Post by elp525 on Sept 16, 2011 4:50:52 GMT -5
September 15, 2011
Diminutive Vance holding down linebacker spot for Mountaineers
By Dave Hickman
The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - Over his 25 years in coaching, Jeff Casteel has developed a reputation as one of the best defensive minds in college football. It didn't happen overnight, but along the way he's managed to piece together ways to teach most of the necessary aspects of playing the game.
There is a case to be made now that one of his best efforts has been turning Casey Vance into a Division I linebacker. Vance, now in his fifth year at West Virginia after walking on from Petersburg High School, just doesn't fit the mold. He weighs a solid 222 pounds, but that's about all he could possibly pack onto a frame that is just 5-foot-9.
Therein rests the one thing Casteel hasn't managed to figure out how to coach - how to be 6-foot-2.
"Casey's done a good job. He's where he needs to be,'' Casteel said. "You'd like for him to be 6-2 and doing it, but he isn't. But he's a tough kid and we've won two games with him.''
The No. 18 Mountaineers (2-0) will try to make that three games Saturday when they play at Maryland (1-0). The noon game at Byrd Stadium in College Park will be televised by ESPN.
Vance is likely to be in the starting lineup for the third straight game. That's surprising for a couple of reasons. One is his stature. Two is the fact that WVU brought in a junior college transfer that was supposed to be in Vance's spot.
But Josh Francis, a far more athletic figure at 6-1 and 214 pounds, has yet to take the position. So what does that say about Vance?
"It means that Casey Vance is a good football player,'' Casteel said. "He's the best guy to play the position. If Josh Francis improves enough and moves ahead of Casey, that's what'll happen. But that's the same at every position. I've not settled in on anything after two games. We're still looking for guys to step up and play.''
So far, at the weak side linebacker spot, the guy who has stepped up is Vance. He has seven tackles in two games, which is roughly the same as he had in the 12 games he played prior to this year, mostly on special teams. Francis, meanwhile, has gotten virtually all of his game reps on special teams and has one tackle.
Had Vance never played more than special teams he probably wouldn't have been surprised.
"I thought starting would have been a long shot,'' Vance said of his decision more than four years ago to try his hand at Division I football rather than the safer small-college route. "But I grew up watching a lot of other West Virginia guys play.''
Indeed, Vance rattled off the names without even thinking, a list of accomplished West Virginia linebackers, most of whom began their careers just as he did - Ben Collins, Jeff Noechel, Scott Gyorko, Reed Williams. All were state kids - Collins from North Marion, Noechel from East Fairmont, Gyorko from University High and Williams from Moorefield - who eventually became starting linebackers at WVU, and only Williams followed the scholarship-from-the-outset route.
"All those guys contributed in a big way,'' Vance said. "And I felt like if I just worked at it and put in the time, I'd be able to help, too.''
Vance bucked family tradition in making the try. He has four older brothers, and three of them played college football at West Virginia Conference schools - Matt at Fairmont State and Ben and Brian at Wesleyan. Brian and Ben were running backs. Matt, who played at 6-1 and 240 pounds, was probably the most successful and was an All-WVC linebacker in 2005.
"They're proud. They're excited, I'm sure,'' Vance said. "But now they tell me they would have been much better, of course.
"I could have gotten money and pretty much got my school paid for [by going the small-college route]. But they kind of told me to take this route, try it and if it doesn't work I could always transfer down and play right away. But they kind of pushed me to try the higher level.''
Vance finally got his scholarship last spring, but then was immediately introduced to the latest player who was supposed to push him aside, Francis. And for most of spring drills and fall camp it seemed like that was destined to happen. The two went into fall camp listed as co-starters at the position.
But Vance plays because he knows the defense and Francis doesn't. It's pretty much as simple as that.
"I've just been here longer,'' Vance said. "Josh is going to be a really good player once he gets the defense down, but it's hard to come in and just learn the defense right away with all of our schemes. Next year I think Josh will be a pretty special player, but it's going to take him a little bit of time.
"Not being the most athletic, I need to get in the film room. I've got to make sure that if I've got to cover this guy, well, I need to make the pre-snap reads and help myself with the mental aspect of the game.''
As for the size issue, well, Casteel keeps telling Vance to use it as a weapon.
"Coach Casteel tells me to use it to my advantage, that the game is about leverage and no one likes to get hit underneath the chin,'' Vance said. "Whenever you have to hit those taller linemen, make sure you get under them and try to knock them back.''
