The Way I "See" It:: The Sports Perspective From A Blind WVU Student
Spring Game Post-Game Quotes
Here are quotes from WVU head coach Bill Stewart and select Mountaineer players folllowing the Gold-Blue spring game held Friday night at Milan Puskar Stadium. The Blue defeated the gold 38-0. The scrimmage wraps up spring practice for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia University coach Bill Stewart and selected player quotes from Friday’s Gold-Blue Game.
Coach Bill Stewart
I appreciate everything you all have done for this program this Spring. It’s been great coverage, and it should be. Our players are doing right and living right. They are acting like a class outfit and we’re proud of that.
We did something tonight that we haven’t done all Spring and that’s that we put the 1’s, both offense and defense, together as a team. The reason that we didn’t do that all Spring is because I wanted to see them compete good on good, best on best.
That’s what spring is about – fundamental football, getting better at your position and competing against superior competition. Tonight, we wanted to start the 2010 season in as fine of fashion as we could.
We now have to jell as a football team, family and program. That’s where we started tonight. That was good to see.
They stayed in the huddle for the most part. We started substituting the 1’s out toward the end. We thought we had seen enough of certain players. I was real pleased with that. That’s what today was about.
It was nice to see some interchanging of the line and it was good to see our stable of backs get into the game. I wish we could have gotten the ball more to Brad Starks, but he’s nursing that ankle. It didn’t seem like there were any injuries, and that’s always good.
I liked the way Coley White stepped up and made plays with our offense. He’s been written off and talked off, and he’s probably been told that he’s not going to be the guy. A lot of people said that, but I told him this week that we would move him to slot if he still wishes, but I want to keep your hand in the quarterback position. I don’t know what these two freshmen coming in can do. I hope Geno (Smith) is healthy, but if not, we’ll go with White and Starks.
Until we know the hand we’re dealt in the fall, it will be Smith and the two freshmen. White will stay at quarterback, but he will play slot like Starks. I was really pleased with what Coley did. I like the way he moved the offense and I liked the way he handled himself in the pocket. I liked the way he moved and shifted; he did not run around like he was in a panic.
I thought the guys ran the ball hard and I thought the pass protection was good. It was a pretty good show.
Defensively, we didn’t just play base. We didn’t go out there and do a three-man front or a base four-man rush. We did a lot of stuff on both sides of the ball. That was good. I wanted to see our defense fly around, knock the ball and create some turnovers. Our defense jelled well.
I thought it was fun tonight. Any time you can have a Spring game without getting too many injuries, it’s neat.
Defensive lineman Chris Neild
I think overall, this being our last practice for the Spring session, I think we finally put it all together. The defense had an overall OK Spring game. We obviously have a lot of things to work on this summer, but I think overall we did a good job this Spring of coming together and working toward getting where we want to be.
(on the game’s atmosphere)
Being a night game was different. We had a big turnout, and I wasn’t expecting that. I think we put on a decent show. I think our offense made a couple plays out there and it was a good atmosphere.
(on what the defense got out of the game)
It means a lot to all of us to put everything we got out of these 14 practices into this game. We need to work real hard. I think we worked pretty hard this past winter, but when summer comes around and the sun is shining out on the field as we run, it’s a little bit different. We found out then who really wants to work and who doesn’t.
Slot receiver Jock Sanders
(on tonight’s game)
I wish they would have done it a little bit different. I wanted them to split me and Noel (Devine) up and let us pick the teams. I think if we were competing against each other we would have played harder. I’m happy with the outcome. We had a great Spring, and now we’re looking forward to the Summer and the Fall.
(on where the team goes from here)
We go to the top. There isn’t any stepping backward; there’s only stepping forward. Hopefully we can improve each day and just keep going with the flow.
(on the amount of touches he and Devine received)
Coach Stewart said he was going to play us a lot, and I thought ‘why not?’ We gave the fans some excitement and that’s what they came for.
(on play of Coley White)
I knew Coley was going to be a great passer and do things that people thought he couldn’t do. He worked hard on the intangibles and the things that he needs to be successful. He’s a White – look at his brother! He gets better every day, and he will keep working on it.
Wednesday Practice Quotes
Here are quotes from head coach Bill Stewart following Wednesday spring practice.
WVU Coach Bill Stewart Quotes West Virginia University coach Bill Stewart quotes from Wednesday’s spring practice.
Opening statement:
I liked the way we finished practice, I liked the way we hit and I liked the way we got after each other, that’s good stuff. That’s what football is all about.
On ending practice on a positive note:
I like to see guys play and play hard and play Mountaineer football, that’s a fun thing to see. It got a little feisty there, but that’s okay. After practice we’re brothers and what happens out here stays out here and that’s football. I did like the intensity; I liked the way they picked it up. To scrimmage hard at the end of a two hour practice is a good thing and we need to do more of that.
On Geno Smith’s injury:
He’s not allowed to run. We’re afraid he’s going to do a burst during the skele where he would run; we call that the scramble drill, but we couldn’t do that because of his inability to run. He’s wants to do it, but he can’t right now.
On whether Geno will play in the spring game:
If we could keep people from stepping on him he’d be fine. I asked Dave (Kerns) if he had any of those foot guards. They have a foot guard on him now that Dave says he can go out and play, we’re just afraid somebody is going to fall into that leg so we’ll wait and see next week.
On whether Coley White might play both sides:
He might take both sides, we’ll see. I’ve seen that happen before at William & Mary where he took 98 snaps in the spring game.
On why J.T. Thomas sat out:
He’s a neck, a little pinch in it. Just wanted to make sure he didn’t go out their and aggravate that, he’ll be fine. He’ll be back hopefully by the end of the week and then next week for sure at this point.
On the defense’s improvement:
I was really pleased with the way they competed in the pass skeleton. The offense has had the upper hand, but today the defense got after them and a nice pick for Casey Vance, Tyler Anderson and Sidney Glover. I thought that was good as a head coach, now the offense coaches didn’t like that, but the defensive coaches did. We’re getting better.
On how much Tyler Anderson has come along and other younger players:
He’s really come along pretty well and I’m really liking No. 28 Terence Garvin. He’s had a really good spring. We needed for him to step up to the plate and he really did.
Tuesday Player and Assistant Coach Quotes
Here are quotes from Mountaineer players and assistant coaches from Tuesday spring practice.
Select quotes from WVU football assistant coaches and players.
Coach Jeff Mullen
On the growth of Noel Devine and Jock Sanders
You can see them from year one to year two growing, statistically speaking. I think Noel went from 1,200 to 1,400 yards and a whole lot more touchdowns. Jock went from 50 catches to 70-plus, and I think you’ll see continued growth this fall.
On having plenty of offensive playmakers
I’m real excited about our first four or five skill guys, and I’m happy with the other ones, it’s just that they’re not ready. If we can stay healthy and maintain those four or five kids that have experience out there at the skill spots, then we have a chance.
On developing depth on the offensive line
We definitely have a lot of depth. Last year, we had some real young guys and we lost a lot of guys from that senior class, so it brought a lot of new players to the offensive line. We also had the freshmen coming in and learning all the plays behind us. When they come in, they know what to do, and last year was a bit of a struggle because they were all brand new. This year they’re learning the plays a lot faster, so it’s good to have those players come in for you.
On which offensive linemen have shown improvement
Definitely John Kindler, John Bassler, Jeff Braun. Braun has a big weight on his shoulders because he has to fill that tackle spot, either him or Matt Timmerman. Those guys are going at it day by day, fighting to make each other better. There’s no real anger with whoever gets it, it’s about working together and whoever is the better man gets it.
On the importance of having depth compared to last season
It’ll be nice to have fresh players come in every now and then. We can hit them with more stuff and come off the ball a little harder every play.
On becoming a better player
Development is a process that I have to go through. Just staying here, learning from Noel, watch film and look at how he runs, and that will make me a better runner.
On learning from his other teammates in backfield
When we watch film we try to look at the aspects of every running back. All of us are better than the other in our own ways, so we just come out, learn from each other, watch film, see what we can do better and try to implement that into our game.
On what he needs to do to improve
There are always things needed for improvement - pad level, speed, getting my legs up when I go through the hole, being able to read blitzes, all sorts of thing. Even things that we’re good at - like I may be a good power back but there’s always room for improvement.
On the mental impact of running with the first-team offense
When you run against the 1’s and you make a good play, it makes you feel good about yourself. But then if you take a play off against the 1’s you’ll know it, because if you take a play off from someone like J.T. Thomas, you’re going to know it.
On the offensive line improvements
We have confidence in that we know what we’re doing, and our communication is better. I think once you get the confidence that you can get the job done, everything comes a lot easier.
I’m not going to say there wasn’t any depth last year. No one else played, but I think last year there were a couple players who could have played, but the coaches didn’t think they were ready.
I think everyone on the second team that didn’t play last year is playing tough this year. They’re learning a lot and they’re getting better. I think when fall comes there will be some competition.
Coach Chris Beatty
On Tavon Austin's development
I think he’s getting to the point where his mind isn’t cluttering up his feet, where he knows where he might fit. That’s a process for all our guys. Last year he was inside, outside, sometimes in the backfield. That’s a process to know where you fit in every position and every grouping. He’s done a good job so far but also has a ways to go. We don’t line up this week to play anyone but ourselves. I think he’s doing a good job, no question.
He’s learning everyday. When you play Z, and last year he was at S and H and he was inside, now he’s Z and H and sometimes in the backfield, that’s a lot of stuff to process. It takes years for some people to get to the point where they can do some of those things and be efficient at them. He’s getting to the point where he knows what he is doing, so he can let his natural talent take over.
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Saturday Scrimmage Quotes
Here are quotes from head coach Bill Stewart and players following the Mountaineers spring practice scrimmage Saturday.
West Virginia University coach Bill Stewart and selected player quotes from Saturday’s scrimmage.
Coach Bill Stewart
Opening Statements
It was a real good morning. We have a lot of nice junior prospects on campus, and it has been a wonderful morning. I think they saw an enthusiastic scrimmage, a spirited practice and some good and bad plays. But that is what spring practice is about. We are in the eighth day and half way through spring camp.
On today’s scrimmage
I liked our defensive tenacity. They got after it. I was really proud of our first team defense. If you were here for the pass skeleton though, I wasn’t really pleased defensively. Offensively, Geno (Smith) went down that field, and he was hot.
It was nice to see No. 7 (Noel Devine) and No. 9 (Jock Sanders) out there. I thought they both had a really good day. I was also really pleased with Tavon Austin, particularly in the pass skeleton plays.
On Geno Smith
Today was as good of a day as I have seen the Mountaineer quarterback throw the ball in pass skeleton in a long, long time. In the soon to be 11 years I have been here, Geno was hot. He was hitting the target, his reads were good and his timing was good. He just looked really good.
I thought Coley (White), when we went into the scrimmage, did some nice things. He runs the option very well, and he made some nice throws.
On the progress of spring practice
Up to day eight, I am pleased. I think we are gelling very well. I am really pleased with the left side of the line, and I am really happy with our receivers.
Ryan Clarke ran hard today and did a good job in the short yardage stuff.
Defensively, I am really pleased with the front three. I think Chris Neild is a force, Julian Miller bashed his helmet today he was playing so hard and J.T. Thomas looked really good.
I am so excited about our safeties. I see Robert Sands and Sidney Glover doing a really good job. This is the best our safeties have looked since the Ryan Mundy, Eric Wicks days.
On the kicking gam Field goal kicks were not very good today, and we have to get better. We made some in the scrimmage and that is ok.
Wednesday Spring Practice quotes
Wednesday, April 14
Here are quotes from head coach Bill Stewart from Wednesday's spring practice.
West Virginia University coach Bill Stewart quotes from Wednesday’s spring practice.
Opening Statements Football is a very tough game. Not just banging tough, but mentally tough as well. Right now I am not pleased. I saw too many busted reps out there and the assignments weren’t crisp as I thought they should be. You get a couple of guys that get hurt and put on a red or green jersey, and suddenly leadership starts spiraling down.
Leadership is the action of doing. It is the action and constantly doing that makes a good leader. Chemistry comes from those who buy in and follow and they begin to do. There was no leadership today and there was no chemistry today.
On honoring the WV miners We are going to be displaying the number 29 on our helmets. We are going to start wearing them at the Gold-Blue spring game on Friday, April 30. Those helmets will then be refurbished over the summer and we will wear the decal next season. It is just in honor of the tragic incident down in Raleigh County.
It hit us hard. I got the seniors to sign a jersey today for a boy that is going to have his seventh birthday this Sunday. He doesn’t have a dad to go home to tonight. I am really proud of our football team. They did the right thing.
We are going to honor our fallen brothers and wear the No. 29 the entire year, and we are going to dedicate the 2010 season to the miners in Raleigh County.
It was pretty tough (the memorial service). I was honored, along with four players and President (James) Clements, to be there with all of the West Virginians and the families. It is really emotional.
On Coley White I think Coley White has done a fine job. Geno (Smith) takes every snap in skele and Coley takes every snap in team. I am really pleased with how he has responded. We have to get him out there and get some catches as a slot, because he wants to play that. Maybe that is where he will be and maybe not. He is doing a good job for us right now. He is doing it all.
I like what I see with Coley. He can run the option, he can get up in the alley and he has made some nice throws as well. He is getting better.
On the defense Jeff (Casteel) has a unique way of pushing those guys, as do all of the defensive coaches. We have three guys who have been coordinators at a Division I school – that is pretty special. Dave Lockwood, Steve Dunlap and Jeff Casteel were DI coordinators, and coach Bill Kirelawich could have been but he decided to stay here with the defensive line. You have four pretty good coaches over there instructing and they just keep getting better and better.
Tuesday Spring Practice Quotes
Here are player and other quotes from Tuesday's spring practice.
West Virginia University football quotes from defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and selected players after Tuesday’s spring practice.
Coach Jeff Casteel
On coaching philosophy:
I’m always trying to learn from anybody that’ll teach me. The thing is, you get into coaching and you just try to get your players to play as well as they possibly can and hard as they can. The biggest compliment that you can have is that your guys play hard, and they go to work every time. Those are the things you try to instill in them. That’s what’s going to happen for them as they get out of here and move on to whatever it is they’re going to with their lives. They better learn that they’re going to have to work as we all have learned over the years.
On what makes J.T. Thomas special:
That’s a great question, and I don’t know that I can put it into words. This kid is very talented, number one. He works his tail off. He cares about his teammates. He cares about his team, and it’s important to him to do well and that his football team does well. I think that he’s really embraced that. He started doing that last year as a junior, getting himself into position where he can be a guy who can start taking over the defense – he and Chris Neild. I think it’s something he looks forward to, and I think that’s something he’s going to work hard to be very good at.
On offensive line’s goals for the spring:
Right now, we’re trying to get a good attitude and come to practice and work harder each day. Now, we have all the plays down. We know what we have to do. We’re experienced. We just have to go out there and work as five, making it as one person. We have to go out there and execute. We’re just trying to get better each day.
On how tough it is playing to the whistle with talented backfield:
As much as it is difficult, it’s also good. Sometimes I’m coming around a play that’s supposed to go to my side, and the next thing I know, the ball is on the other side. At the same time, it’s cool to get them [Noel Devine and Tavon Austin] out into free space because they’ll make you right off your block. If you’re blocking one side you’re not supposed to, they’ll cut up to the other side, so that makes you look good. They’re great players, so it’s always fun to play with them.
On what Sands is looking to work on this season:
Coming out of last season, I’m just looking to come out of my breaks faster, running with the ball after interceptions and just improving myself.
On improvement of the defense this spring:
I’m not happy with it, but it’s coming along. We still have a ways to go. We have to work on other things, like getting the ball out, causing more turnovers and getting all 11 hats to the ball. We have to be able to swarm better to the ball. Today, we did a good job of getting 3-4 hats to the ball. We have to continue doing that each practice.
On whom Thomas sees stepping up with the loss of Reed Williams:
At Mike (linebacker), Pat (Lazear) is and Anthony (Leonard) at the Sam (linebacker position). Seeing them switch roles is funny, but it seems to be working out for the best. I think that was a good experiment by the coaches.
On adjusting to game speed:
People are getting back in shape from spring break, and we got a lot more effort out of guys today. We had to get on them this past Saturday to get guys going to in the right direction. Today was an improvement, but we definitely have a long way to go.
Saturday Spring Practice Quotes
Here is what head football coach Bill Stewart had to say following Saturdays spring practice. The Mountaineers resume practice Tuesday.
West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart’s quotes from Saturday’s spring practice.
Opening Statement:
It was a nice practice. I thought our guys flew around and worked hard. I thought the defense had the upper-hand early today, and then the offensive guys came on and got after them pretty good. We had some injuries. Noel (Devine) got a quad bruise, so we held him out, but he’s fine. J.D. Woods has a slight hamstring injury, but I’m not sure how long he’s going to be out. Football is a tough game. You’re going to get bumps and bruises, but by and large, for the first full-padded practice, we did OK.
I liked the intensity in the inside drill. I liked the one-on-ones, and I thought the team went OK. The offense did OK at the end. We still have a long way to go. We have some guys who are really flying around, and we have some guys who look like they’re having fun. That’s all you can ask for.
Leadership is a funny thing. It takes guts to be a leader. We’re not looking for rah-rah guys or guys who tell their buddies how well they’re doing – we’re looking for leaders. That’s tough; it’s tough to be a leader. You have to stay the course, remember the plan and go in the direction which you know you’re supposed to go. For the first week, it seems to be moving in the right direction. I really like our intensity, and these guys like to compete against each other, which is fun to watch.
On Noel Devine returning soon:
If that were a game, he would’ve been OK. He just got hit in the quad by a knee and that happens. Like I said, it’s a contact sport.
On other injuries:
I just understand [Lawrence Smith] got his finger caught in a helmet. I didn’t mention him because we’re waiting to see a medical report. I think he’s going to be fine. The tip of his finger got caught in a helmet. Daquan Hargrett got his ankle caught, but we’re OK.
On Coley White:
He’s done a good job. I think he’s throwing the ball better. I’m really pleased with Coley White. It’s nice to see him get out there and compete. It’s very frustrating since it’s day four to have a center-quarterback exchange problem, and that’s with one of the younger linemen. He’s not had any problems with the older guys, but I hate to see any kind of problem. I want perfection, that’s all I strive for. By and large, Coley White is doing a good job, and we’re pleased.
On escalating aggression and intensity:
It was fun to see that today. In shorts, everybody looks pretty quick. Yesterday in shells, we banged around a little bit. Today was good. It was a real good test. One of the things I really liked about today’s scrimmage was the way we flew around. Both sides of the ball were getting on and off the field, chasing the ball and hustling to the ball. That’s maturity.
On making the team tougher:
They’re pretty tough. We weren’t real good in 2008 on short-yardage and goal-line situations. I like our defense, and you see how they’re disguising. We have not been able to do that as well since (Eric) Wicks and (Ryan) Mundy. Wicks and Mundy were a treat to watch. These guys are starting to get it. Sidney (Glover) has been moving. I saw Robert Sands and Eain Smith moving and flying. It looks really good. It’s hard to disguise. You have to work at it.
On the linebacker position:
Let’s talk about our Sam linebackers. I really like what I saw with Anthony Leonard and Tyler Anderson, this young man from Morgantown. He’s got my attention and our defensive coaches’ attention. (Pat) Lazear and Branko Busick are two tough guys. They’re doing well. On the wing, you have the Willie position, certainly with J.T. Thomas and Najee Goode. It’s good to see those guys. All six are running around really well.
On J.T. Thomas’ leadership:
You don’t got script or prescribe that. I really don’t promote that. It takes guts to be a leader. Guys who don’t have guts aren’t successful in life. They’re the guys who are telling people how they should be doing things. You show me a guy who has guts, and I’ll show you a man who is a good leader. I’ll show you a guy that’s a good husband, a good dad and a pretty good man in society. It doesn’t take anything but guts to stay the plan. We’ve got to have leadership.
On the punting and kicking:
I really like Greg Pugnetti and Corey Smith. I was really pleased with the way they were rolling to the right. We’ve been working all three sides, kicking left, middle and right. Today, we worked back, tight punts. I thought that was good. I’m not pleased with the kicking at all. Place-kicking and field goal were awful. I’m going to have to watch a lot of film this week. I’m pleased with our punting. We have put more emphasis on the punting, though.
On Geno Smith:
He’s throwing the ball really well. That skeleton you saw right there, early in those three periods, was good. That was like a ballgame. He really did a nice job. Geno has a really good awareness. Coley’s getting it. He made some nice throws today. I thought the touchdown pass to Tyler Urban, the pass to Eddie Davis and Will Johnson were good.
Friday Spring Practice Player Quotes
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University selected player quotes from Friday’s spring practice.
Geno Smith Right now I am still trying to build strength in my foot. I feel like I have done a lot of things and exceeded some expectations as far as where I should be. I feel like I am still getting stronger and I’m trying to be a leader on this team.
It was really unsure at first. The first day was really a test. My test came out to be positive so they are letting me do more as the days go on. Hopefully it won’t cause problems, but it is tempting to try and push myself and get better every day, but I keep in contact with the trainers and let them know how I feel and so far, so good.
Julian Miller I see everyone getting on the same page. Last year, guys went down a lot. There were periods of time where we didn’t have Scooter (Berry), and it would be just Chris Neild and I. Sometimes Neild or I would have to come out for a break. I think one of the main things for this year is that we want to try to get more of a bond – one that when we are all in there together, we all feed off of each other’s energy and get stronger.
Experience anytime is an advantage. If you have experience, you have guys that have played together and know the defense and what to expect from each different offense in the league. We have experience on the defense and that is a major key – it can help us out a lot, especially up front with me, Scooter and Neild. I know that is going to help us out.
Brad Starks It (ankle) is getting better. I am just going to treatment everyday and trying to keep getting it stronger, and just doing what the trainers want me to do so I can get back out on the field faster.
It limits me a lot, because I can’t run the routes how I want to run them, at the speed I want to run them.
It’s frustrating, but at the same time I can take mental reps and get myself mentally prepared.
I hurt it three weeks ago in workouts. I just rolled it, and it swelled up. I am just taking care of it right now so that I can get full mobility back.
The received corps right now is young. I am the only returning veteran, but we have new pieces. We have J.D. Woods, Stedman Bailey, Tavon Austin, Eddie Davis, and they are all great young athletes that can get the job done. We have a lot of athleticism at the wide receiver spot and I think we can do anything just like last year.
Tuesday Spring Practice Quotes
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia University football coach Bill Stewart and selected player quotes from Tuesday’s spring practice.
Coach Stewart
Opening Statements
First and foremost¸ our football program here at West Virginia University would like to express our deepest sympathy to the families of the miners in southern West Virginia that were a part of that disaster. While we had our practice here today, and it was an important practice, it is nothing like what happened to those great people down there. We just want to express our sincere sympathy and our thoughts are with them. This is a game of football but that game of life is more important.
Today’s practice was fast and they looked like they were enthused. There are all kinds of ingredients in every recipe. Our recipe today was pride, passion and discipline. You can’t have anything without those ingredients. But the main ingredient is still lacking. We are way behind and that is leadership. We need leadership in the worst way. We need seniors to step forward. They are doing a pretty good job, there is just not many of them. You don’t have to be a senior to lead.
Our chemistry is good. Our leadership is good. They are all good, but nothing near great. You just take our men’s and women’s basketball teams and you will see what chemistry and leadership can do. I am not real pleased with that at all.
On goals for spring camp
Chemistry and leadership are first and foremost on both sides of the ball. Offensively, we need to become a consistent and more efficient offense, particularly in the latter half of the season once opponents get six or seven game films on us.
I thought we did a pretty good job with Cincinnati, Pitt and Rutgers, but I was very displeased with the second-half of the bowl game. We need to finish.
Defensively, we need to disguise more.
On Geno Smith
He looked pretty good to me today. If he is in the spring game – he won’t be hit.
On the day overall
I thought Coley White threw the ball better than I had anticipated which was good. I thought Geno threw a couple good balls. Catching the ball caught my eye too. I have said it all spring, Will Johnson has been a nice force and we need to get the ball to him.
Tavon Austin caught some nice passes and Noel Devine was pretty good.
I try to help out and explain things to the younger guys. Now that spring is here coach (Bill) Kirelawich will take control of that, but in the off season when we are just lifting, I will take the guys aside and if they want to do extra work I am more than happy to do it with them.
The past two months we have been trying to get in extra work after our normal work outs. They all seem like they want to learn more about their positions because it is such an odd out front that we run. So I try to be a leader.
I have been working out extra hard this offseason. It was kind of a set-back with my foot but I still have to keep going.
It was a sharp pain. I immediately thought it was a sprain. A lot of doubt went through my mind, but the next day I got back on my grind and started working again and I am here now.
I want to do as much in spring practice as they want me to do. I will do what my team needs me to do and much as the trainers say I can do. I just want to get bigger and stronger and be a better leader this spring.
Noel Devine
You have to make the most of everyday. Everyday counts and I mean off the field too and in life period. You know it is coming soon and you just have to embrace it and enjoy it and then take care of business. I am not a fan of getting hit, but I can take a hit.
I just want to get better than last year. It is going to take my coach staying on me, my teammates pushing me and me wanting to get better.
Final Four Thoughts
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
What a magical season it has been for the Mountaineers. I am still in shock that they are actually going to the Final Four. It is a once in a lifetime chance, and whether they end up defeating Duke and going to the National championship game or not, it will still be forever remembered as a special season.
An interesting stat was pointed out to me. The Mountaineers have not lost a game since the Connecticut game. Apparently, after the Uconn game, head coach Bob Huggins gave an impassioned speech talking about how special this team was to the people in the state of West Virginia. The team really listened and took the speech to heart because they have been on a great magical run.
If the Mountaineers do win Saturday, and I think they can if they stop Duke's three guards, I hope Butler can beat Michigan State in the first game. Wouldn't that be a story? Two unexpected/mid major teams playing for the National Championship?
I am excited. I think the Mountaineers have a good chance at this, but if Saturday should be their last game, you will not hear me complaining. No matter what, it has been a special season that will be remembered forever. Very few teams get the opportunity to play in the Final Four.
Villanova Preview
Friday, March 5, 2010
The WVU Men's Basketball team will play their final game of the regular season Saturday against the Villanova Wildcats on the road in Philadelphia. The Mountaineers secured themselves a double-bye in the upcoming Big East Tournament with their win over Georgetown Monday night. The Wildcats are ranked ninth. The Mountaineers are ranked tenth this week. The Wildcats also have a bye in next week's Big East tournament but seedings will be on the line in the game. The Mountaineers could finish as high as the No. 2 seed if they get a win. Syracuse has already clinched the No. 1 seed as the Big East regular season champion. The Wildcats picked up their 13th conference win of the season in a close 77-73 win against Cincinnati on the road Wednesday. Six players scored in double figures in the game. Scottie Reynolds led the way with 17 points. Earlier this season, On Feb. 8, the Wildcats beat the Mountaineers in Morgantown 82-75. Reynolds and Corey Fisher combined to score 38 points in that game. The Wildcats have a record of 24-5 overall and are 13-4 in league play. Tipoff is noon. Coverage on WAJR aM begins at 11 AM with the Coliseum Countdown.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Here are quotes from WVU head football coach Bill Stewart discussing the recently announced coaching assignments for the upcoming season. He also talks about spring practice which begins for the Mountaineers on April 6. The annual spring game will be held Friday, April 30.
WVU Coach Bill Stewart and Selected Coaches’ Quotes
Opening Statements
We were ranked No. 22 in the country by the coach’s poll this year, and we are pleased about that. This is our fifth-straight Top 25 finish, and we are one of seven schools that have at least nine wins for five-straight years. That is pretty powerful.
We led the BIG EAST in attendance for the sixth-straight year. I am very pleased about that and our fans should be complimented for that.
I hope we can do this every year for the fans, but we were undefeated at home last season for the first time since 1993. We led the BIG EAST in attendance, and we rewarded our fans with an undefeated home season.
On the Coaching Staff
The new director of recruiting for our student-athletes is Chris Beatty. I put a lot of weight on Chris’s shoulders. He is going to take over that role, and I also added the fullback position to him. He did a nice job with the recruiting responsibilities when we had our change this past December, and we are very pleased with that. My hat goes off to coach Beatty.
Speaking of recruiting, we were No. 18 in the country. Last year, we were Top 25 and this year Top 20 – that has never happened at WVU.
Jeff Mullen will continue to coordinate our offense and coach the quarterbacks.
David Johnson will continue to be our offensive line coach, with emphasis on the running game.
Lonnie Galloway will continue to coach the wide receivers and will work with one of the slots and will coordinate with emphasis on the passing game.
Welcome home David McMichael. It is great to have him back. He is in his 19th year now and is one of the tremendous football coaches in the game. He will coach the tight ends, and he will be the offensive special team’s coordinator. Special teams will be broken into two phases.
I think I have the best offensive coordinator in football. I don’t blink when I say that. I think have the best offensive staff in football. I will tell you why – because we know what we are doing and who we are doing it with.
Offensively, these guys had one senior lineman last year. This year, we have one senior lineman. We may be the youngest offensive line in the past two years of football. and we don’t make any excuses because those guys played their hearts out.
Defensively Jeff Casteel, I asked him this morning if he could believe that he has been here 10 years. Coach Casteel is our defensive coordinator and will continue to call the defense. I think just as I am prejudice about the offensive side, we have the best defensive coordinator in football without a doubt. He is my right arm just as Jeff Mullen is with my offense.
Steve Dunlap is in his 24th year. He will be back and serve as the assistant head coach and take care of the safeties. He will also take on a new role this season as the special team’s co-coordinator of the defensive side of the ball. That includes kickoff coverage, field goals and field goal blocks.
Bill Kirelawich is in his 32nd year, and he will coach the defensive line and he will also work on the run-game emphasis.
Back to coaching the corners will be David Lockwood, who will also work with the passing-game emphasis.
I am really pleased with what these coaches did a few years ago. They had to replace eight starters off a pretty good football team, and they did an admirable job. We didn’t have any senior defensive lineman last season and now we have some this year. We are a young football team.
Heading up strength and conditioning will be Mike Joseph, and he is in his third season and has done a great job.
On Spring Football
I don’t care if you have 12-0 talent. If you have 6-6 leadership, that is what your team is probably going to be 6-6. This entire operation of 2010 is going to be based on some very simple facts. Do we have the right chemistry? Do we have the right leadership? Do we have the right role models doing what they are supposed to do? That is what we are going to find out.
We will be good as our leadership and not just with our seniors – new ones must emerge.
We only lost three senior starters on offense and two on defense. We were a young football team, but you can only use that excuse so long. We need leaders to step up. It is all based on leadership, and I hope our guys will take care of that.
With our offense, to get better, I think without a doubt we need to become more consistent. I was very pleased with how we started the season, but we need to get better. We need to be more consistent and go out and finish our opponents off. I want to get after people for 12 games.
Secondly, we need to develop our quarterbacks. This is the third year we have had a new quarterback and that is tough. You just have to reload. Poor Jeff Mullen, this is the third one. It is time for a new one. Coley White or Geno Smith will be battling this spring, and then we have a couple of freshman coming in.
No.3, we need to develop our depth in not only our offensive line but with our receivers, as well after we lose a few good players in that position. We had one senior lineman last year, and we have one this year and that is pretty tough. Not many people in the country have won 18 games with two senior linemen. Selvish Capers is gone, now it is time for Eric Jobe to step up.
To get better on defense, I think we need to get more forced fumbles. We only had six fumble recoveries last season. We were seventh in the BIG EAST in fumble recoveries, but we were first with 17 interceptions. That is pretty good. If we can cause more turnovers and fumbles, that will be good.
Our man coverage needs to continue to get better. We need to continue to pressure the ball and get the ball out.
The red zone defense was great early and finished the season good. We need to make sure we stay great. We just didn’t finish last year on either side of the ball. We won nine games and had a successful year and then showed up OK in the bowl game, but we didn’t finish the way we should have.
On special teams, we need to develop a punter. We were ninth nationally in net punting last year and second in 2008.
Right now, we have no punters so we need someone on our depth chart to step up. I think the punt is a great play, and we just have to develop a good punter.
Kickoff coverage has got to get better. We went from first or second in the league to seventh last year – not good. We need to get better coverage and our defensive staff will take care of that.
Punt returners are the third thing we need to get better. We used to be first in this category too, but last year we finished around seventh. Our talent is too good, so we need to get better in that as well.
On the Offseason Schedule
In January and February, we have been working very hard with lifting and running. Now in March, we are entering a whole new level. In April, we are going to start spring practice. We start the Tuesday after Easter, and we will conclude with the spring game on Friday, April 30. We want to try something different this season and get under the lights and put a little spark in
Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel
From a defensive stand-point, this spring we do have a lot of returning players. We are obviously going to miss a Reed Williams, and we need to find a way to replace those guys. Nate Sowers, Boogie Allen – we are going to have to replace those guys. We have a lot of guys coming back, and we are excited about that. It is developing leaders and chemistry that we are going to focus on.
There are a lot of guys that we are going to look at this season. We have a lot of young guys that we like. In the fall, you don’t get a great opportunity to evaluate those guys sometimes, because they are with the scout team. We are going to have to have some of those young guys step up and be players for us.
We get everyone back defensively up front for us this season, with Chris Neild and Scooter Berry. Chris is the best nose guard in our league, and he is the best guard that we have had here at
Scooter
Coach Dunlap has some new guys in the secondary. Robert Sands is a guy that has to continue to grow and become a leader for us, as does Sidney Glover. Those guys have to stay healthy and do a good job for us.
Offensive Coordinator Jeff Mullen
This is the best time of year to be a football coach. It is an absolute, because you get to scheme. A lot of us enjoy sitting in the film room looking at the offense and defense and finding out what you did bad and what you do good and you don’t have the stress of a Saturday game with 60,000 gold pom-poms out there. It is a wonderful time, but it is also the worst time. For us, quite honestly to go against what we feel is one of the best defense schemes and groups in our conference and on our schedule makes it very difficult. They do a wonderful job.
The big word on the day has been development, and I want to use that term loosely because it doesn’t mean rebuild. We to have develop, especially on our side of the ball.
From our player standpoint, we have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that we have Jock Sanders and Noel Devine coming back to us. Jock went from 53 catches two years ago to 72. Noel went from in the upper 1,200 yards to the upper 1,400 yards in rushing. You can see the growth in our system with those young men and to have them back is needed to say the least.
We have got to develop in so many ways. We need to have that offensive line continue to step up. We played five kids the entire season last year, every snap, every game. That is unheard of. You want to talk about a tough group of kids. Bang your head against a brick wall 70-plus times a game for 12-straight weeks. I can’t say enough about what coach (Mike) Joseph is doing in the weight room to help them do that and keep them healthy. My hat goes off to those kids.
Seton Hall Preview
Friday, Feb. 19, 2010
The Mountaineers will try to continue their winning streak when they battle the Seton Hall Pirates Saturday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers played the Pirates once this season in their conference opener on the road on Dec. 26 and defeated them in overtime 90-84. The Pirates are trying to just make the NCAA bubble with a 15-9 overall, 6-7 conference record. They picked up their first win on the road Wednesday against ST. John's since beating Cornell back on Nov. 20. They defeated the Red Storm 59-50. However, they were without two key players in the game. Starting point guard Eugene Harvey had a bruised right wrist, and leading scorer Jeremy Hazell suffered a weird cut to his ring and middle fingers on his shooting hand during the game that required eight stitches. Hazell had scored 10 points on 4 of 6 shooting before having to leave the game with eight minutes left in the first half. Hazell is second in the conference in scoring behind Notre Dame's Luke Harangody averaging 21.9 points per game. He scored 41 points in the first game between the Mountaineers and Pirates in december. Hazell scored 29 in a loss to the Mountaineers last season in Morgantown. It is unknown at this time whether Hazell will play in the game Saturday but Harvey is expected to be good to go. He is averaging 8.1 points per game and is handing out a team-best 108 assists. Another key player for the Pirates is Memphis transfer Jeff Robinson who is averaging 10.5 points per game and is shooting 53.5% from the floor. New Mexico State transfer Herb Pope is averaging 11.3 points and grabbing 11.0 rebounds for the Pirates. Pope is also a good shot blocker, blocking a team-best 45 shots. The Pirates have more talent from transfers. Duquesne transfer Robert Mitchell came off the bench in Wednesday's game against ST. John's and scored 15 points and went 6 of 12 shooting. He is averaging 9.1 points per game. Keon Lawrence, a Missouri transfer may also be used for backup in scoring if Hazell does not play. Tipoff is set for noon. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 11 aM with the Coliseum Countdown.
Providence Preview
Tuesday, Feb. 16 2010
The No. 8-ranked West Virginia University Men's Basketball team once again goes on the road to take on the Prodidence Friars and try to bounce back from their tripple overtime loss to Pitt last Friday. The Friars have a 12-13 overall record and are just 4-9 in the Big East conference. They have lost five games in a row. They lost to Villanova on the road 92-81 last Saturday. Jamine Peterson and Sharaud Curry each scored 19 points in that game. Peterson is fifth in the Big East in scoring averaging 18.9 points per game. He is also grabbing 9.9 rebounds per game and is shooting 45.4% from the floor. Curry is averaging 15.5 points and 3.4 assists per game. Freshman forward Bilal Dixon is fourth in the Big East averaging 2.08 blocks per game. The Friars are the second best scoring team in the conference averaging 81.8 points per game. However, they are last in scoring defense (79.5 points per game) and field-goal percentage defense (45.6%.) They also have one of the lowest shooting percentages in the conference at 42.7%. One area where the Friars are good though is offensive rebounding. Providence is the best offensive rebounding team in the Big East, grabbing more than 17 per game. The Mountaineers have won 9 out of the last 10 games against Providence. Tipoff is set for 7 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 6 PM with the Coliseum Countdown.
My Thoughts
Thursday, Feb. 11, 2010
I have not written my thoughts in a while. Since it was just released yesterday, I'll start with the football schedule. The Mountaineers play 12 games of course, seven of them will be at home. One of the big nonconference games I think will be LSU. That will be a tough matchup. Another interesting one, in the Big East will be South Florida. It will be interesting to see how the Bulls do under the new head coach. I don't expect them to have their mid-season slumps like traditionally has happened in past seasons under Jim Levit.
I was happy with the Mountaineers signing class. They got some good recruits one of which being Ivan McCartney. They got most of the players that were expected to sign which is a good thing. Overall, I think it was a very good class.
I am very saddened by the death of WVU legend Fred Schaus. He will be always be remembered and greatly missed by young and old Mountaineer fans alike.
