're accepted (in the Big 12) as of July 1, 2012," WVU Board of Governors Chairman Drew Payne said Friday afternoon.
WVU wired the initial $2.5 million portion of the Big East's $5 million exit fee on Friday afternoon as part of their exit process. It was presumed that some type of legal action would follow to negotiate a compromise over WVU's departure date.
With their lawsuit Monday, WVU officials lay heavy criticism over the very structure of the Big East and what they called Marinatto's "ineffective leadership."
They contend that the conference's setup and actions have left schools no choice but to leave the conference to shore up their football programs.
That included the possibility of losing an automatic bid to one of the Bowl Championship Series bowl games, which provide significant revenue to schools each year.
"As the Big East, in less than two months, had denigrated into a non-major football conference whose continued existence is in serious jeopardy, WVU had no choice but to accept the Big XII's offer," the lawsuit says.
"The Big East and its Commissioner failed to take proactive measures to maintain, let alone enhance, the level of competition for Big East football schools," the lawsuit says.
WVU attorneys argue that the structure of the Big East - which has eight schools with no football program and another eight schools that do have football - is an unusual setup that has led to instability within the conference.
That instability has hurt the financial interests of the football schools, the lawsuit alleges, and has caused them to leave the conference, which further exacerbates the problem.
On Sept. 17, Syracuse and Pittsburgh announced they were leaving the Big East to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.
The next day, University of Connecticut President Susan Herbst issued a statement that said the school was actively involved in discussions to ensure the long-term success of its athletic programs.
Then, on Oct. 10, Texas Christian University, which was set to join the Big East next year, announced it was withdrawing from that deal to join the Big 12.
The departures of Pittsburgh, Connecticut and TCU served to weaken the conference, to the point where WVU says it's no longer a viable football conference.
Also, the departures created a further imbalance and disparity between the football and non-football playing schools.
With 33 percent of the football schools withdrawing, the complaint says the remaining football schools were subjected to increased governance from non-football schools.
The complaint says that increased disparity rendered WVU's performance in the Big East "commercially impracticable," because non-football schools now had more power to block moves aimed at boosting the football side of the conference.
"The Big East football schools advocated measures to be taken by the Big East and its Commissioner to maintain the level of competition of the Big East football conference," the complaint said.
"The non-football schools repeatedly exerted their newfound level of increased governance at the expense and detriment of the football schools," the complaint said. "The Commissioner did nothing to protect the football-playing schools and in fact took measures to further protect and advance the interest of the non-football playing schools."
These events caused representatives from the University of Louisville, Rutgers University and the University of Cincinnati to begin talks with other conferences, including the ACC, Big 12, Southeastern Conference and Big 10, according to the complaint.
WVU contends all of this is the result of the Big East breaching its contract to protect the financial interests of member schools.
As a result of that breach, they say, all bylaws and agreements made between the conference and university - including the 27-month notice clause - are null and void.
Additionally, since WVU officials told the Big East they were withdrawing from the conference on June 30, the Big East's acceptance of the initial $2.5 million exit fee transfer signaled that the conference was willing to go along with the 27-month waiver.
The lawsuit points out that TCU was not held to that 27-month clause when it announced plans to depart in October.
In a statement late Monday, Marinatto refuted the lawsuit's claims.
"Based on an initial review of the lawsuit, it is clear that the allegations and claims in it are false and inaccurate," he said. "Certainly there is nothing in it that would justify WVU's not fulfilling its obligations. To put it simply, a contract is a contract."
Marinatto said he was disappointed that WVU pursued the lawsuit and "cannot imagine why it believes it does not have to respect and honor the bylaws it agreed to as a member of the Big East."
He said once the conference officials have had time to review WVU's lawsuit, they will explore all legal options and will "act vigorously" to ensure that WVU lives up to all obligations.
He said the lawsuit would not interfere with current efforts underway to strengthen and expand the Big East.
Big East officials are set to meet Tuesday morning to consider inviting additional football schools. Conference officials have said WVU is not expected to participate in that meeting.
WVU officials will hold a reception for Big 12 representatives in Morgantown Tuesday and offer more details on how WVU will be integrated.
