Friday, December 30, 2011

Big East Bowl Preview: Liberty Bowl



Cincinnati v Vanderbilt:  Zach Collaros will be back for the Bearcats, who would probably be getting ready for the Orange Bowl if he had never gotten hurt.  The Bearcats looked like the best team in the conference with Collaros healthy this season, and we'll see if he can shake off the cobwebs quickly against Vandy.  This is basically a home game for the Commodores that put together a pretty good year.  The offense continues to be a work in-progress, but the defense has been a rock.  The Commodores allow just over 20 points a game.  That's one of the best in the nation.  But, they are about to face an offense that is a bit more explosive than most of what they saw this season.  With Collaros back, it may open things back up for Isaiah Pead.  The Bearcats can be very balanced if Pead gets going early.  Look for Cincy to consistently go to Pead to slowly get Collaros back up to speed.  Meanwhile, the Bearcats defense will be going after it all day long.  The opportunistic unit has been under-appreciated all year, and should have some good success against an unexperienced line.  The Bearcats should control this game from the beginning if Collaros is truly healthy.  Vandy will try to win the time of possession, but could struggle to find space against the Bearcats' defense.  it's not every day you think a Big East team is better than an SEC team, but this is the case in this one.

Prediction:  34-24 Cincinnati

Big East Bowl Preview: Pinstripe Bowl

Rutgers v Iowa State:  The Scarlet Knights are essentially playing a home game against Iowa State later today.  Yankee Stadium will have plenty of Jersey boys screaming and yelling, and hoping for a big victory over Iowa State.  The Cyclones come in hitting one major landmark this season:  beating Oklahoma State.  The Cyclones offense isn't anything to write home about.  The running game is nearly last in the country.  The passing game is average.  And defensively, they allow more points than they score.  Iowa State just finds ways to win.  In fact, only one of their wins was by more than six points this year.  Rutgers should have a good opportunity to move the ball.  Unfortunately for the Knights, their offense isn't anything to write home about either.  Two young quarterbacks will see playing time, and will undoubtedly force the ball to best player, Mohamed Sanu.  Look for Rutgers to try and run the ball early, but not be afraid to open it up as well.  If the Knights can get on the board early it will truly put the Cyclones in a hole.  Iowa State isn't going to play well from behind, especially in what should be a hostile territory.  It will also be asking a lot for freshman quarterback, Jared Barnett to win the game for the Cyclones.  They will need help from the running game, as well as the defense.  Expect both offenses to struggle early, especially if it's a cold afternoon.  Too many mistakes from the Cyclones will allow Rutgers to take control.  And, by the 4th quarter a close game will open up with Rutgers receivers being to big of a mismatch.  The Knights win it.

Prediction:  31-21 Rutgers

Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.

Though, not all made the trip.

Meanwhile, Clemson is realizing why the Orange Bowl may be the best bowl

Cool story about the U of Miami will help the Orange Bowl preserve the its history.

Can Clemson help the ACC's reputation in BCS bowls?

Keith Tandy getting ready for a busy game.

Thursday, December 29, 2011

WVU-Villanova Final Thoughts

A strong finish helped WVU pick up their first Big East win of the year.  The Mountaineers were paced by their upperclassman, once again, but the youngsters came on at the end to help WVU close it out.  The Mountaineers now have 10 wins on the season, essentially halfway to making postseason play.


Player of the Game:  Truck Bryant.  The most polarizing player on the team had a career day, finishing with 34 points, including many big buckets down the stretch.  Truck also played very good defense late, disrupting many plays.  Overall, a solid start to Big East play for Truck.


Play of the Game:  Kevin Jones Returning.  The team looked completely lost when KJ had to get stitches early in the second half.  Villanova took complete control of the game when KJ was out, and could have really built a lead.  Fortunately, the medical staff got KJ back to the floor as soon as possible.


Other Thoughts:


I loved the three guard set late.  The freshmen PG's matched up well together, and really opened things up for the Mountaineers.  The rebounding was a bit week, but overall it was a big hit.


Dominic Rutledge continues to improve.  Yes, he didn't play a whole lot last night, but the kid is starting to get it, and has shown flashes of what kind of offensive game he can bring.  


Kevin Noreen is like watching Cam Thoroughman on PCP...and I'm not sure that's a bad thing.


Seton Hall will be a true test tomorrow night.  They got embarrassed last night, and will be looking to avoid an 0-2 start in conference by any means necessary.  The first five mins is going to be a major factor for the Mountaineers.

Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.
WVU to arrive in South Beach later today.


ESPN's Andrea Adelson looks back on Dana Holgorsen's wild year.


Clemson is looking to build for the future, and the Orange Bowl could be the springboard.


The Ballad of Tajh Boyd.  


Another update on the ticket sales.


Sure, the game is important, but at the end of the day it's South Beach, baby.

Tuesday, December 27, 2011

Former Mountaineers Still Playing Ball Update

Here we go, folks.  This is the most up-to-dated list I could compile.  Please email me about anyone else that I could add.  I will try to update this weekly.


Joe Alexander, BC Krasnye Krylia (Russia):  Averaging 8.4 points and 4.0 rebounds a game through nine games.


Chaz Briggs, F, Barreteros de Zacatecas (Mexico):  Averaging 8.1 points and 7.2 rebounds a game.


Da'Sean Butler, F, Austin?:  Bob Huggins said on Sportsline that Butler is back in the D-League, but the roster doesn't have him on there...yet.


