Post by cviller on Oct 7, 2007 10:05:41 GMT -5
WVU notebook: White has time to recover from latest injury
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Pat White emerged from West Virginia’s locker room maybe 30 minutes after West Virginia had wrapped up a 55-14 win over Syracuse Saturday, walked outside to a loading dock area and leaned back against a railing.
He looked like he was about to cry. He almost certainly wanted to.
“Every little movement hurts,’’ White said through an almost constant grimace.
For the second week in a row, White didn’t make it through a game. Last week, in a 21-13 loss at South Florida, he took a helmet to the thigh at the end of an 18-yard run; this week it was an injury somewhere in his chest area. He and the trainers really weren’t sure what it was when the team left the Carrier Dome Saturday.
The play came in the third quarter with West Virginia leading 38-7 during what seemed almost certain to be White’s last series of the game. He was in the process of converting a third-and-5 from his own 16-yard line with a 27-yard run when Jameel McClain and Joe Fields combined to bring him down. One of the two landed hard on the junior quarterback, who got up and took a few steps but then went to his knees and then back to the turf.
“All I know is I made a cut to the left, somebody grabbed me from behind and kind of pulled me back and drove me to the ground,’’ White said. “I think it was just when he drove me to the ground, the impact plus his body on top of mine. I was hoping it would go away, but it still hurts now.’’
White was expected to get a more thorough exam upon his return to Morgantown Saturday night. Whatever the injury, at least he has some extra time to recover. West Virginia is off next weekend and doesn’t play until an Oct. 20 homecoming game with Mississippi State.
“I think Pat strained a muscle,’’ West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. “I don’t know if he got hit there or just got twisted. Thankfully we have an open week.’’
Until the injury, White showed no effects from his bruised thigh, which kept his status for Syracuse in doubt much of the week. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown to Darius Reynaud and ran 14 times for 89 yards and a score.
“I thought Pat played really well,’’ Rodriguez said. “His quad wasn’t an issue.’’
Jarrett Brown again relieved White and ran for a touchdown while completing all five of his passes for 85 yards. But with the score what it was, Brown played just two series before third-stringer Adam Bednarik took over early in the fourth quarter. Even fourth-team quarterback Markell Harrison got into the game for the final series.
Steve Slaton seems to be in a slump, but neither he nor Rodriguez could care less, at least not today.
A consensus All-America last season, Slaton rushed for only 69 yards on 15 carries against Syracuse. Combined with his 54-yard effort last week in a loss at South Florida, it marks the first time since becoming a starter midway through the 2005 season that Slaton went back-to-back games without rushing for at least 100 yards.
“I think it’s just the way they’re playing him,’’ Rodriguez said. “In our offense you have to be unselfish and we have to take what they give us. Obviously, if you’re on defense you’re going to key Steve Slaton and you’re going to make some adjustments defensively to try and take him away.’’
West Virginia did that by running Owen Schmitt (two touchdowns) and throwing 21 passes, 18 of which were completed. Slaton caught four of those for 51 yards and had a run of 20 yards and a reception of 28 yards called back by penalties.
“Steve can help in a lot of ways,’’ Rodriguez said. “I thought he played really well and ran really hard.’’
Slaton said he doesn’t have a problem with the reduced numbers, even though after scoring nine touchdowns in the first three games of the season he has just one in the last three.
“It’s only frustrating when you lose,’’ he said. “It’s not frustrating at all when you win.’’
Briefly
• The win was Rodriguez’s 100th as a college coach, including his NAIA and Division II days at Salem and Glenville. He is now 100-61-2.
“It’s nice when you win. I’m happy when we win. But I haven’t made a play in any of those hundred victories,’’ Rodriguez said. “I didn’t make a tackle, make a catch. Those players are the ones that deserve all the accolades.’’
• Derek Hayes, who started the first game of the season before giving way to Eric Rodemoyer, was back at right guard for most of Saturday’s game.
“They’re going back and forth. I think they’re OK, but I’ve got to watch the film to determine how we played up front,’’ Rodriguez said. “I thought we were solid. I didn’t think we were dominating. And Mike did a great job with his snaps.’’
Mike is center Mike Dent, who was back in form after several uncharacteristically bad snaps at South Florida.
• Wes Lyons made his first career start at wide receiver. He caught two passes for 38 yards, including a ricochet off freshman Brandon Hogan that went for 21 yards.
• Keilen Dykes’ 19-yard interception return for a touchdown was the first defensive touchdown scored by West Virginia since a Jahmile Addae interception return against Pitt in 2005.
• Pat McAfee kicked the second-longest field goal of his career, a 49-yarder that would have been good from 60. His longest was 51 yards against Pitt last season, the longest field goal ever at Heinz Field.
• West Virginia’s 55-point total is the most ever surrendered by Syracuse at home and the sixth-highest opponent scoring total ever. It was also WVU’s sixth straight win over the Orange.
To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734.