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:39:51 GMT -5
October 31, 2011
By The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University filed a lawsuit Monday seeking an immediate divorce from the Big East so it can become a member of the Big 12 before the 2012 football season.
The Big 12 announced West Virginia's acceptance on Friday, but the Big East said it would hold the Mountaineers to a provision in the conference bylaws that requires notice of 27 months before a school can withdraw.
The lawsuit asks a Monongalia Circuit Court judge to declare the bylaws invalid, claiming that the Big East breached its fiduciary duty to West Virginia by failing to maintain a balance between football-playing and non-football members.
The complaint, which asks for a jury trial, also alleges that the Big East agreed to West Virginia's immediate withdrawal by accepting a $2.5 million down payment on its $5 million exit fee.
"Absent a Court order permanently enjoining the Big East from enforcing the 27-month notice provision against WVU, WVU has no adequate remedy at law to protect its interests and will suffer continuing and irreparable damages and injury,'' the lawsuit says.
Big East spokesman Chuck Sullivan said the league's position is that West Virginia is not eligible to join the Big 12 until July 1, 2014, but he declined to comment on the lawsuit.
WVU spokesman John Bolt also declined to elaborate, saying "the lawsuit speaks for itself.''
The lawsuit is the latest development in a flurry of conference realignment activity this fall. Syracuse and Pittsburgh withdrew from the Big East in September to join the Atlantic Coast Conference.
TCU accepted an invitation to join the Big East in September but switched to the Big 12 in October and was not required to honor the 27-month notice requirement.
"That's basically because they never started with the Big East,'' Sullivan said of the Horned Frogs. "Because they had not formally joined the conference, which would have been July 1, 2012, they were subject only to the financial component.''
West Virginia's lawsuit says other Big East football members -- Connecticut, Louisville, Rutgers and Cincinnati -- "have been engaged in discussions with other sports conferences,'' so when the Big 12 extended its invitation Friday the Mountaineers accepted.
"As the Big East, in less than two months, had denigrated into a non-major football conference whose continued existence is in serious jeopardy, WVU had no choice but to accept the Big XII's offer,'' the lawsuit says.
The complaint says the departures of Pitt and Syracuse left the Big East with only six football members and eight non-football members -- an imbalance not contemplated by the bylaws, which therefore should be declared null and void.
The complaint also alleges that the Big East and its commissioner ignored recommendations by football members to maintain the league's level of competitiveness in that sport and advanced the interests of the non-football members.
"This lack of leadership, breach of fiduciary duties by the Big East and its Commissioner, and voting disparity between the football and non-football schools resulted in the Big East football conference no longer being a viable and competitive football conference,'' the complaint says.
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:32:19 GMT -5
October 31, 2011
By Dave Hickman The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - Dana Holgorsen is fond of saying his West Virginia football team is a work in progress. Well, in at least one way, the Mountaineers seemed to make a lot of progress between losing at Syracuse and nearly losing at Rutgers the past two weekends.
They learned, at least for this week, not to underestimate the underdog, especially one that appears to be playing with more naturally generated motivation.
Syracuse was offended at being a two-touchdown underdog at home to a team it beat on the road a year ago and seemed further ticked off by a perceived nonchalant - or even superior - attitude by the Mountaineers prior to the game. The Orange crumpled WVU up and threw it away, winning 49-23.
But Rutgers had perhaps even more motivation, and the Knights and coach Greg Schiano all but admit as much. They had lost 16 straight to WVU and were playing the Mountaineers for perhaps the last time. Paralyzed defensive lineman Eric LeGrand led the team onto the field in a wheelchair. Even a freak snowstorm worked in Rutgers' favor against WVU's precision-based offense.
Shoot, Schiano made defensive changes during the offseason designed to get quicker players on the field, even at the expense of defending against power football. Linebacker Khaseem Green was asked last week how many of those changes he figured were aimed at being able to better defend West Virginia.
"I would say probably all of them,'' Green said.
Yet with all of that working for them - not to mention a crowd announced at 47,303 and a 10-point halftime lead - Rutgers still couldn't do anything in the end but mark down consecutive loss No. 17.