Diminutive Vance holding down linebacker spot for Mountaineers
By Dave Hickman
The Charleston Gazette
MORGANTOWN - Over his 25 years in coaching, Jeff Casteel has developed a reputation as one of the best defensive minds in college football. It didn't happen overnight, but along the way he's managed to piece together ways to teach most of the necessary aspects of playing the game.
There is a case to be made now that one of his best efforts has been turning Casey Vance into a Division I linebacker. Vance, now in his fifth year at West Virginia after walking on from Petersburg High School, just doesn't fit the mold. He weighs a solid 222 pounds, but that's about all he could possibly pack onto a frame that is just 5-foot-9.
Therein rests the one thing Casteel hasn't managed to figure out how to coach - how to be 6-foot-2.
"Casey's done a good job. He's where he needs to be,'' Casteel said. "You'd like for him to be 6-2 and doing it, but he isn't. But he's a tough kid and we've won two games with him.''
The No. 18 Mountaineers (2-0) will try to make that three games Saturday when they play at Maryland (1-0). The noon game at Byrd Stadium in College Park will be televised by ESPN.
Vance is likely to be in the starting lineup for the third straight game. That's surprising for a couple of reasons. One is his stature. Two is the fact that WVU brought in a junior college transfer that was supposed to be in Vance's spot.
But Josh Francis, a far more athletic figure at 6-1 and 214 pounds, has yet to take the position. So what does that say about Vance?
"It means that Casey Vance is a good football player,'' Casteel said. "He's the best guy to play the position. If Josh Francis improves enough and moves ahead of Casey, that's what'll happen. But that's the same at every position. I've not settled in on anything after two games. We're still looking for guys to step up and play.''
So far, at the weak side linebacker spot, the guy who has stepped up is Vance. He has seven tackles in two games, which is roughly the same as he had in the 12 games he played prior to this year, mostly on special teams. Francis, meanwhile, has gotten virtually all of his game reps on special teams and has one tackle.
Had Vance never played more than special teams he probably wouldn't have been surprised.
"I thought starting would have been a long shot,'' Vance said of his decision more than four years ago to try his hand at Division I football rather than the safer small-college route. "But I grew up watching a lot of other West Virginia guys play.''
Indeed, Vance rattled off the names without even thinking, a list of accomplished West Virginia linebackers, most of whom began their careers just as he did - Ben Collins, Jeff Noechel, Scott Gyorko, Reed Williams. All were state kids - Collins from North Marion, Noechel from East Fairmont, Gyorko from University High and Williams from Moorefield - who eventually became starting linebackers at WVU, and only Williams followed the scholarship-from-the-outset route.
"All those guys contributed in a big way,'' Vance said. "And I felt like if I just worked at it and put in the time, I'd be able to help, too.''
Vance bucked family tradition in making the try. He has four older brothers, and three of them played college football at West Virginia Conference schools - Matt at Fairmont State and Ben and Brian at Wesleyan. Brian and Ben were running backs. Matt, who played at 6-1 and 240 pounds, was probably the most successful and was an All-WVC linebacker in 2005.
"They're proud. They're excited, I'm sure,'' Vance said. "But now they tell me they would have been much better, of course.
"I could have gotten money and pretty much got my school paid for [by going the small-college route]. But they kind of told me to take this route, try it and if it doesn't work I could always transfer down and play right away. But they kind of pushed me to try the higher level.''
Vance finally got his scholarship last spring, but then was immediately introduced to the latest player who was supposed to push him aside, Francis. And for most of spring drills and fall camp it seemed like that was destined to happen. The two went into fall camp listed as co-starters at the position.
But Vance plays because he knows the defense and Francis doesn't. It's pretty much as simple as that.
"I've just been here longer,'' Vance said. "Josh is going to be a really good player once he gets the defense down, but it's hard to come in and just learn the defense right away with all of our schemes. Next year I think Josh will be a pretty special player, but it's going to take him a little bit of time.
"Not being the most athletic, I need to get in the film room. I've got to make sure that if I've got to cover this guy, well, I need to make the pre-snap reads and help myself with the mental aspect of the game.''
As for the size issue, well, Casteel keeps telling Vance to use it as a weapon.
"Coach Casteel tells me to use it to my advantage, that the game is about leverage and no one likes to get hit underneath the chin,'' Vance said. "Whenever you have to hit those taller linemen, make sure you get under them and try to knock them back.''