I am very happy with how the Mountaineer basketball teams are doing both the Men and Women's team. It is amazing to me how the women have geled so much and are playing so much as a team and doing so well. The neat thing is they are a very young team and almost all of the players will be returning next season.
The men are also doing very well despite the Villanova game on Monday. Though it is important for any team to get as many wins at home as possible every team will have a bad shooting night here and there. You can't win every game.
I am glad the students behaved better Monday night and that action was taken to discipline in the future those who violate the rules, missbehave, or throw things onto the court. What happened in the Pitt game with that was uncalled for. It made WVU look bad once again and our student body look horrible. The sad thing was it happened during a game when the Mountaineers played very well and beat one of our biggest rivals Pitt by 19 points. The Mountaineers led the whole game and still had the lead by two when the items were thrown onto the court. This is uncalled for in any game but it really makes us look bad when it's during such a good game, when the Mountaineers played so well and over such a big win. I hope something like that never happens again here.
One player who is doing well is Denez Kilicli. For having to sit out so many games and only being in this country for a few years I think he is doing well and will only get better. It is exciting, and it is just the beginning of his career.
Stewart Signing Day Press Conference Quotes
Thursday, Feb. 4 2010
Wednesday, Feb. 3 was officially signing day. Prospective recruits could officially sign letters of intent to play at the schools they have chosen. The Mountaineers signed 19 players in the 2010 signing class. Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart had to say about each player and other things he said at his press conference to officially announce the signees.
Opening Statements It is a good day for recruiting here at West Virginia University. We feel like we have a special class of not just athletes, but neat, fine young men. For that, I am most pleased with our coaching staff and the hard work, diligence and effort of our coaches on the road, plus our players’ here were outstanding.
Our older players are the ones that really draw these new guys to our campus. Our football team, led by our senior class did a tremendous job.
When we bring a youngster in here, we talk about four things. Number one is academics. Garrett Ford heads up a fantastic academic system along with Sandy Cole-DeMent and Donnie Tucker. 90 of the 2009 Mountaineer football team had a 2.5 grade point average or above, 68 will be the new faces on the academic wall for having a 2.75 GPA or above and 43 of our players have a cumulative 3.0 GPA or above. That is pretty special.
Number two is football. I don’t have to say too much about that, our players take care of it.
Third, we talk about the social life in Morgantown. Our young men do a great job on visits entertaining and taking care of these youngsters. On the 19 WVU Recruits Travis Bell, a free safety. He is a free safety because he had 10 interceptions as a senior and he roams sideline to sideline really well.
Barry Brunetti is a Parade All-American, tremendous football player and a state champ. You can read all you want about Barry Brunetti, but he has not lost a football game that he has started in since the seventh grade.
Dante Chambers is a quick, elusive little slot receiver. I didn’t want a bunch of little guys; I wanted fast, tall and athletic guys. Dante is about my height, but he is fast. He is a teammate of our quarterback here now, Geno Smith, and of Stedman Bailey. When his name came up I immediately went to Geno and Stedman.
Trevor Demko, a big defensive end, is a nice young man with a big frame. Coach (Bill) Kirelawich likes them long-armed and big framed. He is a nice youngster and a good student.
Michael Dorsey is really one fine football player. He is a great student and played in the wildcat (offense) at his size. He was 210-215 pounds as a senior and played quarterback in the wildcat. He is a tremendous athlete. I hope we can keep him at safety; he will be spur or bandit safety.
Qudral Forte is good enough to be a major college quarterback. I said that I wanted players that were fast, tall and rangy. I will show you his film as a quarterback and as a safety. Wow.
Troy Gloster is a great student, from a great school and he is a heck on an athlete. I recruited his older brother, Drew, who was a heck of a football player at Maryland. I didn’t do as good of a job recruiting him as coach (Jeff) Casteel did recruiting Troy, but when this kid was younger, every time we talked to Drew, we would talk to Troy. You always recruit the little brother. Never neglect the little brother. This is a great reward from about eight years ago.
Bruce Irvin is a big and explosive pass rusher, who will be a defensive end. We are absolutely thrilled to have him. He was tough and we had to fight them off. He is probably the number one pass-rusher in America.
When I went into Texas to visit Jeremy Johnson, I went to his school and it was just a great visit. He ran a 10.6 in the 100-meters and had a 24-foot long jump. When we went to dinner (I bought mine and they bought theirs, just to have that out there), the waiter comes up and says ‘West Virginia huh?’ I said ‘yes sir.’ He then said he watched the Gator Bowl and that it was a heck of a story. The waiter said ‘you know that coach played for Coach (Bobby) Bowden. I laughed and said ‘yes he did.’
Trey Johnson can fly and may be the fastest guy in Virginia. He is not tall, but he is tall enough. When he sticks a foot in the ground, Coach (Chris) Beatty could not have found a better guy. He is a great kid.
Quantavius Leslie played defensive back at 6-foot-4. He is a knee-bender and just a big long spider-armed kid. He has a chance to be an outstanding receiver.
Deon Long, who is already here, is a tremendous athlete. We are counting on him to play both inside and outside. We have him listed as a wide receiver, but he will probably be more of a slot receiver. He can go and he will give us immediate help.
Ivan McCartney is a heck of a player, a great youngster and is just a quality young man. He really brings a lot to the table. I am sure enough will be said about him. He is special. He can stretch a field and he can go get the ball.
Doug Rigg was listed as a linebacker/running back. This guy is fast, he can run and he can hit. He does a really nice job.
Jewone Snow. Jeff Mullen went in and had a really nice visit with him and his family. I am so impressed with Jewone Snow, and to get that type of youngster out of Canton McKinley is a real fine recruiting effort.
Quinton Spain. I saw him, along with coach Beatty, play a basketball game in Richmond, Va., where he made 30 of the team’s 70 points. He had the softest left-hand hook shot I have seen in years. This guy is a great athlete and has a chance to be one fine football player.
Wes Tonkery is a local young man from just down the road. I talked to the local officials about him all summer. Steve Dunlap went in and did a great evaluation of this young man’s character and what we are looking for in a football player. He is a remarkable youngster who likes to play and who plays very well.
Marquis Wallace has grown and grown and may be the best student that we have recruited. He is very sharp, very articulate and is a big time student of the game. He gets it and is going to be a great player.
Getting Avery Williams to come here is a great job by coach Beatty. We thought we were going to lose him because he wanted to go to school in January. He is done and ready to go and will be here May 18.
That is 19 new Mountaineer football players. The class breaks down as follows: two quarterbacks, four wide receivers, two offensive lineman, one running back, two defensive ends, three linebackers, two safeties, one free safety and two defensive backs. That is 19 great additions to this football team.
If you’re a friend a mine and I sent you something today that goes like this, “I am a member of a team. I rely on the team. I defer to it, and sacrifice for it, because the team, not the individual, is the ultimate champion.” If these nine adhere to this plan, they will be great additions to Mountaineer football. Faith, hope and love, the creed of the mountains. If they buy in, they’ll be OK. Right now, we’ll know in about three years, maybe two, what kind of players they are. Until then, their heads will be spinning because they’ll be in college, they’ll be in class and they need to finish their senior year before we start writing a bunch of accolades about them.
With that I’m very proud of the effort again of our players and very proud of the effort of our staff. These guys did a great job recruiting and getting this great group of youngsters here to West Virginia.
On any additions We might be expecting some more additions, but I’m going to talk about the ones that are here, not the ones that are maybe en route or might come, but there is a possibility of a couple more.
About the ratings and rankings The rating and rankings is just that, it’s by opinionated people that make money off recruiting; it’s a good gig I guess. I’ve seen two stars and one star’s come in here and do pretty well. I think I had a two star come in here and win four bowls and three MVP’s. I know this, the 19 we signed we want and we’re glad we have. If they buy into the plan I just said, wear the Old Gold and Blue as a privilege and not a right, they’ll be a good football team someday, not yet, but someday.
About specific needs I thought we did very well. Tall, fast and athletic. I like the speed first. Speed, height, athleticsm. We graduated one offensive lineman this year and played five, that’s remarkable what our medical staff and Mike Joseph did. Five guys played almost 800 plays. We graduated one senior and next year we have one senior, so that’s a void. I don’t know of any other college in America who loses one senior back-to-back. In 35 years I’ve never heard of it. We had to sign five offensive linemen last year, so we had to catch up. This year we signed two because we needed two, that’s our needs.
We’ve got to get to where we are next year with 16 scholarships, 16-18 scholarships each year and two to three scholarships at each position max. Once we get to that and it’ll take four years to get this all worked out, it just doesn’t work itself out overnight. We needed linebackers, we lose three next year, so we signed three. We needed linebackers, receivers, we signed four, we needed a safety, we signed three, so there you have it. We did what we set out to do.
Overall theme of the class I would say they’re fast, somewhat tall and very athletic. If you go watch tape of Qudral Forte, we kept him under wraps, we’re very excited. He’s 6-2 and can run a 10.7, that’s smoking.
On how Noel and Jock changed recruiting They were just here and I embarrassed them and I said want to introduce my two best recruits. They don’t like the limelight and they went boot scootin’ out of here. The best two recruits we had this year were No. 7 and No. 9. They’re back and that’s great and they’re back because we have a great open arms relationship and I they respect what we’re doing and we respect them. They bought into the plan and they think it’s an honor and privilege to play for the Old Gold and Blue and both men want to graduate in the Old Gold and Blue. How could you not feel good about that as a West Virginia alum or fan.
On how many could play as a true freshman We need to upgrade our special teams. The quarterbacks are going to play. The receivers are going to play. I would imagine the linebackers are going to play. They all have a chance, they really do. Every one of these 19 men has a chance. Now, do some have more of a chance? Yes, they do. They want to finish strong academically and they’re all in pretty good shape and we’ve met with them and they’re excited about that. Bruce Irvin for instance will get an early look just because of his age. He played very well in the JUCO league, he’s going to have a chance.
On getting guys they didn’t think they could get They’re all pretty good and some are labeled with the star system and I guess if I were doing the star system, I would probably label some a little higher than others. Look at that all-star game (U.S. Army All-American game). You’ve got a quarterback (Brunetti) that was in it, there was a receiver (McCartney) in it and there was a tackle (Spain) that was in it. Those are three, on paper and high school film, that are pretty well ahead of the curve right now and we got one out there that is maybe still in the fold, maybe not. We don’t get those kinds of guys supposedly, we’re not supposed to get them here according to the experts. They’re supposed to go to all the glitter schools, but we got them.
On whether it’s getting easier to recruit We went 100+ years and last year had a top 25 class and this class is pretty good. I don’t know where the experts rank us and I really don’t care, because I know what I feel, what the staff feels and what the other coaches that we’ve beaten feel.
I was driving down the road with Bill Kirelawich and Bill has been here since 1978-79 and he looks over at me and says, “Do you know who we’re going head-to-head with on this guy?” I said yes I do and he said, “It’s awesome Stew.” This goes to show you, you don’t have to be what we say you are, you can be what you want to be if you go out and work and pay diligence and treat people right.
On the process I don’t pay much attention to it and neither do the coaches. We needed safeties this year to come downhill and blow somebody up and we need a guy in the middle that can help Robert Sands range side-to-side. We got that on paper. Now once they get up here and acclimated to school and college life, it’ll take them a couple of years. We don’t have to have them for a couple of years and that’s the good thing, we just have to get to where we can offer 16 to 18 and never sign more than four at a position. You can’t sign five offensive linemen like we did last year, you just can’t do that. It’s balance. You play juniors and seniors and an occasional sophomore, a third-year guy, that’s what is hard. These guys get recruited and think they should come in here and start. Well, we’ve got some guys here who have something to say about that.
On which guys can switch from defense to offense or vice versa You could always move big Quinton Spain. I watched Quinton Spain with coach Beatty that night and I said do we have a tackle that can do that? Can our guards do that? Can our defensive linemen do that? And you say no, no, no. In the all-star game he was just rocking’ people. To me, he is a guy that could play on either side of the ball. He’s good enough to play defense, but this guy might be like The Blindside. He may be like that movie.
On the challenge of holding on to two quarterbacks We took a plane and Jeff Mullen went on a whirlwind tour all over the country. We found 15 quarterbacks and went after them. We watched film on them, met them and checked their academics. We’ve got three sophomores and a freshman in fold, so with that being said there is a real chance on paper for a guy to come in here and play. That was the real challenge and Jeff Mullen did a real good job.
They both know they’re coming. They’re both Elite 11 types of players and they also know we have an Elite 11 quarterback waiting here. When you can find three guys that want to compete for one job, those are three pretty special guys. Hopefully they all stay, but we only have one football. That will be great competition.
On Quarterbacks switching positions Brandon Hogan is a good example. I recruited him and he was a great quarterback. He’s special. Keith Tandy was a tremendous quarterback out of Kentucky. Thank God they’re here because they’re our corners. That’s pretty special. Bradley Starks was a Mr. Basketball and had Mid-American offers and to get him out of Virginia was awesome. You saw Patrick White and you saw Jarrett Brown and I told Huggy (Bob Huggins) that if he thought Brown was good at basketball he needs to get No. 14 over there. Bradley is pretty good.
Backyard Brawl Basketball Style
Tuesday, Feb. 2, 2010
The Mountaineers play another ranked team when they take on the Pitt Panthers in the 179th version of the Backyard Brawl, Basketball stype tomorrow at the WVU Coliseum. It will be the first time, since the game in 2006 when both teams, West Virginia and Pitt are ranked in the Top 25. The Mountaineers are currently ranked sixth, while the Panthers are 22nd. In 2006, the 16th ranked Mountaineers knocked off the eighth-rated Pitt Panthers 67-62. That game was also played at the WVU Coliseum. It will be the fourth time in the Backyard Brawl's 179-year history that both teams are ranked in the Top 25. The Panthers come into Morgantown with a 16-5 record. The Panthers have lost three of their last four games. Their last loss came at the hands of South Florida, 70-61 last Sunday. Gilbert Brown came off the bench and scored 25 points in the loss. Guard Jermaine Dixon did not play because of a sprained anke he suffered during the ST. John's win. He will be a game-time decision for the game Wednesday. Ashton Gibbs is emerging as a good player for the Panthers. He is averaging 16.8 points per game. He has shot a team-high 46 3-point field goals. He has scored at least 20 points in seven games so far this season. The Panthers have size with six-10 junior center Gary McGhee. McGhee is averaging 7.0 points per game and is grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game. The Mountaineers will be playing with freshman center Deniz Kilicli who will be making his season-debut after having to sit out the first 20 games due to an NCAA violation caused by him playing in a game with a professional player in his native Turkey. The Mountaineers come into the game with a 17-3 record. They defeated the Louisville Cardinals last Saturday 77-74. Tipoff for the Backyard Brawl is 7 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 6 PM with the Coliseum Countdown.
Louisville Preview
Friday, Jan. 29, 2010
The Mountaineers return to the WVU Coliseum for a matchup with the Louisville Cardinals. The Mountaineers have had a tough time beating the Cardinals. Their last victory came on Feb. 25, 2006 in a close 68-64 decision in 2006. Louisville has won four straight since then including both games last season. The Cardinals return three good players from last season including sophomore center Samardo Samuels, Jerry Smith, and Edgar Sosa. The Cardinals come into the game with a 13-7, 4-3 record. They will be well rested, having last played on Sunday in a 68-60 win against Cincinnati. In the game, Louisville forced the Bearcats into 16 turnovers and had 11 steals. It was the twelfth time this season Louisville has had at least 8 steals in a game. The Cardinals have also blocked 37 shots in the last eight games. They are the best offensive rebounding team in the conference grabbing 16 rebounds per game. Samuels and Sosa are the Cardinals top two scorers. Samuels is averaging 15.9 points per game, while Sosa is averaging similar numbers with 13.9 points per game. Both players have had some big games this season. Samuels scored a season-high 29 points in a win over Louisiana-Lafayette. Samuels has scored 20 points or more four times this season including 25 in an overtime loss to Pitt. Sosa scored 26 against Providence and 17 in the loss to Villanova. He has scored double figures in seven of his last eight games. Seven Cardinal players have made at least 10 3s. Sosa leads the way with 45. The victory against Cincinnati snapped a three-game losing streak. Two of the losses came on the road gainst Villanova and Pitt. The Cardinals are only 1-4 so far this season in true road games. The one road victory for the Cardinals came at Providence 92-70 on Jan. 16. Gametime is noon. Airtime on WAJR AM is set for 11 AM.
DePaul Preview
Monday, Jan. 25, 2010
The ninth-ranked WVU Men's Basketball team returns to the road following their big win at home over the weekend against the Ohio State Buckeyes 71-65. They play the DePaul Blue Demons Tuesday, Jan. 26 at Allstate Arena in Illinois. DePaul comes into the game with a 8-11 overall record. They defeated Marquette last week to pick their first conference victory and snap their 24-game Big East losing streak. With the win against Marquette they are 1-6 in Big East play. Since the firing of head coach Jerry Wainright on Jan. 11, the Blue Demons have been coached by assistant Tracy Webster. The Blue Demons held the Golden Eagles to just 41.5% shooting in the 51-50 victory last Wednesday. They also outscored Marquette in the second half, 25-18. One of DePaul's best players is senior guard Will Walker. In the game against the Mountaineers last year, he scored 31. He scored similar numbers with 35 in the game against Notre Dame last Saturday which the Irish won 87-77. He is averaging 16 points per game and has shot 40 3s. Sophomore Jeremiah Kelly leads the team in assists with 59. Junior center Mac Koshwal was another good scorer for DePaul averaging 15 points and grabbing 11 rebounds per game before suffering a right foot injury. Six-nine Devin Hill is averaging 6.6 points and 3.7 rebounds per game. Six-11 Krys Faber averages just 2.3 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Small forward Eric Wallace is averaging 6.8 points per game. DePaul's top reserve is Mike Stovall. He is averaging 7.1 points per game and scored 14 points in the loss last Saturday to Notre Dame. The Mountaineers have a 15-3 record. Tipoff for the game is 8:30 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM is 7:30 with the Coliseum Countdown.
Syracuse Preview
Friday, Jan. 15, 2010
It will be the first time since 1960 that two top-10 teams will play in the WVU Coliseum when no. 9 West Virginia (13-2) face the fifth-ranked Syracuse Orange (16-1) on Saturday at noon. The Orange have won many games this season including Cal and North Carolina in New York City, Florida in Tampa, and Memphis at the Carrier Dome. The Orange are led in scoring by 6-7 Iowa State transfer Wes Johnson. He is averaging 17 points per game and is shooting 55.4% from the floor. He is also leading the team in rebounding grabbing an average of 9 per game. In Big East play this season, Johnson has been equally good averaging 17.3 points per game and grabbing 12 rebounds per game. Andy Rautins, a 6-5 senior is shooting 41.4% from three-point range. He has made a team-best 41 three-point shots. He is also averaging 10.3 points per game. Freshman Brandon Triche and big 6-9 center Arinze Onuaku are both averaging 10.2 points per game. As a team, the Orange are shooting 53.2% with four of five starters shooting above 54.3% or better. Rautins, who is shooting at 45.6% is the only starter shooting below 50%. The Orange also have two good players coming off the bench in Kris Joseph and Scoop Jardine who are also averaging close to 10 points per game. They are shooting close to 50% from the floor. The Orange won their last game Wednesday night against Rutgers 81-65. In that game, Rautins scored 23 points while Jardine and Triche added 12. The Rutgers game was just the second time this season the Orange have played a true road game. They beat the Seton Hall Pirates by seven just three days after the Mountaineers defeated them in overtime. The game tips of at noon and coverage begins on WAJR AM at 11 AM with the Coliseum Countdown.
My Thoughts
Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010
I should start with the news that both Noel Devine and Jock Sanders are going to return to the Mountaineer football team next season. This is big news. It will really help out the offense and leave one more year for head coach Bill Stewart to find recruits to replace them. I am glad they decided to stick around another year and will graduate next year.
I was hoping former WVU assistant coach Calvin Magee would get the South Florida job. He was an assistant there and played professionally for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. It would've been perfect since he is a natural college head coach, but I believe his turn will definitely come sooner rather than later.
The men and women's basketball teams are off to hot starts especially the women. They have won 14 straight in a row.
I thought the come back the men made after being down by 11 was great. It really helps things when the big five of Ebanks, Butler, Jones, Mazzulla, and Bryant are all on the same page. I hope Ebanks continues to play well and gets his confidence up as he did in the second half. I hope Joe Mazzulla's injury is healing, as it seems to be evidenced by how he played in the game. Syracuse will be a big test for the Mountaineers, but heres hoping they can pull it out.
South Florida Preview
Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2010
After losing on the road to Notre dame 70-68, the Mountaineers will try to bounce back as they are once again on the road to play the South Florida Bulls Wednesday evening at the Sun Dome in Tampa, Florida. The Mountaineers are ranked ninth. The Bulls come into the game with a 10-5 record. They are 0-3 in Big East play. The Bulls opened conference play with losses to Louisville, Notre Dame, and Syracuse. The Bulls lost their last game against Syracuse 82-65. In that game, guard Dominique Jones scored 30 points while forward Mike Mercer had 13. Last season against the Mountaineers, Jones scored 35 in a 62-59 Mountaineer win in Morgantown. He scored 18 last year in Tampa when the Mountaineers beat the Bulls 64-50. Overall, Jones is averaging 18.9 points per game and is shooting 48.7 percent from the field. One of USF's best players, 6-10 sophomore center Augustus Gilchrist has been out since the Hampton game on Dec. 2 with a severely sprained ankle. Before suffering the injury, Gilchrist was averaging 18.8 points per game and grabbing 7.4 rebounds per game. Gilchrist is replaced in the lineup by six-eight freshman Toarlyn Fitzpatrick who is averaging 4.7 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He scored a season-high 11 points twice against Hampton and Louisville. Another player who is averaging big numbers for the Bulls is Jarrid Famous, a 6-11 junior center. He is averaging 11.2 points and 7.8 rebounds per game. He has scored 16 points three times this season, against South Carolina, Kent State, and Hampton. He has rebounded in double figures six times, including grabbing a season-high 12 rebounds in the Syracuse loss. Tipoff is set for 7 PM. Coverage begins on WAJR AM at 6 PM with the Coliseum Countdown.
Notre Dame Preview
Friday, Jan. 8, 2010
The Mountaineer basketball team will try to get just their second win ever in the Joyce Center against the Fighting Irish of Notre dame Saturday evening. They have not defeated the irish on the road since the 1996 season, their first in the Big East conference. The Mountaineers defeated the Rutgers scarlet Knights on Wednesday and come into the game with a 12-1 record having only one loss that came last Saturday on the road against Purdue. The Irish meanwhile are 13-3. The Fighting Irish once again have leading scorer Luke Harangody. He is having another big season, averaging 25 points and 9.8 rebounds per game. He has scored 36 and 31 points respectively in his last two games against USF and Connecticut. He has scored 20 points or more 12 times this season. He is shooting 55.4 percent from the floor and is grabbing an average of 10.5 rebounds per game. He has scored 27, 26, 29, and 11 points in four games against the Mountaineers. Six-eight junior forward Tim Abromaitis is averaging 15.3 points and 4.1 rebounds per game. He sat out the entire 2009 season and only averaged 1.7 points and 1.0 rebounds per game as a freshman in 2008. Ben Hansbrough, younger brother of Tyler is a former Mississippi State transfer. He is averaging 12.2 points per game. He has scored double figures in eight of his last 10 games. Tory Jackson and forward Tyrone Nash are also scorers. Jackson is averaging 8.4 points per game, while Nash has a similar average of 7.8 points per game. Tipoff is set for 8 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 7 PM with the Coliseum Countdown.
My Thoughts
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009
Nothing official has been released yet, but if you have not heard yet, media reports are indicating a WVU-FSU Gator bowl matchup in Jacksonville, Florida. Many do not like this matchup because the Seminoles are not doing well this year and have a 6-6 record while the Mountaineers are 8-3, will most likely finish the season 9-3, and are coming off a win over No. 9 Pittsburgh. I think this is a great matchup. It will be the last game for current head coach Bobby Bowden. He coached at WVU from 1970-75. I love the matchup and the storylines...the second winningest coach in college football coaching his final bowl game against his old school, West Virginia. And, the whole Bowden family grew up in the Morgantown area...so I think it would be great. And, if the Mountaineers did play Florida State, they would most likely win since FSU is not that great. So, the Mountaineers could have a win against one of their old head coaches, in a Jan. 1 bowl game. If they beat Rutgers Saturday, which to me is likely, and they beat Florida State, they could finish the season with a 10-3 record. I think that would be tremendous. Nothing is final though and Florida State's beging invited may hinge on the ACC championship game. It also will depend who wins the Cincinnati-Pitt game Saturday. I am hoping it can all work though and the Mountaineers can play FSU in the Gator Bowl.
Speaking of the Mountaineers last game against Pitt, I was very happy with it and thought both teams played well. I was really impressed with Tyler Bitankurt's kicking four field goals and scoring 13 of the Mountaineers 19 points. It was a great win for the Mountaineers. I think they can beat Rutgers this weekend.
The Mountaineer Basketball team winning the 76 Classic was also great. This team seems to be pretty good. I think they will do very well this season. I can't wait until conference play starts.
Big East Predictions
Wednesday, Dec. 2, 2009
Here are my predictions for this week's Big East games.
West Virginia-Rutgers
I am picking the Mountaineers in this one. The Scarlet Knights have been doing better as the season has progressed but the last two very good ranked teams they have played have beaten them. I do not see the Mountaineers having much trouble with them, but they still have to play well.
Cincinnati-Pittsburgh
I am picking the Bearcats. I think they are playing better than Pitt is. And, the panthers are coming off of the West Virginia loss. I think this game will be very close as these are very good teams, but I think the Bearcats will pull it out in the end.
South Florida-Connecticut
I am picking Connecticut in this game. Neither team is doing very well. But, I think the Huskies will win as they seem to be playing better than the Bulls.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009
Here is what WVU head football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his Tuesday press conference before the Rutgers game. The Mountaineers play their final game of the regular season Saturday, Dec. 5 at Rutgers.
Opening statements
I would like to thank from the bottom of my heart, our staff’s heart and our football team’s heart, the Governor and the first lady. Joe and Gayle Manchin came up last Wednesday and spoke to our entire football team and staff. The Governor and I don’t care if you are democrat, republican or independent, if you are a West Virginian or you live in the gorgeous boundaries of West Virginia that was big. For Governor Manchin to take time, after working at soup kitchen, to come up here and share stories about that kitchen and the people and the love those people have for our football team, was very powerful. I thank both Joe and Gayle.
I would also like to thank the CEO of the state flagship university, our president Dr. James P. Clements. It was great to see president Clements here in full support.
I will always be indebted to those three fine people. To Joe, to Gayle and to president Clements – thank you on behalf of the Mountaineers. I know that the West Virginia is as appreciative for them coming up.
Joe talked about one thing – the will to win. He echoed the will to win and had our players chanting “the will to win.” He called and I thanked him privately, now I want to thank him publically.
We had a tremendous win over our archrival. The Backyard Brawl, be it the 102nd, the 100th, the 50th or the second, it is always an exciting football game. These last few have been real exciting. It was good for college football, and it was good to showcase the BIG EAST. It was a tough football game, a physical game and a game I thought American enjoyed watching.
Some people like glitter and some like offensive flare, but if you are a football fan and like a defensive and kicking game, you got your fill in that game.
I compliment the West Virginia Nation on being here and having as many students as we had here on a break. I was very impressed, and I want to thank those on the student body that came back.
To the Mountaineer faithful, particularly our season ticket holders – that watched us cap off that 7-0 home schedule – I know the money you spend to watch your lads play in the Old Gold and Blue is hard earned, and I appreciate you being here on a cold evening. I am so happy our players responded in a winning manner to give you a 7-0 home slate for the first time since 1993.
Now it is on to Rutgers. They are 8-3, they are hitting all cylinders, and it couldn’t be a better setting. I understand the weather is going to be good and they will be chopping wood. We have been in some pretty hostel environments this season.
Rutgers is on fire. Is it going to be the Rutgers that totally dismantled USF or the Rutgers that totally that totally dismantled Louisville, or will it be the Rutgers that played against Syracuse and Cincinnati – I don’t know and I don’t care. All I am worried about is the Mountaineers.
On the Pitt game and the choice of going for it on fourth down
I didn’t not want to put that pressure on our football team early, I wanted the guys to say “he is going for it, he is going after the game.” The second one I said “I’m not kicking the ball,” I wanted the Pitt defensive staff to know they were playing a different opponent and a guy that wasn’t going down easy. That was a message I wanted to send.
On Rutgers’ offense
I see a youngster (Tom Savage) that is doing absolutely awesome. He has “it.” We have to rattle him. I don’t know if we can. He has been hit and knocked down, but he just makes plays and throws balls on the money. He is a good player.
On the WVU offense
Up to the Auburn and even Colorado, we were clicking and our quarterback (Jarrett Brown) was exciting. He was stepping up and doing things. Once he got whacked against Marshall, things changed. Our medical people played Jarrett Brown when he was ready to play and right to play, but there was something just not clicking. It’s not all on Jarrett, we had some guys nicked up. With that being said, I think we have really strained on offense. We really haven’t clicked since the Marshall game. We started getting it back against Cincinnati and I thought we got some of it back the other night (against Pitt).
On overcoming the road losses
The big thing is that we have to play an early game. We weren’t really good at playing early games, but last year we started at UConn setting our alarms and getting to work.
On this weekend’s game
You have to be ready for everything. I told our guys to master the basics, take care of what we do best and understand what Rutgers does – if this week doesn’t get them in to watch a little more film, then shame of them. If you can master their (Rutgers’s) base, then you have a better chance in the game.
On the defense
Having those three guys (Scooter Berry, Sidney Glover and Reed Williams) back full-time speaks volumes. To have Reed Williams in the huddle and just on the field for 65 plays is immeasurable. You can’t as a coach script that.
Then to have Sidney and (Robert) Sands back there communicating and disguising is good, we have been trying to do that all year. I looked out there, and it looked like Eric Wicks and Ryan Mundy at the Fiesta Bowl. We were lethal. It was hard to cover those guys. Pitt receivers are good. Our corners player their hearts out and we are getting better. It all starts to come together when you have them out there and they get comfortable.
On remembering November
I will tell you what I remember about November. Hard pressed on my right, out flanked on my left, my center is yielding, impossible to maneuver, situation excellent – I am attacking. That is what I remember about November, think about that.
These guys could have laid down. American thought they were going to lie down, all the Nay-sayers predicted we were going to lie down, but now people just want to tell them how wonderful they are. Our backs were to a wall and these guys made a vow to each other after the USF game, and we got better as a family.
On Rutgers
I know what kind of talent they have and when they are clicking, they will run us right out of that stadium just like they did USF and Louisville. I know what kind of coach Greg Schiano is, and he is good. His staff is good, and they know what they are doing.
Player Quotes
Wes Lyons
On his 20-yard catch against Pitt
That was in the play book for us before going out there. It was easy for us to make the play as long as it wasn’t blocked and we had the right coverage, so that’s what we did.
On winning against Pitt in his season as a senior
It was definitely big for me because I’m from Pittsburgh. It gave me some bragging rights to leave with.
Thoughts on Rutgers’ winning streak
We just have to focus on what they have. We don’t look too much into things like their winning streak because it doesn’t matter. We want to focus on them as a team and what’s going on right now.
Brandon Hogan
On the team’s difference in performance when playing at home People just tend to feel more comfortable playing at home. We get out on the road and we start off slow for some reason. We just need to snap into it faster and execute our game plan.
On Rutgers’ quarterback Tom Savage
He seems very calm and poise for being a freshman quarterback. He doesn’t try to make a lot of things happen. He just goes with the game.
On Rutgers' wide receiver Tim Brown
It’s always hard dealing with the short, quick guys because you can’t see them getting out of the cut or breaking down, so it will be a challenge playing him.
Tyler Bitancurt
On his pre-game kicking
I usually kick alright and make as many as I can in the pre-game, but I focus all of my attention on the game itself and what I have to do.
On his winning field goal
I figured it was going to come down to me when there was only a minute left and we starting to let the clock run out before calling a time-out. I just tried to clear my head and kick it like every other kick.
I can’t describe how I felt when it went through the goal post. It’s like a dream come true. It was amazing to win against a great team that played with their all. The locker room was fun place to be after the game.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Monday, Nov. 23, 2009
Here is what Mountaineer head football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his Monday press conference. The Mountaineers play the Pitt panthers in the 102nd "Backyard Brawl" Friday, Nov. 27, 2009 at Milan Puskar Stadium beginning at 7 PM.
Opening Statement
We’re getting ready for the “Backyard Brawl,” our annual battle with the University of Pittsburgh. I’m sure it will be a heck of a game. It’s a very intense rivalry and we go back many years.
We are known nationally as the “Backyard Brawl” and it’s great to have that type of notoriety to set this game up. We’re excited about the opportunity to play this coming Friday and we’re doing the best we can to get ready.
It will be a very physical, emotional, hard-fought game. They all usually are. If history repeats itself, this game will be like it has in the past – tough and very exciting.
On the use of trick plays and the pistol formation
I learned a long time ago that in big games, fundamentals are the key. I even saw a quote like that by (Pitt coach) Dave (Wannstedt). Both coaches are old school and both staffs are doing the same preparation.
Trick plays will not win this football game; I don’t think they would even alter the outcome. I think fundamentals are going to be the key. What you do in games like this are you tie the laces up a little bit tighter, strap the pads down a little bit tighter and you go out there and play to the best of your ability.
Part two – the pistol is still in the repertoire. I don’t know if we’ll use it. We have it. If in fact we need to do it, we certainly will.
Right now, if we think they are doing something to us, formation-wise, we’ll use it. We thought East Carolina kept doing something to us, formation-wise, over the years. That’s a compliment to Greg Hudson and their defensive staff. We used the pistol to try and eliminate that problem. It’s almost like the I-formation. That helped us.
On injuries
We met this morning, and it was probably the briefest meeting we’ve had in weeks. I was pleased.
Noel (Devine) is getting better each day.
On the recruitment battle with Pitt and the importance of Friday’s game
(Friday’s game is) Colossal. Football is always important, as is each win. But with Pitt and West Virginia – that’s an intense rivalry, and it goes to recruiting too. You just develop that rivalry, and recruiting helps intensify it.
There is a great amount of respect between the coaches and the players. It’s almost like playing your brother – you want to go out there and whip him bad.
On the recruiting job performed by offensive line coach Dave Johnson
David Johnson does a tremendous job, as do all of our coaches. Dave has a great rapport.
What it goes back to is that Dave is one of them – he was born in West Virginia, but raised up in Penn Hills, Pa. He was an All-American, a great player and coached at IUP with Frank Cignetti, Sr., for all of those years. David Johnson has a tremendous name.
When I got him on board here, I received calls and notes from some Pitt coaches. I was very impressed. They did not have to do that – Dave already had the job. A couple of them in particular were looking forward to Dave being a part of our staff and representing West Virginia. They really like him.
He has a hard row to hoe, as does every coach in recruiting, because it’s just so tough these days with the internet and with recruiting news services.
Coach (Bobby) Bowden made a statement 25 years ago saying that Pittsburgh was such a hot-bed for these coaches and high school recruits. You didn’t have to leave the Pittsburgh area to find the best athletes in the United States. It still holds true to a certain point; there just aren’t as many as there used to be, because the population has declined.
On favorite Thanksgiving memory
My brother and I were very blessed. It goes back to my Fellowsville and Benjamin, W.Va., roots. That was always family time. We were fortunate to come from a great family and to believe whole-heartedly in Thanksgiving and what it is all about. The giving back and sharing is something that will stay with you forever.
I have a lot of fond memories with my family, but there have been some great games over this time too. I would say the 2005 Pitt game here is one that stands out. I was coaching Patrick (White) at the time. It was tough on both Pitt and West Virginia. It was only seven degrees, and everyone’s lips were quivering. I will always remember how we played that night.
The low would be two years later, which is now two years ago, with the loss (13-9 to Pitt). There are a lot of memories on the football side.
On playing on Thanksgiving
My hometown used to do that for years. It was always the “Turkey Bowl” and it was always Magnolia High School vs. Sisterville High School. It was always a big game.
On team’s practice schedule when school is not in session
We can’t change too much. We can’t get them in here and lock them down because we still have to prepare for practice. I’m having a short team meeting today, tomorrow and Wednesday. Then we’ll go over special teams, which you don’t get to do much during the season. We also go about an hour earlier. We still have show film, and they are lifting as well.
This is a great time – it’s a bonding time for the team.
On Friday being the seniors’ last home game
I don’t know how I’m going to hold up Thursday night when our seniors talk. When they look at you, and tears are coming down their faces, and they say ‘Thank you’ for recruiting me and giving me a shot when no one else did – it’s tough.
I recruited some of these guys from West Virginia. It’s special. When the seniors talk to the team, and their teammates yell ‘let it out, man’ -Thursday night is awesome. It will be a great time.
You have to savor each and every day. I tell them team that each time I talk to them after every game – treat every day as if it’s a precious jewel, because you do not know what tomorrow brings. I mean that. That’s who I am and that’s what I am. If you can’t get that out of life, then you need to stop and smell the roses.
I want this week to go slow because of the youngsters we have in this program. We have 23 remarkable young men and they deserve all of the accolades that can be bestowed on them.
On Nate Sowers’ five-year career
We were in a fight to get him, and I am so pleased that we did. I promised his mom and dad, just as I did Reed Williams’, because I recruited both at the same time, that I would treat them like my own sons. There will be tough times and discipline, but there will also be a lot of good times and love.
I’m grateful that both parents entrusted me with their sons, and we tried to do the best we could. It is going to be very emotional, for those two guys in particular.
Nate Sowers is such a great ambassador. You take those young men from West Virginia that we have – the Sowers, Williams, Zack Coopers, Jack Crows – these are wonderful young men that love the Old Gold and Blue and absolutely admire the people and work ethic and what West Virginia is and what we stand for. Nate is a great youngster – he is a guy you want. That is why he is playing. Maybe he isn’t the most talented, but he’s talented enough. He is a great football player and keeps that group together out on the field. I love what he brings to the Mountaineer faithful.
On what a win against Pitt would personally mean
It would be win number eight. Round six (of the BIG EAST schedule) would be complete. It would be a nice win over Pitt.
I don’t get too caught up, because if you do, then people will see the ups and downs and the highs and lows. I try to stay steady; I learned that from Dick Crum and from my father, the most mild-mannered man I’ve met in my life. He taught me how you are supposed to do things. I have fallen short many times.