"Credit goes to West Virginia,'' Schiano said after his own losing streak against WVU reached 11. "They found a way to get it done. We didn't. We will eventually.''
Well, not if West Virginia is successful in bailing out of the Big East for the Big 12 by next fall. And that will happen.
When it does, chances are good that Rutgers' losing streak against West Virginia lives in perpetuity. Perhaps there will be a non-league game somewhere down the road, but no one will hold their breath - or their schedules - waiting for that.
From West Virginia's point of view, though, extending the winning streak over Rutgers was only peripheral motivation. Simply winning the game and overcoming its own foibles was what mattered most.
At some point the Mountaineers had to start playing like the team that, since starting 7-0 and rising to No. 3 in the polls in 2006, has been favored in virtually every Big East game it has played, yet over that same period is just 25-11 in the league. Yes, that's the best league record over that span, but almost all of those losses were upsets.
Syracuse was no different. Rutgers was heading the same way when it led 31-21 at halftime. Perhaps something clicked.
"We had to look ourselves in the mirror and decide what we wanted to do,'' said receiver Brad Starks.
The second half, of course, was different. It was what is expected of West Virginia and has been for years now. Rutgers gained just 165 yards in the second half, didn't score and the Mountaineers won.
"This is our last year playing in the Big East. I told the guys who don't realize it, this is the last time we're playing Rutgers,'' linebacker Najee Goode said. "This is what they're going to remember. When they think back to who the last Big East champs were [during WVU's time in the league], we want it to be us.''
The problem for West Virginia is that this might have been the easy part of the schedule. Saturday brings a home game against a Louisville team that last week beat Rutgers and on Saturday pounded the same Syracuse team that just pounded West Virginia.
A week later there's a trip to Cincinnati to play what is now the only unbeaten team in the league, then the season ends with the Backyard Brawl against Pitt and a trip to South Florida, where WVU always struggles.
For one week, though - or at least one half - West Virginia found its answer in regard to playing hard and playing well at the same time. It was one of the few times the Mountaineers have managed that combination, but if they expect to win the Big East it had better not be the last.
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Post by elp525 on Nov 1, 2011 4:29:18 GMT -5
October 31, 2011
By Dave Hickman The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - Think what you will about the Louisville football team that comes to Mountaineer Field Saturday. If you choose to look at the fact that the Cardinals are but 4-4 and that they lost games to Florida International and Marshall, so be it.
Know this, though: Louisville can play defense.
In eight games this season, no team has scored more than three touchdowns against the Cardinals. Six of the eight have scored two or fewer.
Louisville ranks No. 12 in the country in total defense and No. 11 in points allowed. The Cardinals are equally adept at stopping the run and the pass.
For a West Virginia team that seems lately reduced to outscoring teams in order to win, that presents a challenge.
"They're an attacking defense, but they're sound. It's hard to move the ball on them,'' West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said Monday. "It always starts up front. They've got D-linemen that are physical and their linebackers are enormous and cover a lot of space.
"They're young. They play a lot of freshman on both offense and defense. But that's scary because the more you play freshmen the better they're going to get.''
That's been exactly the case for Louisville.
Through six games, coach Charlie Strong's team was 2-4 and had those embarrassing home losses to Florida International (24-17) and Marshall (17-13). Since then, however, the Cardinals handed Rutgers its first Big East loss and then dismantled the same Syracuse team that had just dismantled West Virginia, winning 27-10.
While Louisville's offense certainly has something to do with that - Strong switched offensive coordinators and quarterbacks during the season - the defense has remained a constant. Only two teams have gained more than 300 yards against the Cardinals. Five have been held below 100 yards rushing and none have passed for more than 255.
West Virginia averages 127 rushing and 355 passing, so something has to give.
"It's so tough. Just from watching them it's going to be hard to do,'' Strong said of containing WVU's offense when the teams meet at noon Sunday. "[WVU quarterback] Geno Smith is an unbelievable player and he does a great job with the tempo and managing the game. He's getting the ball to [Stedman] Bailey and [Tavon] Austin and they're making the catches and getting downfield.''
