2011 WVU Football Thread

[Slyder]

I think Dana H needs to be given the opportunity to bring his own coaches in and make the program his. I expected there to be some mess this season because of the way the transition happened (I started to say 'was handled' but it wasn't handled, it just happened.) We've had two losses that shouldn't have happened and still have Cincinnati, probably the best league team on the schedule, to go. The school needs to gain a bit of stability before tackling the Big 12*.

I agree, I don't know if I agree wholly though. The whole mess of the casino, Stew's idiocy, the Pittsburgh reporter et all really put DH and WVU behind the 8-ball. This year was suppose to be a year of transition, now he's had to learn by the seat of his pants and at times he's shown his inexperience. This team doesn't reflect him because outside of a very few people isn't his. He already overhauled the offensive coaching staff and I feel very secure in saying that the staff as a whole is much better (and probably the best its been since Trickett left).

I mean just look at the advancement of the O-Line a unit that was a cause of great heartburn the last couple years. They don't have the depth but they have far exceeded my expectations for this year and I think it is a testament to the caliber of coaches that DH brought in.

I don't know about the two losses that shouldn't have happened. We got completely manhandled by Syracuse in a perfect storm kind of night, it happens when you play in a conference where you are perceived (rightly or wrongfully) to be everyone's super bowl. Playing in the Big 12 we won't be anyone's super bowl and maybe we will start to find that swagger we had during the Rich Years and earn back that sort of respect in a REAL conference. Louisville a case could be made that WVU should have won by 10+ but they wanted it more.

We haven't had a team play with any emotion since the Fiesta Bowl. When we had Pat White, Steve Slaton, and company we could get away with it (most weeks) but Geno has had a good year but he still has a few things to learn and the lack of a d makes it difficult. As I said after Syracuse I think we have a gage on how good/bad this team.

Here is my grades on JUST the Louisville game:
Offense B- Not getting a td after that INT was HUGE. Geno's attempted rushed fade at the end of the 3rd was HUGE. We have got to clean up some minor things.
Defense C They made some plays, I'd argue they made "enough" to win yesterday. They still lack the depth to really go after it like the 3-3-5 should. Its kind of grown on me while I play Madden and watch it but its much better when you can be aggressive out of it and Casteel hasn't been this year.

Special Teams F.. no that grade is too good for it I give Special Teams an I for incompetent. Besides the Starks return to start the game absolutely NOTHING went well for this unit. The shank punt right before half gave Louisville the field position they needed to go after the defense, a decent punt even to the like 25 most likely puts Louisville in just get to half time as is. Missed Chip Shot was a HUGE swing of momentum. The blocked kick was the difference in the game and a 10 pt swing in a matter of moments.

[texasdave]

Arizona has hired former Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez to take over a program that has never played in the Rose Bowl, and has been mired in mediocrity for most of the past decade.

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz1eOPlTUsr

[WVRed]

Read more: http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/201...#ixzz1eOPlTUsr

I posted pretty much the same link in the UK thread, as Rodriguez was somebody I wanted at Kentucky.

I think Rodriguez does well in Arizona. He was in over his head at Michigan and I think will have an easier path to prominence in the Pac-12 as opposed to the SEC. I think he would be fine with playing second fiddle to a basketball program and getting his own recruits. Going to be fun seeing him recruit California though.

[Slyder]

I posted pretty much the same link in the UK thread, as Rodriguez was somebody I wanted at Kentucky.

I think Rodriguez does well in Arizona. He was in over his head at Michigan and I think will have an easier path to prominence in the Pac-12 as opposed to the SEC. I think he would be fine with playing second fiddle to a basketball program and getting his own recruits. Going to be fun seeing him recruit California though.

He's a fish out of water in Arizona IMO. I don't think his "bravado" is going to go over well there, I don't think he's got the contacts he would at an ACC, CUSA, Big East type position in rcruiting. He should have probably waited a little bit longer to see what the coaching carousel offered even if he ended up at a UAB type position because of it.

If the rumors are true and Casteel is on his short list for DC's, I think Casteel has a better chance of sticking around out west with his 3-3-5 it would be in a league where a lot of the teams use a version of the spread.

[Slyder]

I think we mountaineer fans just got to watch the maturation of Coach Holgorsen tonight and I still believe he will be not just a good coach but a GREAT one.

[WVRed]

I think we mountaineer fans just got to watch the maturation of Coach Holgorsen tonight and I still believe he will be not just a good coach but a GREAT one.

I don't disagree with the maturation process, but he is going to have to take some major steps forward once WVU gets rolling in the Big 12. The SEC would have likely been a death sentence given the way the previous weeks had gone.

[texasdave]

West Virginia 2012 Schedule
Sept. 1 Marshall
Sept. 15 James Madison (Landover)
Sept. 22 Maryland
Sept. 29 Baylor
Oct. 6 at Texas
Oct. 13 at Texas Tech
Oct. 20 Kansas State
Nov. 3 TCU
Nov. 10 at Oklahoma State
Nov. 17 Oklahoma
Nov. 24 at Iowa State
Dec. 1 Kansas
* The Mountaineers open their first season in the Big 12 with a date against Baylor – a team they have never played before. A favorable non-conference slate should have West Virginia at 3-0 before they play in the Bears on Sept. 29.
* After playing Baylor, West Virginia has to travel for back-to-back games against Texas and Texas Tech.
* Mark it down: Nov. 3 is the meeting of the Big 12’s newest members, as TCU visits Morgantown.
* Nov. 10 – The Dana Holgorsen Bowl. West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen served as Oklahoma State’s offensive coordinator in 2010.
* Although the Mountaineers draw a difficult start to the final stretch of the season – TCU, at Oklahoma State and Oklahoma – they close with games against Iowa State and Kansas.
* Seeing a West Virginia schedule with no Pittsburgh is certainly strange, but closing the year with a game at Kansas is even more bizarre. However, that’s the price of realignment, as rivalries across college football are disappearing.