By Dave Hickman
Staff writer
SYRACUSE, N.Y. — Pat White emerged from West Virginia’s locker room maybe 30 minutes after West Virginia had wrapped up a 55-14 win over Syracuse Saturday, walked outside to a loading dock area and leaned back against a railing.
He looked like he was about to cry. He almost certainly wanted to.
“Every little movement hurts,’’ White said through an almost constant grimace.
For the second week in a row, White didn’t make it through a game. Last week, in a 21-13 loss at South Florida, he took a helmet to the thigh at the end of an 18-yard run; this week it was an injury somewhere in his chest area. He and the trainers really weren’t sure what it was when the team left the Carrier Dome Saturday.
The play came in the third quarter with West Virginia leading 38-7 during what seemed almost certain to be White’s last series of the game. He was in the process of converting a third-and-5 from his own 16-yard line with a 27-yard run when Jameel McClain and Joe Fields combined to bring him down. One of the two landed hard on the junior quarterback, who got up and took a few steps but then went to his knees and then back to the turf.
“All I know is I made a cut to the left, somebody grabbed me from behind and kind of pulled me back and drove me to the ground,’’ White said. “I think it was just when he drove me to the ground, the impact plus his body on top of mine. I was hoping it would go away, but it still hurts now.’’
White was expected to get a more thorough exam upon his return to Morgantown Saturday night. Whatever the injury, at least he has some extra time to recover. West Virginia is off next weekend and doesn’t play until an Oct. 20 homecoming game with Mississippi State.
“I think Pat strained a muscle,’’ West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez said. “I don’t know if he got hit there or just got twisted. Thankfully we have an open week.’’
Until the injury, White showed no effects from his bruised thigh, which kept his status for Syracuse in doubt much of the week. He completed 12-of-15 passes for 148 yards and a touchdown to Darius Reynaud and ran 14 times for 89 yards and a score.
“I thought Pat played really well,’’ Rodriguez said. “His quad wasn’t an issue.’’
Jarrett Brown again relieved White and ran for a touchdown while completing all five of his passes for 85 yards. But with the score what it was, Brown played just two series before third-stringer Adam Bednarik took over early in the fourth quarter. Even fourth-team quarterback Markell Harrison got into the game for the final series.
Steve Slaton seems to be in a slump, but neither he nor Rodriguez could care less, at least not today.
A consensus All-America last season, Slaton rushed for only 69 yards on 15 carries against Syracuse. Combined with his 54-yard effort last week in a loss at South Florida, it marks the first time since becoming a starter midway through the 2005 season that Slaton went back-to-back games without rushing for at least 100 yards.
“I think it’s just the way they’re playing him,’’ Rodriguez said. “In our offense you have to be unselfish and we have to take what they give us. Obviously, if you’re on defense you’re going to key Steve Slaton and you’re going to make some adjustments defensively to try and take him away.’’
West Virginia did that by running Owen Schmitt (two touchdowns) and throwing 21 passes, 18 of which were completed. Slaton caught four of those for 51 yards and had a run of 20 yards and a reception of 28 yards called back by penalties.
“Steve can help in a lot of ways,’’ Rodriguez said. “I thought he played really well and ran really hard.’’
Slaton said he doesn’t have a problem with the reduced numbers, even though after scoring nine touchdowns in the first three games of the season he has just one in the last three.
“It’s only frustrating when you lose,’’ he said. “It’s not frustrating at all when you win.’’
Briefly
• The win was Rodriguez’s 100th as a college coach, including his NAIA and Division II days at Salem and Glenville. He is now 100-61-2.
“It’s nice when you win. I’m happy when we win. But I haven’t made a play in any of those hundred victories,’’ Rodriguez said. “I didn’t make a tackle, make a catch. Those players are the ones that deserve all the accolades.’’
• Derek Hayes, who started the first game of the season before giving way to Eric Rodemoyer, was back at right guard for most of Saturday’s game.
“They’re going back and forth. I think they’re OK, but I’ve got to watch the film to determine how we played up front,’’ Rodriguez said. “I thought we were solid. I didn’t think we were dominating. And Mike did a great job with his snaps.’’
Mike is center Mike Dent, who was back in form after several uncharacteristically bad snaps at South Florida.
• Wes Lyons made his first career start at wide receiver. He caught two passes for 38 yards, including a ricochet off freshman Brandon Hogan that went for 21 yards.
• Keilen Dykes’ 19-yard interception return for a touchdown was the first defensive touchdown scored by West Virginia since a Jahmile Addae interception return against Pitt in 2005.
• Pat McAfee kicked the second-longest field goal of his career, a 49-yarder that would have been good from 60. His longest was 51 yards against Pitt last season, the longest field goal ever at Heinz Field.
• West Virginia’s 55-point total is the most ever surrendered by Syracuse at home and the sixth-highest opponent scoring total ever. It was also WVU’s sixth straight win over the Orange.
To contact staff writer Dave Hickman, use e-mail or call 348-1734.
