Post by cviller on Sept 10, 2007 9:39:48 GMT -5
Tony Caridi
Morgantown
Why does it take so long for football season to get here and then such a short time for the season to be played out? Did you realize that before the clock strikes midnight this Thursday, 25-percent of West Virginia’s regular season football schedule will be complete?
Allow me to be the first to issue a warning of what lies in store for the Mountaineers as they travel to College Park this week for a date with Maryland’s Terrapins. Dare I say it?
TRAP GAME!
Rich Rodriguez’s squad will be playing its third game in 13 days—two of those will have been on the road. That’s a tough assignment for any team. Physically the Mountaineers are in great shape, but last Saturday’s extremely hot weather took its toll. And mentally it’s difficult to get a team focused with a five-day turnaround when you’ve beaten the opponent three straight years. Throw in the fact that Maryland has asked for a break in the series because they see no value in getting beat by WVU.
It’s very easy to shrug your shoulders at the Terrapins 2-0 start. Wins over Villanova and Florida International don’t exactly strike fear into your heart. But that’s exactly why the Mountaineers must be on guard. Seventh year coach Ralph Friedgen knew last January he was going to win those games, as a result he’s been able to toy and tinker with his squad for the last eight quarters. No one thinks Maryland has accomplished anything yet and that’s exactly the set-up Fridge and the Terps need.
You quietly win your first two games with no fanfare and then set the trap for the nationally-rated Mountaineers. Beat WVU on Thursday night and come Friday morning the Terps are the surprise team of the ACC. The boys at ESPN will fall over themselves talking about how Ralph Friedgen is a super-genius and how West Virginia was overrated.
Mark it down.
On the Maryland campus you will find a statue and posters that read “Beware of the Turtle.” Honestly, they are everywhere. I’ve seen them. And there’s a reason they are there. The Terps are allowing just 46 rushing yards and 12 points per game. That’s good no matter who you’ve played.
Offensively, Friedgen is really good at calling plays; in fact he once did it in the Super Bowl. First-year starter at quarterback Jordan Steffy is completing 76 percent of his passes. Friedgen has taken his time allowing Steffy to get comfortable. He just might let him see the whole playbook this week. Senior running back Keon Lattimore is averaging six-yards per carry, over 100 yards per game, and has scored five touchdowns in two games.
So just in case I haven’t communicated this point properly allow me to pull a page from Richard Nixon who would preface his important comments with the phrase “Let me perfectly clear;” This is a TRAP game and the Mountaineers need an “A” performance to win.
Here are a few more random thoughts from the world of Mountaineer football.
Saturday’s win at Marshall was a great growing and learning experience for the Mountaineers. Not that they wanted to trail at halftime, but the fact they did presented an invaluable opportunity for a semi-rebuilt offensive line and its new position coach to gain an identity. Just as it had in the past two years, the Mountaineer offense was able to drive the ball down the field and use clock at the game’s most critical juncture. The by-product of doing that is an intangible confidence and swagger that you’re never able to create in practice situations.
Noel Devine’s strong early showing will make Steve Slaton a better player. Slaton loves to compete and be “the guy.” Remember how he handled all the hype thrown at Jason Gwaltney? He simply decided to prove the hype-mongers wrong and show everyone that he was the best. Don’t expect Super-Steve to back away with Devine’s emergence. It will only make him a better player (A scary thought), which will lead to a better team.
The Mountaineers have scored 110 points in their first two games. The best two game total to start a season since Rich Rodriguez took over. The previous best two game start came from WVU’s undefeated 1988 squad which combined to score 107 points with season opening victories over Bowling Green and Cal State Fullerton. By the way, the 1988 team’s third game was against Maryland. West Virginia got behind by 14 points early before blowing out the Terps 55-24. Just something you might want to keep in the back of
your mind as Thursday’s game quickly approaches.