It would be a big win.
On lockerroom atmosphere before a big rivalry game
I knew what I was saying at the Fiesta Bowl. I got embarrassed by that, but someone told me not to be embarrassed if that is who and what I am.
I say some things at some games probably more colorful than I do at other games. This is going to be one of those colorful games. This is a time in your life as a player and coach that, unless you have been there, knows what you are talking about. It is a time when you look in the players’ eyes, and you see that will, and you know they are going to give everything they have to give. At Cincinnati, I had that same look in those guys’ eyes. I knew when we went out on that field that we were going to play hard and tough.
What you have to do is try to challenge them and be yourself. Don’t be fake and something that you aren’t. Tell them what they need to do, tell them how to do it and then go tell them that you have their back and that they have your full support. If you do that, the team will play for you.
On the play of Pitt quarterback Bill Stull
Billy Stull is a great example of Proverbs 24:16 – you just have to keep rising. Every time you get knocked to your knees, you just have to get back up. We’ll get knocked on our knees in this life.
To be booed at home like Bill Stull was, it’s good to see him stay within the framework of his upbringing. For him to press onward – I can only say good things about him. He is a player. He is a good person.
I hope he doesn’t get booed at Mountaineer Stadium, except for when he walks in the door, but I also hope he doesn’t receive a lot of cheers. We want to win this football game. I’d love for him to have a nice, story-book ending in his last game (against Cincinnati).
He is a classic example of a young man that stayed the course, kept fighting and got up off the carpet. It’s also a nice story for football.
On defending Stull and the Pitt wide receivers
They have a big, tough line that is playing really well. Stull is staying within the framework of the offense that that staff has put in. Their receivers are players. Then you have their two great running backs. This offense is very good. It scored 31 points in its only loss.
This is a good football team. Last year, we held them to 19 points, and the year before that, we held them to 13 points. This has been a tough football game. They have won two by four points.
I compare them to the type of teams Dave was on. They control the ball, they throw when they have to, they run the tailback, their quarterback doesn’t make mistakes and their defense and kicking game has just been awesome as well.
They are the ninth-ranked team in the country. You aren’t in the top 10 just because people like you. They have a good football team. We are going to have us a whale of a challenge. That’s what is great about this college game.
On facing Pitt’s defensive line
What we will probably do is play like we did against teams like USF. We’ll use tight end blocking and some chips.
You can not spend a lot of time worrying about the two defensive ends. If you do that, it will take you right out of your game plan. You can’t call the game.
Our tackles – Selvish Capers and Don Barclay – are both fine football players. We will help them some with Tyler Urban and Will Johnson. We will have to call our game.
I like their linebackers; I think they are solid. I also like their secondary. Dom’s (DeCicco) a great safety. Aaron Berry is a good corner. This is a good football team. They are ninth in the country for a reason.
This is five years in the works. It’s five years of getting better each year and adding to the repertoire. To me, I see many seniors on this two-deep, and that has been five years in the making. It’s going to be a real challenge.
On scouting opponents and self-scouting during extended breaks
We do self-scouting every week. We keep a three-game repertoire on ourselves. You can only watch so much film. As a staff, we will watch practice film and see how the game plan is being implemented. We spend a lot of time, and even more so with the more practices.
On play of BIG EAST teams this season and Pitt and Cincinnati being in the top 10
I think it’s progress (by the conference). I think they get tired of us listing our accomplishments. Now these teams are winning and we have the fifth- and ninth-ranked teams. I think people are starting to see that the BIG EAST is pretty good football.
What we need to stop doing is beating each other up. All conferences do that. When you beat each other up, you get knocked up. Though, I hope we beat them up this week.
Big East Predictions
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009
Here are my predictions for this week's Big East games.
South Florida-Louisville
I'm taking the Bulls. The Cardinals are one of the worst teams in the league and are the bottom of it. I don't think they have a chance against the Bulls.
Connecticut-Notre Dame
I'm going with Notre Dame. I think they are playing much better than the huskies even though most Big East fans hate the Irish.
Rutgers-Syracuse
I'm going with the Scarlet Knights. Like Louisville, Syracuse is at the bottom of the league. Rutgers is not the best team, but I don't think the Orange can beat them.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Monday, Nov. 16, 2009
Here is what WVU head football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his Monday press conference. The Mountaineers next play Pitt in the 102nd "Backyard Brawl" Friday, Nov. 27, 200 at 7 PM. The Mountaineers lost last Friday to the Cincinnati Bearcats on the road 24-21.
Mountaineer Head Coach Bill Stewart:
I said it after the game and I’ll say it again, that was a great game for the college game and a great game for the BIG EAST. I just wish the Mountaineers would have come out on top.
We played a great-effort football game. Our guys gave effort and I’m very proud. We came out of it in pretty shape. I was in here Saturday morning after getting back at 5 a.m. We had treatments at 12:30 p.m. and every Mountaineer was here. That ballgame is behind us and I really compliment the Mountaineers on the effort we gave and that was a fun football game. What would’ve been even more fun was a victory.
(Pitt coach) Dave Wannstedt spoke in the BIG EAST call and said it’s the BIG EAST brawl and he’s ready for it and they’re ready for it. I saw some quotes in the paper and the players are ready for it and that’s really great for college football.
It’s a very intense rivalry, it’s going to be one the fans enjoy and one the players and coaches enjoy. They’re probably beat up and we’re not nicked up too bad in key positions, but this week gives us a chance to get healed up. Our classes will not be in session next week. The team will be going home this weekend, as I’m sure the
On the fumble to touchdown reversal
That game is beyond us; it’s over and in the books. It was in Saturday’s sports column as 24-21 and it can’t be changed.
I got on the bus and took my boxed lunch and did a lot of soul-searching and thinking and I’ll let it go at that.
On giving up a lot of rushing yardage
First of all, Isaiah Pead is a good back. He made us miss and that is the No. 5 team in the country and they did well. The youngster at
On Dion Lewis
We’re just going to have to rally the ball in leverage. I watched that game Saturday night, as I’m sure many
On the third down call
We started on our side at the 40-yard line and it was 7:14 and we got it down to 5:50. I said if we can burn two more minutes and score burning that, then with 3:00 or under I was going to go for two.
We were ready. I told them to get our best call ready in case I wanted to do it. It was going to be a judgment call.
After I studied it, I saw the defensive lineman bar-stooled and got his (Jock Sanders) foot.
On whether WVU should have used the jumbo package
It was discussed, but I like the ball in No. 9’s (Jock Sanders) hands. He has been doing really, really well. Not that Clarke hasn’t, but I like the ball in No. 9’s hands and I like the play we called.
It was a plus 40-yard kick. Can he make it? Yes. Has he made it? Yes. Would he have made it? We’ll never know, but I didn’t think we could stop Marty Gilyard on the kickoff return. I wanted to put the pressure on them. That’s why I was debating on the road and how much time was left on the clock. If it would’ve been with two minutes, I probably would’ve gone for two. I wanted to get a couple of minutes off the clock. If there were five minutes, I probably would’ve gone for one.
On developing freshmen and redshirt freshmen
We are going to practice on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. I don’t know if we’ll practice on Saturday or not. We will work on fundamentals.
We’ve played almost 700 plays with five guys. We’ve been very fortunate to play almost 700 snaps with five offensive linemen and that’s tough. In bowl practice, that’s when we get the younger guys. We get those extra 15 practices and we send our veterans in after a short practice and then we practice the young guys.
On whether two weeks help prepare for Pitt’s Jonathan Baldwin
Two years isn’t enough. The
First we have to stop the running game, then we’ll worry about him, but it’s going to be tough. It’s a double-edged sword.
On the progress on Bill Stull
I have not had the chance to devour film on him, but I’ll watch it this week. It sure looks like he’s playing well and from what I’ve heard, he’s had a tremendous year.
On if there is too much being made about the change of coordinators at Pitt
Frank (Cignetti Jr.) is a great coach and they had a great coach there in Matt Cavanaugh. When Wannstedttook over, he had some tough times with the talent level. He played the hand he was dealt with recruiting. When Paul Rhoads left, Dave adjusted, and when Matt Cavanaugh left, Dave adjusted. They have a nice staff and a staff that does a good job.
On why Noel Devine came out at UC
He’s just beat up. What happened was his hamstring, it wasn’t pulled, but when you’ve got an ankle, a hip and a hamstring, I put the ball in No. 9’s hand. We’re running out of parts.
On the lack of a deep-passing game
What helps that offensive line is when little No. 7 takes one like he did at
On how Jarrett Brown looked running last game
He played so much better, he was in the flow of the game so much more. He brings such an electricity and I thought Jarrett did a really nice job. He was playing on a bad ankle. We’re all nicked. Everyone in America is nicked and guys just have to fight through it.
I saw a sparkle in his eyes. He got hit in the head. I was chewing on the officials and I said, ‘did you not see that helmet-to-helmet and one guy hit him in the hip?’ That is what hurt him. I looked at him and I said, ‘How you doing buddy?’ He said, “I’m having a blast.” That’s when it was 21-14. I told him to go get it in the third quarter. We had a drive and on a third and 10, it wasn’t meant to be.
On Pitt’s team
They have good talent. They have more talent than they did five years ago. Someone told me there was an article that Dave asked for patience way back and the Pitt people gave him patience.
On the 7:00 p.m. start time
In college football you just take your marching orders and go, especially when ESPN gets involved because they have been very, very good to us. Someone asked me about playing on two Friday nights the past few weeks and I said, ‘Didn’t Pitt do that earlier?’ You go play, you take your marching orders and go. I don’t care if it’s at noon, one, three, seven, ten - I don’t care. It can be their place, our place or a parking lot somewhere in between - I don’t care just as long as we have a chance to play in the Backyard Brawl. It’s round six in the BIG EAST and the 11th game of the season and we have a chance to get better.
On the last time Pitt visited Morgantown and whether the roles are reversed
I am going to tell the team to out-block, out-tackle, out-hit, out-hustle Pitt, strain and play Mountaineer football. Were we a better team in game 10 last week than we were in game nine? In my assessment, we were. We played better on the road against Cincinnati than we played at home against Louisville.
On his thoughts on instant replay
Our guys work hard. I see them in position and watch them. The BIG EAST guys do a good job.
I thought the guys on the field made a great call.
On the kickoff penalty
It happened under my instruction. I told them to get a little jump on that for Gilyard. We tried it and got caught with our hand in the cookie jar and I told them to because they won’t call it a second time.
What happened is we got a little jump and made a nice play, but it came back. That’s OK. I tried to load the box on him and we just got past the kicker a little too much. It was something I instructed them to do, but they said you need to stay back a little bit. After that they had three plays, minus seven yards, had the ball for 1:38 and punted to us. We got the ball and went five plays and punted it back and changed field position. They got the ball, missed a field goal and we got the ball and scored to lead 14-7. That kick with the two penalties had no part in any way, shape or form on the game. I just tried to use a little sandlot on coverage and got caught.
On whether they except Devine to get to 100 percent
He’s got time. What happens is you get back at 5 a.m. and try to do a quick treatment for the ones that are hurt. We didn’t do it this week, but we did it after South Florida. We went home and came back at 12:30 p.m. To a man, every Mountaineer was here before 12:30 p.m. I was late; I was in at about 12:42 p.m. Their feelings are hurt. How do you expect them to feel when you go and lay your guts on the line as a player and a coach.
On Tony Pike and Zach Collaros
I had two nice conversations, one with Tony Pike and one with Zach. Zach is an old home boy and he knows people I know. His (high school) coach Reno Saccoccia and I are great friends. I had two pleasant conversations. I didn’t want to be short or smug with those guys. I really admire Tony Pike, but when he came in, I was worried because of his vision in the red zone.
I watched the ball get to him and we he hitched up. I saw the crossing routes and I said, ‘we’re dead.’ It’s so hard to run with the crossing route in the end zone. The deep ball you can get on their hip and a short you can get over the shoulder, but a crossing route you have to be stride-for-stride.
On Tony Pike’s slant throw
He was a Heisman candidate. I told him after that game that I wished him nothing but the best and told him to take care of himself. I asked him what was wrong, because my son has a five inch plate and seven screws and it’s just below the growth plate here (shoulder) and just above the growth plate here (elbow). He said, ‘coach, mine shifted, but I’m going to be OK.’ We talked about his fracture and my son’s fracture. I hit him on the head and said I wish you nothing but the best and I said the same thing to Zach. That’s what I’m going to do after every game.
On the way replay works
I don’t understand. In the third quarter, Alric Arnett was third and ten on the middle route. Now there was contact - it’s evident, I watched the film. I asked the back judge and he said I saw wham, wham. Well if you’re going to replay every play, then why wasn’t that replayed? I don’t understand. I’m not disagreeing - a man made a decision and we have to live with that. That’s how life is. Sometimes the hand dealt isn’t the greatest. Sometime the hand dealt is a stud and you don’t have a draw. Well, when that guy makes a decision, you’re in a five card stud - there is no draw. I don’t understand why certain plays are reviewed and others aren’t. I have no comment on someone that made a judgment call that may be different than mine.
Cincinnati Preview
Thursday, November 12, 2009
The Mountaineers will have a tough test on their hands Friday night as they play Cincinnati on the road in a night game. Cincinnati is ranked fifth in the country and is undefeated on the season with a 9-0, 5-0 Big East record. They hung on to beat Connecticut in their last game by just two points. Connecticut scored 21 points in the fourth quarter. They are coached by Brian Kelly. The Mountaineers come into the game with a 7-2, 3-1 Big East record. They hung on to defeat the Louisville Cardinals last week 17-9. The Mountaineers have had a tough time with the Bearcats as most of the games have been close. In 2007, the last time the Mountaineers played at Cincinnati, they had to hang on for dear life to beat the Bearcats 28-23. Last season, in Morgantown, the Bearcats beat the Mountaineers in overtime 26-23. The last game that was a blowout was when the Mountaineers beat the Bearcats 42-24 in 2006. The Bearcats have two very good quarterbacks. Tony Pike, their original starter has been hurt for a month so Zach Collaros will start against the Mountaineers. Since taking over for Pike last month, he has completed 76 percent of his passes. He has thrown for over 1,200 yards, scored 10 touchdowns, and has thrown just one interception. Against Louisville, he completed 15 of 17 passes for 253 yards and three touchdowns. In the next game against Syracuse at the Carrier Dome, he completed 22 of 28 of his passes only missing 6 out of 28 attempts. He rushed for 295 yards and scored a wopping 4 touchdowns. In the last game against Connecticut, he had racked up 300 yards by halftime and finished the game with 480 yards passing and 75 yards rushing for a school record 555 total yards. Cincinnati managed a school best 711 yards of total offense for the game. Cincinnati has scored 40 points or more four times this season including 70 against Southeast Missouri State. They are ranked third in the country in total offense averaging 482.6 yards per game. Eight different wide receivers have over 100 yards receiving on the season. They are led by Mardy Gilyard. He has caught 65 passes for 908 yards and 8 touchdowns. He is dangerous on special teams returning 122 kickoffs for 589 yards and 10 punts for 146 yards and a touchdown. He gave the Bearcats the 7-0 lead in the game last season when he returned the opening kickoff 100 yards for a score. The other wide receiver leading the way is Armon Binns. He has 39 catches for 631 yards and 7 touchdowns. A third wide receiver is one-time WVU recruit D.J. Woods. He has caught 30 passes for 440 yards and a touchdown. All three receivers are all averaging more than 14 yards per catch. The Bearcats also have a steller running game. Sophomore running back Isaiah Pead leads the team with 512 yards and has an average of 6.2 yards per carry. He has a long run of 67 yards. Another running back, Jacob Ramsey has a long run of 62 yards. The Bearcats were stunned defensively last game as Connecticut racked up 462 yards and scored 45 points including 21 in the fourth quarter. The defense leads the Big East in scoring defense giving up just 16 points per game. For the season, the Bearcats have given up just 125 rushing yards. Kickoff is scheduled for 8 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 4 PM.
Big East Predictions
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Here are my predictions for this week's games in the Big East conference.
Rutgers-South Florida
I'm taking the Bulls. They have been playing well of late, including the game over the Mountaineers. I don't think the Scarlet Knights can defeat them.
West Virginia-Cincinnati
I have to go with the Bearcats. They look too good on paper and the Mountaineers have not been playing very well as of late. If they are not clicking on all cylinders I don't think they will have much of a shot. They have to play well and score every time they have not the ball and not make stupid mistakes or turn the ball over giving the Bearcats another chance. They have to play much better than they did in their last road contest two weeks ago against South Florida. I hope the Mountaineers can pull it out, but I have to go with Cinci.
Syracuse-Louisville
I'm going with the Orange. I think they are playing better then the Cardinals are at this point.
Notre Dame-Pittsburgh
I'm going with Pitt. I think they are about as good as Cinci and are one of the top teams in the conference.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Here are quotes from WVU head football coach Bill Stewart from his weekly press conference. He talks about the Louisville win last week, injuries, the Mountaineers upcoming opponent, the Cincinnati Bearcats. The Mountaineers are coming off a 17-9 victory over the Louisville Cardinals. They play the Cincinnati bearcats Friday night at 8 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 4 PM.
Opening statements
We are pleased with our win this past week against Louisville. It was a tough game. I was very impressed with our defense in holding our BIG EAST opponent to no touchdowns. That hasn’t been done all year.
I also was pleased with our kicking team, especially Scott Kozlowski, the way he changed field positions. Offensively, I was not pleased. We are not clicking on the cylinders that need to be clicking, and we need to hit our stride this week.
That was a good win, but it was a win that needs to be polished. It is a win that we will take anytime in the BIG EAST, it just needs cleaned up. I am frustrated that we were 3-of-11 in third downs. That has not happened to us. We usually have led the league or have been second at the worst all year. We just did not complete the play on third down. Louisville had a lot to do with that. They played hard.
We had a tremendous practice last night; it was as good of one as we have had all season. Hopefully, that means our players are focused for this weekend’s game.
Injury wise, we are not as bad as we first anticipated. Jarrett Brown practiced for the offense, which was good to see. Noel (Devine) was running around last night without getting hit, which was good to see.
Defensively, Sidney Glover, Scooter Berry and Chris Neild were all moving around well. Josh Taylor is the only one now who seems to be of concern.
Looking ahead to this Friday night, we are anticipating a tough football game. We have played each other pretty tough over the years. I think it was four years ago they hit an upright with a field goal towards the end. Two years ago, it was 28-23 win. We were in command, and then we turned the ball over. They forced the turnovers, scored and then scored again and went for two. Going back to when Mark Dantonio was there and his staff, to now Brian (Kelly), we have been in tough football games with the Bearcats.
They have an explosive offense. I do not know who is going to play at quarterback and that is none of my business. That will be decided by Brian, and he is a sharp guy and has a great staff. I don’t really have any comment on the quarterback situation. I will say this; West Virginia has to play West Virginia football.
On what has made Cincinnati better
There are over 800 high schools in the state of Ohio. There is some pretty good football. He (Mark Dantonino) brought what I thought was a defensive mentality. I thought that was what Brian Kelly has brought with him from Central Michigan. He had a pretty good football team up there. Kelly brought an offensive fair that has a shine to it. It has a swagger. He has those kids believe, and they are playing very well.
On the Bearcat’s receivers
They have guys that can stretch the field, and they have guys that can roll to the middle.
Watching them (Cincinnati’s receivers), with Jeff (Casteel) on Sunday night, they come and there is no wide outs. They have a quick throw, and it is second and two. Next play there is one running back, and they get a first down. Next play, no wide outs, they get a six-yard pass, break a tackle and the get a 30-yard gain. That is what is so tough, they get rid of the ball.
On WVU’s defense against Cincinnati
Without giving away our secrets, I think that when you play a three-three stack, you may give away a little bit of a pass rush, and we know that. But it always gives you an extra guy. I remember a few years ago in a bowl game, we had a young quarterback confused, because there was always a guy in the hole, so to speak.
Whatever your defense is, you are always going to give up something. The three-three stack, we think, stops the run, because the way we attack.
On trusting your team with injuries
It is a feel thing. I saw Reed Williams this morning, and he said he is feeling better right now that anytime throughout the year. I have seen No.7 (Devine) get his helmet knocked off, I have seen his facemask get jerked off, and he just keeps coming. I saw him get nicked in the game against Louisville, and I knew when he went down he was nicked. They will tell me the truth.
They are very honest young men. I am the luckiest coach in the world, because I have the greatest young men that anyone can ask for.
On UConn against Cincinnati
They played hard. UConn never gave up. They kept swinging. They were really impressive to watch. I really enjoyed watching that football game.
On Jarrett Brown
He is moving around well and looks to me like he has his feet back under him. His foot was sprained, but I told him that I wanted him to be alive in the pocket and have fun. I want him to play like it is sandlot football. He needs to pick it up, and he knows it. We all need to pick it up. Coach better, play better, it all needs to be better.
On Jock Sanders
Last February, he went on a mission as a man, not knowing if he would ever play again. No one had to come tell me, from the gym where he was working out, that he was working so hard. My son plays baseball near where he was training, and when I would go watch, people would come to me and tell me that he was maximizing every amount of effort anyone could. It is very nice to see in life when you get the opportunity to correct a situation that you work hard in it and with it and things turn out good.
On busing to Cincinnati
We want to do our part with the bad economy, Cincinnati buses over here last year and they won. I look at it as this; we are treated very well in Zainesville, Ohio. We always stop there and have lunch.
By the time you get to an airport by bus, transfer all of your luggage and people, then bus from the airport to Cincinnati, it has already been four and a half hours.
On Julian Miller
He (Julian Miller) is vital. Julian being the player of the week is such a great accolade. He is vital to our team. He could have a tip, a sack or an interception that would be very important in this game.
Select Player Quotes
Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2009
Here are select quotes from WVU football players in their weekly interviews with the media.
Robert Sands
On the Cincinnati game
I think we’re going to go out and give a complete effort in the game. We’ve had one complete game this year at Syracuse where we put up 21 points in the first quarter and we played pretty well in all aspects of the game. If we play another game like that, we should do pretty well.
On the Bearcats
They are pretty far up there as one of the best. We’re just going to have to go out and cover all of our assignments. A team like Cincinnati is already in their comfort zone so they will be coming into the game on a high horse and we need to be able to knock them off.
On what the Mountaineers have been working on
We emphasize to not obsess over one play or let that one play get us down. We need to make sure we stop them on the big plays, which is what we failed to do at USF. If we correct that and do it against the Bearcats we’ll be fine.
Chris Neild
On his shoulder injury
My shoulder is better. It was hurting a little last week when the game started, and then I banged it up a little bit during the game.
On sitting out the rest of the game
Larry Ford wasn’t doing a bad job in there. I was only going to go in if the rushing game really started to come into form, but we held them and he did a good job.”
On the Bearcats
They are really good with a large amount of play makers on the offensive side of the ball, so it’s going to be really hard to contain them. They have (Tony) Pike coming back and their back-up (Zach Collaros) is just as good as him, so it’s going to be a tough game for us.
Julian Miller
On his success this season
I don’t want people to think I got better just over the past couple games. I’d say this entire year has been a break through for me. I want to continue this through the last couple games and into a bowl game. By the end of this year I want to be able to say that I did a lot more than what I expected to do.
On his sacks last weekend
It may take you up to 20 pass rushes until you can actually get the quarterback just one time. One of the things that was going through my head in crunch time was that I was going to have to step in as a leader because a lot of our big players on the defensive line were out. It ended up working out.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his Tuesday press conference. The Mountaineers play the Louisville Cardinals Saturday, Nov. 7, 2009 at noon. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at noon.
Opening statements
We had a tough football game in Tampa. I was proud of the way our guys gave effort, but not pleased with the results by any means. That was a hard-hitting football game and both sides, from what I saw were, banged up. That is how you are supposed to play football in the BIG EAST.
That game is behind us and hopefully we learned something from it. We are in the final stretch of our season. Some teams have played nine, but we have play eight and have four left. This is when you find out how tough of a football team you have.
Our serious injuries are at the minimum. Sidney Glover is nicked up a little bit, but everyone else is ready to go. It was a hard-hitting game, and our players are sore but I am sure every football team in America is sore right now. Injury-wise, we are going to be in pretty good shape unless something unforeseen happens this week.
We have a tough opponent (Louisville) coming in here this week that has everything to gain and nothing to lose. Our backs are up against the wall much like our last opponents (USF) were last weekend in their home arena. We will just have to see how hard we play this Saturday against the Louisville Cardinals.
They are a dangerous outfit. I don’t know who we are going to see at quarterback or running back, but I really don’t care because I am focused on how the Mountaineers play.
On special teams changes
I may have a couple guys kickoff. There are reasons Josh Lider has kicked off for us, No. 1, he has done a good job. No. 2, it is very difficult to kick field goals, kickoff and punt. We had a young guy that did that last year (Pat McAfee) who went on to punt in the NFL. It is a very tough swing, and they are all three different. The reason Lider has been in charge of kickoffs is because I want to keep as much pressure off of Tyler Bitancurt and the fact that Josh has not done a bad job.
I don’t know who will kickoff this weekend. I will have to watch this week. They compete just like every other position, and I will decide on Saturday who I think had the best week.
On the coverage and the cornerbacks
I’m not pleased we gave up touchdown passes, but if I listened to every person in the country other than myself, Brandon Hogan wouldn’t be on the team because I would have thrown him under the bus last season after East Carolina.
Robert Sands played better. He had a good game and was picked by our staff as defensive played of the game, and it was well deserved. Robert needs to play and practice like that every day. Some sophomores do that, some wait until their senior year.
On B.J. Daniels
I saw a quarterback just like him but much better everyday in practice last year, the greatest winner in college football – Patrick White. But the comparison is very good. B.J. had a very fine night against us. He didn’t play that well in a couple of losses but in the Florida State film, he played very well. That means he is young, and he is going to get better. He will probably be a thorn in our side for the next three years.
On the defense
I will put in whoever practices the best this week. If he (Reed Williams) is healthy, he will play every snap. He is his own best doctor right now. I know when I had my shoulders knocked down and separated, you just have to play. You have to suck it up and that is what he has done. People have to understand, we are going to game nine. We hit hard, and it is a hard game. People get hurt.
On Louisville
I see a team that has a lot to gain and nothing to lose. I see a team that can make plays. I saw them beat a very good Southern Miss team that will beat some people this season. Louisville is a dangerous ball club coming here.
I think it was Dave (Wannstedt) that mentioned a trap game. When you are in the BIG EAST, they are all trap games. You let your guard down, then you are going to get beat. We didn’t let our guard down at USF; we got out played at a couple positions and got beat. That happens.
I think Louisville is going to come in here and play a heck of a football team. They better be ready, because I know we are.
On preparing for the game
It is hard to prepare for three people. However, if they are preparing for three people they really have a hard task. My formula is pretty sound. I have learned from some great coaches, and it has worked. It is what we do here. You cannot give equal practice time to the same position. If you did then you should play 50 percent of the time.
On Chris Neild
He is fine. He is a tough guy. On that short yardage play against USF, I saw him plant his feet and bow his back. Last thing I saw before he was covered up was the back of his head, because he bowed and would not break. I am a Chris Neild fan.
On Louisville’s quarterbacks
I am worried sick about their passing game. I don’t know if he (Doug Beaumont) is playing, but he can run and catch. Their receivers are skilled players. No. 3 Trent Guy and their special teams worry me to death. They catch ball and away they go. They are good, fast and they are still Louisville. If our players do not understand that, then shame on them, shamed on or staff and shame on me for not conveying that enough.
On getting the offense back on track
You just keep calling what you are calling. Our offense is a thing of beauty at times and at times it is not. When we are clicking, it is pretty.
On getting the team ready for the rest of the season
They trust me. I have great guys. When we had treatments – not one guy missed. They lifted, and they practiced. I don’t know if they like me, and I don’t really care. These are great guys. All you have to do is look them dead in the eye and tell them the truth. Tell them what is to be expected and then go to work.
All my life I have been in tough situations. You just jut your jaw, bow your back, you shut your mouth and go to play as hard as you can play. If you do that in life, be it in your daily walk, your job, your marriage or whatever phase of your life, you will be ok.
On barefoot kickers
If the ball goes through the up rights, then I don’t care what they wear.
Big East Predictions
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Here are my predictions of the games in the Big East conference this week.
West Virginia-South Florida
I'm taking the Mountaineers in this one. Even though it is a home game for the Bulls, they have not been playing well recently. The Mountaineers have not been playing perfectly, but I think they are playing better than the Bulls. They are also coming off of the come back victory over Connecticut Saturday.
Rutgers-Connecticut
I am picking the Huskies. They had the loss last week to the Mountaineers, and you could tell by the way they were playing they really wanted to get a win for Jasper Howard, the cornerback who died. I think they will play hard in this game and will be determined to win.
Cincinnati-Syracuse
I'm going with the Bearcats. I think Cincinnati is the best team in the conference and even though the Orange have Mike Williams and Greg Paulus I don't think they are good enough to defeat the Bearcats. They are undefeated at 7-0 and are ranked eighth in the country.
Louisville-Arkansas State
Both of these teams have similar records, but I'm taking the Cardinals. They have not been playing well this season, but I think they can beat Arkansas State.
Select Player Quotes
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Here are selected quotes from WVU football players from Tuesday interviews. The Mountaineers play South Florida Friday beginning at 8 PM.
Noel Devine
On USF’s Defense
It is going to be a challenge for us and we are going to have to change some of our game plans to get ready for those guys. They have a good defensive
line up front. They get after the ball and they have a good pass defense.
On playing in Florida
It is most definitely going to make me play harder going back to Florida to play. It is like a homecoming and half of the people that I played against
and my old teammates are there so it is exciting.
On his trip to USF his freshman season
That was then and this is now.
On the I-formation
I like it all, but the I-formation gives you a chance to see everything that is ahead of you ahead of time.
In the I-formation you can see everything that is in front of you and in the shot gun you are looking sideways.
Everything works, the play calling is the play calling. That is why I came here. I came for the offense and I believe in the offense.
Joe Madsen
On USF’s defensive line
They are going to be tough. The two outside guys (George Selvie and Jason Pierre-Paul) are going to give us problems. Inside I am pretty comfortable. Me,
Josh (Jenkins) and (Eric) Jobe, we have been going over a lot of film and I think we know what to do. We are ready for it.
Selvie was probably going to go to the NFL last year but he decided to stay, so that is big. Pierre-Paul has been a monster since he came in. We are just
getting prepared.
On the bigger threat-the run game or pass
I really don’t know (which will cause a bigger threat), it depends on how we come out. If we come up like we did the past two games I am thinking that
they will stop the run more because we have been coming off the ball a little softer than we usually do. We need to step it up and play all four quarters
the way we know how.
On seeing the running backs take off
I love it. That is the best thing ever. When we are playing at home and I hear the fans start yelling, I know that something good has happened, so I just
keep blocking. It’s not good when the crowd gets silent and you look behind you and he is on the ground. That means you didn’t do your job.
Jarrett Brown
On playing in his home state
If I am not mistaken, I think my mom said that she is bringing two buses. J.T. (Thomas) has more people coming though. I think has about 80 tickets. West
Virginia is going to travel well this game.
I always told myself that I would never try to do something to impress the crowd. I want to stay within myself and do everything correct. Making the right
reads and everything will take care of itself.
On how he is feeling this week
Physically, I feel great. I feel a lot better mentally this week too. I can think a little clearer.
On being blitzed
There is no secret. Just react to danger that is it.
I don’t want to think about the rush. That will throw my game off as a quarterback. All I can do is just worry about myself and let those guys do what they
do up front. I want to go through my progression and make my reads and make protection calls to help them out. That is the only thing I can do.
Stewart Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Here are quotes from WVU football coach Bill Stewart from his Tueday newsconference. Stewart talks a lot about the Mountaineers upcoming opponent, the South Florida Bulls.
Opening statements
I am very pleased with the victory last week and how our guys responded in the second half. Our defense has 11-straight games with turnovers, and I hope
that can continue. It was a good team effort, and I am proud of how our guys played.
This week, we have a very formidable opponent in USF. They are a dangerous opponent. The Bulls are a good football team, and they are coming off a couple
tough losses.
USF is a good football team and an excellent program that is very well coached. They have a lot of athleticism, and I am worried about their athletic ability
on the offensive side of the ball with B.J. Daniels and Dontavia Bogan. The running backs are good and tough and the line guys are tall and can play. Their
defense is very sound. They have two of the best bookends in the league in (Jason) Pierre-Paul and (George) Selvie. They are very impressive young men
and guys that can play the game the way you are supposed to. The linebackers run well, and there is tremendous athleticism in the secondary.
This is going to be a tough game for WVU. We had a hard-fought game here last season, the “White Out,” in the snow and cold. I thought it would affect USF
but it didn’t. We barely escaped with a 13-7 victory. Patrick White played very well, as did our defense.
They (USF) have handled us pretty well in the last two of the last three outings. We have not done well against them offensively. We went down two years
ago and put the ball over of the place. If we go down there and do that again, the same thing will happen.
I hope we can take our A-game because we are going to need it. I anticipate a big crowd, and I anticipate a very hearty welcome from the USF fans. It is
going to take a heck of an effort to go in there. They have lost two games to two of the best teams in the league.
We are practicing and preparing well for this game. It is a short week, but when the coin is flipped we are going to play Mountaineer football.
On Injuries
Reed Williams
ran well yesterday, and
Bradley Starks
is doing much better. Reed (shoulder) is a game time decision. Sometimes he gets nicked up and sometimes he doesn’t, it just depends on how he hits it
and when he hits it. He is good to go but for how long, I don’t know. We need both
Reed Williams
and
Bradley Starks
in the lineup on Friday night.
On USF quarterback B.J. Daniels
He is going to give us multiple-problems. B.J. Daniels is a Division I basketball player just like our No. 16 (
Jarrett Brown
). I think those guys are probably some of the best athletes in the world. If you can play Division I basketball then you are special. He is going to give
us fits, as he has given everyone else they have played. I just hope he doesn’t get into a grove.
On Pierre-Paul
He is making plays. Look at his stats. When you have a guy like George Selvie, who is a star, they always double-team him and that has helped Pierre-Paul.
He is pretty special and a great player. They are two stellar, top-notch All-American candidates that are playing very well.
On Pitt vs. USF
They (Pitt) ran the ball. Pitt does a nice job with running the ball and play-action pass. We are a combination of Pitt and Cincinnati, who have both beat
them. I don’t know if we are as good of a combination, but we will see in a few weeks. Hopefully it will be good enough to contain these two guys (Pierre-Paul
and Selvie).
On
Jarrett Brown
Connecticut has really good athletes. Remember the Auburn and East Carolina games, Jarrett got loose and at Colorado in the first play of the game the
blitz. He just makes you miss, and I hope and pray he can do that down there. If he does, he is a big man that can track and cover a lot of ground.
On play calling
We are going to give them the full gamut, and do what we do. We have to run at them, you cannot play on your heels. That is what people do that have success,
the come after them. We need to be aggressive and go out there and play Mountaineer football.
On being named to the Bryant Award Watch list
They have the wrong Stewart. He must be another coaching out West somewhere. I will tell you what that is. That is a real tribute to our staff. I think
we have the best sideline adjustment people in the game. When we have problems, we stop ourselves.
Our staff has never quit believing, but most importantly, our players rally around each other, and they believe in our coaches. That is the bottom line.
That watch list is nothing but a testament to the best staff that I have ever been around and to the greatest group of young men.
On having a short week
We had a long day yesterday. Longer than I like, but you have to do what you have to do to get ready. We tried to keep it short for our players. If anything,
we will scale back for our players and do more for our coaches. Hopefully, we don’t overfill the plate, because I don’t know what USF is going to do. I
don’t know if they are going to do what they didn’t to Cincinnati or what they did to Pitt, or maybe even a combination of both. You don’t know till you
get out there and start swinging. As coach (Don) Nehlen used to say, this is a 90 slug fight. It is BIG EAST football and it’s going to be like this every
week.
On
Pat Lazear
I think he has done a really good job and has had a really good career. What he is doing for me on the punt team is excellent. He is playing really sharp
and has made that part of his game better. He is having a good year.
On
Selvish Capers
His potential is phenomenal. He has tremendous coach in Dave Johnson. You jump in the ring with Dave Johnson, he may be in the Fellowship of Christian
Athletes, but I have seen guys in that organization knock you out also. Selvish is getting coached right and getting prepared correctly. He is getting
better each and every week. It goes back to his coaching and the fact that he bought in. He wanted to be a tight end. He was always a biscuit away from
300 pounds and now we let him get to 300 pounds. Now, he looks like one of those body builders.
On weeknight games
Thursday and Friday night football, to me, is exactly what Monday night is to America. You are the game on Thursday night and on Friday night we are the
game. You know how many young people get to lie around and watch WVU and USF this Friday night. It is colossal for our program. I would not want to do
it every week, but it has been very advantageous.
On coach Stewart’s first trip to USF as head coach and recruiting
It helps us in recruiting, because we are going to be the only game as I indicated, but we are going down there to do the best that we can and hopefully
we will have a great showing and it will be a positive influence to the recruits.
On
Noel Devine
He can see. It is about vision. I said the same thing to the NFL about Steve Slaton. I told them to trust me. When you put these guys out seven or eight
yards and give him the ball, first of all their visions are identical. Noel is probably quicker, where Steve is faster getting around the edge, but when
you give these guys the ball, they just run around them.
On Owen Schmitt
Owen came by my office on Friday, and we had the best visit. He said to me that if he could play 10 more years of football here at West Virginia, he would
do it. He said “coach, it is not about the money, it is about this way of life.” I tell our team that.
On USF
They will get into a bowl. They have got beat by the two best teams in the league Cincinnati and Pitt, both ranked teams. South Florida is not out of the
hunt and our players better know that before they get on the plane.
Stewart Sunday Teleconference Quotes
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart said in his Sunday teleconference.
I want to again emulate what I said after yesterday’s game. I can’t say enough about Randy Edsall’s staff and their preparation, and the game those players
brought into Mountaineer Field. It was just awesome. I was very pleased that our young men rallied and fired volley for volley.
That was one heck of a college football game. Someone mentioned to me this morning that it reminded him of the old back and forth WVU-Boston College games.
I don’t know about that, but I’m sure it was.
Number two, I want to congratulate our team for its resiliency and perseverance. They just hung in there. We don’t have a lot of complicated mottos, but
we talk about rallying around each other and believing in the coaches. The Mountaineers did that yesterday. We just found another way to win, whether it
be on the ground or in the air, we found a way to win. We very much stayed in-tune in the game.
