Post by elp525 on Sept 26, 2011 5:19:44 GMT -5
Monday, September 26 2011
Frank Giardina
WVU Sports
Time to give you a Top Ten List.
Here is a Top Ten List of the the positives from West Virginia's loss to LSU on Satuday night.
1. WVU staged an incredible event on national television. The crowds for the ESPN Gameday shows were among the largest in Gameday history. The in-game stadium atmosphere was electric, yet also classy and well-behaved, making it a tremendous promotion for college football in the state.
2. If this was an audition or a dress rehearsal for a possible invitation to the SEC, then the Mountaineers proved they have an SEC atmosphere. This game looked and sounded like a typical night football game in Dixie.
3. The visiting LSU fans had a great time. Their pep band was incredibly loud for such a small number and the Tigers fans were entertaining as well. The bottom line is they also had a good time in Morgantown. They also saw that Morgantown could be and an SEC type of venue. By the way, wasn't it nice to play a school that actually brought a large contingent of fans.
4. The emergence of WVU running back Dustin Garrison. The lightly recruited back from Houston, Texas showed some promise and competed well vs. the Tigers.
5. Geno Smith was outstanding! The Mountaineer quarterback hung in there and compiled phenomenal numbers against the vaunted LSU defense. There is no reason why he won't put up eye popping numbers against the defenses in the Big East Conference.
6. The offensive line did a nice job. Pass protection was a concern for the Mountaineers against a very fast and athletic LSU front seven. Yet, Smith had ample time to throw the football.
7. In the third quarter, we got a great glimpse of what Dana Holgorsen's offense can do. In that quarter, as the Mountaineers clawed back into the game, the offense actually had the LSU defense on its heels. West Virginia was in a good rhythm, receivers were catching the ball in space and making elite defenders miss. This unit should be tough to handle in Big East play.
8. Frankly, it wasn't the best singing performance for Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. The national anthem in a stadium is a hard song to sing. But, it didn't matter. I told my colleague, Garrett Cullen that it didn't matter how Murphy performed, the crowd would love it anyway. And they did.
9. It was a beautiful night. The WVU administration staged a great event. Even though LSU won the game, it was good for the fans to see one of the best teams in the country in the home stadium on a Saturday night. It was high caliber football and a treat to watch. Our state deserves that. We could all get used to this. If somehow, West Virginia could get into the SEC, you would see this type of event consistently in conference play.
10. I predicted an 11-1 record for this team at the start of the year. I see no reason to change that now. This team has a great opportunity to win the rest of its games and go to a BCS bowl.
Frank Giardina
WVU Sports
Time to give you a Top Ten List.
Here is a Top Ten List of the the positives from West Virginia's loss to LSU on Satuday night.
1. WVU staged an incredible event on national television. The crowds for the ESPN Gameday shows were among the largest in Gameday history. The in-game stadium atmosphere was electric, yet also classy and well-behaved, making it a tremendous promotion for college football in the state.
2. If this was an audition or a dress rehearsal for a possible invitation to the SEC, then the Mountaineers proved they have an SEC atmosphere. This game looked and sounded like a typical night football game in Dixie.
3. The visiting LSU fans had a great time. Their pep band was incredibly loud for such a small number and the Tigers fans were entertaining as well. The bottom line is they also had a good time in Morgantown. They also saw that Morgantown could be and an SEC type of venue. By the way, wasn't it nice to play a school that actually brought a large contingent of fans.
4. The emergence of WVU running back Dustin Garrison. The lightly recruited back from Houston, Texas showed some promise and competed well vs. the Tigers.
5. Geno Smith was outstanding! The Mountaineer quarterback hung in there and compiled phenomenal numbers against the vaunted LSU defense. There is no reason why he won't put up eye popping numbers against the defenses in the Big East Conference.
6. The offensive line did a nice job. Pass protection was a concern for the Mountaineers against a very fast and athletic LSU front seven. Yet, Smith had ample time to throw the football.
7. In the third quarter, we got a great glimpse of what Dana Holgorsen's offense can do. In that quarter, as the Mountaineers clawed back into the game, the offense actually had the LSU defense on its heels. West Virginia was in a good rhythm, receivers were catching the ball in space and making elite defenders miss. This unit should be tough to handle in Big East play.
8. Frankly, it wasn't the best singing performance for Landau Eugene Murphy, Jr. The national anthem in a stadium is a hard song to sing. But, it didn't matter. I told my colleague, Garrett Cullen that it didn't matter how Murphy performed, the crowd would love it anyway. And they did.
9. It was a beautiful night. The WVU administration staged a great event. Even though LSU won the game, it was good for the fans to see one of the best teams in the country in the home stadium on a Saturday night. It was high caliber football and a treat to watch. Our state deserves that. We could all get used to this. If somehow, West Virginia could get into the SEC, you would see this type of event consistently in conference play.
10. I predicted an 11-1 record for this team at the start of the year. I see no reason to change that now. This team has a great opportunity to win the rest of its games and go to a BCS bowl.
