Post by elp525 on Sept 22, 2011 3:38:49 GMT -5
Thursday September 22, 2011
by The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia Athletic Director Oliver Luck released a statement Wednesday confirming he and university President Jim Clements were part of a Big East Conference meeting the previous night.
Luck said he and Clements are committed to doing what is best for the school's athletic programs.
The statement, however, stopped short of a firm commitment to the Big East.
"The group concluded the meeting with a strategy to recruit top level BCS-caliber institutions that match the league's strong athletic and academic histories and traditions," Luck wrote. "As I stated before, WVU is an excellent flagship, land-grant University, with national-caliber athletic and academic programs. We are, and will remain, a national player in college athletics."
Luck released a similar statement Sunday highlighting WVU's positives and saying, "No matter how the college athletic landscape changes, there is no doubt WVU is and will remain a national player."
The meeting, in New York, was designed to get the seven remaining football schools to commit to the process of adding quality programs to the conference.
Big East sources said Wednesday those in attendance didn't sign anything to formally commit to the conference or agree to increase the $5 million exit fee required of those who leave for another conference.
The sources said raising the exit fee was brought up, but not pursued.
Also Wednesday, University of Connecticut president Susan Herbst issued a statement about the "period of instability" in college sports. Herbst did not attend Wednesday's meeting
"Please know that we will always do what is in the best interests for the University of Connecticut," she wrote. "We remain committed to our ideals and principals in intercollegiate athletics and will continue to achieve excellence academically and athletically."
Potential Big East additions mentioned in media reports included Navy, Army, Air Force, Villanova, Temple and UCF. One report, citing sources, said the presidents dismissed UCF's fellow Conference USA members Memphis, East Carolina and Houston as potential members.
* * *
NO. 2 LSU has scored points on 40 straight offensive possessions - 28 touchdowns and 12 field goals - dating back to Oct. 16, 2010. No. 16 WVU is 16-for-18 this season with 10 touchdowns.
"Growing pains," quarterback Geno Smith said. "We'll get better. I can't pinpoint everything, but we've all had our share of mistakes. We have to learn from it and obviously we have to get better in order to win. But we've only played three games. We can't expect to come out lights-out and be on fire."
Coach Dana Holgorsen is happy with the frequency of red zone possessions, but frustrated by the number of field goals. He's pointed out Smith's passing near the goal and some of the decisions and throws he's made. Smith is 3-for-10 with two touchdowns inside the 10-yard line this season, but has thrown three other touchdown passes inside the 20.
Smith and Holgorsen were upset Smith and Stedman Bailey didn't connect on a third-down pass from Maryland's 4 late in last week's victory. It could have put WVU ahead 41-31, but Tyler Bitancurt's field goal made it of 37-31.
"He's still at the point where he's got to totally understand what the system is and trust the system and not think about it too much," Holgorsen said. "There are some instances -and not to get into a situation where I'm saying it's an every-down thing or anything - but there are some instances out there where he really didn't trust what we were telling him.
"He needs to constantly trust what we're telling him and not think that he's got a better way of doing things."
* * *
WVU, THE last team in college football to get a sack last season, is again last in the country with just one sack in three games this season. The Tigers have allowed three in three games.
"We've been seeing a lot of quick screens, a lot of three-step drops," WVU defensive end Bruce Irvin said. "You can't get sacks against a three-step drop. I don't even think Superman does that. We've just got to keep the motor going and at least make sure the quarterback feels our pressure."
Irvin, who was No. 2 nationally with 14 sacks last year, has WVU's only sack, a 7-yard loss against Marshall.
"It's very frustrating being a second or a step away from the point of getting him before he releases the ball," Irvin said. "But you just keep going. You can't get down. You keep pushing, keep your motor going, keep driving. They're going to come and when they start coming, they'll keep coming."
* * *
LSU CORNERBACK Morris Claiborne is the current Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week. Claiborne, a 6-foot, 180-pound junior from Shreveport, La., had two interceptions and a pass break-up in last week's victory at Mississippi State.
He was an All-SEC second team pick last season and made multiple preseason all-America lists this year as the Tigers move on from All-America cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Peterson blocked a field goal and returned a punt for a touchdown against the Mountaineers last season.
"I think Mo is as fast and athletic as any," LSU Coach Les Miles said. "Patrick was equal to Mo's athleticism, fluidity and ball skills, but bigger, stronger and more explosive. I would certainly like to have Mo at either corner and Patrick at any corner as well."
The Tigers also have sophomore Tyrann Mathieu, who had a fumble recovery and an interception against the Mountaineers as part of his 10 forced turnovers in 2010.
He has started all three games and has 24 tackles, three tackles for a loss and one forced and recovered fumble.