Number three, we’ve been down at the half in the last two games. I want to compliment the staff on both sides of the ball for what has transpired. (Yesterday)
was tough – we were off-balanced. They (Connecticut) threw things at us that we hadn’t seen. They did some things that were unorthodox for us, and we didn’t
anticipate it, but the way our offensive staff responded at halftime was absolutely outstanding. Our players were very attentive. You have a 20-minute
halftime, and only about 14 minutes to talk about the game plan, which didn’t resemble what you are seeing on the field and what you prepared for all week.
We pitched it aside, and regrouped and put another plan together. That’s tough to do.
Our offensive staff is absolute champs at that, and I can’t thank them enough for their effort. Our defense came up with the stops when they had to and
kept us in that game. They also came up with the big plays.
It was a heck of a football game, and I’m glad we came out on top. I’m very proud of our football team.
I’m so proud of the people of West Virginia – those people that were at the game and the tribute that they showed to the UConn Huskies and Jasper Howard
was awesome. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was all from the heart. It’s a proud day to wear the Old Gold and Blue when you see things like that.
What a tribute.
Our fans kept us in the game at the end, and I can only thank them so much for hanging with us and believing in us as much as we believed in each other.
(on team’s progress thus far)
Our record is not a surprise to me. I knew we had a chance to be a good football team, if we stayed injury free. All I can ask is that we get better each
week, and we’ve done that.
This was the first time we had been outgained offensively, but that’s because UConn did a fantastic job.
I’m proud of this football team – we are 6-1 for a reason. We’re good when we play good. Our players believe that we can only stop ourselves. When we quit
doing that, we’re a pretty good football team.
(on strengths becoming weaknesses, and the other way around)
We all knew last year that we didn’t have a big power back and that we had to get better on third downs. We have gotten better, and everyone knows that.
We were 8-of-16 this week. In the red zone we were 88 percent; we’re No. 1 in the conference. This week, we were 2-of-3 in the red zone.
We have made great strides in the areas that help you win football games. Turnovers have been a factor. We fumbled some punts in game two and threw some
interceptions in game three. We’ve stopped that by taking care of the football.
Defensively, you are going to thrive on that and realize that you need to get those (turnovers), too. We’ve coached them, and tonight we will do a turnover
circuit again. It’s been a growing, getting better type of season.
It’s just strengths and weaknesses. When we weren’t good on short yardage and goal-line situations, we got better. When we aren’t good at something, we
work on it. Things have gotten better. With that being said, that tells me that our staff is doing a great job and our players have bought in. Our players
have worked very hard. Under (coach) Mike Joseph we are strong and healthy. We just get better each and every week.
If we can keep the injury bug away from us, we have a chance to finish strong.
(on injuries)
I saw where Bradley (Starks) got injured when he did a nice crack-back block on a guy, and he hit him hard. He just jammed his back. He is going to be
fine. He’ll be gone Monday, but should be back by Tuesday.
Reed (Williams) is going to be a player again this week. He isn’t going to be 100 percent, but he’s going to play. He’s frustrated – he’s a senior and just
wants to play. That’s why he redshirted last year; he couldn’t protect himself. He got so frustrated after the game. This morning, he was like a breath
of fresh air.
He hits so hard, his shoulders start to hurt. Pain is pain, and that is a tough thing for Reed. But, if anyone can get through it,
Reed Williams
can get through it. He got whacked in the leg and the guy rolled up on him a bit. He just throws his body in there.
(on play of
Ryan Clarke)
(I’m happy) with him. He took a head shot (yesterday) after that flat pass. The guy launched on him. I questioned the official. He had his hands in front
of him. It’s unbelievable – I don’t know what to do. We’ve sent some film in. We point it out. We tell officials. I don’t know what to do. Then,
Chris Neild
barely brushes a young man, and it’s a kick-off from the 45. I’m just a little frustrated with that, but maybe it will work itself out. He is a bull of
a man now. He fluctuates between 243 and 246 and run a sub 4.6. That’s a big, strong man for such a young lad. He’s a redshirt freshman – he’s just a kid.
He has three more years of football.
(on
Noel Devine
’s game-winning touchdown)
It was a seam play. The outside zone is a seam. As your offensive line goes right or left, the defenses have to adjust and get their gap responsibility.
As that line moves, those gaps move. You have to move your feet, you can’t stumble and you can’t get picked-off. There are so many intangibles.
He (Devine) hit that “D gap” between the tight end and the flanker. Run support has to come out of the boundaries. He (UConn’s free safety) took an angle,
which looked good on film. If you take an angle on No. 7, you better have an extra two- or three-yard cushion.
Our guys in practice don’t take that angle anymore. They go up about three yards because they know that Noel is so fast, and when he hits that burst, he
is just a jet. That’s the difference in that zone seam play. You get up there and let that run support get you. Usually it’s a tackle and maybe a few yards.
You usually get tackled or pushed out of bounds, because we can’t tackle them all.
We left Noel the free safety to beat, and he beat him. He just put the jets on and just burst right by him. It was an unbelievable run.
He (Devine) committed himself to listening to Coach Beatty this summer. With zone football, patience to the hole, speed through the hole. The zone isn’t
like running out of the I-formation or belly football. The zone is a stretch play – it’s a sideways play. You have to be patient. You have run keys, and
you have read them. If that one run key gets hooked, you keep it on the outside like Noel did. Or you can cut back and run it straight-up in there. That
is what he is doing so much better.
He made a conscious effort beginning last spring, and continuing all summer, to watching film and getting better.
(on coaches’ anticipations when Noel gets the ball)
That last run was to try to get another first down, to get out of bounds and stop the clock. We had just got a big third down from
Jarrett Brown
. If he didn’t get that, do you punt the ball on your side of the 50-yard line, or do you go for it? I would have had to go for it.
That play was to get another first down, because we knew they would be in prevent (defense). In a perfect world, I would have like to have seen him (Devine)
score with three seconds left, but I would take that score from Noel during any point in the ball game.
(on the 2008 game against USF)
All you can do when they load up the box is throw the deep ball and try to beat one-on-one coverage. You have to do more than that, and our guys bought
into that plan. Our players, because of the success South Florida has had the last two years and how they were shutting us down with their great defense,
we told our players to just believe in us (the coaching staff). The plan will work if you stay in the framework of the offense. Defensively, we have always
had low-scoring games with them.
I think our football team really bought into our game plan. They think it’s fun. We hit
Tyler Urban
on that play-action pass. We did things our players had never done. Then, going into the bowl game, things were taken off.
This (yesterday’s game) was the first game when we were outrushed and outgained, and the reason was because everything UConn threw at us. That was a tough
first half. We hadn’t seen stuff like that, and it’s hard to (adjust) on the sidelines.
Thank God our players believed in us. We have a great offensive staff. We regrouped at halftime, and we had some big plays out of our defense. We got one
heck of a win.
(on USF’s defense)
Jim Leavitt is a great defensive coach. It’s still his stuff, and he has a lot of input and flavor in that defense.
We are going to have to move the ball and move the pocket. We can’t let people get us in the cross-hairs. We will have to throw it deep, throw those over
routes and move the ball around. You have to use motion and movement – I want to confuse South Florida. I don’t want to sit there and let them get us in
their sights. We have to move the pocket and use that stuff to our advantage without giving ourselves up.
Big East Predictions
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Here are my predictions for the games in the Big East conference this week.
West Virginia-Connecticut
It will be interesting to see how Connecticut responds and plays after the tragic death last Sunday morning of cornerback Jasper Howard. I'm taking the Mountaineers though. They need to have another good game like they had last week with no turnovers. Hopefully though, everyone can stay healthy.
Rutgers-Army
I'm going with the Scarlet Knights. Army has a 3-4 record, and Rutgers only has one loss.
South Florida-Pitt
I'm going with the Panthers in this one. Both teams have only one loss. But, the Bulls are coming off of the loss at home last week against Cincinnati. The Bulls didn't play very well in the second half of that game and I think the Panthers have been playing pretty well. And, it's a home game for the Panthers.
Syracuse-Akron
I'm going with the Orange. It's a home game for them. The Zips come into the game having only one win. If quarterback Greg Paulus and wide receiver Mike Williams have good games, the Orange should get it done.
Louisville-Cincinnati
I'm going with the Bearcats. They are on a roll and are probably the best team in this conference so far. They are ranked 5 and are coming off of the South Florida win last week. The Cardinals have not been playing that well.
My Thoughts
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
The death of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard early Sunday morning was terrible. It is terrible for anyone to lose their life like that. But, it seemed as if Howard was a good player doing everything right. I guess he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It makes you realize how precious life is and how it can not be taken for granted. I like what WVU is doing before the game to honor him. I wish the Connecticut football family the best of luck and dealing with this tragedy and something like this should not happent to anyone else.
The arrests of WVU football players Courtney Stewart and Scooter Berry are also not good. What Berry did was foolish. He has been injured all seaon. If he could've gotten himself healthy, he may have been able to play some this season. But, with half the season over, his injury, and now the indefinite suspension because of the arrest, it seems to me like his playing may be over for at least this season.
On a good note though, the number 2 ranking by the coaches in the Preseason Big East poll for the Men's Basketball team is very good. There is a lot of excitement surrounding this Basketball season and for good reason. I believe this team can be not only one of the best in the country, but possibly WVU basketball history.
Stewart Tuesday Newsconference Quotes
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Here are quotes from WVU football coach Bill Stewart. Stewart talks about Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard, who was stabbed to death early Sunday morning after the Huskies win over Louisville. Stewart also talks about Jarrett Brown, and the suspension of Scooter Barry.
Opening statements
To honor Jasper Howard, we have decided with our administration, Connecticut’s administration and the BIG EAST, that the Mountaineers will wear Jasper’s
No. 6 decal on our helmet. Number two, we will line up on the hash mark prior to the football game for a moment of silent. After that, we will cross the
field and shake hands with the Huskies. We will then have the coin toss and play some football.
This is all about Jasper Howard and honoring a fallen brother. I am very proud of the West Virginia and Connecticut administrations for helping us make
this happen to honor Jasper.
I want to talk about
Scooter Berry
, who had an incident in the wee hours of Sunday morning after our victory over Marshall. Scooter broke team policy and has been suspend indefinitely by
me. He will remain in that capacity until I deem further. We have certain procedures and policies here about wearing the Old Gold and Blue. We are going
to make mistakes in life, and a mistake he made. That will be left for some restitution for myself, the staff, the senior class and the rest of his teammates.
At the appropriate time, if he has met that restitution, we will talk about the reinstatement.
Regarding our last ball game, we had a successful win over an in-state opponent. That football game was about state and program pride, and that is enough
pride for me, this football staff and this team.
On the status of WVU quarterback
Jarrett Brown
We will know more today after practice. We have a full padded practice today so I will know even more tomorrow. A decision will not be made until tomorrow,
but if he is just not well today, we may make a decision tonight. However, it will be day-to-day. If he gets through Tuesday well then he has to get through
Wednesday. Then, if he gets through Wednesday, then we will talk about him playing a football game, but he will practice today.
I met with him yesterday and today. Being his former (position) coach, we probably have a better relationship than most head coaches do with their quarterback.
I just asked him to trust me as I wanted to trust him, and that we needed to be truthful with one another.
I want him to, first and foremost, protect himself at all times. Number two I want him to manage this offense. Number three and most importantly I want
him to have a clear head when he is doing this.
On the hit that injured
Jarrett Brown
I did not (send in a complaint to the BIG EAST). They have a review of the film and I know that play was talked about. I don’t know the answer, but I do
know it was looked into.
That is human judgment and how can you fault someone for human judgment. I can’t fault someone who is out there trying to do the best job they can officiating.
I have never coached in a game that I thought the striped shirts took the game from me. Did I think some judgments weren’t like mine? You bet.
The officials could have been blocked. I couldn’t see it. When he (
Jarrett Brown
) pirouetted around, I thought he should have gone down, but he was off balance. He tried to and they wacked him.
On the celebration rule and call on
Noel Devine
It should have been a flag. I even told they guy that threw the flag that it was a great call.
They (players) will be punting the ball out of the stands if you don’t control them.
On the first and second team break downs during practice
What we are doing now is a 5:3 ratio and some periods 6:3. The one’s will go six-straight, then the two’s will go in for three. We never go four and four,
or five and five, I will never do that because you never play 50 percent of the game. By ratio you should probably go 7:2, but you will just wear them
out.
On
Geno Smith
We could not get Geno (Smith) here in the spring because of his transcript. They wouldn’t put a graduation date on it by the time our school started. He
is a good student, and he is also very sharp, and had he been here in the spring, then he would have been even sharper. He is a film guy and a gym rat
and that is very good.
When I was recruiting Geno, his mother or one of his teammate’s mothers picked the two up everyday. They did their homework and played football on Play
Station. Then, they ate and went home. Geno has always been a homebody, a gym rat and a film guy and his coach told me the same thing. Those are the kinds
of guys I like to recruit.
I didn’t say one word to Geno (before he went on the field) because I knew coach (Jeff) Mullen had that under wrap. What I said to the staff was that we
needed to get into a flow. Then, I watched our defense take control of the game.
On
Ryan Clarke
’s injury
He could have played (on Saturday) and I was biting my lip. He is going to be a whole lot better today.
On Connecticut’s running game
Andre Dixon was really good even before Donald Brown came on the scene. He was the star. He is going to be tough now.
On the spread offense and the number of quarterbacks getting hurt I don’t know if they are getting hurt when they run the ball. In option football, you
learn how to slip that tackle, you are always going forward. When you drop back, that is when guys get hurt. For instance, when (Tim) Tebow got hit, he
got hit from the blind side. Jarrett was trying to get down, but he was off balance. He couldn’t get down in time.
On BIG EAST play and his attitude towards the game now
It is round two. We have a good group of young men here that are saddened by a situation, but after that coin toss, the Mountaineers need to be ready to
play football. We need to be ready to play football, coach football and go play a football game. Make no mistake, this is a business and our guys know
that it is round two.
On
Bradley Starks
We have a plan for Bradley (Starks). Remember earlier in the season, we used him in the Wildcat and he ran. He can also throw the ball, not just pass it,
but throw the ball. He is a lefty and pretty good.
On Andre Dixon
I saw a guy that could have left, but didn’t. That tells me a lot about him. He is a good football player. He will run over you, around you; he is fast
and he is tough. At 202 pounds 6-foot-2, he is a big back. He is a big back and he will hurt you.
On
Brandon Hogan
’s showing against Marshall
I think he really was in tune for this game. Coach Lockwood has him better and better each and every week. He is breaking on the ball better, he is fielding
punts better and he is seeing everything better. I like what he is doing and he is having fun.
Stewart Sunday Teleconference Quotes
Monday, October 19, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his Sunday teleconference. He talks about the tragic stabbing death of Connecticut cornerback Jasper Howard. He also talks about the injury sitaution with Jarrett Brown.
First and foremost, I would like to start with a very sincere, heartfelt condolence statement by the Mountaineer football staff, and most importantly the
team and the whole West Virginia nation, to the situation up with the UConn football family.
To Jasper Howards’ family in Florida, to Coach Randy Edsall and his coaching staff and to all of Jaspers’ teammates – we are absolutely heartbroken for
you.
We are just stunned, as the nation is, regarding what happened on that campus in the early morning hours today after such a tremendous game he played yesterday
(at Louisville).
I remember Jasper from last year. I haven’t seen a snap from this year, except his playmaking highlights from yesterday prior to our game. I remember him
leading the BIG EAST in punt returns and him as an absolute terror on special teams. He looked like a leader and emotional, fun-loving guy.
I’m just sick for Randy and Jasper’s family. My god, how short and sweet life is and what we take for granted.
This has been weighing heavily in our hearts. Your West Virginia players are visibly upset at this time. They knew this man. I will certainly address this
situation today and the short, but wonderful life of Jasper Howard.
I don’t have much to say on the Marshall game. We have watched the film and met as a staff. We have five wonderful recruits in with their families, and
it’s a very hectic weekend.
Anytime you can win a football game against a winning, IA, 4-2 football team is good. That team is on the rise. Mark Snyder has that Marshall football team
on the rise. Let me assure you, he and his staff’s diligent patience and planning made yesterday’s game possible. His players are buying in. That was very
good to get that tough game behind us, and I’m proud of our players.
We have a tough game coming up this week. I don’t know how this week will go or how this poor tragedy will affect everything. We’ll have to talk about that
later because I am not mentally prepared to right now. I can’t imagine what Randy is going through. I’m visibly shaken by this situation, and I don’t have
a whole lot to say today.
(on team’s health)
We’re pretty healthy. I don’t know anything about Jarrett (Brown) except that we met with Dave Kerns this morning, and we all seem to think that he will
be day-to-day. I don’t know if he will play this weekend or not. We will have to see. He won’t practice today, and we’re just going out in helmets and
vests. What’s that tell you? That’s not good.
Everyone else seems to be healthy.
Ryan Clarke
should be back in full force. He could have played, but I don’t want to get a lad hurt when I don’t think we have to play him. Believe me, there were times
when we wanted to play him yesterday.
(on
Scooter Berry)
He got leg whipped; I don’t know what is going to happen with him. Poor kid has just been hobbled this season. We’re going to have to wait and see. He’s
been at both treatments this morning.
(on slow start vs. Marshall)
(Brown) going down on the fourth play was the reason. I wish I had a magic wand that I could have waved to make us play like we did in the second half,
but we’re not as good as people think, and I’m not as a good a coach as people think, and I’m sorry I didn’t get our game going on all four gears like
I should have.
(on chance of all BIG EAST teams using backups this coming weekend)
Wow, I didn’t know that! I knew Cincinnati might. I don’t even know who the five are because all I watch is the next opponent.
I know UConn has good quarterbacks in both Cody (Endres) and Zack (Frazer). I haven’t seen any of that film yet.
That’s what is happening to college football. It’s a physical game, and people get hurt. You just have to carry on and march.
(on preparing your backup quarterback)
This is what I do – I always go five plays with the first team, and three plays with the second. You have to get that in, at least. There are many days
when we get more than that, because we go back and repeat. To me, you have to work them both. I will never split them, because they don’t play 50 percent
of the time. We go five and three. That’s what I do, and that’s why our second team is capable of going in and playing.
When I was with pro football in Canada, and the NFL does this too, they go 90 to 10 – first team 90 percent, second team 10 percent. You can’t coach college
ball like that because these guys get hurt. When the pro quarterbacks get hurt, you see what happens to them.
I always have done it, and that’s how I’ll keep doing it. Other times I have done drills two-to-one, so the first team gets every two of three. I’m always
going to give the first team the brunt of the work, but you have to get the second team too. That’s why are second team isn’t slugs when they go in there.
(on
Geno Smith
’s play)
The throw he made to
Noel Devine
in the flat was about the third or fourth read – that was colossal. The throw to
Will Johnson
on the short yardage was a laser - catches it, out of bounds, first down.
Just think of some of the throws this kid made. The one to
Wes Lyons
? My god, this kid didn’t panic. He didn’t panic at Auburn either. And that touchdown to (Alric) Arnett was just special.
He played pretty good.
(on the hit on Brown)
I’m going to have to plead the fifth. That is something that is going to be discussed in other venues. But thank you for asking that, because now the point
has been made.
(on what will happen with the UConn game)
We will do whatever needs to be done. It’s been a rough morning. I balled this morning. I’ve met with one of my superiors. I’ve been in conversation with
my two immediate bosses. We’ve discussed some gestures we’re going to do, and we’re going to have a call with the BIG EAST soon.
I’m very good friends with Randy. I can’t imagine what that football family and the Howard family is going through.
We have some measures we’ve discussed, and we want to make sure we clear everything through the proper BIG EAST channels. There have been serious and heartfelt
conversations by the Mountaineers already this morning regarding this tragedy.
Let’s wait and see and let the universities talk.
I’m very proud of our football team. I love each and every one of them dearly. This is when it’s a time of family and hanging in there as a group is important.
We have to realize how lucky we are to live in this great world.
Stewart Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
Wednesday, October 13, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart had too say at his Tuesday press conference. He talks about the Mountaineers upcoming opponent, the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game is Saturday, October 17 at Milan Puskar Stadium. The game begins at 3:30 PM. Coverage begins on WAJR AM at 11:30 AM.
Opening statements
"I want to talk about a very tough win up at Syracuse. I hope all of our players, and I know the staff and the fans know, how difficult it was to win up
there. That was a very neat time to be there with Ernie Davis Field being dedicated and it was good that we came out with a win. It was a very nice win
for our football program.
We came out relatively injury free. We had a bump here and there, but it’s not bad.
We had a good flight home and a good practice on Sunday, now it is time to begin preparations for Marshall. The Thundering Herd are a difficult challenge,
as is every game and it is going to be opportunity No. 6. It is a non-conference game, but it is a game of great importance and of much value.
As many people know, I coached there very proudly under coach Sunny Randall and I have found memories of Marshall, Huntington, W.Va, and all of their people.
This should be a game that is for the Friends of Coal and for state pride."
On Scooter Berry
"We feel that his progression is going anywhere from adequate to okay, not great, not good, but still ok. Our medical folks are on top of that situation
as well as others. Scooter did ok (in the Syracuse win). He didn’t do anything extraordinaire as he can do or has done, but he didn’t go out and stand
like a one-armed man which was good to see. What we are going to do is continue to watch his development over the next couple of weeks."
On discovering players because of injury
"That is the only blessing it has to it, I would like to keep him in the lineup. The fact remains, the game goes on. We have a saying in this program that
you pick up the saber and march on. You replace the fallen one at that moment and we have had some young men step up and play well. I would like to see Josh Taylor get an interception a game that would be nice. He has come on well this season.
I think Chris Neild has had the banner year. Of all the interior defensive linemen, he is having an all-star year. Julian Miller has stepped up, and then as guys roll in there, Larry Ford and J.B. Lagemen have stepped up."
On Marshall’s halfback
"I have been watching the film for a long time and Darius Marshal has it. He runs and plays hard. I watched the kickoff return and last year he ran up and
down the field on us. It looked like he was running sprints at a track meet. This year he has done the same thing. When he doesn’t have the ball, he blocks.
He is a great football player. We will have our hands full with No. 5 Darius Marshall."
On Will Johnson
"By the end of January, Will Johnson bought into the plan that to play in this offense on this team you have to be bigger, faster and stronger. He outgrew his wide receiver position that he
played in high school. I don’t know that he was ready to be a tight end last season, but we played with what we had. He and Tyler Urban were young guys that had never played one snap as a college tight end. He has grown leaps and bounds since last year and he has a very fine future ahead
of him."
On the true freshmen
"Shawne Alston will play. He is on special teams as a true freshman. Pat Miller is on defense. He has played and done a good job. Tavon Austin has played and he also has done a really good job. Those freshmen that we think can contribute, we will use and those who we don’t think are ready, we
will hold them as long as we can until we have to step up and put them in the batter’s box."
On the WVU tight ends
"We are blessed to have two good athletes as tight ends (Tyler Urban and Will Johnson). You also throw Ryan Clarke in there, who has been a fullback, H-back and tight end on the backside in practice. You take a guy like Ryan Clarke, like we did Owen Schmitt, line him up at tight end and line him up in the backfield – that is the one he scored on the other day with the belly option.
We used two tight ends a little bit with Owen Schmitt and Mike Villagrana. I like tight ends, I like the H-back position and I like the big guys because
what it does is confuse the defense."
On Marshall’s tight ends
"I think they (Cody Slate and Lee Smith) are really good. Cody is a big tall guy and he is an athlete who presents miss-matches. When you get a guy like
that on a corner, he doesn’t necessarily have to out-jump him, he just has to put a body on him. They are very tough to defend."
On the importance of this game
"The Mountaineers know the importance of this game. It is all about state pride and the state program; their program and our program."
On Geno Smith
"I really liked what I saw last week. It was my call to put him in the game. We had a couple of three and outs, but that wasn’t his fault. He had a couple
of reads and he threw well. I wanted him to get a quarter under his belt and I would like to do that more. He may have to play, I hope he never has to
because of injury, but just in case, he needed to get some experience."
On the Blue Sweater Vest
"It was the Gold Rush and I thought it was special. I wanted to wear a gold shirt. I felt like if we asked the fans, so why not me? I would wear a gold
shirt, but I didn’t want us all to look like mustard seeds on the sideline. I thought if I had the shirt on people would think I was just wearing an oxford,
so I put on the Nike sweater vest.
Now I don’t want to break the moxie. Every Friday when we have the study with the Fellowship of Christian Athletes guys, Lonnie Galloway makes us all sit
in the exact same seats and that is a moxie. I guess I will wear the sweater vest for a while, hopefully a long, long time."
On scheduling
"That is being handled by my superiors who know a lot more about that than me. I do know the reasons why we ask for some situations, is because we don’t
have but seven other BIG EAST teams, we need seven home games."
On Owen Schmitt
"That was an emotional display of, “I am ready to go.” That is Owen. The only other time I saw him do that, is when we ran that surprise punt and he hit
the ball off the side of his foot – that was a temper tantrum. That was Owen, I think it is awesome and I think more players should play with his intensity.
He loves the game."
On Mark Snyder
"Mark Snyder is a tremendous coach, a great guy and he is doing a heck of job. He also has a tremendous staff with John Shannon, Rick Minter and Phil Ratliff,
they are all Marshall guys. Staff continuity has helped him."
On the running back match up
"They are both (
Noel Devine
and Darius Marshall) are tremendous competitors and from what I hear Marshall is a good team-man like our No. 7. Young men grow and mature as they stay
in the program, so if Marshall is the same as Devine, then that is why he is doing so well. They have talent and they will make plays. This is a very close
matchup.
On
Chris Neild
I can only tell you that
Chris Neild
is playing like you should play the game. He is having fun, he is leading and he is playing hard. At East Carolina he almost had his jersey ripped off.
He is relentless in his effort. Ask the players what makes No. 90 tick. We are so blessed to have
Chris Neild
on our team.
On
Sidney Glover
Sidney Glover
and I have a very good relationship. I am boss and he is employee. I am glad he is doing as well as he is doing. Not to give any special favors from the
coaches, but he has been coming in more than anyone this season. That tells me that he wants to get good and he is making up for some lost time.
Stewart Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
esday, October 13, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart had too say at his Tuesday press conference. He talks about the Mountaineers upcoming opponent, the Marshall Thundering Herd. The game is Saturday, October 17 at Milan Puskar Stadium. The game begins at 3:30 PM. Coverage begins on WAJR AM at 11:30 AM.
Big East Predictions, week 6
Thursday, Oct 8, 2009
Here are my predictions for the games in the Big East conference for week 6.
West Virginia-Syracuse
I'm taking the Mountaineers in this one. Even though the Orange have done well in the last couple of games with quarterback Greg Paulus and wide receiver Mike Williams, I still think the Mountaineers are better. They need to try to play a clean game though and not turn the ball over.
Rutgers-Texas Southern
I'm going with the Scarlet Knights in this one. The Tigers are just 1-3.
Connecticut-Pittsburgh
I think this is the biggest game in the big East this weekend. Both teams come into this game with just one loss. The Panthers are coming off of the win last week against Louisville. I'm taking Pittsburgh. I think this could be a close game though.
Louisville-Southern Miss
I'm going with the Cardinals in this one. They haven't been playing well but I think they can handle Southern Miss. The game is at Papa Johns Stadium and I think the Cardinals will want to win a game after losing to the Panthers last week.
My Thoughts
Thursday, Oct 8, 2009
I was somewhat happy with the Mountaineers win last Thursday against the Colorado Buffaloes. I thought they played much better in the second half than the first. The biggest thing I feel the Mountaineers need to work on is their 4 furnovers and fixing them. Since they have so far fixed all their problems in the other games, the punts, the interceptions, ETC, I feel confident they will fix their latest turnover problems in the Colorado game. This upcoming game against Syracuse on Saturday should be interesting. The Orange want to prove they really are back. They have been doing well under quarterback Greg Paulus. But, I think the Mountaineers can win. They need to limit the turnovers though and nt fumble or have any interceptions.
I think the new bowl the Big East has in New York at Yankee Stadium is good. It isn't the best location, but I think if you market it right, it could be good. It will be held in December, so the weather will be cold, but if you go for the bowl game, you could stay for New Years and spend new Years in New York. I feel there is a lot of unique things to do and see in New York so it swhile not the best location I think it is okay.
Stewart Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, Oct 6, 2009
WVU football coach Bill Stewart held his weekly press conference Tuesday. Here is what he had to say. He talks about the Mountaineers next opponent, the Syracuse Orange.
Opening statements
"Colorado is over and behind us. It was a good win. Some wouldn’t call it a great win, but I can’t ever be discouraged with any kind of win. We have to
build on that like we have done since the inception of our program."
"We are healthy. I think Scooter Berry will be ready to go this weekend, and we are counting on that. Reed Williams ran very fleetingly against Colorado,
and Jarrett Brown is doing well. We have some bumps and bruises like everyone in America does after you’ve played four football games, but we are healthy."
"We learned a lot from the Colorado game. I learned a little bit our football team, and I learned a little bit about our football team’s resolve. We get
better and better around here as we have done in the past, and I hope history repeats itself this year."
"That ball game is behind us and we have round one (BIG EAST) coming up this weekend, preseason is over. It was a tough preseason but we came out with a
75 percent winning record. We have one more preseason game to go after Saturday’s battle with Syracuse. The seven most important games are soon to be upon
us. We start Saturday in Syracuse, N.Y., with the first of those seven, and that is how we are approaching it."
On Syracuse’s Mike Williams (WR)
"He is a big target. He is from Buffalo, N.Y., and he is a go-to guy. He is 6-foot-2, 211 pounds, and I know a lot of teams around the country that would
like to have him. I do not know how we are going to stop him; I only hope we can contain him at this time. We are going to have to get some double help."
On what is different about Syracuse this season
"It is all attitude, I agree with Jim Levitt. What I have seen on film from where they have played Minnesota, Northwestern, Maine and Penn State, is young
men who are straining, playing hard, running to the ball and staying on blocks. I don’t know how many holding calls I saw Maine acquire trying to block
them on special teams. That is when I know
people are straining. I don’t just watch film, I evaluate and devour film and the holding calls against Maine, tells me that Syracuse is really straining
and our guys need to see that."
On Syracuse Coaching Staff
"If you look at our roster of coaches, you will see West Virginia natives and you will see men that love the Old Gold and Blue. You will see men that went
to school here, are from here or had an affiliation somewhere with WVU. That is exactly what I see with Doug (Marrone). I have known Doug a long time,
he is a great coach and he has a great
staff. He has people that really want to be at Syracuse, and he has the players believing.
It is a lot easier (to take over a team) when you have bullets in your holster like I did. But is probably a lot more fun and less stress when you are
not supposed to do well but you are doing well."
On Syracuse’s Run Defense
"They play a lot of that two-gap defense, like the great Iowa and Penn State teams did, and then they blitz you. We have to be ready for everything. This
is going to be a real challenge for our guys. They attack you. They bend sometimes and don’t break, sometimes they come after you and win the battle and
then sometimes they come after you and get burnt."
On Max Suter
"I have always been impressed with Max, because he is a local guy from nearby Greensburg, Pa. I like the way he hits you, and I like the way he competes.
He reminds me of Troy Polamalu. He just makes plays, and they rally around him. He is the heart of that secondary. Look at their secondary and their defense;
they are all seniors and juniors. This is a veteran team with some youngsters blended in."
"We had a battle with them here last year when it was 10-6 and Noel (Devine) broke through for a 92-yard run. I had the punt team called up, and he ran
92 yards to the house."
On the leaders of WVU’s team
"I rely on our seniors for that. This season, if I want to kno something I go see No. 47 (Reed Williams), No. 90 (Chris Neild) or No. 93 (Scooter Berry).
I also trust Sidney Glover. On offense, last year I talked to Patrick (White). This year our quarterback No. 16 (Jarrett Brown) is a pretty good man to
talk to, and No. 7 (Noel Devine) wasn’t bad to talk to this week either."
On Greg Paulus
"He is a tenacious player. He thinks he can get it done, which every quarterback should think, and he is doing a good job. I see a four-year basketball
player from Duke and that is pretty special.
Greg Paulus is a winner, and it is so good for the game of football. I just wish he would have waited till about their seventh game to come back."
On what WVU is going to attack
"We are not going to change. I don’t care if we are playing Syracuse, Colorado or Liberty, whoever. We are going to throw the ball deep and we are going
to stretch the field vertically. I hope their defensive staff gets into a fight and says we aren’t blitzing, and we need to stay back. Then I am going
to throw the ball out in the flat. When No. 7 (Noel Devine) gets that ball, I want people to spread out and let him do his thing. We are who we are and
I like what we are doing. I don’t like some of the results of our plays, but we are trying to establish our identity. We aren’t there yet, but we are close.
When people play the Mountaineers I want people to know that you have to defend 100 yards of turf."
On what playing on national television does for WVU
"I am so thankful toward Dave Brown and ESPN. What that has done for our program, our university and our state, you can’t put billboards up across American
for what television has done for us. We are 7-0 on Thursday night home games and that is wonderful advertisement. That is a great venue for WVU and the
BIG EAST. Look at the Eastern seaboard and the media market that we have, it is very powerful and I love it. I am very thankful that we have been the Thursday
night “Darling” of ESPN."
On how to defend Syracuse and Paulus
"How do you stop a playmaker, you don’t. You try to defend the guys around him. Greg Paulus is very good, and he believes that he is good.
It tells you that the game is not that hard. If you block them, if you tackle them and if you play hard and strain and take care of the football, good
things will happen. Greg Paulus and Rob Spence, his coordinator, have a handle on things. Doug Marrone has had success wherever he has been and these guys
know how to coach football. All the magic is starting to click for them."
On WVU’s offensive line
"They (defenses) are so good in today’s game, you are not going to block those guys, even with a four-man rush. When you start blitzing, then that creates
havoc. I was frustrated with some of our answers when Colorado started blitzing."
On WVU’s turnovers
"Let’s start with the first problem we had; missed assignments. We got that corrected after Liberty. Then we couldn’t catch punts in game two. We got that
corrected. Game three we couldn’t help but throw interceptions. I didn’t like that, and we got that corrected. Last week it was fumbles. I am not going
to tell young men to quit straining and I am not going to tell young men to quit trying. I am going to tell them to be more accountable, more dependable
and more responsible, and to just play hard and have fun."
On where WVU is in the season
"I am glad we are 3-1 and not worse. I wish we were 4-0, but you learn from that. We have played hard and physical, and I am proud of that. I am proud of
our defensive coaches for how they have rallied and adjusted to turnovers. I am proud of our offensive coaches and how aggressive they have been. My plan
when I took this job was to attack the entire field, and we have done that. We are tough to defend when we are in sync. There is a whole lot of room for
improvement, but I am really proud of our leadership and they way we have played."
Stewart Sunday Teleconference Quotes
Monday, Oct 5, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his teleconference Sunday.
Opening statement
"After reviewing the film and meeting with the staff this morning, we’re very pleased to be 3-1 at this time. Always wish it were better, but we’re not pleased
with how we’re getting it down. By that I mean, we’re playing very hard. We’re straining. We’re playing physical, and I know we’re playing tough. I’m just
not excited with the miscues we’re having. I can’t fault young men for giving effort and reaching for extra yardage and losing the ball, maybe cutting
back over the middle and trying to make the big play when he should just get the first down. "
"Sometimes, you have to play more conservative, more aware and more responsible. Responsibility is the biggest word I’m going to hit on this week. All of
those “ability” words – responsibility, accountability, dependability. We have great ability on this football team, but it seems like we are forgetting
some of those buzz words."
"That being said, we know the mistakes we made. We know how to correct them, and we just have to go out now and play a game. No one ever is going to play
a perfect game, and no one is going to coach a perfect game. But you can always give an All-America effort to do that – you can strive for that. I’ve always
said I would never be upset after a win, about a win or over a win, and I’m not going to do that. I’m just frustrated that we’re not polished right now."
"Last season, after our East Carolina and Colorado losses, our team came together. Since then, we’re 11-3. That’s good. I’m just frustrated that we aren’t
winning as polished as we can and as convincingly as we can. I’ll let it go at that."
(battle of turnovers against Syracuse)
"I hope not. We had 16 turnovers all of last year, and we have 14 right now. We have had an interception every game, so we have four turnovers for us. But,
we aren’t forcing any fumbles; we’re not getting the turnovers. I just hope that we can finally play a polished game, or we’re going to get beat, because
they’re good."
(on the play of Mike Williams)
"He’s a talent. He’s a major college football player. He’s in a storied program that’s finding itself and reviving itself to get back. He’s one of the main
key players.
I like to watch talented players, I just don’t want them to do the talented things against us. He’s fun to watch. As a player, you want to play against
the best. This guy is a great talent, as is (quarterback Greg) Paulus. They have some weapons - offensively, defensively and special teams."
"I just see that he is a big boy. That’s a concern. We got out-jumped in the end zone for the last touchdown against Colorado. Brandon (Hogan) and Robert
(Sands) got beat when a guy went in the hole between them at Auburn. There are good players out there, but that is why you come to play Division I football."
"Our guys will be excited to play against them. They have really good players, and they’re starting to gel. I recruited some of those players."
(minimizing turnovers)
"I can make them go to class with a ball, and I’m sure that’s quite humbling. I could stand and hit them right in the mouth when they come off the field
– I’m sure some of the fans would appreciate that. I could make them go run up in the stands and go up in the press box. I could really be a jerk."
"The last thing you tell a guy after he drops a pass is scream in his face like everyone wants to see. That’s the dumbest thing a coach could do. What you
do is pull him aside and tell him to strain himself a bit more mentally and that he is letting himself, his team and the school down. You tell him to play
tougher. They are giving us 90-95 percent effort, but they aren’t closing the deal. Just hold the ball high and tight."
"Jarrett Brown doesn’t want those turnovers – he likes to throw it to the guys in our jersey. But, to meet him with the numbers and rant and rave like I’m
some real, tough disciplined coach? Forget it! I’m not doing that to my quarterback. Would I like to see him hold it high and tight? Yes. Is he going to
get his heart broken again, and break some of ours? Probably. You’d hate it, but in his life, he will fumble again and throw another interception."
(fine line between playing all out and playing too conservative)
"You can’t harness these guys and have them walking on eggshells. I want them to play. I don’t like receivers dropping the ball. There are times when you
have got to let these young guys make plays – you can’t harp them to death. You have to let them make plays. That to me is a fine line."
"Can you let them go out there and run wild? No, but you know how we coach, and we won’t let them do that.
