DA Article: Passing game powers WVU over Tar Heels

My initial reaction from the Meineke Car Care Bowl in Charlotte.

Did anyone see that sort of passing performance coming from this offense — especially after West Virginia averaged only 14 points in its final two regular season games and crossed the 30 point mark only three times all season against FBS competition? 

“Knowing this is the last time I was going to put on this uniform, I definitely wanted to go out on top,” White said. “We accomplished that.” 

The way the White and his offensive teammates did so was as headline-worthy as the victory itself. 

The offensive play calls made clear that WVU head coach Bill Stewart has, despite early struggles, remained committed to developing an offense capable of being equally explosive in the passing game as it has been on the ground in recent years. 

Nearly three-fourths of the Mountaineers’ 455 total yards of offense came through the air. 

Read the full story at: http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?story_id=40902

Comments (0) : Dec 29th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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LIVE BLOG: Meineke Car Care Bowl (UNC-WVU)

3:56 p.m. – John Holmes makes the defensive play of the day for West Virginia, with a huge sack of Yates that forces Carolina to punt with under four minutes to go. The Mountaineers get the ball at their own 22-yard line after a bad punt.

3:54 p.m. – With a chance to get off the field, the defense fails to take advantage once more, as Nicks grabs yet another ball, this time for seven yards and a key first down.

3:47 p.m. – White delivers a strike to Arnett for a 20-yard touchdown, as each atones for their respective turnovers. The drive began quickly, with a 41-yard toss from White to Jock Sanders. White then ran for nine yards on the second play. The touchdown came on the next snap.

Three plays, 70 yards on the drive. After dinking and dunking for most of the last two quarters, the vertical passing attack returned on that drive and White excelled once more. It’s 31-30 West Virginia with 7:14 to go.

3:44 p.m. – A big replay review about to happen here, as Robert Sands apparently forced a fumble recovered by J.T. Thomas. Replay appears to show the ball is out and the call should stand.

It does, and West Virginia gets the ball back at a time it truly needed it.

3:42 p.m. – An odd play call on the fourth down results in a turnover on downs.

3:40 p.m. – A critical fourth-and-1 decision for Stewart to make after a no gain on a White sneak. Personally, I’d kick it away here because of bad field position (on your own 40-yard line) and because your offensive line has struggled to get these short gains all year.

Stewart disagrees and the offense comes back on the field after a time out.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comments (0) : Dec 27th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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WVU coaches, players share the blame

As my post-game analysis, I respectfully submit my column in today’s DA, written after wrapping up this blog and after that disaster of a football game. Apparently nothing can go right lately, so that link cuts off the last few paragraphs of the column, so I’ll present it here so the thing actually makes sense.

While everyone will look to one person or one reason to point a clear finger at for these early struggles, it just isn’t that simple.

Part of the problem is the new coaching staff. 

Part of it is the loss of last year’s key players. 

And another part falls on this year’s players and an inability to execute the fundamentals at critical times.

As former coach Rich Rodriguez often reminded us, the children’s movie “The Lion King” teaches us that what’s in the past no longer matters.

That’s one lesson this year’s team would be well-served to learn if it hopes to find its stride quickly enough to even be competitive in a weak Big East Conference.

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Comments (0) : Sep 19th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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LIVE BLOG: WVU-Colorado

11:56 p.m. – Aric Goodman boots the game-winning field goal to complete a stunner. This one has to be even more difficult to swallow than the East Carolina loss. 17-14, Buffaloes, in overtime.

It will be interesting to hear what the team has to say again this week in post-game.

Read the rest of this entry »

Comments (1) : Sep 18th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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Dan Hawkins is an interesting dude

Okay, forgive me for lying about the “stronger than ever” part of that last post about the weekend off. I’ve been consumed largely by schoolwork, the occasional article for the DA, Halo 3 the occasional moment of recreation, and I’ve neglected the blog. I’m sorry.