"They're as good as anything I've seen on tape," Holgorsen said.
by The Associated Press
MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia Athletic Director Oliver Luck released a statement Wednesday confirming he and university President Jim Clements were part of a Big East Conference meeting the previous night.
Luck said he and Clements are committed to doing what is best for the school's athletic programs.
The statement, however, stopped short of a firm commitment to the Big East.
"The group concluded the meeting with a strategy to recruit top level BCS-caliber institutions that match the league's strong athletic and academic histories and traditions," Luck wrote. "As I stated before, WVU is an excellent flagship, land-grant University, with national-caliber athletic and academic programs. We are, and will remain, a national player in college athletics."
Luck released a similar statement Sunday highlighting WVU's positives and saying, "No matter how the college athletic landscape changes, there is no doubt WVU is and will remain a national player."
The meeting, in New York, was designed to get the seven remaining football schools to commit to the process of adding quality programs to the conference.
Big East sources said Wednesday those in attendance didn't sign anything to formally commit to the conference or agree to increase the $5 million exit fee required of those who leave for another conference.
The sources said raising the exit fee was brought up, but not pursued.
Also Wednesday, University of Connecticut president Susan Herbst issued a statement about the "period of instability" in college sports. Herbst did not attend Wednesday's meeting
"Please know that we will always do what is in the best interests for the University of Connecticut," she wrote. "We remain committed to our ideals and principals in intercollegiate athletics and will continue to achieve excellence academically and athletically."
Potential Big East additions mentioned in media reports included Navy, Army, Air Force, Villanova, Temple and UCF. One report, citing sources, said the presidents dismissed UCF's fellow Conference USA members Memphis, East Carolina and Houston as potential members.
* * *
NO. 2 LSU has scored points on 40 straight offensive possessions - 28 touchdowns and 12 field goals - dating back to Oct. 16, 2010. No. 16 WVU is 16-for-18 this season with 10 touchdowns.
"Growing pains," quarterback Geno Smith said. "We'll get better. I can't pinpoint everything, but we've all had our share of mistakes. We have to learn from it and obviously we have to get better in order to win. But we've only played three games. We can't expect to come out lights-out and be on fire."
Coach Dana Holgorsen is happy with the frequency of red zone possessions, but frustrated by the number of field goals. He's pointed out Smith's passing near the goal and some of the decisions and throws he's made. Smith is 3-for-10 with two touchdowns inside the 10-yard line this season, but has thrown three other touchdown passes inside the 20.
Smith and Holgorsen were upset Smith and Stedman Bailey didn't connect on a third-down pass from Maryland's 4 late in last week's victory. It could have put WVU ahead 41-31, but Tyler Bitancurt's field goal made it of 37-31.
"He's still at the point where he's got to totally understand what the system is and trust the system and not think about it too much," Holgorsen said. "There are some instances -and not to get into a situation where I'm saying it's an every-down thing or anything - but there are some instances out there where he really didn't trust what we were telling him.
"He needs to constantly trust what we're telling him and not think that he's got a better way of doing things."
* * *
WVU, THE last team in college football to get a sack last season, is again last in the country with just one sack in three games this season. The Tigers have allowed three in three games.
"We've been seeing a lot of quick screens, a lot of three-step drops," WVU defensive end Bruce Irvin said. "You can't get sacks against a three-step drop. I don't even think Superman does that. We've just got to keep the motor going and at least make sure the quarterback feels our pressure."
Irvin, who was No. 2 nationally with 14 sacks last year, has WVU's only sack, a 7-yard loss against Marshall.
"It's very frustrating being a second or a step away from the point of getting him before he releases the ball," Irvin said. "But you just keep going. You can't get down. You keep pushing, keep your motor going, keep driving. They're going to come and when they start coming, they'll keep coming."
* * *
LSU CORNERBACK Morris Claiborne is the current Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week. Claiborne, a 6-foot, 180-pound junior from Shreveport, La., had two interceptions and a pass break-up in last week's victory at Mississippi State.
He was an All-SEC second team pick last season and made multiple preseason all-America lists this year as the Tigers move on from All-America cornerback Patrick Peterson.
Peterson blocked a field goal and returned a punt for a touchdown against the Mountaineers last season.
"I think Mo is as fast and athletic as any," LSU Coach Les Miles said. "Patrick was equal to Mo's athleticism, fluidity and ball skills, but bigger, stronger and more explosive. I would certainly like to have Mo at either corner and Patrick at any corner as well."
The Tigers also have sophomore Tyrann Mathieu, who had a fumble recovery and an interception against the Mountaineers as part of his 10 forced turnovers in 2010.
He has started all three games and has 24 tackles, three tackles for a loss and one forced and recovered fumble.
"They're as good as anything I've seen on tape," Holgorsen said.