Look at (the Steelers’) Hines Ward – he got hit, and the ball pops out. There is not a more dependable guy – it happens. The guys are not perfect."
"Am I accepting it? No. It’s going to be a tough day today. I have already started on these guys. They know the head coach is not a happy camper. Am I going
to run around and scream during the football game? No. Right now, we’re 3-1. I have to just get in these guys’ heads and tell them to play their game,
but just be more responsible. Take care of the ball. And, on defense, they have to go and get us the ball. We aren’t doing that. That frustrates me just
as much. We have four interceptions, but we’re not getting the ball."
"I want the team to put the ball in their arms and run. Don’t try to make the Super Man play. There’s a fine line. We’re still going to sling it and throw
that ball deep. We’re going to mix it up and do reverses."
"I made that reverse call with Brad Starks. After he made that play, I was going to get him, and he looked at me and said, ‘I know, I didn’t look it in.’"
"Don’t tell me that, do it. You think I won’t call a reverse with him again? The ball has to go into playmakers hands.
How do you get them to stop fumbling? Well, we’ll put them in gauntlets today. We have ways. We have ways to make them pay for putting the ball on the ground,
but there are constructive ways to make them pay. Don’t just scream at them and tell them not to fumble – that’s not coaching. I’m going to run them, and
I’m going to run them hard tonight after practice. I’m going to put them through gauntlets and try to punch the balls out and every day this week, we’re
going to work on ball security. That’s all I know to do."
"You can’t believe the coaches I’ve called this weekend – I want to know what they did when they were faced with what I’m faced with now. I’ve had some great
answers, and I appreciate those that are sharing."
"I know this – to look like some tough, raven maniac on the sideline to scream at them ‘Don’t fumble’ is not how you coach. End of story."
(third downs, both offensively and defensively)
"We’ve practiced our fanny off. We started with our mat drills. We tell the team it’s third-and-two, and they have to go out there and wrestle for 10 hard
seconds."
"We started that in January.
Had Ryan Clarke not been on the stadium steps last year, by my instruction, we might have had that last year too, but I’ll bring him along as I see fit."
"Now he’s turned out to be a good lad.
I’m upset this week by 4-of-9. I want to 6-of-9. If we don’t fumble the ball, we would be. Colorado was 10-of-21 on third down. That’s not good. I want
them to be 7-of-21. We’re just not finishing, but we are a whole lot better."
"We did that during spring ball. I went out there one day and did 40 isolations – 20 to the right, 20 to the left. Someone had to win, and the losers had
to do up-downs. That’s what we did to our football team. They thought I was crazy, but that’s OK, because it’s paying off now."
(on play of Scott Kozlowski)
"He really did a great job this week. He hit a 56-yarder, and he had one inside the 20 at the seven. That ball may have rolled into the end zone. He has
really done a great job. Scotty has matured, and he has persevered. He is having a banner season, and I hope for his sake and for the Mountaineers that
it continues."
"He is just mentally tougher. He could have packed it in, but he stayed the course. He didn’t want to leave West Virginia without having proven to himself
first that he could play at this level. He’s a great young man, and he’s going to be a success. I just hope, for his sake, for the rest of the games, he
continues to punt well, because he’s very deserving. He has done all of the work himself."
(on play of Ryan Clarke)
"He’s brought a toughness to this team. He’s brought back a running back mentality. He’s also learning to become a model Mountaineer citizen. He’s laughing,
he’s having a good time, he’s serious when he needs to be, and he’s physical.
What surprises me about him is that he is so hard-headed and that it took him this long to get here. He went through some tough times last year; I wouldn’t
have wanted to be him. What Bill Stewart, Coach Doc Holliday and Coach Garrett Ford brought to the table – I wouldn’t have wanted to be him."
(Syracuse against the run)
"They are coming from everywhere. These guys are pressure defense. When you are restarting a program, you have two schools of thought. You can just go base
and try to get better, or you do what they’re doing right now. Their coordinator’s thought is to be helter-skelter, line up infront and go after that."
"They are just loading the box and coming. If we can protect them, we’re going to push them down the field. We are going to push the ball down the field."
"It’s going to be a chess match."
(on play of Syracuse’ Arthur Jones)
"He is tough. He is a big, redshirt senior. (Jared) Kimmel is a big, redshirt senior. (Derrell) Smith is a senior. They have some young guys, but their secondary
is all juniors and seniors. I recruited some of them. We know these guys. They are tough and they play very well. They just haven’t finished the deal and
they have had some turnovers, and that is what has hurt them."
"Syracuse was in that ball game on Saturday (against USF). Paulus scared me to death. We’re going to have to play tough, solid and conservative. We can’t
turn the ball over. We have to tighten it up."
(on noise at Carrier Dome)
"We played at Auburn and in the Fiesta Bowl. We’re used to noise, and we’ll do the same stuff. I’m hoping it’s not as loud, but I’m sure they’ll be cranked
up."
Colorado Preview
Wednesday, Sept 30 2009
The WVU football team returns home for a night game against the Colorado Buffaloes at Milan Puskar Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:45 PM. Coverage on AJR begins at 3:30 PM. WVU is 2-1 coming into the game having just lost to the Auburn Tigers on the road. The Buffaloes are 1-2 grabbing their first win in their last game against the Wyoming Cowboys 24-0. They held Wyoming in that game to just 13 first downs and 230 yards of offense. They lost 54-38. In that game, they gave up 54 points and 624 yards. The Buffaloes are led by junior quarterback Cody Hawkins who is the son of head coach Dan Hawkins. He is fourth in career passing at Colorado trailing Joe Klatt, Kordell Stewart, and Koy Detmer with 5,338 career yards. He has completed 493 of 879 pass attempts. He has scored 41 touchdowns in 2 and a half years as a starter. He has completed 71 of 135 pass attempts for 753 yards and 5 touchdowns so far this season. He threw for 175 yards in the win over Wyoming. His longest completion so far this year was to Andre Simmons for 41 yards. Colorado has 3 receivers showing more than 13 receptions. The leader is Scotty McKnight with 20 catches for 227 yards and 2 touchdowns. Jason Espinosa and tight end Riar Greer both have 13 catches for averages of 10.5 and 9.2 yards per catch respectively. The Buffaloes have 3 running backs in Rodney Stewart, Darrell Scott and Demetrius Sumler. Stewart has 165 yards and averages 4.3 yards per carry.
Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Here is what WVU head football coach Bill Stewart had to say in his Tuesday newsconference to the media. Stewart talks about the Colorado Buffaloes among other things. The Mountaineers play the Colorado Buffaloes Thursday, Oct 1 at Milan Puskar Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:45 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 3:30 PM.
Opening Statements
"We expect a very formidable opponent to come in here on Thursday night. They showed how they can play in their game against Wyoming. I think these people
have yet to play their best football, and it is indicative of what they can do when they are gelling, and that is what I saw them do against Wyoming."
"We expect a very tough opponent to come in here and to make this a tough football game."
On Colorado against Wyoming
"They stayed very base and played their 4-3 base plan with a lot of two deep, like the pros do. They were soft with the corners, they blitzed when they
had too, and they played Colorado football. They bent at times, but they never broke."
On team’s traveling to the east coast
"I think if you play early in the morning. For instance last year, a Pac-10 Conference team came to the east coast and played an early morning game (noon
our time) against an ACC team and got beat. It was 9 a.m. their body time. With that being said, a 7:30 p.m. kickoff like ours, if you put that to their
body time, its their regular practice time. It is very much the same time they play every day."
On the BIG EAST Conference
"I think the BIG EAST is balanced. I think it is safe to say that there are four teams that could beat anyone, any week. Also, there are at least three
other teams that are capable of winning on any giving Saturday as well.
How it shakes out, I think there was a shock early because the opening BIG EAST game (up at Rutgers) caught everyone by surprise. Rutgers has reeled off
three straight wins and beat a tough Maryland team in College Park. We have a very competitive league, and it is very interesting to see where we are right
now. In the next four weeks, the BIG EAST will really take shape."
"That was a big win for USF (against Florida State) and a great win for the BIG EAST. That does not surprise me because of the Floridians and the players
from out of state that USF has on their roster."
"I don’t know about the Louisville, Cincinnati comparison. Cincinnati is 10th in the country and that is good for our league. Whether they stay there or
get better is going to be seen in the next three or four weeks. But don’t count Louisville out, they can beat anybody. They played a very good game last
week."
"The BIG EAST is good football."
On Cody Hawkins
"Cody Hawkins is a coach’s son and a “film rat.” He grew up around football, and he knows football. He has seen guys get chewed out and he has seen guys
get loved, just look at how many great people he has been around growing up with his Dad at Boise State. This guy knows the game. He is a very good football
player. Last year I tried to keep the ball on the ground to keep him off the field. This year we are not going to change our offense. We are going to do
what we do best. I hope our defense can contain him."
On this week’s game
"We are going to try to keep them off balance and get them out of rhythm. I don’t want to them to be too able to hone in on us, and I don’t want them to
bend and not break. I want to see if we can break them and break them early."
On Major Harris’s Appearance
"It is going to be great. I know Morgantown is excited and the whole West Virginia nation should be excited. He is one of great heroes of all time. He is
very deserving, and I will be in New York in early December to represent WVU. We are very excited and happy to have Major; it is going to be a neat sight."
"I thought he was way ahead of his time. He was a great player and he made things happen. He is one on my heroes."
On injuries
"Reed Williams had a good practice yesterday. He hit in shells, he ran full speed and he competed in every drill. Scooter ran yesterday, we had him on the sled but he
did not hit live. I did not want to see his arm get pulled back. I am hoping Thursday night Scooter can go."
"Reed Williams is cranked and ready to go."
On what has been pressuring WVU
"The first play of the game (Colorado vs. Wyoming) Colorado brought the outside linebacker up and blitzed, the Wyoming quarterback got around him. The first
play of the Auburn game, a guy came at Jarrett (Brown) and he got around him. That has caused us some problems, but with the over all pressure Jarrett
has handled very well, with a little screen pass."
On last season’s Colorado game
"I think our guys knew that they could contain those guys. I know we gelled after that game; I was in the locker room. It reminded me so much of 2003 down
in Miami. I was in that locker room and there was a lot of hurt. We became a football team on defense last year after that Colorado game, and then we got
better and better after every game on offense.
Jeff Casteel made adjustments last year that shut them down pretty well. But we kept the ball out of Cody Hawkins’ hands. Remember, we ran for 315 yards
and lost that football game."
"We are different this year, but we want to take a look at their personnel. I want to look at how they attacked us. We learned, the staff learned and the
players learned, so hopefully we won’t make those same mistakes. Again, Colorado had a lot to do with that, they played us tough."
On conference personalities
"I believe they develop from styles of play and coaches. I can’t imagine myself out in California, I would be honored, but they probably wouldn’t know what
I was saying. I don’t mean that bad, but I can imagine those guys in here either. They have tremendous coaches out there.
It is sections of the country. The SEC has speed, the ACC is a combination and in the WAC when I was there, everyone threw the ball. So I think it is regional,
it is how they play. Weather and where you recruit has a lot to do with it as well. Years ago, coaches couldn’t go out and recruit, they taught classes,
so it was a regional thing."
WVU Football Player Quotes
Thursday, Sept 24, 2009
Here are select quotes from wVU football players. The Mountaineers return to action Thursday, Oct 2 at home against the Colorado Buffaloes. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 3:30 PM.
Trippe Hale
On making the trip south:
"I was happy to be back and very excited. I’m just glad that I was healthy enough to make the trip to Auburn.”
"I had a bunch of friends there and my brother, Carson, goes to Auburn so he was there with all of his friends. I barely talked to him the week after the
Auburn game because I didn’t want to hear what he had to say.”
On his performance at Auburn:
“After getting a big tackle right off the bat, people were just saying ‘It’s good for you to have you Trippe back,’ and I really appreciated that. I work
hard and take special teams seriously so it was good to hear that.”
“I think we were in a good place against Auburn. We never did the same kick twice and we were always keeping them guessing. I feel like last year we were
the ones guessing, but we learned from that and kept them guessing.”
Bradley Starks
On the overall performance at Auburn:
“I think it’s great that we get another week to prepare for Colorado. We went in knowing that it was a tough game and that we’ve got to play hard and stay
focused. The offense has performed great but we can always be better and play better.”
“Turnovers are something you can prevent but you can’t stop them so we just have to cut down on them and play the way we’ve been playing.”
On how to improve the result:
“I think we just have to keep working at what we do best and fine tuning what we do best and cut down on turnovers. We just need to learn from it and not
do it again.”
“Coach Jeff Mullen and the staff have been doing a great job of getting us in position to make good plays.
Josh Jenkins
On the atmosphere at Auburn:
“After experiencing Auburn’s crowd and they were pretty wild, we need to get our crowd wild too. The atmosphere was crazy. It was so loud there that you
couldn’t even hear yourself think. It was something else.”
Jarrett Brown
On his shoulder:
“My shoulder feels a little better and I can lift my arm but it’s not my throwing arm so that’s good.
On Auburn’s defense:
“They switched it up a little bit and did a good job at giving us a different look with a new defense, I just wasn’t prepared for that.”
“I always told myself I wouldn’t get too down because it’s early in the season and we have plenty more ball to play. Like I always say, experience is the
best teacher you could have.
On practice this week:
“This week we’re going to focus on taking care of the ball and executing plays, we’re going to play a lot harder. We’re real good, we just need to eliminate
the mistakes.
On the Auburn loss:
“I didn’t get much sleep that night because I was thinking about those plays over and over and over. I watched that tape about five times within a two
day span. I see that loss as a blessing because it humbled me so much and made me a much better player. I learned how to take a loss.”
Auburn Game Thoughts
Wednesday, Sept 23, 2009
I know the Mountaineers lost, and that is always disappointing. But, I do not think this means the end of the world. I thought other than the 6 turnovers, the Mountaineers played very well. They beat the Tigers in every aspect and clearly had the game except for the turnovers. The Mountaineers will learn from this loss. I do not feel they will have a game with 6 turnovers like that again. I think the turnovers are something the Mountaineers need to work on, but I don't think it's the end of the world and in the longrun it will help them. The same can be said for quarterback Jarrett Brown. I think both he and the team will play much better next Thursday under the lights against Colorado.
Stewart Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, Sept 22, 2009
Here is what WVU head football coach Bill Stewart said in his weekly press conference. He talks about the Mountaineers injury situation, the Auburn loss, the upcoming game against the Colorado Buffaloes, and having a week off.
Opening Statements
"I was very proud of our football team this past weekend down in Auburn, Ala. I thought we played Mountaineer football in its true form. We were aggressive
offensively, defensively and on special teams."
"I thought we had some very fine performances by several people and we had a heck of a game plan. I was really proud of the coaches and the way we attacked."
"But in football, the ball doesn’t always bounce your way and we got bit at the end with turnovers and not taking control of the game when we thought we
had a chance to. I compliment those who played down there. It was neat to play that game and it was fun to adjust to the rain and the whole deal."
On injuries
"Jarrett (Brown) has a contusion underneath the shoulder. I guess it would be determined as a bruise/sprain from what I have been told by the medical people.
He has been getting treatment pretty much non-stop.
Scooter (Berry) has shown some good signs of mobility. I was in the training room with those guys on Sunday and his range of motion is getting better. Reed
(Williams) is making great headway. I think he would have been ready this week and now that we have that extra time, I don’t foresee any problems with
him."
On coaching after a loss
"I relate coaching to parenting. If I was the kind of parent that continued to harp and point fingers and blame, then I would probably lose that child because
I would turn them away. If I was a lackadaisical parent, I probably wouldn’t get much out of them either. What we have to do is try to be as constructive
and as truthful as we can be, and figure out what happened good, bad and indifferent. There are 11 guys on offense, 11 on defense and 11 guys on special
teams that could have all played better at some time during the course of the game. That is just the fact, but no one guy lost this game for us."
"You have to look at the total picture. What did you do well? I really don’t care who we are playing this week. All I care about is, ‘what can we do to become
as good as we can possibly be.’ We look at the positives, the negatives and the things that are 50-50.
On changing play calling
"We are throwing deep. We are throwing the ball down the middle and we are going to make them defend the field. We are not backing off in our play calling."
"I thought it was exciting. Offensively and defensively we had them on their heels, just look at the stats. The bottom line is we didn’t win the game. That
is the biggest stat.
With play calling, you just have to figure out what you do best in crucial times. I didn’t want to leave any bullets in the holster. I want to be aggressive."
"However, if you have injured players like we did at Syracuse last year. Then you are going to have to hand the ball off and work the clock. We are going
to be aggressive in all three phases of the game.
On kickoff coverage
"It was better than it’s been. It wasn’t like it was three or four years ago when I put this in. It looks like we are headed back in that direction."
"Robert Sands was in there, Jordan Roberts was in, Matt Lindamood was in and Trippe Hale was back. He was an explosion. He was in on three big hits. He is a homeboy down there and when I put him in that lineup, it was the best thing I did.
It was fun to see him get back in the swing of things."
On earning a starting position
"If I see someone practice well, they will play. Guys that don’t practice as well as other guys in their position will still play, they just won’t start."
"It is not anything against one person."
On being aggressive and dealing with turnovers
"I don’t want ever to have a quarterback be reckless, but I hope they have the same attitude that Jarrett Brown has and the John Elway kind of guys have. Those guys I can put in there and they make the throw. Jarrett is an aggressive. He likes to pitch it and catch
it and he attack defenses, and he has done a pretty good job. It was his fifth start and his first road start and I thought he did really well.
When Geno (Smith) went in, he came open, had a beautiful read, then he stepped on a lineman’s foot and the sack got him. That tells you that it is coming."
"They know where to go with the ball and when to get in there.
On Geno Smith
"I think he is going to say that he got to play in one of the so-called “nice venues” of college football in his first time on the road. I also think he
will grow and learn from that experience. His reads were right on. He got hit one time and stepped on a foot when he was stepping up to make a throw. It
is good to see a youngster who came from high school last year step up. It was very impressive."
On Jarrett Brown
"I learned that he is a tough guy, he is a leader and he wants to win so badly that he maybe he tried just a little too hard. Understand, he had some guys
chasing him out there though.
If we had a game this week, Jarrett would be starting if the soreness was out. It is just a sore bruise, kind of like Syracuse last year, but it is his
non-throwing arm. As tough as Jarrett Brown is, he would play if we had a game this weekend. That is just how he is and that is why I love him."
On Auburn’s passing game
"I thought they made some nice catches. I don’t know if they threw the ball well, but the completions turned out well for them."
On Colorado’s passing game
"First of all, we are going work on what we do. Today, we are going to go out and work on special teams. We are going to do about three periods of that,
and then we are going to do three periods of skelly and four periods of team and just correct our things."
"Tomorrow, we are going to do an inside drill against each other, we are going one-on-one and we are going to play Mountaineer football for two days. I don’t
care who we play, we are going to get better at blocking and tackling. That is the main priority on Wednesday and Thursday. Then on Friday, we will do
more special teams, back to two-minute drills and get ready for Colorado."
On Noel Devine’s size and toughness
"We talked about this earlier in the year, but I would like to see him carry the ball about 20 or 25 times a game. I would like to get the ball in his hands
passing about three to eight times. The problem is when you run the option and Jarrett pulls the ball, Noel’s number is called. We can’t tell you what
that defense is going to do. That is why we have to find ways to get the ball in No. 7’s hand like we did on that first touchdown.
The other night, seven flat out ran over two or three guys. He is a tough man.
I think if you spread the defense out and give the ball to seven, there are lanes and creases and he can hit them. I am so impressed with his burst. When
the ball touches his hands, watch how fast his feet turn.
Number nine (Jock Sanders), when we get the ball to him, he is exploding, too. These guys are playing with great explosion and that is telling me that what Mike Joseph is doing
is paying off. They are fresh and they are strong."
On Jock Sanders
"We are trying to spread the wealth. We are trying to spread the defense and Jock has an innate ability to get open and make catches, and he doesn’t drop
the ball very often. When he catches the ball, Jock Sanders explodes out of his cut."
On Bradley Starks
"That catch he made was outstanding. Bradley Starks has just given us such great vertical stretch. Bradley and Alric Arnett give the team great vertical stretch and that has an effect against defenses.
We would like to put him in a wildcat. Starks can pass the ball."
On Coach Mullen’s progress as a offensive coordinator
"I think he is very comfortable. We call just about the same plays as last yera; they just work better this year.
I know our sill level is pretty good. Look at Bradley Starks, Alric Arnett, Wes Lyons and Jock Sanders out there on the flank and two tight ends with Will Johnson and Tyler Urban. Then you have Noel and Jarrett in the back field being able to run that ball that is a lot of talent. Now are we ready to be kingpins of football? No,
we are still a work in progress. I really like what we are doing and I like the aggressiveness. We are not going to back off. I want to take the ball and
stretch the field vertically as well as horizontally. We have always done a good job at stretching the field horizontally, but never that well vertically,
and that is what we are doing."
On Colorado
"I see a lot of talent from this Colorado team. A lot of misfiring, but a lot of talent and it was shown this week against a very tough Wyoming team. They
played very hard against Colorado State and Toledo, but they were just misfiring. So I see a talented group of people that beat us last year. They have
good running backs, quarterback and receivers."
On playing on National Television
"It helps us greatly with recruiting. Some people have called us the Thursday night special, because people love to watch the Old Gold and Blue play. We
have had great success on Thursday night games. It speaks volumes about where our program is and what the BIG EAST and national people think of us."
Big East Predictions, Week 3
Thursday, Sept 17, 2009
Here are my predictions for this week's games in the Big East conference. It is a big week for the Big East.
All games Saturday, Sept 19
West Virginia University at Auburn, 7:45 PM,
I think this will be a very tough game for the Mountaineers. Not only will they be playing on the road in a hostile SEC environment, the Tigers are very good. They have one of the best offenses in the country and their defense is also good. The Mountaineers will have to play very well. They will need to avoid turning the ball over, making stupid mistakes, and getting unneeded penalties. I am going with WVU. I think it will be very close though.
Louisville at Kentucky, 12:00 PM
This is always a big rivalry between these two schools and the state of Kentucky. It has been a pretty close exciting game the last few years. I'm going with Louisville in this one, but I think it will be close.
Florida International at Rutgers 5:00 PM
Rutgers has not been playing well. I'm going with Rutgers in this one though. I think they should be able to beat Florida International. I hope so at least, because every win for the Big East helps it's respect.
Connecticut at Baylor 5:00 PM
Last season, the Huskies beat the Bears. The Huskies almost beat North Carolina last week, but just couldn't finish the game. This upcoming game is at Baylor. I think they will be looking for revenge. I'm taking the Bears. It will be interesting though to see how the Huskies respond from their close loss last week.
Navy at Pitt, 6:00 PM
I'm taking the Panthers in this one. Buffalo and Youngstown aren't exactly top teams, but the Panthers have done well and blown them out. This game is another one that has traditionally been close. It could be close again this year.
Cincinnati at Oregon State 6:45 PM
I'm taking the Bearcats in this one. I think they've also played well, including having a win against Rutgers and blowing out South Eastern Missouri State 70-3 last week. Oregon State has wins against Portland State and they scored a field goal at the last second to beat UNLV. Even though the Bearcats are playing on the road at Oregon State, I'm taking them. I just think they are a better team.
Charleston Southern at South Florida 7:00 PM
I'm definitely going with the Bulls in this one. Charleston Southern is 0-2 and lost last week to Wofford 42-14. I think the Bulls won't have any trouble with this one and it will probably be a high scoring game for USF.
North Western at Syracuse 7:00 PM
This is a must win for Syracuse. They really need to get a win, especially at home and before conference play offficially begins. I think North Western will beat them though.
Auburn Preview
Wednesday, Sept 16, 2009
The Mountaineers will have a tough game ahead as they go on the road for the first time this season traveling to SEC country to play the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium. The stadium will be one of the loudest places the Mountaineers have ever played at as it seats 80 thousand. This will be the first time the Mountaineers have played in front of 80 thousand on the road since the 2001 Notre Dame game. Both teams come into this game 2-0. The Mountaineers defeated East Carolina Saturday 35-20. The Tigers have wins against Louisianna Tech and Mississippi State. This is the first time the Mountaineers have traveled to SEC country since 2006 when they defeated Mississippi State 42-14 in Starkville. The Mountaineers defeated the Tigers last season in Morgantown 34-17. Overall, the Mountaineers own a 22-17-2 record against SEC teams including a 5-game winning streak since 2000 (Mississippi, Georgia, Mississippi State, and Auburn). Auburn is coached by Gene Chizik who is in his first season with the Tigers. The Tigers have one of the best offenses in the country through two weeks of play. They rank second in rushing yards with 345.5 and fourth in total offense with 572.5. The Tigers recorded back to back 500 yard offensive performances in their first two games. They had 589 yards of total offense in the Mississippi State win. Senior runningback Ben Tate leads the SEC and is ranked 7th nationally in rushing averaging 137 yards per game. Backup freshman Onterio McCalebb was once a Mountaineer recruit. He is also very good, ranking first in the SEC averaging 196 yards per game. He has become the first freshman in the Tigers history to run for more than 100 yards in his first two games. Auburn is the only team in the country with a pair of runningbacks averaging more than 100 yards rushing per game. Senior quarterback Chris Todd has not thrown an interception yet this season. He has attempted 49 passes so far this season. He has completed 55.1 percent of throws for 441 yards and two touchdowns. Backup quarterback Kodi Burns, who started 7 games for the Tigers last season, is first in the SEC in scoring averaging 12 points per game. Wide receivers Darvin Adams and Mario Fannin have each caught 9 passes for a combined 266 yards and a touchdown. Another receiver, Terrell Zachery, has caught 5 passses for 139 yards and a touchdown. Defensively, the Tigers have two very tall tackles in 6-8-foot junior Lee Ziemba and 6-6-foot Andrew McCain. Another big defensive player is senior left end Antonio Coleman. Coleman has 15 and a half sacks for his career which ranks him 10th in Auburn history. In 39 career games, he has produced a total of 112 tackles,
including 32 and a half tackles for losses, and a pair of forced fumbles. Senior corner Walter McFadden has broken up a pair of passes this year and shows three interceptions for his career. Six-foot-two 230-pound senior middle linebacker Josh Bynes has 16 tackles this season. The game is scheduled to kick off at 7:45 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 3:30 PM.
Stewart Auburn Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, Sept 15, 2009
Here are quotes from WVU football coach Bill Stewart's Tuesday press conference. He talks about the injury situation, the upcoming game with Auburn, and the Mountaineers last game against East Carolina. The Mountaineers go on the road for the first time this season against the Auburn Tigers Saturday, Sept 19. Gametime is set for 7:45 PM. Coverage on WAJR AM begins at 3:30 PM.
Opening Statements
We had a very nice win over East Carolina. We were pleased about the win; however, we were not overjoyed. But you can never be discouraged with a win,
you just find ways to make the win better. That is what we try to do here at West Virginia University.
The first win, to some, may not have been as colorful as it should have been against a good Liberty team. Maybe people thought with our mental part of the
game, we should have done better against East Carolina. I know we are very pleased to be 2-0, and we feel good about where we are.
I am concerned about some injuries. I am pleased to say today, that
Trippe Hale
, who is an Alabama native and whose dad is in charge of the senior bowl and coached at Alabama, will be going home if the hip flexor and groin are doing
better. We are going to make him go full speed this week on kickoff live, on punt live and on defense, because we are not going down there to sight see,
we are going to play football. We are going to take guys that are going to contribute. Trippe has earned that opportunity; we will just have to see how
he responds today.
The other two are
Scooter Berry
and
Reed Williams
. Berry is day-to-day. In the pool yesterday he did a very nice workout from what I heard and they (the medical staff) were pleased with his progress.
Reed Williams
is day-to-day and his day-to-day is brighter.
On what happens if Berry doesn’t play
The mix will be that the veteran guys will go. But think back now what
Ovid Goulbourne
did. He comes off the edge in about 4.5 seconds and benches about 425 (pounds). He brings something to the table, as does Najee Goode. These are 400 pound
benchers and they are fast. We will have a plan to keep fresh people in. Right now, Bill Kirelawich and the defensive staff will start off with
Chris Neild
and
Julian Miller
and then we will see how Scooter goes. We hope Scooter will play, but I don’t know that he will. We don’t want to get him hurt; this is only game three.
On Auburn’s offensive numbers
I see a track meet. It is going to be very difficult to contain the Auburn Tigers. They are fourth overall in total offense and second in rushing. That
tells me they go and they make a lot of plays. They are a fast team and they are playing very well right now. It is going to be a tremendous challenge
for our guys.
On Auburn’s ground game
They can run it all. They run the draw, they run the power, the belly, the zone, the quarterback and it is all fast. It is fun to watch when you are not
playing them.
On being a passing team going into this weekend’s game
It is usually good going in as a passing team, but then I look and Auburn is 19th in the country in pass defense. Not only are they running the ball well,
but they have a good pass defense. I have known their coaches a long time and they have a really nice plan.
On SEC speed
That means when you play against an SEC team, it is speed. They run. Their skills run, their linebackers run and their defensive linemen run. When you
look back in the 1980s when coach (Bobby) Bowden went down to Florida State, those linemen get in their sprinter stances and look like lanky linebackers
playing on the defensive line. They substitute size for speed and that is what we have done here in our 3-3-stack. We are fast as well.
The game is a game of speed and getting from point A to point B the best way you can.
On the Pistol Offense
The pistol puts the guy behind the quarterback, like the I-formation or the straight T. Anything balanced causes defenses not to fly to the ball as fast
as they would have with a loaded set. When you get in that I-formation or the pistol, then you balance it out and spread the defense out with your wide
receivers.
On opponents’ coaches congratulating
Jarrett Brown
That to me speaks volumes. I found Patrick Pickney after our game and gave him a hug. I think Pickney is a tremendous competitor and player, and I see
the same thing in either quarterback that will play against us on Saturday. When you see those kinds of players, it gets your attention as a coach and
I think that is nice that they did that to Jarrett.
On WVU’s success against SEC teams
There league is very tough and they beat each other up. I think the BIG EAST is a physical league. We get beat up and we beat each other up as well. I
did not know that we have beaten SEC teams the last five times we’ve played them. This is going to be a slugfest. When you play an SEC team, you better
have everything work good for you.
On Auburn’s coaching staff
It’s not much different than it was. The spread is a little different, but defensively I still see Auburn lining up. I know the coaches very well and they
have a great staff. It is going to be tough and our guys are just going to have to play well. We are going to have to coach well.
On the venue
We have played in some tough arenas, we’re just going to have to go out and play hard.
On stopping the rush
We don’t have the answers on how we are going to stop Auburn from rushing just yet. We are going to practice today and see how that looks.
Once we got ahead on Saturday, we put a little pressure on them and made them throw the ball, which worked in our favor. We took them out of the run.
This is a speed, tempo offense that doesn’t interchange a lot. They will take Kodie (Burns) from receiver and throw him in at quarterback, and next thing
you know he makes a play.
On defending the Wildcat
It is like Pat White, we were a wildcat offense a lot last year. When he was in the backfield, it was a different dimension, and that is what Kodie brings
to the field. If we can get ahead, then maybe they will have to throw the ball more and it will take them out of the running game. The biggest thing is
to get them off rhythm and off schedule.
On
Jock Sanders
Jock Sanders
has bought into the plan. For this plan to work, we all must spread the wealth, in catching the ball and blocking. We are not asking these guys to block
75 percent of the time, but they seem to be having fun. They know they can catch the ball at any route.
Jarrett Brown
will fire that ball at anytime and you better get your head around because he is reading the coverage fast.
On biggest concerns
I am concerned with us moving the ball and them moving the ball. It is going to be a big game of field position. If we can continue to stay out of the
backfield, we will have chance to have a good season.
Player Quotes
Tuesday, Sept 15, 2009
Here are player quotes from Tuesday.
Selvish Capers
On playing at Auburn
It is going to be a great game. They are a good team. We beat them last year, but they have had a year to recuperate and rebuild, so it is going to be
a big game, plus, it is at Auburn. They are doing it for their home crowd so we have to just go out and play Mountaineer ball.
I believe it is going to be one of the largest crowds I have ever played in front of. I heard their fans really get into it. I think it is going to be a
really good environment to have a football game and I am excited.
We prepare for it (the crowd noise) everyday. On Thursday’s, they blare the music during practice.
Bradley Starks
On today’s practice
It went really well today. We all went out and competed. We were physical with one another and we just had a good practice.
On playing Auburn on the road
It is going to be a tough environment. They are a team coming off two wins and they have a lot of momentum on their side. We just have to go in and stay
focused and play.
I think the crowd noise is a concern everywhere you go. Especially at Auburn, because it is a Saturday night game and there is going be a big crowd. We
just have to prepare mentally for it and just try to survive it.
Najae Goode
On Saturday’s biggest challenge
The biggest challenge is to stay focused. We are going into a big environment and all of the SEC schools have a big crowd environment. So our biggest challenge
is to go down there and play Mountaineer football.
On WVU’s biggest weapon
If our team stays together and we play what coach Stewart calls Old Gold and Blue Mountaineer football, and that includes our offense and defense, it will
be hard to stop us. We will just have to keep it up throughout the game.
On the environment for this weekend
We just have to show up. Those environments are big, but those are the kinds of players that we want to play in as college football players. It is really
exciting for me.
Player and Coach Quotes
Tuesday, Sept 8, 2009
Here are quotes from select WVU football players.
Jarrett Brown
On last season’s ECU game
"This is a different offense. Coach Mullen has a feel for what he wants out of us and I have a feel for what he wants. We went through all of the growing
pains last season."
"They are pretty talented and a solid team on defense. They have a lot of guys returning.
We have to be physical this season. They out-toughed us last year. Coach Mullen is going to call a different game; we know what we need to get done this
time."
"We talked about it (turning the ball over against ECU) all spring and summer. That is the first thing on our win charts, taking care of the ball.
We need to be tough and do what we do. We need to make them defend what we do, not so much worry about the defense, but just make sure we get our job done.
We need to execute, take care of the ball and make them defend every part of the field in this spread offense."
J.T. Thomas
"You can take anything and turn it into a positive. We had so many mistakes against ECU, it was easy to pick up on what we needed to fix. That game helped
us get better for the rest of the season."
"I think that game was a time for us to come together. When we followed up with a loss to Colorado, it was a heartbreaker, because we had a great week or
two of practice to get ready for the game. We were disappointed losing to Colorado because we felt like we had gotten so much better."
On Brandon Hogan vs. ECU last season.
"You have to take baby steps, and that was his first time really being out there in action. He is a totally different player now."
Julian Miller
On his size
"With coach (Bill) Kirelawich, he always teaches technique and I think that helps me deal with my size. I may be a little bit underweight compared to some
defensive ends or defensive linemen that have been on this team in the past, but for the most part, as long as I have good technique, good hands and stay
low, coach Kirelawich says I’ll be alright."
"We practice it (playing the run) all during the offseason so since the season is here now, if you are not ready now, you better toughen up. That is one
thing that I practiced all offseason, so I am prepared."
On his feelings on quarterbacks
"I don’t like them. I try to let them know it with my pads rather than my mouth."
On his first sack against Liberty
"Honestly, I didn’t even know he (Mike Brown) had the ball. All day he was getting the ball out quick, so once I hit him I just brought him down. Once I
realized he had the ball I was happy."
Coach Stewart Press Conference Quotes
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach Bill Stewart said to the media at his weekly press conference. The Mountaineers play their second game of the season against the East Carolina Pirates. Kickoff is at 3:30 P.M. from Milan Puskar Stadium. Coverage begins on WAJR A.M. at 11:30 P.M.
Opening Statements
"This Saturday, at our football game against East Carolina, there will be child identification packets handed out by the Federal Bureau of Investigation
(FBI). This partnership between the FBI and the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) was first established January 8, 2002, and we are very proud
of this partnership. Members of our local FBI will be distributing these kits halfway through the fourth quarter."
"My observations after watching the film from last weekend, are that number one, we played hard. Number two, we did not play as smart as I would like for
us to have played. We did not play dumb football, we just had a few communication breakdowns, and we need to play smarter."
"The guys that I am most proud of after this game were, on offense, Jarrett Brown and Don Barclay. Defensively, J.T. Thomas and Julian Miller were co-players of the game. I thought both played hard. On special teams, I can’t imagine the rush going through his mind on the first kick, Tyler Bitancurt was awarded.
This week, East Carolina brings some talent. They won a tough game, and they played very well at times against Appalachian State. I really respect Patrick
Pinkley, it all starts with him. He is tough to get out of rhythm and the game plan goes through him."
"Their defense comes at you, and they play hard. They don’t make a lot of mistakes. Their kicking game has a lot of speed, athleticism and they have guys
that follow the plan. East Carolina is solid, and they should be tough. It will be a hard fought football game."
On Julian Miller
"Julian did a nice job with second-effort rushing. He did not have any free shots on the quarterback, but once he engaged the blocker, he really got after
it."
"I think Julian Miller brings some speed to our defense, particularly on the front. He is an athlete like Scooter (Berry) and Chris (Neild). He is a guy that has stepped up and
that is going to help our football team."
"A pretty good football coach named Bill Kirelawich helped step him up. He spent his time on the scout team, he got to play some last year and that opened
his eyes a little. I thought he had a very good spring; he just hadn’t done it in the arena like he did on Saturday."
On Ryan Clarke
"He (
Ryan Clarke) was physical, he had a few pancakes, where he knocked the guy flat on his back, and I thought he ran the ball hard when he had a chance. He is getting
better. It is all ahead of him, but he has a chance to be a pretty good football player."
On Reed Williams
"I looked out there one time and said that I was glad number 47 (
Reed Williams) was out there in the middle of the defense. He looked like he was having a ball. He was enjoying himself, he was playing downhill, he was playing fast
and he did a nice job. We didn’t play him the entire game, because we didn’t want to. We have other guys that can play, but it was nice to have Reed and
his senior leadership back."
On the Status of Wes Lyons
"That is an issue that will be handled by Dave Kerns and our medical staff. He should play, but if he is not 100 percent or at least close to it, he won’t.
It will be left up to the trainers."
On the Offensive line
"I thought our offensive line handled the stunts and twist pretty adequately. They were thrown things that we haven’t seen.
On Last Season’s ECU Game
I was not pleased and the players were not pleased. I talked to them about how you have to do more than just out and put on the old Gold and Blue, you
have to go out there and block and tackle. I was not very happy after the game last year."
On Robert Sands
"He didn’t start because the guy that started did better in practice, and that goes for every position. But Robert Sands came on and had a pretty good game. Competition is healthy. He is excited and if he works hard, maybe he will come out for the opening play."