Holgorsen has never faced a Strong-coached defense. West Virginia's first-year head coach was in the Southwest the past decade and in lower-division football before that while Strong was making a name for himself at Notre Dame, South Carolina and mainly at Florida. Strong made four different stops in Gainesville, including as defensive coordinator for the seven years prior to getting the job at Louisville in 2010.
Holgorsen knows Strong's reputation, though.
"Well, Coach Strong has been widely regarded as one of the better defensive coordinators in the country for the last two decades,'' Holgorsen said. "He's been at a lot of good places. I've never faced him, but have watched from afar when he was at Notre Dame and South Carolina and Florida and putting really good defenses out there. So it's not surprising he's doing the same thing at Louisville.
"You look at their players and their bodies look good to me. They're big and physical and they've got speed, as well. The scheme is good, they're well coached and they've got players. So it's not surprising to see them hold people to what they've been holding them to.''
Holgorsen wasn't around, but West Virginia's offense struggled last year with Louisville, gaining just 261 yards in 17-10 win. Even for a mediocre offense, that was the second-lowest total of the season. Only LSU held the Mountaineers to less.
"We are a pressure defense and our players understand that,'' Strong said. "It's all about disrupting the rhythm of an offense. If you can do that on defense then you'll be able to set the tempo. We like to set the tempo of the game with our defense, and that comes from just stopping the run and eliminating the big plays.''
The one thing Louisville's defense hasn't faced yet, though, is a top-flight passing offense. The highest-rated quarterback (in terms of passing yards) the Cardinals have defended was North Carolina first-year starter Bryn Renner, and he completed a modest 12-of-18 passes for 178 yards, a touchdown and no interceptions.
That's usually not even one half of a game's work for Smith.
"He is a problem himself because he does a good job of throwing the ball and his feet get him out of trouble,'' Strong said. "Any time pressure comes he has good enough feet where he can outrun you and get outside with the football. And then he can either take it downfield and run it himself or he can throw it downfield.''
BRIEFLY: It's going to be hurry up and wait as far as West Virginia's kickoff time and television plans for WVU's game at Cincinnati a week from Saturday.
For the second time this season, ESPN has exercised a six-day window on the decision, which means the network (ABC, ESPN or ESPN2) and the start time won't come until at least late Saturday night or Sunday.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 31, 2011 4:36:39 GMT -5
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Post by elp525 on Oct 31, 2011 4:34:32 GMT -5
10/30/2011 WVU Sports Information Morgantown
The West Virginia University football coaching staff has named its award winners for outstanding performance in the Mountaineers’ 41-31 win at Rutgers on Saturday, Oct. 29.
Offensive Champion – Tavon Austin
Defensive Champion – Julian Miller
Special Teams Champion – Cody Nutter
Offensive Scout Champion – K.J. Myers
Defensive Scout Champion – Ishmail Showell.
Louisville (4-4, 2-1 BIG EAST) travels to Morgantown, W.Va., to face West Virginia (6-2, 2-1 BIG EAST) (No. 24 Associated Press/No. 21 USA Today Coaches Poll) on Saturday, Nov. 5, for a noon, BIG EAST Conference contest at Milan Puskar Stadium (60,000). The game will be televised live on the BIG EAST Network.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 31, 2011 4:33:00 GMT -5
10/30/2011 MetroNews Sports Morgantown
Dana Holgorsen: Sunday Teleconference
WVU coach Dana Holgorsen’s Sunday Night Teleconference
On distractions last week (i.e. joining the Big 12)
Well you’d have to ask them. We were focused on Rutgers last week. We just got done with practice. We didn’t have any Big 12 thoughts, and we didn’t have any next year thoughts. We had a whole bunch of what we have to do to correct some things that happened at Rutgers, and what we have to do to move forward and beat Louisville.
On Nose Guards
He (Shaq Rowell) played about 11 snaps, which is about 11 more than he has played in the last month. He is still learning and he is still young and inexperienced. Coach Kirelawich said he went in there and did a couple of good things. We need someone to back up Jorge Wright. Jorge plays good early and gets tired. We need more guys that can go in there and help him out with some of the snaps, and Shaq was able to do it when Josh Taylor when out.
