Post by rainman on Sept 12, 2007 11:24:38 GMT -5
No hard feelings
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— Steve Slaton, fourth-ranked West Virginia’s consensus All-America running back, admittedly has no hard feelings toward Maryland, which recruited him out of high school.
“It was a mutual decision for me not to go there,” the 5-10, 195-pound junior from Levittown, Pa., said Monday night. “And I have no regrets.”
He has no intention of playing any harder against the Terps in Thursday night’s big battle at College Park, Md., than he does in any other game.
“I try to play my best every game,” he said.
Slaton thinks the Mountaineers’ overall speed should be to their advantage against bigger, more physical Maryland, which won its first two games handily. He agrees with teammate quarterback Patrick White that it’s very important that WVU (2-0) try to score early.
“Hopefully, it won’t take us as long to wear them down as it did for us to wear down Marshall last week,” Slaton said of the Terps. “If we can score quickly, it might quiet the crowd some.”
Asked what is his biggest goal in this game, he replied: “Just to get the win. That’s the biggest goal for us in every game.”
For this season’s first two contests, Slaton shows 255 yards and five touchdowns rushing on 40 carries and three pass receptions for 63 yards and one score. With 38 career rushing TDs, he needs just five more to top the all-time school record of 42.
That was set by the late Ira Errett Rodgers in 1915-16-17-19 and tied by Avon Cobourne from 1999-2002.
Slaton said the coaches’ decision to move him around helps throw off opposing defenses.
“It keeps them mixed up in trying to focus on me,” he reasoned.
White doesn’t see any difference in Slaton’s intensity from one game to another.
“No, I don’t think he plays harder in some games than others,” White said. “I don’t either. I come to play (the same) every day.”
By Mickey Furfari
For the Times West Virginian
MORGANTOWN— Steve Slaton, fourth-ranked West Virginia’s consensus All-America running back, admittedly has no hard feelings toward Maryland, which recruited him out of high school.
“It was a mutual decision for me not to go there,” the 5-10, 195-pound junior from Levittown, Pa., said Monday night. “And I have no regrets.”
He has no intention of playing any harder against the Terps in Thursday night’s big battle at College Park, Md., than he does in any other game.
“I try to play my best every game,” he said.
Slaton thinks the Mountaineers’ overall speed should be to their advantage against bigger, more physical Maryland, which won its first two games handily. He agrees with teammate quarterback Patrick White that it’s very important that WVU (2-0) try to score early.
“Hopefully, it won’t take us as long to wear them down as it did for us to wear down Marshall last week,” Slaton said of the Terps. “If we can score quickly, it might quiet the crowd some.”
Asked what is his biggest goal in this game, he replied: “Just to get the win. That’s the biggest goal for us in every game.”
For this season’s first two contests, Slaton shows 255 yards and five touchdowns rushing on 40 carries and three pass receptions for 63 yards and one score. With 38 career rushing TDs, he needs just five more to top the all-time school record of 42.
That was set by the late Ira Errett Rodgers in 1915-16-17-19 and tied by Avon Cobourne from 1999-2002.
Slaton said the coaches’ decision to move him around helps throw off opposing defenses.
“It keeps them mixed up in trying to focus on me,” he reasoned.
White doesn’t see any difference in Slaton’s intensity from one game to another.
“No, I don’t think he plays harder in some games than others,” White said. “I don’t either. I come to play (the same) every day.”