On Getting Over the First-Game Jitters
"I believe that each and every game you can get better. I’ve heard that most teams improve the most between games one and two, but I don’t know if I’d go
that far. I think we got better all last year. I hope we continue to get better this year, I just hope we do it quicker this season."
On Patrick Pickney
"He (Patrick Pickney) does not turn the ball over, he moves the chains and he does what he is asked to do. He really knows how to take care of the football.
That is what each and every quarterback needs to do. If you take care of the football, you have a chance to be in contention at the end of the game."
On the Progression of the Corners and Secondary
"They have gotten better. Brandon Hogan and Keith Tandy will just have to play smart and sound, but we are going to have to help them. We need to get pressure, we need to drop and confuse the quarterback and
we need to help our corners because they are going to be tested."
On Coach Chris Beatty
Chris Beatty is a decent human being, a fine man and a tremendous role model, as all of our coaches are. I have a great staff. We have some fine men of
society, they are great dads, great husbands and they live life the way you are supposed to live it. We all stumble in our walk, but our players have great
men to emulate. So far, Noel, Jock and the rest of the guys have tried to emulate the kind of guy Chris Beatty is and that is special."
On ECU vs. Appalachian State
"I think Appalachian State is good football team. What happens is sometimes you get ahead and you relax. Then here they come and you have a problem on your
hands. It will be a chess match on Saturday. I think those who strain the longest and play the toughest will win the football game."
Coach Stewart Teleconference Quotes
Sunday, Sept 6, 2009
Here is what head WVU football coach Bill Stewart had to say in a teleconference about the Mountaineers 33-20 victory over Liberty Saturday.
Coach Bill Stewart Teleconference Sunday, September 06, 2009
Opening statement
"Today is going to be a work day for the Mountaineers. We’ve looked at the film and come up with our award winners. We’ve dissected the (Liberty) game and
will continue to dissect the game as we prepare for the East Carolina Pirates."
"I’m more concerned with what we do, and not what the other people do, and I wasn’t pleased with some of the things that we did yesterday. I thought we had
too many mental breakdowns, for instance on offense, we had a couple missed assignments. We were looking at some signals, and that goofed our guys up too.
People can steal our signals; that does happen out there."
"Defensively, it was puzzling me why everyone in our stadium knew No. 10 was going to get the ball, but our players did not.
Someone has indicated to me that the (BIG EAST) Conference office has called and the first (Liberty) touchdown was a pick play, as I tried to tell them
yesterday. That didn’t work well. You play the hand you’re dealt, and keep playing. It was offensive pass interference, but I don’t complain about that;
you just keep playing the game. It would have been tough, though, if that was a deciding touchdown against us. That would have been hard to swallow. It’s
not very fun to hear the next day that the officials made a mistake."
"I’m more worried about the Mountaineers than I am the opponent. We have to correct some things."
(on yesterday’s plays)
"We had some outstanding plays by some players, but when No. 10 was on the goal line, we had to take away the inside. We couldn’t let him come across the
middle. That’s junior high football, and that frustrates me."
"Offensively, not seeing a signal is the easiest cop-out in the world. When defensive guys complain that they’re getting held, I’ll say, ‘Fine, then you’re
too slow. You can sit on the bench.’ Offensively, If you can’t get the call, then you can’t see, and you can come sit down with me. I’m very blunt with
that stuff. I don’t buy those excuses. Those led to some of those not-so-good plays. We didn’t have many, but we had enough."
(on Sidney Glover)
"He did not play yesterday. That was my call. It wasn’t because of injury. He hasn’t practiced enough to be on the traveling team. I told him that we need
him next week, but we’ll see how he practices. If he doesn’t practice, he won’t play. He wasn’t hurt; he’s had some injuries, but he hasn’t practiced enough
to play."
"Whoever doesn’t practice, they can't play. When he continues to work and get better, he’ll play. That’s my rule – if you do not practice, you do not play."
(on getting the first game out of the way)
"I’m very pleased that we got the first game under our belt. There were jitters and guys making mistakes. It happens. Why do some young men outplay other
young men? Well, maybe they didn’t take their opponent serious enough, or the ball didn’t bounce their way. You have to get that first game out of the
way."
"Can we beat our next opponent? They say most football teams improve the most between games one, two and three. Look at us last year. We played ok game one,
not great. We really got knocked out game two, and got a little better game three. Once game four came, we started clicking pretty good. We got better.
That’s all I want us to do, is to get better week to week."
(on yesterday’s kickoff coverage)
"I put Ryan Clarke in there, and I thought he did a nice job. He went down there and really wacked some guys. We put Shawne Alston in there, and he went down there and did a nice job. Then Jordan Roberts went down there and created havoc. We put him at the No. 4 position, just to entertain him."
"I was afraid Nate (Sowers) got hit in the knee, so I put Eddie Davis in there at the No. 10 spot, and the guy did a nice job.
Really, we put three new guys in the coverage, and then Davis went in for Sowers. We just changed some guys up to get new athleticism on the field, and
it worked out ok."
"The hang time got better also. That’s what happened with us last year with Pat McAfee. That ball hit out there like a laser, and we couldn’t get down the
field fast enough. So, when we hung the ball up there a little bit more, it had a big effect on our play as well."
"I’m going to change some more this week. I’m going to look at them in practice, and we’re going to go full-speed on Tuesday."
(on Liberty’s defensive schemes)
"They tried to two-gap us, and let the linebackers run. It was working ok, but we still rushed for 195 yards. When they did that, we threw the ball. Then,
when they blitzed us, we threw the ball."
"I was so pleased with how Jarrett was on top of his game. I thought our offensive coaches did a great a job.
When someone two-gaps you, it’s hard for Noel (Devine) to see the reads. That’s why he kept cutting back. On his touchdown, they were coming after us. As
soon as I saw it, I knew it would be a touchdown if they stayed like that. And it was a touchdown. He just walked in; didn’t get touched.
It’s just a cat-and-mouse chess game."
(on not playing more freshmen)
"We couldn’t pull away. I wanted to play (quarterback) Geno (Smith). J.D. Woods should have played. So should have Logan (Heastie). We talked about that as a staff. It was a game where we just couldn’t pull away. Had we gotten another
score, or stopped them, then there would have been a lot of guys playing."
"In the end, the defense had some young guys in there playing, and that was good. I just wish we could have done that on offense. That’s so frustrating,
and I blame myself and the offensive coaches, but the game was just too close. We just couldn’t do it.
Had it stayed 33-13, or 33-10, and had one more quarter to go, the younger guys would have played the whole thing. I wanted them to play the whole fourth
quarter, but I can’t tell them that before the game because then our guys will get into that mindset."
"It didn’t work out, but Logan is fine. J.D. Woods is good. We should have played Will Johnson and Mark Rodgers more. They deserve to play, and it’s just a shame we couldn’t put the game away."
(on last year’s East Carolina loss)
"We went down there, and I believe that we thought all we had to go out there and just wear the Old Gold and Blue. Add in weather factors too. We believed
that if we had Patrick (White), No. 5 was going to go out there and win the game for us. It didn’t work out well. Our defense could not get off the field. J.T. Thomas said it best after the game, ‘They wacked us.’ They flat-out out-toughed us."
"I don’t have to tell our players anything this week; they remember what happened last year. If I bring that up, it’s only to say this - we got our post
up very abruptly. When we found out that you have to go out there and play, block and tackle, and that No. 5 wasn’t going to save the day, then we found
out that we had to go play each game. We got better at Colorado, and rolled from there. That game woke us up. It was a terrible wake-up call, but ECU whipped
us, physically and mentally. Convincingly."
(on kicker Tyler Bitencurt)
"He had a nice day. His last one was low; it was tipped. He has such a strong leg.
It was against my better judgment to let him kick the 46-yard field goal, but he did it."
"I told the team last Friday, from the 35-yard line to the 25-yard line, we are in four-down territory. We will not kick a field goal. Once we hit the 25-yard
line, then we’ll think about a field goal. I didn’t want to put a lot of strain on that youngster. He did nice job. It was very nice to see.
That will probably still be the plan for this week – from the 35 to the 25-yard lines, going in, I’m going to consider that four-down territory. I don’t
want to give them the ball on the 35-yard line. If we get down to the 25 and we don’t get a touchdown or miss a field goal, we can live with that. That’s
a 75-yard drive."
"Scott (Kozlowski) just missed that pooch kick. He was going to try to corner kick the first one. He just missed that; he punted from the 41-yard line. I
did that thinking we could get inside the 5-yard line. That’s why first games are first games."
(injury updates)
"We were very pleased with how we came out of yesterday’s game. Nate Sowers is a little nicked-up, but he’s going to be fine. He’s going to be ok and play this week. Wes Lyons could have played – I pulled him. When he bent over and stretched for that ball, he just pulled it a little bit. It wasn’t severe; it didn’t pop. I was
afraid, in the season’s first game, that he would have injured himself more. To be honest, I thought that we could beat Liberty without Wes. I don’t mean
that in any kind of disrespect; I just felt that we had enough in the arsenal to beat them without Wes. I want to save Wes for next week, and so on. He’s
going to be ok, and he’ll play this week."
"No one will be out next week; we won’t miss a beat."
(on play of offensive line)
"It was a pleasant surprise. We have 11 more opportunities for them to get better, but they played very hard. There was a holding, but that was all. They
did a good job picking up the blitzes, for the most part."
"Jarrett (Brown) wasn’t running for his life too bad, like I’ve seen some of our quarterbacks do in the past.
The play of the line was solid, particularly for the first outing."
My Thoughts
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
I'll start with the West Virginia-Liberty game. The WVU football opened up the season last Saturday against the Liberty Flames at home. I thought the Mountaineers played pretty well for their first game. I did think however they let Liberty hang in the game a little too much. This team will really be tested this week against East Carolina. They have always given the Mountaineers a game, and really beat the Mountaineers last season in one of the worst games I've ever seen. This is a home game. The Mountaineers really need to win this one. They will need to play better than they did last weekend. East Carolina has two of their top players returning from last year including Patrick Pinkney. I thought Jarrett Brown did very well completing 19 of 26 passing for 243 yards. I also thought new field goal kicker Tyler Bitankurt did extremely well hitting all four of the Mountaineers field goals. Hopefully, the Mountaineers can win Saturday.
I was surprised at how entertaining the Miami-Florida State game was. This game does not have all the luster it used to but I thought both teams did well. It was very back and forth. I thought both teams played well offensively and defensively. I love games like that.
I thought Oregon runningback LaGarrette Blount's punching a Boise State player after the Ducks lost last Thursday was uncalled for. He should have been arrested, and was lucky he wasn't. I thought Oregon the punishment right though. He is not allowed to play football for the rest of the season. His draft stock has gone way down. He is a senior so could not come back next season. I believe that is enough to teach him a lesson.
More Coach And Player Quotes
Wednesday, Sept 2, 2009
Here are more quotes from select Mountaineer football coaches and players.
Coach Jeff Casteel
On Preparing for Liberty’s Offense
"It is the unknown. We don’t have a whole lot to go on, not seeing the (Tommy) Beecher kid on tape. We know the (Mike) Brown is a great athlete, very explosive."
"They used him in a lot of different roles and I wouldn’t be surprised if he shows up as the guy that is used in a multi-position role. How they are going
to use him, we don’t know, but is always like that the first game."
"We are just really trying to concentrate on ourselves and being physical and be a team that gets off blocks and tackles well and plays assignment football."
"If we can do that, hopefully that will give us a chance to be a good defense. We can’t worry about what they are going to do.
There are going to be a lot of new players out on the field for them. They have two offensive linemen back and a wide out or two, then everyone else is
pretty much new."
On Najee Goode
"He is getting better every day and again the test is Saturday. Practice doesn’t count, it does when we evaluate them, but we want to see guys make plays
when the stands are full and the scoreboard is on. Najee has had a good camp and he had a good spring and I am hoping that he will continue to progress."
"We just want to see him start making plays in game situations and I think he is capable of that.
He has great speed. He is explosive. He is a guy that can bench 500 pounds and can run. Those are pretty good measures that make an explosive player. That
is what he is."
Logan Heastie
On Progression Since Camp
"I hurt my finger the first day of camp and that really slowed me down. I wasn’t playing to my full potential, now I have really picked up my game."
"My finger is almost fully healed so I’m not scared to go out there and catch the ball. I’ve been out there full speed with no hesitation. I’ve been going
hard and getting ready for the game on Saturday."
"I think I have made more progress than I was supposed to. As far as getting the plays down, I think that went as I expected. As far as getting stronger
in the weight room, I went way beyond what I ever thought."
"I am looking forward to the opportunity to play this weekend. When my number is called, hopefully I can just do what I do and make plays."
Jarrett Brown
"On the first game I try not to get too excited. I am trying to live in the moment right now with getting ready. I’m just going to try to execute the game
plan. I don’t think it will hit me until Saturday."
"The (2008) Syracuse game, I was injured, so it was hard to prepare for that game. I had an idea that I was going to play, but I wasn’t sure. I understood
Pat (White) could not go because he had a concussion, but I couldn’t throw all week so I didn’t know. The closer we got to the game, the better I felt."
"I don’t want to wear myself out and get too excited. That will carry out to the game, but like I said, I’m going to have to stay level headed."
On the receivers
"(Alric) Arnett has long limbs. Bradley (Starks) can dunk a basketball, probably wind-mill it. He also has speed and great hands. I think all my receivers
are versatile and we can do anything with Wes (Lyons), Arnett and Starks. We also have Jock (Sanders) so we are pretty good all of the way across the board."
Stewart Tuesday Press Conference Quotes
Wednesday, Sept 2, 2009
Head WVU football coach Bill Stewart held his first official press weekly press conference with the media before the first game. Here is what he had to say. The Mountaineers open the season against Liberty Saturday, Sept 5. Gametime is set for 12:05 P.M. Coverage begins on WAJR A.M. at 8:00 A.M.
Opening Statements
"I would like to begin with National College Colors Day. I hope that each and every Mountaineer fan would please wear gold and blue on Friday for the celebration
and on Saturday for the game."
"I don’t know where this football team is, but we are going to find out. Like you, I want to see these men in the arena. They have worked hard, and it has
been physical. We have hit, and we have gotten after it, but we don’t know where we are and the barometer is the other team." "Liberty comes in here after
a 10-2 record last season, and we are going to find out where we are on the barometer.
With that being said, I am excited. I want to see us play, the staff wants to see us play and the fans want to see us play. Most importantly, our players
want to play. They want to get out there and get after it. They are tired of hitting each other. We’ve had crisp, sharp, tough practices. This Sunday was
a nice practice, Monday we were off and today we will go out in full pads and hit a little bit.
I want to hit live on kickoffs, and I can’t wait to see it live on Saturday. I want to hit today on punt block as well and I can’t wait to see that. I want
to see this offensive line, I want to see
Jarrett Brown
play, I want to see the short yardage, with
Ryan Clarke
and
Ricky Kovatch
, I want to see our defense and see if we fly around like everyone has been saying we are going to do, and I want to see our special teams."
On Tavon Austin
"Tavon will be one of the punt returners. As I said a week ago, I trust
Brandon Hogan
and
Jock Sanders
. I trust those two, so on the first punt – they will be back there. On kickoff returns,
Noel Devine
and Mark Rogers, but I want to get Tavon in the game."
On Jock Sanders
"I have thought about this for a long time. Jock (Sanders) has been through the grind, and he has done everything that he has been asked to do. He will
be available after the game to talk to you."
On starting positions
"We are pretty set after the scrimmages that we’ve had and I think what you see take the field is what has been indicated in our lineup."
On Jarrett Brown
"There is a rush that goes through you that is unknown to man, unless you have been in the arena. It is absolutely breathe taking to come out of the tunnel
in any stadium, on any field, on any level. I think I know what he (Brown) is going to do since he has been in the arena before."
"I remember in 2006, we played a pretty good game here against Rutgers. We didn’t know till we came out that Pat White couldn’t go. So I told Jarrett he
was going, and he gave me a big smile. That was probably one of the hardest games I have coached in my life, because it was tough, but he did a nice job
and played like a champ. I hoping that is what happens this weekend and if not, we will settle him down, he has a fine coach."
On Liberty
"This is a good football team, and they have a veteran offensive line. I see Tommy Beecher, he started at South Carolina, and he is a big guy. Then I see
Mike Brown. I don’t know what they will do. Would you go with Beecher if he has a hot hand and stay with him, or would you pull him out and put that athlete
Mike Brown in? Both have a lot that they bring to the table.
We aren’t going to get too fancy on either side of the ball, particularly in the kicking game.
When Mike Brown is in the game – are you going to blitz as much You always have to account for the option. We have tremendous option football coaches here,
and I know they will have a plan. We will have a plan for that and someone will be assigned to him."
On preparing for Beecher
"You just keep the speedy game. Today, we are going to go against each other fast. We are going to do the inside drill fast and physical for 10 minutes
against each other. I pray that we don’t get anyone hurt, but that is football and you just have to prepare."
On Mike Brown playing receiver
"We will find out where number 10 is and try to do the best that we can. He is a really talented athlete, and he is a good football player."
On WVU’s injury situation
"It is good. We have been nicked up, but everyone is back. I just don’t know about
Trippe Hale
(groin). I would like to see him get out there and play because he is a special team’s leader and he is a guy that deserves to play, but he may have to
be held one more week. That will hurt our punt and kickoff teams, because I really like what he brings."
On playing the first game
"I know the fans are excited, and I’m excited. Most importantly, our players are excited. I just don’t want them stumbling because it is the first game.
It is like Christmas, you just don’t know what you are going to get. I’m hoping that it will all work out."
On a first-half consistent team
"We are looking for consistency. I know they will be excited. They are going to come out in front of 60,000 fans, and our fans are the best. But what we
are going to do is see where the heart beat of this football team is at. I don’t know that yet, I think I do, I think
Jarrett Brown
is going to take care of the ball and be a good leader. I think
Reed Williams
will too, and I expect
Scooter Berry
and
Chris Neild
to do what they are supposed to do. But I want to see these young safeties can do. I want to see this young offensive line play, I am excited about them.
This is all we have, and I am proud of them. Let them play and let’s turn them loose."
On the players receiving scholarships
"Scott Loving
has been first of all a gentleman on and off this field as have the other three,
Josh Taylor,
Ricky Kovatch
and
Mike Poitier
. They have done everything this program has asked. I am very excited about those four young men because the type of youngsters they are. They have been
here, they come to 6 a.m. workouts, they do what they are supposed to do and they give every ounce of sweat they can give to the old Gold and Blue.
They are good in the classroom, they are good in the community, and they are good teammates. We, as a staff, felt it was the right thing to do at the right
time. Apparently the squad did to, because every seat was filled and it was a thunderous ovation when I flipped those guys the footballs."
On Liberty’s defense
"They come after you, they play hard and they are strong. Their nose guard is a guy we recruited. He is about 380 pounds, and he sorts them out. They also
have tough linebackers.
They are a veteran team, and I think their secondary is going to be tough. They throw the ball on offense, so their defense is used to seeing that. I worry
about them blitzing us and trying to confuse our offensive line.
We are going to try to make them defend the whole field. I want to see if we can handle them."
On the Offensive Line
"I want to see them go. We are young, but that is no problem."
On Liberty coach Danny Rocco
"I have always admired Danny and his dad, his family and his brothers. They are great in the game of football and they great in the game of life. These
are classy people.
He was named the head football coach when I was recruiting in Virginia, so I went to Lynchburg and stopped by. I went in gave him a big hug and told him
how proud of him I was and how I hope he would do great – never knowing that we would play. I am going to pull for Danny Rocco most of the time, but this
Saturday is not one of those times."
On wishing you had more time for the first game
"We have looked and watched and practiced and we are just as antsy as the players. I wish it were Friday, but when Friday gets here I will wish it was Tuesday
like any coach."
On where the focus is
"Our eyes are on Liberty. If there is anyone in this program that doesn’t have their eyes on Liberty, then we have the wrong guys. I hope people understand
that we have to worry about game one, before we worry about game two."
On keeping the team calm
"We give our seniors a lot of input in this program. It is their football team. Saturday at noon, our journey will begin. The first impression is the most
lasting and what will your roll be in it, that is the theme of the week."
On
Noel Devine
’s Speed with the young line
"Noel has that burst and that speed that he can make a lineman look really good when he does an average job. We have seen that in the past. It is a great
asset. The faster you are, the better you are."
On the kicking game
"I hope they will be good, but I don’t know till I see them. I hope
Scott Kozlowski
punts well, if not
Gregg Pugnetti
or
Josh Lider
will go in. I hope
Tyler Bitancurt
kicks well, and I hope Lider does well on kickoffs. However, it starts with the snap. I hope
Cody Nutter
has a good game with the snaps for his confidence."
On the seniors
"These guys have gelled in a real neat manner. Now does that make them a good football team, I don’t know? I know it gets us to the door. If you care about
each other, and you play with a passion for the game with each other, it gets you the opportunity to excel out there in the spot light."
My Thoughts
Wednesday, Sept 2, 2009
A lot has happened since I last put my thoughts down here. I guess I'll start with what seems to be on everyone's mind: the Rich Rodriguez thing. I was sad Rodriguez left WVU, but you can't wish what he is going through on anyone. Rodriguez should not have left here...here at West Virginia he was loved. At Michigan he had no prior relationship and now between the losing season last year, and now these alligations by his own players I feel he is going to have a tough season. I hope he can get himself out of this somehow but it will be interesting to see how he handles this and the players do perform. I have a bad feeling though.
I hope Tavita Finau shows up but I think time is running out for him. The first game is Saturday. I think there are a lot of factors into this including the fact that he is married and has a child. It may not be as easy for him to come as others...and on top of that his academic situation doesn't help things. I hope he can get his academics and test scores together and come. Maybe by January? Hoping.
I am really excited about the Mountaineers upcoming football season. The Mountaineers must win these first three games. One area of concern I believe is the offensive line. They are very young. Two interesting players to watch are freshman Tavon Austin and senior quarterback Jarrett Brown. Another first-year player to watch is Logan Heastie. He injured his finger the first day of camp but said recently it is better. I can't wait to see how he does.
Finally, I don't mind Michael Vick's return to the NFL with the Eagles. What he did was terrible but I believe he served his time with jail and such. Every person deserves a second chance.
Second Scrimmage Quotes
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The Mountaineers had their second officiated scrimmage. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart had to say afterwords.
Opening statements
"We had another hot practice today and ran about 110 plays. We ran about 50 with the one’s, 40 with the two’s and almost with 20 with the young guys.
We hit short yardage hard, and I thought we did a really nice job with the two- minute drill on both sides of the ball.
We have come a long way, and we have a long way to go. I think we have a football team that competes and a football team that is trying to play as tough and as hard as they can."
On Tevita Finau
"I hear things like you all do. At this point, Tevita Finau is not here. I hope that he will be here, and when and if he does get here, you will see me smile."
On shuffling the offensive front
"We are shuffling both the one’s and the two’s at every position. We have a lot of guys that can play, particularly defense. So the offensive line is just like every other position, there is competition, and it is open to everyone."
On the center position
"Competition is at its best. Joey Madsen got to run some today with the first group more than he has in the past, and we will know tonight, after we look at the film, how he played. That is not to say anything bad about Eric Jobe; we are interchanging other positions as well.
Eric Jobe can play guard, and that has been discussed. The inside three need to be able to roll.
He (Madsen) is a tough guy, and I like tough guys. He is an effort guy, and he is straining pretty well. As long as you strain, play hard and know your assignments, you are going to play football at West Virginia.
I think he (Josh Jenkins) could play center, but we need him at left guard. He is talented enough too. Big Jeff Braun is talented enough to play center as well. They are young, and they making mistake, but they are giving great effort. I think those three are pretty interchangeable."
On the defense
"We had a nice pick from Guesly Dervil at the end of the scrimmage today and there was a fumble early. The defense is doing well. They are attacking and playing physical."
On Ryan Clarke
"His ankle is good. It is not a high ankle sprain so he will be back on Monday."
"I was very pleased with him today. I hope he shows you all on Saturday what he showed us today. He ran hard. For a freshman, he is doing really well."
On other players in red
"Eain Smith has a deep bruise in his quad, and he will be okay. Bradley Starks tightened up his groin, after we let the young guys in, so we didn’t want to cause any problems with that."
On Geno Smith
"I see a young man with great pocket presence that has a lot ability to hang in there. I see a kid that is really coming on and does a nice job.
Coley (White) played some a quarterback. We gave Coley all of the reps in the spring. This week and early in camp, they were told that Geno would get the same look, and then we would go from there. I like what I see in Geno, but I would like to wait till after Saturday to see about that second spot."
On Tavon Austin’s playing time this season
"He has a lot of guys that he has to beat out. Tavon Austin is absolutely electrifying, and he is a fun guy. I heard the defensive coaches talking today, when he gets hit, he bounces right back up and is going to the huddle or the next formation."
"He is going to see some time on special teams. He is on our kickoff, punt block and our kickoff return teams, and he ran the ball well today. I like Jordan Roberts and his nitch will be special teams, and then when he gets on the travel team, we will work him into the rotation. He has great placement."
On the kicking situation
"Tyler Bitancurt kicked the ball well today, and Josh Lider has been kicking the ball well. We have a tremendous battle going on. We have to get the punting game a little better, but it is coming."
"Josh Lider’s hang time has been around 3.9, and the ball has been anywhere from the three, four, five, six, seven, and I can live with that. He kicks the ball about four seconds, on the numbers, almost every time."
On the possibility of having two place kickers
"I will do whatever it takes to win the game. We have talked about that. One might be the field goal guy and then the other may be the kickoff guy."
"Josh Lider does a great job on pooch punting. Scott Kozlowski may be our punter, but Lider may be our pooch punter. Some guys can pooch punt and some guys can’t. We are working hard on that. The kicking game is getting better, but we are going to keep working on it."
On kickoff returns
"Right now, the guys I really trust on returns are Jock Sanders and Brandon Hogan. Nate Sowers would be with Hogan, and Tavon Austin with Sanders. I really trust Sowers and Hogan. I know they will catch the ball, run the ball, make one move and hit it north like they are supposed to do."
On the BIG EAST gaining Champs Sports Bowl
"I think all Mountaineer fans should be very pleased, because that will be an exciting game. I am very pleased with that arrangement."
Fall Camp Quotes, Practice 12
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Here is what assistant coach Jeff Mullen and select players had to say after Tuesday's practice.
(opening remarks)
"We had a nice practice this morning - very crisp, very clean. It was one of those no-padded practices after a day of contact. We worked on blitz-pickup by doing the little things. We also had a nice two-minute drill. That's something you like to do in the morning. We need to work clock situations - both the players and the coaches understand the importance.
One of the things that we've been preaching this entire camp is a physical toughness on offense. It's something we will get better at, but we've done a nice job so far. The beautiful thing is we get to go out again this afternoon and put pads on."
(on Geno Smith's progress and room for improvement)
"He has a physical skill-set that I really like. He has a natural presence in the pocket. He does a real nice job of protecting the football, not seeing the rush, keeping his eyes down field and seeing a number of receivers throughout the progression. He also delivers the ball nicely. He has to work on the mental aspect, but that would be true for any freshman.
He hasn't surprised me." He is doing what we thought he could.
(on freshmen comprehension)
"I've been very happy. The first week we found that there were a few freshmen that were out of position, so their heads are spinning because they are learning a new position this week. We moved Stedman Bailey from the inside to the outside, so he is scrambling now. Also, as we continue to try to involve Tavon Austin in the offense his is forced to learn a couple of positions. We moved some offensive linemen as well - Cole Bowers got bumped up and Joey Madsen is playing center and guard. They are going through some growing pains, but for the most part, the guys that have been in the same position for 12 practices, like Geno Smith, we're very happy with were they are."
(on the team's prospects if freshmen play)
"I think you are a better team in the long run if you play freshmen. I'd like to play an older kid that's already been out before 60,000 fans and the TV cameras. Often times, you aren't afforded that opportunity. In the end, you just have to play the best talent - whoever can run, jump, block and tackle. It's our job as coaches to teach the players that do those things the best."
(most improved player thus far in camp)
"I'm a little selfish, so I would say Jarrett Brown. I think they've all done a tremendous job. I've really noticed since the bowl victory a sense of team from everyone, and that's important. I think they've all done a nice job getting better. Jarrett just hasn't had the reps so far, so it was hard. You prepare as a backup your entire career, and now you have to prepare as a starter - those are two entirely different things. He's done well when called upon throughout his career. Now, we're going to call on him for 13-straight weeks. That's a process that you don't understand until you go through it."
(on what he still wants to work on in camp)
"The young guys are still a little sloppy, so we need to make sure we limit what we call and get them better at what they're good at. Overall, Saturday's scrimmage was situational, and I think we did a decent job. Where I was most disappointed was in the small things. We had some cadence issues, some line issues and some hand-off issues. Those are the things you need to clean up. When you can focus in on those things, you get better."
(progress on short-yardage situations)
"Every day, we do one of the most physical inside drills I've ever seen. We do that for 15 reps, and it's all smash-mouth football. I think as a whole, there has been a lot of improvement, which stems back to what Coach Stewart wanted to get done last spring."
(short-yardage role players)
"We're looking at Shawne Alston. Chris Snook gets reps also. He had a couple of nice runs yesterday in the scrimmage situation. Right now, we're looking at Ryan Clarke."
(on team's toughness)
"I think the team has always been tough. West Virginia has and will continue to play with that hard edge. I think they did last year. Defensively, it's recognition and reaction and you tend to play with more edge. Offensively, you have to think before you react, and sometimes that process makes you slow down a bit. No question, that's a process of learning a system, and we're not seeing that anymore. It's been fun to watch them get back to an aggressive form of play. No matter what formation we're in, you still need to play with an edge. I think the kids did that last year. What you are seeing now is an improvement mentally."
(on this year's progress compared to last year's)
"It's not even close. Our coaches and players all feel a sense of understanding. We were able to put the whole package in in five days. We pushed them really hard mentally the first five days, and now we're breaking it down in to little parts. Once we get closer to the Liberty game, we'll see the whole picture again."
(on offensive line's performance)
"They're working extremely hard. I think everybody needs to work harder. It's hard for me to pinpoint one group because I'm focused on the quarterbacks. I have all of the confidence in (offensive line coach) David Johnson."
(on Jock Sanders' conditioning)
"He's resilient. He was a little tight Days 1 and 2. He's doing a great job now."
(on Tyler Urban's improvement)
"He's bigger, stronger and smarter. If we're going to be a good short-yardage team, we need a fullback and tightend. That was an issues, but the improvement of both Ryan Clarke and Tyler Urban is exciting. I think he dropped some balls in the scrimmage, but those things will happen. I'm very happy with him. I think he's one of my most dependable guys. He's here every day, puts his hard hat on and gets to work. It's all match-ups. When we need bigger options, we might put both Urban and Will Johnson on the field. It's nice to have that card to play."
(on being a second-year coach)
"I don't know if there's been a difference between this year and last. When you have to put it all in at once, it's difficult because you see what it's supposed to look like and it doesn't get there until later. It's been a lot more enjoyable this summer because they've known what they're doing and why they're doing it. I have to be careful because I don't want to mess things up and put too much in. We ned to go back to playing fast. I think fighting the urge and implementing more is not the right way to go with this group. I think going backwards and helping them play hard and fast is the way to go."
Player Quotes
Senior defensive back Nate Sowers
(expectations for this season)
"I just want to do everything I can to get on the field and help the team win a BIG EAST Championship. That is our goal and it all starts with Liberty. I'm excited to be out there with this group of guys. I have never felt more comfortable and it's been great so far. Hopefully we can go out on top."
(on defensive instincts carrying over from high school)
"I was a little lost, but they eventually came back. It's a totally different ball game here, and I've had to learn a lot. I'm still learning. It's difficult at times, but I think I've adjusted well and I'm pretty comfortable with it."
Junior running back Noel Devine
(on play of freshman Tavon Austin)
"Tavon is excited and ready for game time. He's been doing great at practice. He's improved a lot on the little things since he came. He finishes his runs and he gets the verticals on his routes. He's pretty much just learning the game. I don't think the coaches want to put too much on his plate right now. In game-week preparation, maybe they will throw something out there."
(on possibility of plays with him, Austin and Jock Sanders on field at same time)
"It's scary. We haven't practiced any yet. We've been talking about how we need something with all of us on the field because of all of the speed. Hopefully we can get something where all of us can get on the field at the same time."
Freshman running back Tavon Austin
(on learning the WVU offense)
"When I first started to learn the offense, it was hard. I was making mistakes every day - getting tied up on the wrong side, running the wrong things. Now I'm getting down the steps and it's getting better."
(difference between high school offense and WVU offense)
"It's way different. I was in a pro-style offense, and now I'm in the spread. I'm playing receiver now instead of running back. It's different. The whole world has changed, except when I have the ball in my hands. I just try to put it in my mindset that I have to do what I did in high school."
Fall Camp Quotes, Day 9
Monday, August 17, 2009
Here is what WVU football coach had to say following Monday's practice.
Opening Remarks
"We talk about physical football, and we hit that very hard. We were very demanding. We talked among our team and staff, and that to be a championship-caliber team, you have to play physical football. We worked on short-yardage and goal-line situations. Much like we did Saturday, it was a full-padded practice and we hit."
"The defense did a good job against the offense and stopped them in third-and-two, third-and-three situations. Yet, in goal line, the offense can't be stopped."
"The physicalness - how you need to play if you want to be a champion. We covered that over and over again. We can't be physical enough."
"We emphasized some of what we did Saturday: red zone pass defense and red zone scoring offense. That's been a really good battle, and I'm pleased how it is going."
"We gave the young guys that did not get many snaps on Saturday more opportunities. We cranked them up and had some fun. We had about a 25-play scrimmage and the young guys kicked some pressure-situation field goals at the end of practice. They looked pretty good."
"I plan to scrimmage on Wednesday. We're going to hit. It's all about being physical. If you want to be a champion, you better be tough. You practice tough, you'll live tough. I've seen a lot of tough guys without pads, I want to see them in pads. We've got tough guys here at West Virginia."
on short yardage work and importance this season
"I think that's standard football. It's what we have to do. We have to get after it. We were very good last year - 43-percent. Where we weren't great was down in the lower numbers - third-and-one situations. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't near where a championship team is supposed to be. We won nine football games. You have to win more - we want to win more. You have to work at it. We are going to get more tough and better in short-yard situations. That is our goal."
thoughts on last Saturday's scrimmage
"We have some talent on this football team, but we have a long way to go. I was pleased, but I wasn't excited. I was happy the defense kept the offense on the ropes, but they didn't knock them out. We had them on the ropes, and we could have. That frustrated me. Offensively, that tells you that we came back and fought. We have enough talent on this football team to do that against some opponents, but we play some pretty talented teams. If you don't do it week-in, week-out, it's just not going to happen on Saturdays. Therefore, what I saw Saturday was we had some nice individual efforts, and we had some playmakers, but I want someone to step up so I know what we can hang our hat on. What is going to carry us when it comes to crunch time? Right now, I don't know that. For three quarters, I thought I knew that, but then the offense came back."
"I'm pleased that we fought back, but I'm not ready to say we're a good football team just yet. I promise we're working on it."
on team's concentration for second week of camp
"We need more offense in the red zone. I keep going over it, and I script it every day. Our coaches do it, and they implement it. Our players know it. We used to call inside the 30 the red zone. Now, our guys are calling in the "score zone" once you get down to the goal line. They know what the mission is. It's blinders on, let's go."
"You know how good we were on defense in the red zone last year; what frustrates me is that we let the offenses get down there. We need to stop them on third down up near the 50-yard line. I want to keep them from getting down in the red zone."
on rule changes regarding punter protection
"We role-punt better than anyone in the country. We were second in the country in net punting. This year, If you break the tackle box, you are going to get hit. We'll be okay there; I'm not going to change anything."
on pre-game handshake
"We have to stay at the 45 and the opponent has to stay at their 45. No more 50-yard line, where you can run right up to the other team and chest-bump each other. That's a 10-yard buffer; you must stop. That stops chest-bumping and stepping on the logos. That's a good rule. We can go out and high-five, but if they stop at the 45, that would be good enough. It's still a game. I don't like all of that talk before a game. I just want to play; let your pads do the talking. Be physical. Be tough. Play Mountaineer football. Keep your mouth shut. Go hit your oppenent. Hit him hard as you can, over and over again, and you'll win the football game."
on naming a backup quarterback
"I am not close in naming anyone. This Saturday we'll be ready. I am not ready just yet, but we're close."
on practices being closed the last week of camp and fear of information getting out
"This IT world has taken football to a different level. The IT world is great, it's new America. But, some things are meant to stay private. I don't want practice to be filmed. Let us show our repertoire to the fans on Day 1. That's my protocol, and that's how we're going to do it. This is what we do, and we'll wait to Sept. 5 to show what we do."
"We use the internet though! I love locker room material. Put that microphone in front of a young person long enough, and you'll have all of the locker room material that you need. Someone is going to say something dumb. I try very hard not to let information out or excite anyone. You still need to be a gentleman; let the pads do the talking. But, we get online. They'll talk if you let them."
Saturday Scrimmage Quotes
Saturday, August 15, 2009
The Mountaineers had their first officiated scrimmage Saturday. Here are comments from head coach Bill Stewart and players.
Coach Bill Stewart
Opening Statement:
"I finally saw someone dominate. I saw the defense get after the offense, and the blue shirts flat got after them. I thought the blue shirted guys played Mountaineer football for three quarters, and that's okay, in camp that's about what I expected. They played Mountaineer football, our defense, for three quarters. The fourth quarter, the offense saw an opening and whacked them good and could not be stopped down in the gold zone, inside the nine-yard line.
I did not see great enthusiasm or great leadership on the offensive side of the ball today, I'm very disappointed in that. Sometimes when those blue shirts are whacking you and attacking you like our guys came after them, that has a lot to do with it."
"We have a long way to go, just talked to the lads, and we're gaining, I know were gaining with every fiber in my body. Right now the day was taken by the defense for three quarters and we have a lot of work to do."
On whether or not the team accomplished what they were hoping to:
"We've always accomplished what we wanted to. We've got our offense in, our defense in, and I would like to do better in situations, that's why we come in and scrimmage like this. I do not think we got off the goal line too bad, that wasn't bad, but short yardage, we need to address that and keep hitting at it, hitting at it. We're going to do more goal line on Monday, we'll go full pads on Monday and address that. I was very pleased with what I saw from our defense, disguising, blitzing, creating turmoil out there. I thought that was good so I'm pleased with where they are, but we lacked the knockout blow. We had them in the 12th round, and we could have gouged them, but we let them back in the fight."
