Post by rainman on Sept 20, 2007 6:01:06 GMT -5
Rodriguez not concerned about WVU’s ranking
By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— West Virginia has won consecutive games on the road the past two weeks to extend the Mountaineers record to 3-0, yet they have fallen from third to fifth in the national polls.
Does this bother coach Rich Rodriguez?
“I could not care less,” he said.
In fact, Rodriguez would be happy if there weren’t any polls … at least for the time being.
“I’ve always said there shouldn’t be any polls until October,” he said. “Everyone says, ‘Wow! The No. 7 or 8 team got upset.’ Maybe they it wasn’t an upset at the time. Who determines it’s an upset and what’s it based on?
“You can’t determine it until the middle of the year, around October or November,” Rodriguez continued. “Then maybe a team ranked third or fifth is beat by an unranked team and you can call that an upset. Or a team that’s 9-1 is beat by a team that’s 1-9, then that’s an upset. Right now, you haven’t played enough games to know what’s what.”
At least they fed him good
During the off-season, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis knew that he needed to improve his running game, especially with his quarterback situation uncertain with the departure of Brady Quinn.
And so it was the Weis made a tour of teams that seemed to know something about the running game in college. He stopped here at West Virginia and spent part of a day with Rodriguez, who has turned the spread into a running offense.
He also stopped at Ohio State, a school that also historically knows something about running the football.
Hope Weis enjoyed the hospitality because that’s about all he got out of the trip. Three games into his season, his winless Irish have minus-18 rushing yards for the season.
He’s back
You may be wondering what former WVU wide receiver Chris Henry is doing while he’s sitting out the eight-game suspension he was handed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for his multiple run-ins with the law over the last couple of years.
Well, he’s doing pretty much what we all are doing … watching pro football.
That’s right, Henry was spotted on Sunday afternoon with a couple of friends cheering for his Cincinnati Bengals as they played in Cleveland.
Think with Carson Palmer throwing six touchdown passes and the Bengals scoring 48 points Henry didn’t wish he was there. You bet he did.
Why not?
Mike Parsons has been a driving force in the WVU athletic department for a long time now, the No. 2 man behind athletic director Ed Pastilong and the power behind the rise of the Mountaineer Sports Network.
It’s time he got a chance to run his own show.
The problem he faces is that there have been no indications that Pastilong, who has overseen the development of the WVU athletic program to the point that football and basketball are now national forces, along with men’s and women’s soccer and wrestling, is ready to step aside.
There is, however, an opening for a big-time athletic director just 90 miles north of Morgantown.
Pitt’s Jeff Long just left for Arkansas and that school is looking for someone to take over.
Parsons, who is connected in the Big East and in television circles, would be a quality choice for the Panthers, if they could get over the WVU connections.
Friday night lights
In a couple of weeks the Mountaineers travel to Tampa to take on the University of South Florida Bulls in one of the season’s key games.
Too bad the Big East and ESPN have decided that it should be played on a Friday night at 8 o’clock, cutting into the much-needed attendance at high school football in West Virginia where kids will have to make a decision of whether to support their school or support their state university in its quest for a national championship.
The least that ESPN, the Big East and the schools could do is make a contribution to the local high school programs to help make up for the monetary loss and the inconvenience.
Honorary captains
Not only is Saturday’s visit to Morgantown by East Carolina the day of WVU’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the Caperton Indoor Facility, but it also marks the debut of honorary captains for West Virginia.
“We got the idea from other schools and we felt it really is a nice touch,” Rodriguez said in making the announcement.
Honorary captains for the first game will be former center Rich Braham, who is in his first year of retirement from the NFL; former defensive back and coach Jerry Holmes and former running back Undra Johnson.
“They will be here this weekend and we will have honorary captains at every home game,” Rodriguez said. “There’s literally hundreds of deserving former players who can be honorary captains.”
By Bob Hertzel
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— West Virginia has won consecutive games on the road the past two weeks to extend the Mountaineers record to 3-0, yet they have fallen from third to fifth in the national polls.
Does this bother coach Rich Rodriguez?
“I could not care less,” he said.
In fact, Rodriguez would be happy if there weren’t any polls … at least for the time being.
“I’ve always said there shouldn’t be any polls until October,” he said. “Everyone says, ‘Wow! The No. 7 or 8 team got upset.’ Maybe they it wasn’t an upset at the time. Who determines it’s an upset and what’s it based on?
“You can’t determine it until the middle of the year, around October or November,” Rodriguez continued. “Then maybe a team ranked third or fifth is beat by an unranked team and you can call that an upset. Or a team that’s 9-1 is beat by a team that’s 1-9, then that’s an upset. Right now, you haven’t played enough games to know what’s what.”
At least they fed him good
During the off-season, Notre Dame coach Charlie Weis knew that he needed to improve his running game, especially with his quarterback situation uncertain with the departure of Brady Quinn.
And so it was the Weis made a tour of teams that seemed to know something about the running game in college. He stopped here at West Virginia and spent part of a day with Rodriguez, who has turned the spread into a running offense.
He also stopped at Ohio State, a school that also historically knows something about running the football.
Hope Weis enjoyed the hospitality because that’s about all he got out of the trip. Three games into his season, his winless Irish have minus-18 rushing yards for the season.
He’s back
You may be wondering what former WVU wide receiver Chris Henry is doing while he’s sitting out the eight-game suspension he was handed by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell for his multiple run-ins with the law over the last couple of years.
Well, he’s doing pretty much what we all are doing … watching pro football.
That’s right, Henry was spotted on Sunday afternoon with a couple of friends cheering for his Cincinnati Bengals as they played in Cleveland.
Think with Carson Palmer throwing six touchdown passes and the Bengals scoring 48 points Henry didn’t wish he was there. You bet he did.
Why not?
Mike Parsons has been a driving force in the WVU athletic department for a long time now, the No. 2 man behind athletic director Ed Pastilong and the power behind the rise of the Mountaineer Sports Network.
It’s time he got a chance to run his own show.
The problem he faces is that there have been no indications that Pastilong, who has overseen the development of the WVU athletic program to the point that football and basketball are now national forces, along with men’s and women’s soccer and wrestling, is ready to step aside.
There is, however, an opening for a big-time athletic director just 90 miles north of Morgantown.
Pitt’s Jeff Long just left for Arkansas and that school is looking for someone to take over.
Parsons, who is connected in the Big East and in television circles, would be a quality choice for the Panthers, if they could get over the WVU connections.
Friday night lights
In a couple of weeks the Mountaineers travel to Tampa to take on the University of South Florida Bulls in one of the season’s key games.
Too bad the Big East and ESPN have decided that it should be played on a Friday night at 8 o’clock, cutting into the much-needed attendance at high school football in West Virginia where kids will have to make a decision of whether to support their school or support their state university in its quest for a national championship.
The least that ESPN, the Big East and the schools could do is make a contribution to the local high school programs to help make up for the monetary loss and the inconvenience.
Honorary captains
Not only is Saturday’s visit to Morgantown by East Carolina the day of WVU’s Athletic Hall of Fame induction ceremonies at the Caperton Indoor Facility, but it also marks the debut of honorary captains for West Virginia.
“We got the idea from other schools and we felt it really is a nice touch,” Rodriguez said in making the announcement.
Honorary captains for the first game will be former center Rich Braham, who is in his first year of retirement from the NFL; former defensive back and coach Jerry Holmes and former running back Undra Johnson.
“They will be here this weekend and we will have honorary captains at every home game,” Rodriguez said. “There’s literally hundreds of deserving former players who can be honorary captains.”