I’ll do my level best to make up for it today, on a WVU game day. Look for another post previewing the game with my prediction later, and then, I’ll be live blogging the game (while also trying to write a column for tomorrow’s DA). All the while, I should be studying for a massive test I have tomorrow and finishing a project for another class, but I make sacrifices on game days.

For our first post of the day, I present to you a picture of perhaps the most interesting coach I’ve ever read about in any sport. Of course, almost everyone knows Dan Hawkins for his ubiquitous rant. But the Colorado coach is apparently more complex than just one tirade over players’ parents.

Check out this exceptional feature story on Hawkins from 5280, a local Denver-area magazine. Kudos to Mike Casazza of the Charleston Daily Mail for finding this. I would provide a run-down of the highlights of the story, but there are just too many interesting bits to even try to pin down the best ones. Read the story and come up with your own conclusions, then post some comments on the story here.

Comments (1) : Sep 18th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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A weekend off

I’d love to be live blogging tomorrow’s college football action, but alas, I will be away from computers and the internet and other new-fangled technology until Sunday. I’ll be in Canaan Valley with the DA staff for our yearly retreat.

Enjoy the games, and we’ll be back stronger than ever next week.

Comments (2) : Sep 12th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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My reaction to East Carolina (six days later)

I’ve held off on analyzing the West Virginia loss to East Carolina for almost a week — first because I was in that phase of not wanting to talk about the game at all, and later, because I knew I had a Friday column coming up in the DA and I figured that would be a good place to share my thoughts. Let’s just say my perspective on the game runs counter to the more positive approach of some of my colleagues.

I promise, though, that this will be my last reference to the ECU debacle. Henceforth, we’re going to look forward to the rest of the season.

I would have to say Bill Stewart and his players wish they were playing Colorado tomorrow instead of having to wait through another five days of hearing questions or comments on last week’s game. Alas, that is not the case — and truly, the team knows the extra preparation time to focus on making West Virginia better is pivotal.

Comments (1) : Sep 12th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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Forget ECU — remember when we beat Oklahoma?

And I’m not talking about the Fiesta Bowl. I’m talking about the game that was 26 years ago tomorrow. It’s certainly a much happier memory than what happened on September 11 seven years ago.

This retrospective on West Virginia’s 41-27 victory in 1982 over the Sooners in Norman is part of the weekly series I’ve been doing on significant events, people, places, etc. in WVU’s football history.

Check it out at this link.

Comments (0) : Sep 10th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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My Top 25: Week Three

Seeing as I had West Virginia lower in my rankings than any other DA sports writer before the ECU loss, I guess it’s only fitting that I drop them out of my rankings entirely. Honestly, even before the ECU game, in my mind I knew I should have been ranking the Mountaineers around the 17-18 range. 

You’ll note I have East Carolina lower in my poll than most, largely because I think that while the Pirates have looked impressive, they have done so against two highly overrated teams in Virginia Tech and WVU.

Disagree with me on something here? Leave a comment.

1. USC
2. Oklahoma
3. Georgia
4. LSU
5. Ohio State
6. Missouri
7. Florida
8. Texas
9. Wisconsin
10. Auburn
11. Kansas
12. Arizona State
13. Texas Tech
14. Penn State
15. Oregon
16. Alabama
17. East Carolina
18. South Florida
19. Wake Forest
20. California
21. Fresno State
22. Clemson
23. UCLA
24. Illinois
25. Utah

Comments (2) : Sep 9th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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Someone out there likes me…

This blog has sort of been a running joke for some at the DA. I don’t know whether I should be offended or pleased, but opinion editor Dave Ryan saw fit to make an “ad” for the blog that is never going to run anywhere. Except here. Call it our first exclusive.

I’m posting this just to justify his two minutes of hard work. You think we could get some readers from it?

P.S. Don’t blame me for today’s headline claiming a WVU loss to the “Greenville Pirates”. I had nothing to do with it. I swear.


Comments (0) : Sep 8th, 2008 by Patrick Southern
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