On what he saw from Geno Smith:
"I saw the kid throw some pretty nice balls. I saw an inexperienced guy, with an inexperienced center that couldn't get a center-quarterback exchange and that displeases the head coach very, very much."
Thoughts on the offensive line:
"I'll keep them, there is no waiver wire, I think they'll be okay, but we've got three more weeks to get tougher, get better and become more consistent. They did a very a nice job down in the score zone, this goal zone, they came off the ball and pass-blocked very well today."
On Tavon Austin:
"He has flashes, but I'll tell what, he's got a guy named No. 9 (Jock Sanders) and a guy named No. 4 (Wes Lyons) out there ahead of him. He's a freshman and we'll bring him along. I hope we'll see big things out of him as the season progresses."
On the safety position:
"I thought the safety position went well, that Sidney Glover, played good today and that's why he is one of the guys you are going to talk to. He's getting guys lined up and made an open-field tackle on Tavon Austin and that's the first guy I've seen tackle Tavon chest-high, all camp. He met him right there at the 13-yard line and made a tremendous tackle, but I'm pleased with our safeties, I'm pleased with where they are, and we're playing a lot of safeties, but we're playing a lot of corners and that's good to see."
On whether the two-deep today is reflective if freshman will redshirt or not:
"No, I'm not ready to say that, next Saturday I will."
Player Quotes
Assessment of defense:
"We looked pretty good today, to be honest with you I wasn't really pleased with our first- and third-down conversions. We didn't really do that good of a job at that, at least in my opinion. We're trying to get the young players in there to get as many reps as they can, get the kind of experience in a game situation, and it worked out pretty well, and I'm looking forward to the next scrimmage and practices coming up."
On whether the scrimmage feels different than a regular practice:
"Yeah, it definitely feels different. Like I said, just being in the game situation, the guys that have been here know what that's all about, but getting those young guys in there to know what it's going to be like once you get into the game. It's little things like standing on the sideline and running on-and-off the field, those are the kind of things you need to know when you're in the game."
On the red zone success of the offense:
"I feel we're pretty good in the red zone, it's the other aspects we need to get better at."
On what the other aspects are:
"Coming out of the end zone, it's rough trying to push the ball out or trying to throw the ball out. That's just hard on us, it's hard on the defense when we're coming in when we're in the red zone. We all have to get better."
Fall Camp Quotes, Day 7
Friday, August 14, 2009
Here is what head football coach Bill Stewart said to the media following Friday's practice. The Mountaineers will have their first scrimmage Saturday.
Coach Bill Stewart
Opening Statement:
"It’s practice eight here in Morgantown. It was a hot one, a good one to work in, a full pad practice, and I thought our guys got after it. I was very pleased with the effort, but was very disappointed in our consistency. That’s something a good team has to have. I want to see somebody step forward and be the dominating force of this football team. I want to know who to count on early in the season. It always seems like one side carries you, and I haven’t seen that happen. I’m very disappointed in our football team. Effort and enthusiasm have been good. We’re not close at this point to be ready to play a football game. Maybe it’s because I’m in survivor mode instead of that get-better mode. We’re going to get our hands on it and get it figured out. Let me tell you a little bit about tomorrow. We’re going to go in the morning. We’re going to be in helmets and do kind of identical to what we did Thursday. There are some situational things that we need to do better. In the afternoon, with officials, we’re going to hit it. We’re going to play Mountaineer football, and we’re going to get after each other – players and coaches. I’m excited about that and very much looking forward to that. I hope our players are ready as much as the coaching staff and I. We really want to compete and see who is going to be the dominant force. What we’re going to cover – if you come early, we’re going to be in the victory drill. Then, we’re going to get some good PAT and punt work. Then we’ll have the free ruling zone from the -35, and we’ll go backed up from the -1 or -2 yard line to see if we can change field position. Then we’ll go into the red zone, around the +25 and +28 yard line. We’ll also see if we can get our kickers involved. Then we’re going to put the ball on the eight-yard line and do goal line work. We’ll end with some two-point plays. We did that today, and it was split evenly – half offense and half defense. I’m not in a real good mood right now. I wanted to see someone step up to play and knock somebody out, and I haven’t seen that just yet. I have seen great competition, but I’m not real happy with practice eight. Maybe with the two tomorrow in the hot sun, somebody will be able to step up and lead this football team."
On whether Stewart means physical performance:
"I’m talking about that we’re just hitting each other. I want somebody to take charge and take control. Is our defense going to be dominating? You all keep writing, that and I keep talking about blitzing. Well, let’s blitz and cover them and the offense scores every now and then. I want the defense to snuff them out. If we get the ball down in the field offensively, I want somebody to put the ball in the end zone. It just hasn’t been consistent, and that’s what’s frustrating to me."
On whether inconsistency is normal this early in practice:
"Sometimes. Every great team I have been on, the defense has always dominated at this point."
On movement on the depth chart as of now:
"We’ve had movement in the skill position and in the secondary. We have a lot of receivers. We have a lot of playmakers. To have a bell-cow at this point, we don’t have a bell-cow right now. That’s frustrating to me right now. I really want to see somebody step up and dominate. Defensively, there were a couple nice plays today by a couple of the cornerbacks. (Brandon) Hogan and (Keith) Tandy had some nice plays. I have not seen just enough great plays by our defense. It’s still wide open at the safety position. On the defensive line, I would say Chris Neild and Scooter Berry have done a pretty good job. Julian Miller has stepped up."
On whether the two’s on offense and defense have stepped up:
"I think we are doing a pretty good job offensively there. We’re probably doing better on the ones on offense and better on the twos on defense."
On what freshman are in contention for playing time:
"I haven’t narrowed it down, but there will be freshmen playing. Their heads are spinning, and they have to become more consistent."
On format for scrimmage:
"The No. 1offense against the No. 1 defense."
Whether playing the one offense against the one defense changes impression of dominating ideas:
"I’m a tough teacher. I’m going to coach tough. It can skew the curve. I want them to compete, battle and get knockout blows. Hopefully, tomorrow we will see that."
Fall Camp Quotes, Day 6
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Here are quotes following the morning practice of day 6 of Mountaineer fall camp. The Mountaineers had their first two-a-day. They had a practice in the morning, and then another one in the afternoon. Stewart talked to the media following the morning practice.
Coach Bill Stewart
Opening statement:
"Today, a situational practice. It was a nice two hours, in and out. We worked on a blitz situation on both sides of the ball. Very good teaching. We only went through a scramble drill in case breakdowns do occur. Then we worked on the two minute drill. This afternoon, we’re going to go out and put pads on and continue building their repertoire."
On how the offense performed during the two-minute drill:
"The offense did not do very well, but the defense did. We had a couple big plays offensively, but it wasn’t what we needed it to be. Group two did okay against the two’s."
On doing more two-minute drills:
"If done properly, I would like to see more two-minute drills. My first time as a head coach, we did three-a-days for a week. That probably wasn’t too smart. Like Bear Bryant said, and I’m not anywhere near him, he said that’s all we knew as coaches – two-a-days and kicking. What happened was production of scoring and youngsters beating each other up. I would like to see more two-a-days."
On filling the day with practice:
"In one-a-days, we have a lift on one side of the ball. Let’s say offense lifts, defense meets for an hour and 15 minutes. They switch, so that’s two hours and 30 minutes. By the time you get down and back, that’s a three-hour block. It’s a good meeting or walk-through, then I have a 30-minute special teams walk every day, whether it’s punt or a kick off. We don’t want them on their feet. I liked today’s practice. I like to go out, get something accomplished, as I said the three phases are very well orchestrated, and that’s the way to do it. Then, go out in the afternoon and bang and get tough again."
Learning things when two-a-days start:
"When you have a two-a-days, it’s a little faster because you don’t have as much saturation time with film. You have to do it on the field, come in, watch the film, and then hit the next practice and do the same thing and have your night meetings as preparation for the next day. What you learn is the overload principle. You throw everything at them on both sides of the ball from practice one through five, which is what I have always done and I like that. Now, you find out who can retain. Retention is a big key, particularly for young players. You’re finding out people who will not make the same mistake twice. You find out about the mental make-up of the player. Physically, you have to watch them. As I said earlier, we used to beat them up in the old days. I was beat up and we beat them up as coaches – that’s all we knew at the time. I’d like to think that the old school was tougher. I think we’re just wiser now."
On offense being installed now:
"It’s all installed. There will be wrinkles. If we see someone do something on film, down the road, we can go back to maybe what was introduced during a certain phase or concept. It’s all about concepts. Once you learn the concept, then you can go back to the equation."
On offense being different from last year:
"We’ve tweaked it and the guys know what they’re doing. The young men have retained. Spring practice has helped the guys as well as the summer. The summer is what’s changed football, these guys staying all summer and it’s been good. They do it themselves. We’ve added and implemented some things too."
On Eugene Smith:
"He’s doing both practices today. He didn’t do the entire practice, but he did some team stuff. The scouting he did, the two-minute drill he did and the scramble he did."
Navigating through misinformation on potential players:
"We go watch them if we can do that. If we can go watch youngsters play, then we do. For instance, the 1100 club made it possible for coach David Lockwood to go see, in season, cornerbacks practice and/or play. We watch tape on them too. If you’re offered a scholarship at West Virginia University, you have to pass the 10-men test. Nine coaches watch you and then the head one watches you. We watch every guy. We come in here very, very early. During dead period, we will put four hours a day to watch prospects. We’ll do that the entire week. Every morning, prior to spring football, we’ll come in here for four hours and do film on recruiting."
On how Josh Taylor’s improved:
"He’s shown toughness. He’s shown he is a Mountaineer football player. I talk to these guys and tell them to put their cell phones away, tell your girlfriends you’ll see them after camp. Josh Taylor listens and that weighs very heavily in my thinking. He does exactly what he’s supposed to do when he’s told to do it and he does it in a disciplined manner. And he’s become our No. 2 nose guard; therefore he’s earned the right to be considered for a scholarship."
Assessment of practice:
"It’s going pretty good. Everybody is coming together as a team."
Depth at running back:
"The competition level is good. We are all competing for positions. Everybody just has to stay on top of their game to keep their spot. I’m working pretty hard. You have to fight everyone off of you. You just have to know your position and what you have to do."
On speed at running back:
"We have a lot of speed. The coaches knew what they were recruiting. We are all little guys at running back, but we have speed."
On speed and depth at running back:
"We have great depth in the backfield. The depth give us a chance to have a break between reps. We don’t have to pound it as much. Mark (Rodgers) and I are kind of like veterans, so we’re just teaching the younger guys."
On difficulty with two-minute drills:
"There are no excuses. We just have to come out and play better. It’s our first time doing the two-minute drill, but we have to improve off of our mistakes, like getting lined up, knowing the down and how much yardage we need to gain. The more practice we get, the better."
On getting Noel Devine more involved as a receiver:
"I think my receivers outside, with Jock Sanders on the inside, they’ll take care of that. When I finally get to Noel, that means everything downfield is covered. There will also be some plays for him."
On difficulty with two-minute drills:
"When you install something at first, you’re not used to it. We are going to go back and fix it and do those things better. You have to look at your offense in a different perspective. Your reads are going to be a lot quicker and you don’t want to take sacks or lose yards. You want to just manage the clock."
Fall Camp Quotes, Day 5
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Here are quotes from head football coach Bill Stewart, and select players following day 5 of fall camp.
Coach Bill Stewart
Opening Statement:
"Three objectives we went after today as a staff. Number one: B plus T, first part of our motto, blocking plus tackling. If you can't block and you can't tackle then you're in for a rude awakening, you all know that. I'm a great believer in the Vince Lombardi theory that that's what it's all about. You can formation, you can be in the I, you can be in the spread, you in a no-back, you can be in a run-and-shoot, you can be in wishbone, but if you do not out block and on the other side get off blocks and out tackle, you're going to get beat. It was really good to see that today, I really enjoyed our guys competing, it was a real battle. Those first two periods there was intensity, there was some hitting and there was not some not so good stuff."
"Number two: We wanted to pressure the punter, we backed it up and I told George Schell I don't care if you pout 12 over there, 10 over there or 14 over there, just come with how ever many you want and we're going to pressure the punter and see first of all if we can block from the -1 yard line and -2 and can he hit the ball. He did a nice job, he being Scott Kozlowski and Gregg Pugnetti, both those young men did pretty well, that was pleasing to see."
"Number three: We stressed our football team on both sides of the ball in a situational scrimmage for four periods and it was in the red zone. We were very good in the red zone last year on defense, top 10 in the country. We also scored some points in the red zone, so we wanted to battle them today, first day of full pads, that's what we did. When you go in a red zone you also pressure your field goal kicker, just a pressure day for kickers and punters. That's what we did, I felt good about it, it was a good full padded practice. We have a lot of mistakes and a lot of things we need to work on, as everyone in America does at this time, but that is the direction we're heading in."
On surviving camp:
"I heard of a pro coach, he told his team this year, “guys this camp is not about survival, this camp is about getting better at the game.” An old coach told me a long time ago when I was in camp and in survival mode, it won't be long Billy until it's Thanksgiving, it's that fast. Thirteen weeks, we work 75 percent off our time for a quarter percent of enjoyment."
On punters and kickers:
"I thought Scott Kozlowski punted the ball well, first of all Cody Nutter snapped the ball very well, Scott Kozlowski punted well and Gregg Pugnetti did. I thought Tyler Bitancurt did a nice job in the red zone, the offense did pretty well their early, the defense bowed up, it was a back and forth battle and old Tyler stepped up and hit one from 40-something."
"The other day in practice I asked Josh Lider, who is also kicking well, as we kicked the last one and the horn went off, I said how far was that, it was 46 yards and he said, “I don't know, I don't care.” I like that, I said did you do an under swing or an over swing and he said, “I don't know coach.” That's the kind of mentality I want."
On the possible punting competition:
"That's very open, we've talked about it as a staff. We had a 50 minute special teams meeting today (Wednesday) in which I ran this morning with the team. It covered every phase of every kick we've had in practice to this point and I would say our kickers are neck and neck and the top two are Josh Lider and Tyler Bitancurt. At this time, Scott Kozlowksi has a little bit of an edge on Gregg Pugnetti, but it's a good battle. As I said earlier, Cody Nutter has snapped well.
On what Lider and Bitancurt each do well:
"Tyler probably has more power, explosive and Lider is pretty dead on, he is pretty fair, more of a close-in guy and extremely accurate."
Who are the kickoff return guys?:
"Noel Devine jumps right out to the front. Jock Sanders, Brandon Hogan, Tavon Austin, Eddie Davis can do it and those are probably the top five kickoff returns. Punt would be Jock and Brandon the first two and then Tavon and I'll tell you this J.D. Woods out of Florida has a knack. I know a guy when I was in college, we had a quarterback and our third quarterback did it. He averaged 13 yards a punt, one step, got a first down, and just got down. Dennis Onkotz did it I believe in '68 at Penn State, he caught the ball, got a first down. That's all you need."
What athletes should do during downtime:
"Study the playbook, I'll tell them what I tell my son, turn the phone off, turn off that Nintendo, spacestation, all that stuff. Turn it off, put it away and get your playbook out because you're in camp. The first impression is the most lasting impression, believe me. I just tell them to get that playbook and get in a corner and get in a upperclassmen's hip pocket and go."
Why guys were on the bleachers:
"They didn't hit, they didn't stay after it, they weren't tough and they weren't intense enough for me. Two were receivers and one was a tackle that dove at the ankles and I want them to hit straight in the chin on defense and I want them to block. If they can't block and tackle then they can run up and down the bleachers and sell Coca-Colas, just getting them in shape for that."
On Jarrett Brown being a leader:
"I coached him, I was close to him, still am, being his position coach. The young man has such resolve to have not left this fine institution to go somewhere else where he could've played, because I sat him down a couple of years ago and said I can't play you because I believe the guy in front of you is better. He hung in boat, he's paid his dues and he deserves everything that could possibly happen to him in a good manner. A special young man, great character, a great citizen and I just hope it really works out well for him because he deserves it in the utmost manner."
On Bradley Starks switching from quarterback to wide receiver in practice:
"Spinning is a good word, it's not information overload because he knows football, but he's doing very, very well. He has a chance to be a pretty good football player. He has a chance to play receiver quicker than quarterback of course with Jarrett their, but we would not be afraid to put him in as a quarterback."
Differences between this year and last year:
"First of all my weight is different. Came in here about 260, so it's a big difference in that and they put me on a diet program, now I'm about 255, 240. Being mature, disciplined and staying out of trouble."
What the weight loss does:
"It makes a big difference, it helps my footwork, it helps my speed, I can play fast overall."
On being excited about being counted on:
"I'm very excited, it feels good to be part of the team and actually help out, so I feel real good about playing."
Talking about the first couple of weeks:
"It's been a big difference, just trying to get my feet used to the humidity, the fast pace, getting used to being a freshman again and luckily this is round two, so I know what to expect and just have been getting used to kicking again. In January I didn't expect to be putting on a helmet again, so it was really cool being able to put a helmet on."
On the thoughts of football career being done:
"When they cut the program (Western Washington) I thought I was done, I wasn't sure, I was going to send out film and hope for the best."
"We didn't expect it, we had just won a bowl game, we were all shocked that happened. Luckily a lot of the guys got to where they wanted to go. I've been trying to keep track of most of them, but they've gone all over the West Coast and I went the furthest east."
On being a motivator:
"As a senior, I'm hoping to show my work ethic, show that I'm here to push you guys and try to make you guys better. I'm not trying to be the guy just trying to take things out from under their feet. I want them to be their best and let the coaches make the decision. I'm not here to try and take anyone's job, if I'm better then great, I hope I get the job. I'm going to work my hardest to get that job, but it's been a lot of fun working Pugnetti and we are both really helpful with each other."
On being injured:
"I worked hard during the offseason to get my body healthy and keep it healthy. If I get dinged up there is nothing I can really do about that. I just try to stay positive and help the other guys and not let what's going on with me affect the team or anyone else."
Injuries he has had:
"I've had a few hamstring injuries, a shoulder injury. The hamstring is what kept me out a few games."
On sitting out injured:
"It gets frustrating, but like I said before, you can't let what's going on with you affect the team because you're just a part of the team and the team is bigger than you."
Fall camp Quotes, Day 4
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Here is what head football coach Bill Stewart and safeties coach Steve Dunlap had to say following day 4 of fall camp.
Coach Bill Stewart
Opening Statement:
"The football staff and I went out today with the intentions of trying to accomplish three major goals:
Number one, we worked on our third down package. We were 43 percent last season, but some of the short yardage in third downs was not as good as it needed be. Therefore, today we really scrutinized those situations.
Number two, we worked on our blitz. We want to get off the field on third down, and felt like that was something we needed to get on top of early in camp.
Number three, we worked on all phases of our kicking game, which was pretty intense even though we were not in pads. For day four, I felt pretty good with our kicking game. We have a long road to go, but I felt pretty good about what we accomplished."
On Robert Sands and Wes Lyons blocking field goals
"They did a very nice job today and they are close to becoming a center fixture. I want to look at Ryan Nehlen as well. Sands blocked a field goal today and did it in fine fashion. Lyons is also another name; he is 6-foot-8 and can jump. They will probably be the focal point.
Najee Goode also blocked a field goal. He came off the edge and our defense attacked well in the kicking situation. I wanted to pressure the kickers and we did. When he shot through the gap I thought he had a chance and he got to the ball."
On the kicking game
"I thought field goals today, except for those two blocks, showed that the kickers are doing pretty well. We have a big special teams meeting tomorrow (Wednesday) to correct any mistakes from today (Tuesday) or the previous days. I feel OK at this point, but not great.
Kicking the ball we tried Tyler Bitancurt, Josh Lider, Cameron Starke and Gregg Pungnetti.
A good hang time is around 4.0. I have talked to some pros this summer and they said it is not the distance to the endzone, it’s the hang time, the coverage team and how they converge to the ball. If you get them hang time, then they can converge to the ball."
On the kickoff coverage
"I do believe that hang time was a factor, however I will never finger point our kicker. I think we lost leverage on the ball in crucial situations because we avoided some blocks at the contact time. If we can leverage the football and do drill work in that and keep those guys contained with the ball, they can’t go far."
On not having Pat McAfee
"I think our punters now are better roll punters than they are straight down the line punters, just for hang time. We are going to continue to work on that very diligently, like we did today. We spent time on situations and live rushes."
"Anthony Leonard is a team player, he is a character and in my opinion he knows that Reed Williams is a heck of a football player. This is the hand that he has been dealt. He is not as good as Reed Williams, but he has effort like Williams. If Reed gets hurt or needs a break, he will be ready to go."
On the defense
"The defense had four turnovers today. We had two field goals blocked and we had two picks. Nate Sowers came out of no where and made a great interception today, as did Robert Sands."
On the offense doing more
"We want to get the fullback into the game a little bit more this year. We have not had a fullback here at WVU for a long time. We had a good one in Owen Schmitt, but usually he was a spilt back."
"If you go back to the Fiesta Bowl when I put in the I formation, it went pretty well. Owen Schmitt took the belly play in for a long touchdown and Noel Devine took two top sweeps downhill for touchdowns. I am an I formation guy; I think it goes with our spread."
"Here is a guy that can run, he is fast, he is tough and he is a great guy and student. I hope this being his senior and his final year that he will have a challenging yet fun last season."
Safeties coach Steve Dunlap
On Robert Sands
"He is heavier than he was last season and people don’t realize he has only been here a year. There are a lot of things he can still learn. He didn’t get any picks last year, but he has the potential to be a good player. He just has to put his hard hat on and go to work."
On Nate Sowers
"Nate was a guy that bounced around positions when he got here. He came in as a quarterback, and then he was a wide receiver; now I am glad he is with me. He is a senior and he knows who he is and what he is going to do. I don’t know if you guys realize this but he played about 250 plays last year. He was a major factor for us. He started the bowl game and played extremely well. I am very proud of Nate and he is the epitome of a Mountaineer player."
On the safety position
"In our regular defense with a four man front and two safeties, if you notice these safeties are not the same size as most you see. They are tall, rangy guys and they have to be very versatile."
"It is hard to take a freshman and throw him in the fire from the start. You want him to be mentally and physically ready; mainly mentally ready so that he can come in and not make a bunch of mistakes. There is no where to hide back there, so if you make a mistake, everyone knows who did it."
On the leaders in the safety position
"Hopefully our three older guys will be the leaders. Nate Sowers, Boogie Allen and Sidney Glover, those guys are the most experienced and the most knowledgeable. Knowledge is the thing that the older players pass on, so being a leader is a combination of what you do and how you act, and also “I show you the way, you follow me.”
On the size of safeties
"It is unusual to have guys as tall and athletic as Robert is, because he does have a high center of gravity. But he does have the ability to bend and change directions. He is a rare bird when it comes to that."
Coach Stewart Quotes, Day 3
Monday, August 10, 2009
It was a rainy day for the Mountaineers day 3 practice. The practice was moved indoors because of rain. Here is what Mountaineer head football coach Bill Stewart had to say after day 3 of practice.
Coach Stewart Quotes, Day 2
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Here is what Mountaineer head football coach Bill Stewart had to say following the Mountaineers second day of fall preseason practice. Wes Lyons was back to practice, after missing the first day because his grandmother passed away.
Coach Bill Stewart
"Day two of camp. We were talking earlier, and we were saying that this is not a marathon, but it is certainly not a sprint. We got a little bit better today. The heat was a great asset to us today. I say that because we play a lot of games this season in weather such as today's. From what I've heard, this is the hottest weather this year in Morgantown. Our medical staff was on top of every situation. We weigh them at the beginning of practice, and at the end. I added two periods today, simply because of the heat. We're very cautious, but we're demanding, and we pushed them. I was pleased at how our guys responded, getting on and off the field and working. They were flying around."
"Wes Lyons was back. He had a pretty good day, and it was good to see the big fellow in the slot. He is just a different guy in the slot than he is at the line of scrimmage. When you're a 6'8" target, and a a 5'10" defensive guy gets under you and jams you at the line of scrimmage, he has some difficulty with releases. When he's in the slot, particularly with the motion that we like to use, it really gives him an advantageous position. It was good to have him back."
"I was pleased with the lack of mental mistakes on both sides of the ball. I was not pleased with our defense. We had a good defense last year; it wasn't great, but it was pretty good. Our goal this year is to create turnovers and get off the field. Today, they received only one turnover in pass skeleton and team situations. They stayed and ran extra after practice. We ran our guys in sprints, both yesterday and today, because it's camp and that's what they do. We ran the defense extra. Reed Williams made a nice play; he stripped the ball. He was the only one. We need three a day. We want our defense attacking. I want our defense off the field. Yes, we were glad they were No. 8 in the red zone last year. We want the ball. We want more than 53 plays on offense. That's why i did what I did."
"Kicking was just average. We have a long way to go there."
Stewart on Wes Lyons' role this year
"We are going to use him as a combination player this year. He'll be out with (receivers) Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks, but he'll also be in the slot with Jock (Sanders) and maybe a tight end or two that we have flipped out there. Those guys understand that. He just seems to have more fluidness at the slot than he does at the outside."
Stewart on the kicking game
"Our snappers did very well today. They did good yesterday; they had some nice snaps. We did not kick as well in point after or field goal situations. I thought we punted the ball pretty well today, but we did not do the PT/field goal as well as I'd like. Tomorrow, we're going to be in shells, and we'll have a rush. We'll see a little bit more. Today, both sides of the ball worked on unbalanced kicking. The defense has to get ready for other teams to do that to them as well. Tomorrow, we're going to put everything together. We'll take a couple steps and do a "thud." It won't be a full rush, but that will put a little more stress on the kickers."
"We have a pretty good competition going on between Josh (Lider) and Tyler Bitancurt for kicking off. They seem to be doing a pretty good job with that. We'll know more Tuesday. I want to see how that ball hangs, and then we'll look at coverage. We went around the country this summer and talked to some people about coverage and about leverage. I think we need to implement some of the things we saw and and add it to our repertoire. We'll let both guys kick. I'm more interested in hang-time now."
Stewart on the offense's variety, options and possibilities this season
"It goes back to the old adage - you can be a jack of all trades, and a master of none. We want to be a master of a trade. The spread has been very good to us. The trouble with the spread is, when the defense locks you down outside and blow the box up, what do you do? You can't run. Therefore, you must rethink and use motion and movement. Having a slot game helped us immensely last year. You just have to be optimistically cautious that you don't have too much in the tool box. Take the tools you need for the job, hone it up and get the job done."
Stewart on lessons learned from 2009 spring practice that have carried over
"No. 1, get the ball to No. 7 (Noel Devine) out on the flank. Wes Lyons was a great move by our offensive staff. He is a bigger target on our over routes. Combined with the way Jarrett Brown can move in the pocket and make his misdirections - that move has been a great plus for our offense. That has to be in our repertoire. Over routes to No. 9 (Jock Sanders), to Wes and maybe to some incoming freshmen, if they get better. We want to have that kind of speed coming through the hole."
"I still believe that Alric Arnette and Bradley Starks are going to be the top two premier guys if they stay healthy and play hard. We still see what they have to do yet."
Stewart on tight end Tyler Urban's play
"He will not be in the backfield very often with (running back) Ryan Clarke and (fullback) Will Johnson back there. They both have better fullback-type bodies. I would like to see Urban stay up in the tight end spot, where he needs to be. He's going to be a good tight end. He has three more years left. He has a good chance to be pretty good."
Stewart on early camp optimism
"I see a guy like Reed Williams doing very well. I watch our corners, especially Brandon Hogan and Keith Tandy, and like what I see. Then, you take two warriors, like (defensive linemen) Chris Neild and Scooter Berry - we just have a chance of being in the equation (at the end of the season). Now, those guys have to stay healthy. It's a long, 12-game season, but I like what I've seen on defense."
"Offensively, I like our quarterback - I always have been one of his biggest fans. This is his time to shine. Will he? I don't know. I hope he does. If we keep No. 7 (Devine) healthy and get a play by a wideout, we have a chance. It's all up to the offensive line now on how good we'll be. I am not panicking and worrying about them. I think they'll give great effort, but they will make mistakes here and there because they are young."
"What I see us doing is hustling to the ball and giving effort. As long as they give effort, hustle to the ball and play tough, we'll be OK. To play physical football, you have to live tough, you have to practice tough and you have to want to be tough. It just doesn't happen - we found that out last year in our second game. You have to live it, practice it and want it. That progressed last year as the season went along. We weren't ready last year. Hopefully this year we'll be a little more wise and more ready."
Stewart on precautions for practice in the heat
"(Head football athletic trainer) Dave Kerns does a fantastic job, as does our whole athletic staff. There is always a concern, particularly when we've had such a cool summer, and now today is the hottest day. They are weighed in and out, morning and night. We make them eat - we force feed them. We monitor that very close, and it's a shame when something tragic happens."
Stewart on injury updates on offensive lineman Don Barclay and quarterback Geno Smith
"I thought Barclay practiced hard. His foot was a little sore last night, as it should be, but he did a nice job. He flew around. He is giving effort. Smith did better today than I anticipated with his foot. His mind is tying his feet up right now. He's a typical freshman and we're throwing the offense at him right now. Geno has a long way to go."
Coach Stewart Quotes, Day 1
Saturday, August 8, 2009
The Mountaineers completed their first day of preseason football practice Saturday. Head football coach Bill Stewart said that Jock Sanders has been reinstated to the team. Sanders was suspended for getting a DUI. Stewart also said that Tevita Finau is still absent. Below are Stewart's comments following the Mountaineers first practice.
My Thoughts
Monday, June 15, 2009
Congratulations to WVU shortstop Jedd Gyorko. He has received numerous honors and awards, too many to list. This just shows what a good player he is. I hope he does not leave for the major leagues after next season.
Speaking of the MLB draft, the first-Year players draft was last week. It was good to see WVU players Tobias Streich and Vince Belnome get drafted. Streich was picked up in the fifth round, and Belnome was drafted in the 28th round. I hope they both have good careers as pros.
I am personally a big Pittsburgh Penguins hockey fan so I was glad to see them win the Stanley Cup Friday. Going into the game, I wasn't sure if they could win since it was in Detroit and the Penguins had trouble playing in Detroit the entire series.
But, I thought they really played well Friday and really shut the Redwings down. That was the first time a road team won a best of 7 championship series since the Pirates in the 70's. What a year in Pittsburgh. The Steelers won the Super Bowl, and now the Penguins win the Cup. It's too bad the Pirates can't somehow win the World Series. We can hope, right?
I don't usually follow the NBA except for the playoffs. I was really hoping Orlando would beat the Lakers, but I think they really hurt themselves. Let's start with game 2. If Courtney Lee hits that shot at the very end, they would've had that game won and the series would've been tied at 1-1. They won game 3. Then, in game 4, the Magic had the lead with 11 seconds left. They should have defended better and not let the Lakers hit that 3 and go on to win. They had that game won until that point , and this would've been a different series. So, I think the Magic really hurt themselves. I think the Lakers really worked hard to come back and win the games they were down in and so in my opinion are more deserving of the championship.
And, you could tell by his mood and what he said post-game Kobe Bryant was determined to win this no matter what it took. I am just speculating here, but think about it. All we heard during the season is about LeBron James, how this was his year to win it all, how good he is. I believe Kobe was determined to prove that wrong and show he is a better player. Congratulations to Lakers coach Phil Jackson and Kobe.
Major Harris, and Don Nehlen Quotes
Thursday, April 30
Here is what former WVU All-America quarterback Major Harris and former head football coach Don Nehlen had to say after the announcement that Harris had been nominated into the 2009 class of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Major Harris:
Harris On his induction:
"I was definitely surprised. When I got the call, I didn’t know what to say. I was driving and to be honest the university told me first; I didn’t get a call from the Hall of Fame- I think I missed their call. The university was the one that informed me about it."
"To be honest, when you don’t play a lot in the NFL, you don’t expect something like this. Most of the names on the ballot and some of the guys that get elected, other than the coaches, probably had a pretty good NFL career. Sometimes the NFL career can be the icing on the cake on whether you get in or not."
"From a career standpoint, this is the icing on the cake. When you’re playing football, you never know what can happen and getting nominated to the Hall of Fame, that is an achievement."
Harris On his proudest moment:
"To be honest, getting a scholarship, because that is where it all starts. You play high school football, and you want to get recruited. Then to get recruited, and then to get a scholarship, I would have to say that was it."
Harris On why he chose to come to WVU:
"It was close to home, and I remember meeting Coach Nehlen. It was funny because when I first met him, I got him mixed up with his son, because they look so much a like. I enjoyed being down there, and I knew it was the place for me."
Harris On the NFL maybe not being ready for the type of quarterback he was:
"I try not to get caught up in that. I just was out there having fun trying to get our team a win."
Harris On recommending whether or not college athletes should come out early for the draft:
"It’s hard to tell them not to, when you see the type of money that these guys are making. I think it’s harder to tell a guy not to come out in football than in any other sport. With football, it’s tougher to tell a person not too. Everyone’s situation is different, especially in football."
Harris On opening doors for future quarterbacks:
"I never thought about it. I was out there playing, and I wasn’t thinking about how I was the first one to do this or that. I was just having fun and then when something like that came up, I didn’t even know about it; someone brought that to my attention. It was different, because I never thought that I was the first one because there were other running quarterbacks before me. That shocked me to be honest."
Harris On whether or not he would come out:
"Looking back on it, probably not, but like I said, when you’re young you don’t realize what’s going on or where you might go. They have a thing now where if the players don’t go high, they can go back to school. I think that’s in basketball. I wish they would have had that when I was in school."
Harris On what he’s doing now:
"I do a little coaching, and I’m back home in Pittsburgh working with kids."
Harris On the play against Penn State:
"The funny thing about that is that there was another play when I was a freshman that I was more impressed with. It was at Penn State when I ran one way and then back the other way, and threw the pass to Craig Taylor. He got it all the way back to the one yard-line but they called it back. If it hadn’t been called back, I thought we would have beat Penn State that year."
Harris On coming to WVU:
"When you’re young, you hear things and you don’t know what to expect coming from high school. When you get to college, it’s a learning experience and a lot of times when you look back you might say different things but when you are going through it it’s different."
Harris On his leadership ability:
"I just wanted to do my job. Going into a game, I thought we were well prepared and when you are well prepared, it makes your job a lot easier. During practice and by watching film, you know what kind of defense you’ll face. I think once you get to the game, you have already seen all that in practice, so it’s a lot easier. We were well prepared, and it helps when you have players that can make big plays. Big plays can happen everywhere. We had guys at every position that could make big plays."
Harris On his decision to leave early:
"The way I did it, I think it was wrong. But that’s looking back. When you’re young and you play for the National Championship, you’re nominated for the Heisman and when you’re an All-American, and then you look around the country at other players whose resume might not be as heavy or have that many accomplishments, and they are leaving and going to the NFL, you follow suit. I think the way I went about it was wrong, because I was looking at resumes. The one thing I regret the most is that I didn’t sit down with Coach Nehlen and ask him what he thought. I don’t think I was getting advice from the right people, but you don’t know that when you’re young. Now that I’m older and look back, I know I went about that whole thing the wrong way."
Harris On Pat White:
"I look at Pat, and he did great things in college. There was running quarterbacks before me and there were teams running the option, before I got to college. I’m surprised that teams have gotten away from the running the option."
Coach Don Nehlen:
Nehlen On Major’s election to the Hall of Fame:
"I’m not surprised at all. I’m a voting member, so I voted for him so I know he got one vote. You never knew what year somebody is going to go in but I kind of felt that Major was deserving and that some year he would get in. I didn’t know for sure if it would be this year or next year, but I felt that he was deserving. That ‘88 WVU football team was really something special, and he was the catalyst on it. It won’t hit him until he goes to the banquet at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel- he’ll know it’s something special. This is as good as it gets."
Nehlen On the Penn State play:
"They called either 37 or 39 and Major came out to the right and everyone went left and he just decided to take the ball. I never saw a play like that in my life; he left about five Penn State guys holding their britches and he ran in the end zone. It was a fantastic play, and I remember him coming out and saying to me that he screwed up. I told him not to worry about it and that we’d take it. That was a fantastic run. That is what was great about Major; he had those great instincts. I remember the offensive line asking what to do when Major takes off like that, and I told them just to stay there because he might be back. I remember those plays very vividly."
Harris On recruiting Major:
"We had Major in our football camp and people didn’t recruit Major as a quarterback but we did. I watched him play touch football, I thought if no one could touch him then they are going to have a heck of a time tackling him. We wanted him as a quarterback right away and when we got him, we knew we were going to play option football and throw play-action passes and the long bomb off the option play which is very difficult to defend."
Nehlen On Major’s leadership:
"Major is the kind of guy whose personality is infectious. When he was playing for us, he was a folk hero in West Virginia and that never seemed to bother him, and I don’t think he ever knew that he was a hero here in this state. Our kids respected him because he never changed. What you see is what you get. Major was Major, and I think that is why people respected him and really followed him."
Spring Game Quotes
The Mountaineers concluded spring practice with the annual Gold-Blue Scrimmage game. The gold dominated, 35-7 over the blue. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart and players had to say after the scrimmage.
Head Coach Bill Stewart:
On the spring game:
"It’s great to have everyone here. Thanks so much for being here for the Gold-Blue Game. I hope it was a lot of fun for everyone – it sure looked like the players were having fun out there. We got some things accomplished, but we have a long way to go to be a good football team. I liked our enthusiasm, I liked our effort and I liked how we practiced against each other all spring. I think our game today was just a culmination of that."
"We looked enthused. I was just pleased with the way they conducted themselves, in Mountaineer fashion. It was good competition."
"First of all, we didn’t play Noel Devine very much. He took the football and did what he is capable of doing with the 74-yard run. That got everyone excited and it was good to see. His second effort was good."
"Jarrett Brown played extremely well. He missed a protection before the half that got me upset. Some of that is coaching on my part. It will get better for him. He has tremendous arm strength. He was throwing the ball to his left, like a circus act."
"I thought the BIG EAST crew (officiating) was great. We had them three times this year – I thought they were really great."
Stewart On Wes Lyons:
"The coaches have watched him all spring grow stronger and more confident. He just plays very consistent. He’s just been Mr. Sturdy to me. He caught a ball out there today that he never caught before. I had the official tell him what he did wrong out there today. He told him, “Look, you made a good catch. Just set the ball down afterward.” That was good to hear from an official"
Stewart On Alric Arnett:
"Just seems to make plays. He and Bradley Starks. Jarrett Brown is a big, tall, man, throwing to big, tall men. These are all big guys. We haven’t had these size guys out there, and I think moving Wes Lyons in to the slot has been very beneficial."