On correcting mistakes
There are specific things on every play that happen that you didn’t catch in person, so break it down and you tell your guys don’t take that step take this step one, your pad level is to high, you step slow on this, your technique on blocking bad on that, you were in the wrong gap on this thing . There are small things everywhere, and that’s why you watch the tape regardless if you win or lose. You study the tape and you try to get a week better at it. There is a lot of things that happen that we can correct. A lot of the stuff too is just because you did something right one week you may do something wrong the next week. There is a lot of constant reinforcement from week to week you have to do to stay on top of things.
On the Louisville Rivalry
You know I don’t remember specifics. I remember when I first came here the runs that specific team had. I remember the runs West Virginia had for a year or two or the runs that Rutgers and Cincinnati had. I remember watching that stuff and seeing the game and how competitive they were, but I really honestly don’t remember specifics, like I don’t remember what happened last year. I assume it has been very competitive like this year has been. This year in the BIG EAST it’s competitive. Each week you have to line up and get ready to go. I don’t really know what Louisville’s record is. It doesn’t really matter. It’s about figuring out who they are and what specific schemes are and situationally, what they are going to do, and practice it and get your guys motivated and ready to play.
On the defense
We are an inconsistent football team right now. We are still learning to play together, which the second half of that game last night was about playing together on all three sides of the ball. That’s what we are trying to get to. We didn’t want to be there on game one. Your goal is to get better, and try to get there towards the end of the season. Hopefully, what we saw in the second half there is something we can build on, and again, try and reach that as much as we can throughout the whole course leading up to the last game of the year.
On being motivated to play
There is no magic formula, there just isn’t. If you had a magic formula then there would be even more parody in college football due to the fact that everyone would be following the same formula. Look across the country, you just mentioned it. You know, we went up to Syracuse and didn’t play very good and they played great. You turn it around and Syracuse goes up to Louisville and they didn’t play very good and got beat. Look at the BIG 12 with Texas Tech going to OU last week and beating them soundly, and turn it around and OU beats Kansas State soundly, and Illinois state goes to Texas Tech and beats the pants off of them. It happens all across the country every week, throughout the whole season. I don’t know a magic formula to prevent that from happening.
On Shawne Alston
He played well and he played hard. He was the fastest guy on the football field, but I think the conditions set him up. Where it slowed everyone down it sped him up for whatever reason. He played well. He is a tough kid and you know you’re able to hand it to him, and he’s able to grind it out and become kind of a power back. He also took the spot of Ryan Clarke and went in there and did a fantastic job blocking in a specific situation. It was his best game by far. He has been getting better over the last couple a weeks. He has played well. There is a reason we named him a captain last week prior to the game, and then he went in and played like one.
On Alston’s Improvement
He is the slowest running back we have. He hasn’t changed, and he hasn’t figured out how to be the fasted guy on our team. I was being kind factious. Also, do to the weather conditions, weather neutralizes everything and there are a lot of guys that are fast and that slows them down. He is the type of player that is able to plow through some of that stuff due to him being a different kind of back.
On using trick plays
We don’t have a bunch of trick plays. You haven’t seen many trick plays out of us. We have ran reverses before. I ran a lot of them last year and the year before. We do our best not to call them in specific situations, because that can become a negative play if you run it at the wrong time. If you run it at the right time, then it’s a sound play. It’s half for half. You’re not rolling the dice with it as long as you get the proper look. We don’t do a bunch of trick plays. We try to do everything to the point where we get positive plays. I have talked a lot about negative plays, and part of why we aren’t a very efficient offense right now is because we have too many negative plays. We get into too many third and long situations. That is why I try to stay away from that stuff. We have gone in with a reverse in pretty much every game, but we haven’t had the proper look and feel to do it.
On the after affects of the game
No, you can’t prepare for that. You just have to deal with it. I’m proud of the way everyone dealt with it. No one really complained about it. It was cold and the footing was terrible. It could have been a distraction if we allowed it to be a distraction, which we didn’t. We fought through it, which I was proud of the guys for that. Hopefully, we get better weather to the point that we get proper footing and we can continue to get better.