Stewart On the offense:
"I’m very proud of our offensive linemen. They took every snap. Donnie Barclay went down – that’s still under evaluation. I’ll have to wait until this week to hear the extent. I think it was a below the knee injury, the not-bearing-weight bone. The great thing is, he had knee braces on, and his ankle is in good shape, as is his knee. Could have been trouble if he didn’t have braces on." (An update to Barklay's injury is posted on the main sports page where the headlines are.)
"Saw Tyler (Bitancurt) kick the ball. We didn’t play a PAT team – just the offensive guys, so he didn’t have any of his blockers or receivers out there."
"It was good to see Max Anderson to get in the game and get a carry."
Stewart On Coley White:
"I was really pleased to see what he did out there. Coley was 4-of-5 against the Blue with the No. 1 offense, and 5-of-8 against our No. 1 defense. He reminded you of someone out there a couple of times when he broke free. I liked the way Coley White moved the offense. I liked the way he kept his pocket presence. I liked the bootleg stuff he was doing. I saw him throw some crossing routes and find the right guy. Coley White matured out there today – it was very nice to see that."
Stewart On the defense:
"Chris Neild and Scooter Berry were just creating havoc. Reed Williams was just flying everywhere down-hill. I really like the way Pat Lazear and Zac Cooper just bring it.
Secondary wise, I think they did a nice job."
"Keith Tandy’s hit on Jordan Roberts was a big time hit. He hit him right flush in the chin. That was a big-time tackle. I went up to Coach Lockwood and told him I haven’t seen a hit out there like that in a while."
Stewart On the Blue team:
"I thought Jordan Roberts ran well out there. He doesn’t care who he plays – he plays. That guy brings it. And when you hit him, you better tackle. That was nice to see."
"I thought Logan Heastie caught a nice ball.
Zack Flynt was just running around – he’s a good guy.
Brantwon Bowser stood out.
The kicking, we kept it to a minimum."
Stewart On what Roberts brings to the team:
"I think he brings toughness. He has great resolve. He is the type of kid that doesn’t know that he isn’t supposed to play. He has been slamming up in there all spring. That being said, I need to find a place for that kid on our special teams, and I’m going to do that. When he’s running down-hill, he will hurt you when you tackle him. He could also be a short-back. He and Ryan Clark. I don’t care if he plays safety or he plays tailback, he needs to be on special teams. He’s a very physical young man, and brings a toughness to this program."
Stewart On guys that could play on special teams:
"Scott Loving. Maxwell Anderson. I’m going to have a special teams pool of some guys in here that I need to get.
I don’t get a chance to get in the flow of the game when it’s like this. I’m looking at both sides, instead of just one. People want to see football, and you get better by playing. Some coaches would scrimmage every day if they could. We scrimmage a lot – it brings a toughness to you. The guys want to play – they want to go against the little fellows. I also wanted to bring some bonding to this team. I wanted to go out on a good note. They were cheering for each other – that’s what you want to bring out of a game like this."
Stewart On JT Thomas:
"Tweaked his ankle. JT is very good – I think he’s destined for greatness. I just wish he was as tough as his dad."
Stewart On Jarrett Brown:
"This is Jarrett Brown’s team. He is special. All Jarrett Brown has ever done is win. He is a phenomenal young man. He is a great young man. I hope that he will be blessed by the football gods to have a banner senior year. He deserves it.
He wants to make every play, but you have to learn to retreat. There’s nothing wrong with a punt. You have to protect the football. We can punt the ball, give it back to them, and make them fumble or pick them. You don’t have to be perfect, but sometimes, youngsters think they have to make every play. He’s not dangerous, he’s not reckless – he’s just eager, and he has to be careful."
"I wanted our line to gel in a game. I wanted to push our guys in a game, and that’s what we did today. We pushed them."
Stewart On Gino Gradkowski and Joey Madsen:
"Those two got better today."
"I want to thank you all for a great Spring. We gained a little bit, but we have a long way to go with all of the intangibles. I’m most proud of how tough our team became. I demanded a lot, our coaches demanded a lot. But I think our guys developed a toughness that has been a part of our program for a long time. To wear the Old Gold and Blue out there is a privilege. We got a little bit tougher, but we have a long way to go. We need to develop a short game and work on some redzone plays. If we can get close to 70 plays a game, we will have a good football team on our hands."
WVU PLAYER QUOTES:
Starks On the set-up of game:
"I liked it a lot; it was just like a regular game. I thought it was a good set-up today. Reed Williams
I think we did some good things today. Obviously, we let Jordan get loose on us today, and we need to cut that out. I think today gave our non-travel guys a chance to get out there and get some hits."
Jarrett Brown:
"I want to get to a point this season where I can call the plays myself. I felt comfortable out there today."
Jenkins On being a leader on the offensive line this year:
"I try to lead as much as I can. I try to lead by example, vocally – I just try to do as much as I can for our offense."
Coach Johnson:
Johnson On freshmen linemen:
"You certainly don’t want to lean on a freshman, but it would be nice to have a surprise, like a Josh Jenkins, in this year’s class. The speed of this game – guys can get very strong, but offensive linemen have to react very fast."
"I thought Coley White played well today. He’s a tremendous athlete – he plays like his brother. It’s a good thing"
Final Spring Practice Quotes
Thursday, April 16
The mountaineers held their final spring practice Thursday afternoon. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart had to say, as well as some players.
Head Coach Bill Stewart:
Stewart On practice:
"We had a teaching practice today. We had over a 75-play scrimmage yesterday which was good. I said that yesterday, and I still stick to what I said. The intensity was pretty special when we saw it on film today. The pads were poppin’ like we thought, and it was intense."
"Today was a teaching practice. I wanted to work on plays and special teams. We did pooch-punt, and we did a good job on that. Against Oklahoma in the Tostitos Bowl, and this past year against North Carolina in the Car Care Bowl, we had nice pooch-punts. It’s something you have to work on."
"Then we worked on punt block, and we got that on film-we gave every guy about four or five reps each trying to pin the ball in front of the punter. Anytime that you can slow down and teach, that is good. We always worked on the even front and the odd stack, just to show our guys an even front as compared to the odd stack that we’ve seen. We wanted to work on the even stuff, because it was a teaching practice."
"We did do a red-zone skelly, because I wanted to see that. Wes Lyons made catch after catch, and I thought Jarrett Brown did some nice stuff. Again, Bradley Starks made some good plays."
"We wanted to take what we thought were some of our best red-zone plays from the spring, get them on film and teach from that through the course of camp. Then we did a two-minute drill, because I wanted to put the offense under stress, and I wanted to put the defense to work on things once the offense gets moving. Once it gets down in the score-zone then we can see blitzing, so No. 1 we can block the blitz, and No. 2 to see if our secondary can cover man-to-man. Everything was done with a purpose in mind today so I was pleased with what we got done."
Stewart On Saturday’s scrimmage:
"I’m looking forward to the Gold-Blue scrimmage on Saturday. It’s for a great cause and every penny goes to the Children’s Hospital. It started with Coach Nehlen back in the 80’s and we’re very blessed to have been able to keep that tradition going."
Stewart On the defense:
"Zac Cooper was back today, and it was good to see him. I wanted to see him in the two minute drill, and I thought he did a good job. Of course Reed Williams was flying around everywhere, and I was pleased with some plays I saw with Brandon Hogan. I saw Keith Tandy step up a little bit today. I thought our safeties covered the two today in the red zone and in the two-minute drill, so it was a really good teaching day."
Stewart On what the team has accomplished:
"We’ve accomplished most things. We haven’t worked on kickoff, because we haven’t had a good kickoff man yet. With punting, I’m very pleased with Scott Kozlowski. Today, because we were in shells, I wanted to work on coverage, and I thought we did a good job with that. I’m very pleased with our punt game. The PT field goals have been good too."
Stewart On the development of the team:
"Scheme-wise, we’ve cut back. I wanted to see the defense play base and then blitz so we were stemming around and working on disguises, and we were trying to echo some of the things that the Steelers have done. We’re trying to get better at that, because the secondary was so young last year, so we got better at that this spring."
"Offensively, we threw some schemes at them, but I don’t know if we’re tough enough, but we’ll see. We have to work on our toughness more in camp and get the ball out there and spread the wealth, so to speak, to the wide receivers. No. 16 (Jarrett Brown) and No. 7 (Noel Devine) just can’t win the game, just like No. 5 and 7 couldn’t win the game-they need help."
"I’m pleased with the power running game. That has developed a little more than where it was last year, because we have bigger backs. We’re going to have some great competition when camp comes in here with Shawne Alston and Chris Snook coming. Those are two big backs. It’s going to be really fun to watch those guys develop. Tavon Austin will bring a lot to the table with his skill set."
Stewart On the Gold-Blue Game:
"The gold team will be coached by the grey-beards, and the blue team will be coached by the pups. I hope they don’t beat us. If they beat us, you’ll see me, and I’ll be on the blue side. I hope they don’t beat us. We’re going to stay on one sideline because in case there is an injury, you don’t want to be yelling across the field."
Stewart On the kicking game:
"They’ve improved a lot. They have to take the pressure that is in the competition. I think our punters have had a good spring, and I don’t think our kickers have. Our snappers have been on the money, which has really pleased me a bunch. I do not think that the holding game is any jeopardy, so I feel good about that. The kicking game just isn’t there yet. Maybe we’ll put a little pressure on these guys Saturday because we have to get better at kicking. Our placement kicks and field goal kicks have to get better."
Player Quotes:
Najee Goode
"Right now as a defense, we’re stepping up and playing. We have to play with consistency and even though we still give up some plays, we keep working."
White On the spring game:
"I expect for us to do pretty well, and to show what kind of team we have as a whole. I have to go out there and compete and have fun. I think I’ve progressed pretty well. Coach helps me every day and corrects me, while we’re watching film. I can see on film that I’ve gotten better since day one."
Wednesday Spring Football Post-Practice Quotes
The Mountaineers practiced in the afternoon. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart had to say after practice. There are also player quotes too.
Head Coach Bill Stewart:
Stewart On the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll banquet:
"I’m very proud of our academics, and I’m very proud of the Mountaineers who have over a 3.0 GPA."
Stewart On practice:
"That practice today was a practice in which you win bowl games. That practice was an intense, get after it, hit them right in the face, Mountaineer Old Gold and Blue practice. I was very proud to be out on the field with them. They fought each other tough, hard, fair square and clean – and there were some pads poppin’. I saw some busts, some great plays by some guys, and I saw some guys who are maturing a little bit. It was a real slugfest. If we practice like that, have a nice spring game, and we practice physical, then we may have a chance. The spring game is Saturday, April 18. It will begin at 12:30 P.M. at Milan Puskar Stadium.
"I told the defense that they did a great job. They got the offense in a choke-hold and didn’t let them out. There was one play when Ryan Clarke made a nice bust on the ones, and Mark Rodgers made a nice play. That was defense domination coming off of our goal line to not let the opponent out, and that was a good job.
Stewart On Josh Jenkins:
"Josh is doing well, and he’s playing hard, but I don’t think he’s started a game yet for West Virginia."
Stewart On newcomer Josh Lider:
"He brings more maturity to the position, and brings someone to the position that has kicked in collegiate games before. It gives us more fire power in the arsenal. He has to come in like everyone else and compete, and I think that will make it a lighting summer for our kickers. There is not a job that is secure in this program, not one".
Stewart On the progress he’s seen so far:
"I’ve seen some improvement by some guys, but I hope that other guys would hurry along to be honest with you."
Stewart On what he wants to see in the Gold and Blue game:
"I want to see sharp execution; college team-sharp execution. We’ve had bits and pieces of that all spring by both sides. It’s going to be the best versus the rest, sort of, so we’re going to have to see what transpires. Sometimes I’ve seen spring games where you play the ones and twos versus the rest or the best six or eight lineup. I’ve seen sometimes that the rest has gotten after it, and I don’t want to see that Saturday at 12:30 p.m."
"It’s going to be the Gold squad versus the Blue squad. It will be travel team against the rest; that’s the best way to describe it."
"We’ll put the ball on the 35-yard line and away they’ll go. I want to see great execution as a team and I want to see teamwork. I want them to leave this spring as a team and that’s my objective for Saturday. They’ve been banging each other for 14 practices. Saturday, I want to be on the sideline and want to see a team. That’s why we did the 6 a.m. practices, because of all of the different starting times. Now I want to build the team concept at the spring game come Saturday."
Neild On the defensive line’s experience and maturity:
"I’m trying my best out there to get better every day. Veterans like me, Scooter (Berry) and Reed (Williams) are really trying to work with these young guys to get them as many reps, and feed them as much experience as we have. I think we’re doing a good job of that."
"It’s helping this year, because I started the games last year. No one really knows what to expect out there, and it’s easier to come into the season knowing what is going to happen. We’re really going to work hard this offseason. We’ve been working hard all spring, and it has gone by really quick."
Neild On what he’s working towards in the fall:
"We’re looking forward to (playing) Liberty. That’s our main goal right now. We’re going to work hard in the weight room and get in shape. We have a lot of work to do before August comes."
Neild On the Gold-Blue game:
"It came really quick this year. The past two springs that I’ve been here, it’s been slow but that’s probably because I was getting adjusted to everything. Once you get adjusted to everything, getting your reps in during the season and playing in the games, it comes easy for the people who have been here. I’m a little upset that it’s here so fast."
Brown On how he’s going to lead the team:
"I’m going to bring it every day; that’s what I’m going to do. That’s what I can do, just like a point guard who makes everyone around him better. That’s what I expect. I’m going to encourage and not get down when bad things happen, and not get too rowdy when good things happen."
Brown On the biggest thing he learned from playing behind Pat White:
"I learned a lot of things from Pat. Just the way he handled himself. He was very intelligent. He was able to perfect the running offense and then work on the passing offense. He picked up on the little things, and he was able to build; everyday he got better."
Brown On playing for Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins:
"Of course, it makes you a better person. I can tell you that it was a lot more running with Huggs. I loved the way he coached. He was straight forward, and I liked that the most about him. He’s just a great guy, and I liked to be around him. Coach Stew is the same way, and I was fortunate to play for both."
Tuesday Spring Football Post-Practice Quotes
After having a break for Easter, the Mountaineers returned Tuesday morning for their last early-morning practice. Here is what Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel and offensive Coordinator Jeff Mullen had to say following the practice.
Jeff Casteel
CasteelOn the safeties:
"We’re at the point where we are trying to get guys reps. As many guys that we can get in there and take a look at, the better. We’re still evaluating players right now. We don’t read too much into the first group or second group, we’re just getting the guys reps and making sure they know what they’re doing.
Casteel On Sidney Glover:
"He has been out almost the entire spring, so it’s good to get him back. He’s a little rusty but it’s good to see him out and running around. He’s ok to go. He had a hamstring injury and sometimes those things are tough. We wanted to make sure that was healed up so it didn’t hinder him when he starts running in the summer. He should be ok." Glover has been out of spring practice so far with an injury but is back now.
Casteel On installation:
"We’re still looking at some things in our base package right now. We’re giving the kids some things to think about and see if they can execute. We’ve been fairly slow this spring as far as our installation, so that they get a better grasp of what they need to do."
Offensive Coordinator Jeff Mullen:
Mullen On today’s practice:
"Everyday there is good and bad. You can’t really look at it or evaluate it until you look at the tape, but I was really happy with a lot of the young kids who made some plays this morning. Everyday you win a little and you lose a little - that is just spring ball."
Mullen On the inside game:
"It’s tough when you’re in shells because the defense can’t tackle you. A lot of the two-hand touch plays that looked really good may not have been. What I really like about these morning practices is that our kids come in and they are awake and alert. They are bouncing around and I thought they gave really good effort in the inside drills. You win some and you lose some, but overall I thought it was a really good practice."
Mullen On Brandon Hogan:
"Coach Galloway would have a better grasp on him, but it’s really nice to see him make some plays."
Mullen On his goal for the last week:
"Health. We’re hoping to finish up healthy and I think that’s really everyone’s goal in the spring. Spring is when you experiment a little bit on offense and defense, and you see what might help your kids in the fall. Spring is when you experiment with personnel and sometimes you have kids running around who aren’t quite sure and that’s when injuries can happen. I think the biggest thing that we want to come out with this week is to remain healthy and to continue to improve. On offense, our biggest opponent is ourselves. Every game I’ve looked at over the years, when you look back on the losses, you can see that it’s not what the defense did to you. The biggest opponent is ourselves and when we get better with what we are and who we are, then I’ll be very happy with that regardless of the points on the board."
"With the wide receivers and the offensive line, I see improvement every day. As a coach, you never, ever feel like you’re quite there, but you also realize that you’ve done a few good things as well. The thing I think I like best right now about our offensive line, is that I sense that we have a unit that likes each other. They work well together and they communicate well together. They eat together, come to meetings on time together and I sense a very close-knit group. That is a direct reflection of Dave Johnson and what he’s doing with those guys. He is really bringing those guys along, and it’s fun to watch Selvish Capers and Don Barclay who are some of our older guys, really take some of the young kids in, and put their arm around them. It’s been really fun to watch."
Mullin On who he sees the most improvement from:
"I’ve seen improvement in everybody. Maybe Jarrett Brown? He’s a quarterback and he has certainly shown improvement. I think the offensive line would be a tremendous candidate for that when you’re thinking about that there are three or four guys there that this is their first college full time experience. When you look at a guy like Wes Lyons who is playing three positions, Bradley Starks is playing three positions and Bradley is still a young guy. There are so many candidates for that and that’s the exciting part for me - that I’m seeing that improvement."
Mullen On Jarrett Brown:
"The biggest thing for any quarterback is experience and repetition. You can point it out on the chalk board and you can walk through it all day long, but until you get out there and you have to make the decision before the ball is snapped, until you physically go through that, you’re not going to be as good as a quarterback as you could be. Jarrett has had a ton of reps and he’s had a pretty good spring so far."
Mullen On the receivers:
"We don’t have Jock (Sanders) with us right now so that makes us a little skewed, and when you can throw in a productive Wes Lyons or some of the other younger kids that might have a chance to play, then yeah. The problem with that though, is that a lot of the younger kids have not done it before. It’s going to be tough to replace Dorrell Jalloh, but having said that, I think the numbers are a little bit better and I hope it continues to go that way." Sanders was suspended last year for a DUI and has not been allowed back on the team yet.
"One of the things we want to do this week is get some of those guys some time with the first unit. Today was an opportunity for them to get out there with the No. 1 offensive line, and work with them, and do some pretty neat things out there."
Mullen On the incoming freshmen:
"We had a really great class this year that we signed and I’m really excited about all of them. I’m looking forward to working with all of them and I think we have some great running backs coming in. I’m excited to see them all here and see them play. You can never count on a true freshman but you have to give them all opportunity. At the end of the day, the best 11 have to hit the field. We’ve all been around it long enough to see that sometimes a true freshman can be one of those. We’ll give them the opportunity to show us that in the fall. "
My Thoughts
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Since it was the big event of the week, I guess I'll start with the championship game Monday between North Carolina and Michigan State.
I was surprised it wasn't more of a game. I had picked the Tar Heels to win it all, because I thought they, along with Louisville were the best teams in the country but I honestly thought it would be more of a game. North Carolina just crushed Michigan and you knew it was over it seemed from the beginning of the game when Carolina had such a big lead so early.
I was a little disappointed it didn't rank up there with the championship game last year when Kansas went into overtime to win it, but it did show how dominat and good the tar Heels are. It seemed to me like Michigan State came out with no real emotion or desire to play...they could not hit shots or anything...and North Carolina outhustled them for lose balls and rebounds the whole game.
As for spring practice this week, head coach Bill Stewart seemed pleased. It seems to me though that the defense is completely dominating the spring, and the offense has work to do, though Stewart did seem pleased with them in the 2 minute drills during Wednesday's scrimmage. I am just glad that other than the injury last Saturday to Tyler Rader, there have been no other injuries. That is good. I hope it can stay that way through next week and into the Gold-Blue Game on April 18 that will end spring practice. I think the kicking game needs work though too and Stewart seems to be very unhappy with the kickers.
I was saddened when I heard about the death of former Mountaineer Basketball great Tom Lowry. I was not alive during the 1960's, but he did seem like a good player for that time. That Davidson game sounded huge and it was a big win in Mountaineer program history. For those who don't know, in the 1964 season, the Mountaineer Basketball team beat third ranked Davidson. Lowry was huge in that game, scoring 19 points and grabbing 19 rebounds. He died last Friday of cancer at the age of 67.
As for this proposal to add a fourth class in high school Football, I am kind of sick of hearing about it. It seems this comes up every year, and it gets talked about and talked about and then rejected by the state Board of Education. I doubt it will pass this year either. I think West Virginia being such a sall state, there aren't enough high schools for another class. With the way it is now, and the total number of schools in the state, it's my opinion that it probably wouldn't hurt to maybe drop a class...definitely don't need to add one.
Wednesday Spring Practice
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
The Mountaineers had another scrimmage today. This is their second officiated scrimmage so far during spring practice. They had one on Saturday. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart said to the media.
Stewart On today’s scrimmage:
"There were fine things happening on the field today. Defensively, I thought that they had a banner day. They gave up some plays, but they were getting after it. For instance, we started off on the minus 35, and the defense dominated. I did like Jarrett Brown’s touchdown pass to Wes Lyons. I thought that was a big play and we’ve been looking for big plays from our wide-out guys."
"Jarrett had two great fakes on short-yardage sets. Then Robert Sands came up from the safety position on the weak side, and he could have absolutely engulfed the quarterback. He blitzed him and he timed it perfectly."
"Brandon Hogan made a nice pick, and I told David Lockwood, after the game, how nice it was to see Brandon break on that ball. He came out of nowhere and it was a really big play by No. 22.
I saw Pat Lazear come down like a heat-seeking missile, and he made some great hits."
"The defense got a little bit better this week in the goal line sets. Last week, the offense ran right through them, and that’s when Ryan Clarke scored all of those touchdowns. We got that corrected on defense today."
"After running 50-some plays with the ones and 30-some plays with the twos, then we went into our two minute drill. We haven’t been able to do that with officials and being able to do that with the officials, today, was good. We put the clock on, and Jarrett Brown came out and was absolutely on fire. He hit Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks, and there was some really good football. I was proud, overall, with the way the offense fought back. To see what they did in the first two minute drill with live officiating was very nice to see."
"I want to compliment the guys on how they’ve played. We have driven these guys, and I’ve done that for a reason. I’m tired of Noon games and I’m tired of the Mountaineers not being able to wake up and play at Noon. So, we’re going to do things at 6 a.m. and they are going to learn if it’s midnight, 6 a.m., or four in the afternoon – when you have the chance to drop gloves, it’s time to drop gloves; you put on the Old Gold and Blue and you play football. That’s what this young team has to learn, particularly our offensive line. They have to get tough mentality."
"Kicking was 50/50 today so we have a long way to go there.
"As you leave, or come into the building, there are “Mountaineer Rules for Living” that are posted in each locker. Today, I talked about No. 1, which is “life is not fair-get used to it.” We stress the rules for a reason."
Stewart On spring practice so far:
"I’m a little excited about our defense, but I’m not at all pleased with the offense. We have to get tougher with our pass blocking, and we have to get our running game established - especially in the red-zone. I’m particularly pleased with the play of our quarterback and the wide receivers."
Stewart On Tyler Rader’s injury:
"They are still waiting for the swelling to subside and it doesn’t sound good. The poor kid, I hope the young man is not hurt as bad as what he may be." Rader was injured during Saturday's scrimmage.
Stewart On Wes Lyons
"Wes is playing. He’s healthy and Lonnie Galloway coaches him. Lonnie Galloway doesn’t berate those guys, abuse those guys or belittle those guys. Lonnie Galloway is a tough coach and if you are up there at 6 a.m. watching the mat drills, it’s intense. This is tough football."
"I think he is very proud of the way he is playing and how he feels about this offense. We don’t have No. 35 (Owen Schmitt), he is at the Seattle Seahawks. We don’t have No. 10 (Steve Slaton) anymore because he is with the Texas Titans. We don’t have No. 5 (Pat White) anymore. We have No. 7 (Noel Devine), and an unproven quarterback. We don’t have a proven fullback on the field, yet – they are all potential players. What we have to do is make sure that Will Johnson and Ryan Clarke become the players that they need to become. We need to make sure that we take some pressure off of Noel because he can’t bail us out all of the time. We have to get more talent and Wes Lyons has been a great addition. I don’t call him a pleasant surprise because I always knew he could do it. We have tremendous talent, but the problem is that they all haven’t done it consistently, yet. Alric Arnett, Wes and Bradley Starks have a chance to shine when we take the pressure off of the quarterback and tailback position. I think Tyler Urban has done a good job and we’re getting better, but it’s not there yet."
Stewart On Brandon Hogan
"He’s tough, he made a big play and he made some big tackles."
Stewart On Mark Rodgers
"Mark Rodgers is more than showing that he can be an adequate back up for Noel. He’s put on weight and he has a chance to play next year. I hope it continues and he’s a great kid."
Tuesday Spring Practice
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
The Mountaineers had another early practice Tuesday morning. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart had to say to the media following it.
Stewart On today’s practice:
"We went into shells today, and I only saw a couple instances where guys left their feet and tackled. They were hitting the thigh boards, but I didn’t like them leaving their feet. We take the knee pads off to keep them up so that they run through blocks and tackles. It keeps them closer when they gather and hit, they are up tight. They are learning how to practice, and this is how the pros practice. We were going full speed, you saw the intensity, and they are giving good effort."
"We had a good day today, and we really worked hard on overtime. We had a very intense inside drill, 1vs.1 with the guys in a circle. Our receivers are getting tougher and our defensive backs seem to be getting tougher. You get that way because you work at it."
"I thought skelley was good coming down the field. I liked that, and I was pleased about that because there were good plays by both sides. I saw Geno Crump making more good plays and Jarrett Brown has an absolute rifle. He made some nice throws today."
"Our defense is tough. We are learning on the run but the overtime was really good. The offense won the first one and the defense won the second one."
"Then we had our Nascar field goal drill and that is when the clock is winding down with no time at the half or at the end of the game. That’s something you have to work on, and we worked on it yesterday as an offense by ourselves, and today we went against the defense live. It worked out pretty well. There was one kick that was low and they blocked it, so I’m not pleased with that, but I’ll go and watch the film to make sure."
Stewart On tomorrow’s schedule:
"We will go tomorrow in a full scale scrimmage, and we will have officials here. We’re going to spend a bit more time in meetings tomorrow, and we’ll go on the field at 3:45. The scrimmage will be situational, and we’re going to add our two-minute drill with officials. It will be a big hitting day tomorrow."
Stewart On the kicking game:
"Protection wise we’ve worked on pooch-kicking, lanes, the punt game extremely well, we’ve worked on kick off. I’m still not pleased with our PAT and field goal. Nascar, like you saw today, got a little hectic so we have to get better on the kicking game."
Stewart On injuries and illnesses:
"With illnesses, we’re in pretty good shape. We’ve had the common cold and the flu bug like everyone else. We’re waiting to hear the final analysis on Tyler Rader. He seems to be the only serious injury, and I’m pleased that we haven’t had a lot of injuries. I think that is because we’re practicing smart."
Stewart On the bandit position:
"Bandit is the third corner and the second safety. They are usually more physical than corners and (Robert) Sands looks like he is doing a good job there. It’s all new to him, just like I have him on the punt team, but once he gets it, he really gets it. We’re throwing a lot at this young man, because I think he can do it."
Stewart On Scott Kozlowski:
"I want him to be the best punter in the BIG EAST, and I think he can really have a great year punting."
Stewart On true freshmen:
"A couple true freshmen came into our 6 a.m. practice and impressed me. One left at 3:30 this morning to get over here, and it was nice to see that lad. There are some spots that we think we can put some guys in there. A return man is one. I really think that we have a guy or two that can catch punts and kickoffs as well as anyone we’ve had. Now, that being said, it all goes back to potential. Potential means that it’s something they haven’t done yet so we’re looking at performance. When they get here in camp, we’ll find out how good they really are and see if they can handle the load. There will be some true freshmen playing; not many, because we have a pretty good football team right now. There are a couple return guys and a couple of skill guys that I’m looking at. It will be tough to crack into that defense. We’ll have to wait and see."
Stewart On the wide receivers:
"The first move that I thought was brilliant by our offensive staff was Wes Lyons going to an outside man. He is a big man, a big target and it looks like Jarrett (Brown) is trying to find him. Today, Jarrett threw some nice balls."
"Alric Arnett and Bradley Starks keep on jumping up and grabbing balls. I also keep seeing Wes catching ball after ball, which is good. Tyler Urban caught a nice ball today too, and we have the guys that we want to get the ball out there too."
"We’re doing some passing, because we think we have guys that will make plays for us. I’m not going to run Jarrett Brown 100 times a game. He has an arm, and he has good wide-outs, so we need to get a short-yardage game, which we keep working on. I like what I saw today with our toughness."
"The more physical style is Lonnie Galloway style. That drill today was intense, and I liked what I saw. Lonnie and Lockwood feed off each other, those two; they are like a cat and bird. It’s great for moral, for the staff, and it’s great for our players when they see coaches competing as Coach Galloway and Coach Lockwood compete. And they are young-I get tired, but they don’t. It sends a real message to the players."
Stewart On the position changes:
"When you look at your guys, you ask how you can best use him and what he could possibly bring to the table. We’re having a real battle at corner right now. Eddie Davis is impressing those guys, and Brandon Hogan are all fighting for their jobs right now. I think the defensive move of Robert Sands to bandit was really sharp. It was a good move."
"Again, I want to compliment our offense on moving Wes Lyons to the slot, because I think he can go inside and still play outside. That gives us dimension without changing personnel. That really frustrates defensive coordinators, because everyone wants to match-up players. We’re just trying to find ways to get our best players on the field."
Stewart On Zac Cooper:
"He is doing a good job. I watch him in pass rush, and I remember Zach in the Tostitos Bowl out in Arizona when he was coming off that edge and that big 300-pound tackle couldn’t put a hand on him. There are times when Zach needs to come down and rush. There are times when he is really savvy. Like you saw today, Zach is now our starting wing on field goals like we did with Marc Magro. He has great ball skills, and he needs to work on defense."
The Mountaineers will have another scrimmage Wednesday.
Monday Spring Practice
The Mountaineers continued spring practice Monday morning. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart said to the media following practice.
Stewart On today’s practice:
"We got a lot done today. We worked on pass protection, and we had a nice red zone skelley. We had good situational play from both sides of the ball, and while that was going on, I kept seeing No. 82 (Alric Arnett), No. 4 (Wes Lyons) and No. 14 (Bradley Starks) make play after play."
"The secondary did a nice job today, and Eddie Davis had a pick. It looked like he could have gone 95 yards, and what we did was throw a fade route when you throw the ball in certain coverage. We scored when Jarrett Brown hit Alric Arnett to the right, before we came back and seven or eight plays later, we went to the left and Eddie picked it, and would have taken it 95 yards."
"We then went into our two-minute mode where we worked on our assignments and our blitz package. That was good for both the offense and defense. What it does is help the defense stem and fly around in the drill. They did all three today, and they brought heat."
"Again, I thought Jarrett Brown did a nice job today. We did what I call our Nascar field goal, because it is a hurry up field goal, and we had a pick at the end."
"The players will be students the rest of the day. We have treatment and then study hall in the afternoon today, and then maybe they can spend some time on their books tonight. After that I’m sure some of them will watch that basketball game tonight. How late they stay up is on them because tomorrow at 6:15 a.m. we’ll be back out here."
Stewart On tonight’s NCAA Basketball Championship game between North Carolina and Michigan State:
"I had four nice years at Chapel Hill and I coached there, very proudly. I’ve always been a Tar Heel fan except for one game a couple of months ago. So, I have a lot of loyalty to the ACC and North Carolina. I’m a big Roy Williams fan. However, being politically correct, I like that blue collar mentality that Tommy Izzo brings. He’s a heck of a basketball coach. It won’t be a game by 30, I can tell you that!"
Stewart On the development of the offensive line:
"Someone told me that they needed to grow up fast and whoever said that, is absolutely right. The line is gelling. They are young, and they are aggressive- that’s what I like. They don’t get down on themselves."
Stewart On Selvish Capers:
"I had a talk with Selvish Capers after workouts yesterday, and we just sat down on the couch together. I told him how proud I was of him, how I liked and admired his leadership, and how he had to step up and be the mother hen of that flock. The next older guys are Donnie Barclay and Eric Jobe, and neither of those guys played a lot. Those two young guards in there, their heads are spinning so we’ll see. We’ll have a tough camp and we’ll make them tougher. I was really pleased about how mentally tough they were on Saturday when we went to goal line. They could have kept their heads down because they had a hard day. The defense really bullied us until we got to the goal line. I was very pleased with the leadership he demonstrated. He was a guy we took a chance on, and he is going to prove America wrong that you don’t have to be an Einstein or test well to succeed. He needs to take the young guys under his wing, like Josh Jenkins and Jeff Braun. He’s earned that right."
Stewart On Eddie Davis:
"I’m happy for Eddie. He was on the watch list, and you never want to give up on a lad because people never gave up on me. It’s his time. He needed to step up, and it looks like he’s doing it. It’s really early so we’ll see, but he looks like he’s earning the right to at least get on the field next year." "Eddie is probably the fastest, if not one of the fastest guys on the team. He tests well, he is over a 3.0 GPA student, and I can’t even remember his name coming across my desk for missed classes. All I’ve ever hear about Eddie Davis is that he’s a class guy and that he has great potential. Well, it’s time for potential to become performance. He had a nice day this morning."
"We have the greatest cornerback coach in America, bar none. If anyone can help this lad ascertain his thoughts of playing major college football and maybe going onto another level, David Lockwood is the right guy. He did it last year with Ellis Lankster and Eddie Davis is a talented young man. I hope David and Eddie can gel and have a nice relationship."
Stewart On the kickers:
"I threw him out of the meeting yesterday. Do you think their mothers will read this? I threw every one of them out of the meeting. Every one of them. Gone."
Stewart On Tyler Rader:
"Tyler Rader right now is being evaluated very closely for swelling. He has a knee hyperextension. He was doing a good job and on the eighth play of the scrimmage it happened. I’m hoping that the injury won’t be as serious as we think. The medical staff will let us know as soon as they can get to the bottom of it. It was a tough loss for a nice young man who absolutely deserves a chance to play this coming year. He was in the equation."
Stewart On Najee Goode:
"He got dinged in the ankle, and he’s a tough guy – he sucked it up and went through Saturday’s scrimmage. I like his toughness and he in particular, of those linebackers, needs reps so that was not good today that he didn’t get a lot of reps, but, he shows tremendous toughness."
Stewart On Chris Neild:
"I like Chris Neild just as much as anyone on our football team. He’s a man’s man. He’s tough, very durable and most importantly, he’s dependable. He’s another guy that I can never remember having a class missed notice come across my desk. You show me a guy who lives right off the field, in the community, and in his daily walk, and then I’ll show you a guy that we count on out here. He’s a mainstay. He’s doing very well."
The Mountaineers will practice again Tuesday early in the morning, and then have another scrimmage Wednesday.
Saturday Spring Practice Scrimmage
The Mountaineer Football team had their first officiated real scrimmage Saturday. Here is what head coach Bill Stewart said to the media following the scrimmage.
Stewart on Saturday's practice and scrimmage:
"We had a lot of electricity in today’s practice. We did a script and we’ll do the same thing Wednesday – we started at the 35-yard line, and we wanted to move the chains. I saw Noel (Devine) have a good 65-yard run; maybe someone would have got him, maybe not, but it looked pretty good."
"The defense absolutely dominated from the 2-yard line, and I thought they did a tremendous job getting off the field. The No. 1 defense was really getting after them, and we had an interception when Jarrett (Brown) got a little risky with the ball and J.T. Thomas picked it."
"The midfield defense really got after the offense and knocked them around. When we got in the red zone on the 35, the offense started to come alive, and Jarrett threw a nice touchdown pass to Noel. The offense started to gel, and then we put the ball on the nine-yard line, and we got after it. The offensive guys had 12 plays with the ones, and only three plays with the two’s. I wanted to see the tough guys, and I wanted to strain them a little bit. "
"We had a hold there on Noel’s touchdown, and we had to bring it back. The offense had a fumble, and there was a nice recovery by Larry Ford. Last but not least, Ryan Clarke put three touchdowns in the end zone. That was good and we needed our power back."
"I thought Will (Johnson) blocked well today, not only there, but for Noel’s touchdown run.
Jarrett wasn’t as sharp today throwing, and I don’t think his protection was good. I thought the defense got after the offense pretty well today."
Stewart on the kicking game:
"I fired every kicker today. They are not tough, and they have to figure out how to fight through pain. Our kicking, field-goal wise, was not good. I’m not pleased with that, and I thought that would get better, but we’re not tough enough as kickers mentally."
"I thought Scott Kozlowski hit some good punts out of the end zone. What I did today was put the ball on the 1, and we did some role punting. I wanted to put them under stress, and strain them which is always good to do. I was pleased with how he punted the ball. I thought our snaps have been good also. Cody Nutter and Jeremy Kash both snapped well today."
Stewart On Ryan Clarke:
"He’s got some talent, but he has to do it all the time, every time. When we do that as a football team, we’ll be a better football team. We need to get tough, and that’s why we put the ball on the goal line today. We needed to see some toughness, and I thought it was good."
Stewart On J.T. Thomas and Reed Williams:
"JT and Reed Williams were flying around today. Those two guys are great players; they’re special. They bring electricity to the defense. No. 47 and No. 30, bring electricity and that is neat to see."
The Mountaineers will have two early morning practices Monday and Tuesday, and then have another scrimmage Wednesday. After that, they will have a break to spend time with their families for Easter.
Friday Spring Practice
Friday, April 3, 2009
The WVU Football team continued spring practice Friday after having Thursday off. Several hundred high school coaches observed the practice as part of head coach Bill Stewart's Coaches' Clinic which will end Saturday.
Stewart met with the media to talk about the practice. Here is what he said.
Stewart On today's practice:
"That weather was crazy! We thought the storm would blow through and that the rain would stop by 4:30. Low and behold, it did, but that wind was strong.
I was really pleased with the way both sides concentrated. That certainly wasn’t hurricane weather, but