On the snow
I thought you were going to tell me we are going to get more snow. That’s why we have an indoor facility, so we can go inside and practice where we are comfortable. IF you do happen to get into some weather, which I think we have had weather in four of our eight games. You have to learn to deal with it, and we are not going to use it as an excuse. I think we have done a pretty good job.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 31, 2011 4:30:59 GMT -5
Monday, October 31, 2011
By Jenn Menendez Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
For one half on Saturday, West Virginia's defense took a step backwards on the snow-covered turf in Piscataway, N.J.
An interception was dropped in the end zone, and Rutgers scored one play later. Two pass interference penalties on another drive led to another score by the Scarlet Knights.
It all added up to 31 first half points yielded to an offense that hadn't scored that many in an opening half all year.
It all turned around in the second half.
Though it wasn't perfect, it was a show of effort that was critically needed, said Mountaineers defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. West Virginia, trailing 31-21 at the half, won 41-31, its defense refusing to yielding a score in the third and fourth quarters.
"I thought our kids did a nice job responding after getting punched in the head a few times," Casteel said. "We started making plays in the second half. They are capable. We're not making any progress when you've got to fight your way out of a 31-point half, though. We need to get better. That's a little bit frustrating.
"My hat's off to the kids to hang in there and not throw in the towel. That's hard to do. You've got to give them credit for that."
Defensive tackle Julian Miller said he and his teammates heard an inspirational speech at halftime from Brantwon Bowser, a backup corner and a senior leader of the team.
"He said you go out there and you fight for your brother," Miller said. "As the season goes on, we're getting closer and closer, like brothers, teammates."
Rutgers couldn't get into the red zone in the second half and the one time they did, defensive back Darwin Cook made a key tackle in the end zone on a fake field goal, slamming into receiver Brandon Colemen to break up the pass.
"That was a big play obviously," Casteel said. "I think that was one of the things that helped keep our guys going too. I think it was a 31-28 game at that point. It was big, gave our kids some life."
West Virginia scored the eventual game-winning touchdown on the next drive with a 1-yard run by quarterback Geno Smith.
From there Miller recovered a fumble by Rutgers quarterback Gary Nova, hanging onto the ball in a wild scrum with less than 5 minutes to play.
As he wrestled to cover the ball, defensive end Bruce Irvin jumped on top of him, yelling "I got you man, I got you man," he said. "Rutgers guys scraping and scrapping for it at the bottom, a lot of stuff was going on. My main focus was just holding onto the ball."
It was his second of the night, his first coming early in the second quarter. Both were, he said, not without adventure.
"The first one was me and [defensive back] Pat Miller. I was telling him 'I got it, I got it.' He was like 'Who is this? Who is this?' I said 'It's me! It's me! It's Julian.' He was like, 'Alright, alright' and stopped fighting me for it."
Ultimately, said West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen, the win came down to playing harder in the second half.
"I was proud of how we went out and on all three sides of the ball we played harder than they did," he said. "Not to take anything away from Rutgers ...We felt like we went out there and outplayed them in the second half. It was a great team win."
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NOTES -- Some players changed from molded cleats to screw-ins at halftime to try and get better footing in the sloppy conditions. ... The Mountaineers rose to No. 21 in the USA Today coaches poll with the win, and No. 24 in the Associated Press media poll. ... The victory ran West Virginia's winning streak against Rutgers to 17, dating to 1994.
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Post by elp525 on Oct 31, 2011 4:27:23 GMT -5
Monday October 31, 2011
by Mike Casazza Charleston Daily Mail
MORGANTOWN - After a hectic few days in which conference membership was characterized, if not compromised by political infiltration and the apparent inability of academicians to add and subtract, West Virginia was able to exhale Friday.
Just not for long.
The Mountaineers are in the Big 12 Conference. More importantly, they're out of the Big East Conference.
This was a plan Athletic Director Oliver Luck said the school began to plot once Pitt and Syracuse decided to leave last month for the Atlantic Coast Conference, one the Big 12 was observing from afar as far back as when Texas A&M's decided to leave the Big 12 for the Southeastern Conference.
It was complete Tuesday, so much so that the Big 12 was figuring out how the heck to get to Morgantown. If only it were as simple as it was to fax the press release announcing WVU's membership to the office of WVU President James Clements.
Then again, travel was never an issue to the Big 12's people. The interim commissioner, Chuck Neinas, said a drive from the airport in Bridgeport to Morgantown is better, or no worse, than other travel itineraries in the Big 12.
You see, this was a done deal Tuesday, but it was that night when, by the Big 12's admission, the membership, noted representatives of higher education, started to crunch numbers. Not mileage. Not the length of a runway. Not even televisions. This was about the numbers 10 and 11.
If the league were to add WVU and Missouri were to stay, then the league would have to figure out how to function with 11 members. Ten is not 11 and a 10-team league could not function like an 11-team league.
Oh no!
This 11th hour, 11-team riddle caused a pause and subjected the Mountaineers to 48 hours of unnecessary nonsense, a literal fruitcake offered to them upon their arrival.
Every explanation in a conference call Friday aggressively avoided the alleged involvement of Mitch McConnell, the Senate's Republican minority leader from Kentucky, the University of Louisville graduate whose supposed role whipped West Virginia Senators and Democrats Jay Rockefeller and Joe Manchin into an understandable tizzy.
The Mountaineers remained calm. Luck said he was confident throughout, but added, "I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't say we didn't have a little bit of nervousness."
WVU welcomed the move and the challenges it presents, though they may not be as numerous as first suspected. There will be more travel now, but not as much as many presume.
The football, men's and women's basketball, women's soccer, volleyball and baseball teams will play in the Big 12 and play Big 12 schedules.
Wrestling, gymnastics, swimming and diving, women's cross country and track and field, women's tennis and rowing will play their ordinary regular-season schedules, but compete in a Big 12 championship. Men's soccer will have a new home in a new conference.
The Mountaineers might have to add sports. Or they might not. Right now, all they know is you have to play certain sports. The Big 12 might only require, for example, 12. WVU has 17. But the Big 12 might require softball. WVU doesn't play softball.
Big details like that, as well as facility upgrades, have to be settled.
Nor will say they know what Missouri is going to do, although the Tigers haven't voted on anything of significance in the Big 12 lately. That includes the critically important grant of television rights that everyone else has agreed to and goes a long way toward keeping the signed members in the league for six more years, which carries through the current Bowl Championship Series and TV contracts.
Every indication suggests Missouri is off to the SEC, though, and the desire is for WVU to step in and fill that void. It is there where things begin to get real tricky and where things could get real ugly.
Clements said again and again Friday that WVU had told the Big East the Mountaineers were going to be in the Big 12 beginning next July 1. He said his people were working with the Big East's people, but that was news to the Big East on Friday.
That's not a good start, not even with WVU already paying half of the $5 million it owes the Big East as an exit fee.
A full exit, either clean or controversial, before the Big East's chiseled-in-stone, 27-month wait, is going to cost a multiple of $5 million. And money matters for the Mountaineers because they're going to have to spend some and they won't be making all of what the other members of the Big 12 not named TCU will make.
A source confirmed to the Charleston Daily Mail that WVU will earn 50 percent of the full Big 12 revenue sharing in its first year, 67 percent in the second year, 84 percent in the third year and the full 100 percent in the fourth year. That should be approved in a conference meeting Tuesday.
The Big 12's television contracts alone pay $15 million per school next season. In the Big East in 2010-11, WVU made a little more than $7 million for television, bowl and NCAA Tournament basketball revenue.
Should WVU be in the Big 12 next season - and that is the intention, no matter the cost - the football schedule has to change.
A Big 12 schedule would feature nine conference games and three non-league games. That means WVU has to buy out one of its four non-conference games - either home against Marshall, at Florida State, home against Maryland or against James Madison at FedEx Field.
The Marshall game has a $300,000 buyout. Buyouts for most of WVU's other non-conference games are around $500,000, but the buyout of the JMU game is said to be "huge," according to one person, and also guarantees the Mountaineers at least $2.3 million and up to $200,000 more.
Exactly what WVU does is unknown because the school doesn't even know if it will play five Big 12 home games next season or four.
By now, WVU doesn't have a problem waiting to see what happens.
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