Devin Ebanks, F, Lakers:  Became the first former Mountaineer to start an NBA since 1983.  Is averaging 7.5 points and 3.0 rebounds through two games.


D'or Fischer, C, Gescrap Bizkaia Bilbao (Spain):  Dropping 8.2 points and 6.0 rebounds a game so far this year.


John Flowers, F, Saitama (Japan):  Averaging 19.9 points and 7.3 rebounds a game through 14 games.


Marcus Goree, F, PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece):  Scored 17 points and grabbed 6 boards in his first Euroleague game of the year.  Averaging 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds in league play.


Joe Herber, G, Fraport Skyliners Frankfort (Germany):  Avergaing 4.9 points and 1.8 assists per contest.


Casey Mitchell, G, Sioux Falls:  After being cut, Mitchell is back in the D-League averaging 19.2 points a game for the Skyforce.


Chris Moss, Toshiba (Japan):  Leading his team in scoring with 11.5 pointsand 8.0 rebounds a game.  


Alex Ruoff, G, Okapi Aalstar (Belgium):  Just injured his knee, and is planning to rehab in Morgantown.


Tyrone Sally, F, Rotterdam (Netherlands):  Leading his team in scoring with 17.9 points a game.  Also leads in rebounding with 5.8.

Big East Preview: Belk Bowl



Louisville v NC State:  The Cardinals are looking to finish off what ended up being a successful season.  Sure, there is some disappointment in not reaching the BCS, but after starting 2-4 finishing the season in a solid bowl game is a good season.  Much can be said for NC State as well.  After a late season loss to lowly Boston College, the Wolfpack turned it around with wins over Clemson and Maryland.  The Pack should also have a solid crowd, considering the campus is just a few hours from Charlotte.  Both teams have offenses that have awoken lately.  Teddy Bridgewater has had a nice freshman campaign...one that shows his future is brighter than the North Star.  Look for Louisville to go right to the ground.  The Pack allowed nearly 200 yards on the ground the last game, so they may have to stack the box early.  If this happens, look for Bridgewater to then go to the air.  While the Cards' offense has done better lately, the defense has been one of the best all year.  Louisville will force tough 3rd downs and mistakes that could become the difference late in this game.  Expect a close one early, especially if Mike Glennon can play mistake-free.  But, the difference will be the Louisville defense late, which will create the opportunities the offense needs to close it out.

Prediction:  27-20 Louisville

Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.






ESPN has a nice profile of Dana Holgorsen and other first-year head coaches in BCS games.


ESPN also has the Orange Bowl sight up and running for the game.  


MSNSportsnet breaks down the epic season that Stedman and Tavon had.


West Virginia is expected to take a hit on not selling their allotment of tix.


Clemson is in the same boat with WVU concerning tix.  


Taking a look at some of the bigger matchups for WVU.


For good Clemson coverage, check out this site.  

Former Mountaineers in the NFL, Week 16

Anthony Becht, TE, Chiefs: Registered one catch for six yards, and also had one tackle in a loss to the Raiders.


Brandon Hogan, CB, Panthers: Had one tackle in win over Tampa.


Mortty Ivy, LB, Steelers: Didn't register any stats in Steelers' win over the Rams.


PacMan Jones, CB, Bengals: Registered five tackles and had two passes defensed in win Cardinals.


Ellis Lankster, CB, Jets: Didn't register any stats in loss to the Giants.


Pat McAfee, P, Colts: Had five punts for an average of 41.8 yards a kick in win over Texans.


Corey McIntyre, FB, Bills: Started, and had one tackle Buffalo's win over the Broncos.


Ryan Mundy, FS, Steelers: Registered six tackles in the Steelers' win over the Rams.


Chris Neild, NT, Redskins: Didn't register any stats in loss to the Vikings.


Robert Sands, FS, Bengals: Was inactive this week.


Owen Schmitt, FB, Eagles: Didn't register any stats in win over the Cowboys.


Steve Slaton, RB, Dolphins: Was inactive this week for the Dolphins.


Injuries:


J.T. Thomas: Injured Reserve

Monday, December 19, 2011

Vacation!





Happy Holidays Everyone! We'll get back with you next week!

Thursday, December 15, 2011

WVU Gift Buying Guide, Dec. 15th

So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!

Gift 8. WVU Money Clip
Time to drop some style on you. And what's more slick than a sleek, spring-loaded, West Virginia-emblemed money clip? Nothing is more slick. This stylish piece can fit in any pocket, and is also a very affordable item. Just $9.99 at Mountaineer World. Now, only if it came with money.

Archive



Flying Dub-V College Bowl Pick'em Challenge

(I'm not sure any of those bowls are still played)

In stealing an idea from Orange44, I have decided to start a Bowl Pick'em pool from Flying WV. Why? Well, how else do we make the New Orleans Bowl and the Potato Bowl relevant? There's nothing like betting on some good ole fashion amateurs! Anyway, just CLICK HERE and it should shoot you right to the pool page on ESPN. It is a confidence pick'em to make it a little bit more challenging. If the link doesn't work for some reason just search "Flying Dub-V" on ESPN and it you should find it. The winner will get something randomly from my closet! Good Luck, Folks!

Also, check out Orange44's Pick'em as well!

Wednesday, December 14, 2011

WVU Gift Buying Guide, Dec. 14th

So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!

Gift 7. WVU 3-Piece BBQ Tools


What grill is not complete without a set of fine looking grill tools? And, let us take it u a notch with grill tools that have a WVU theme. The flying WV make everything better, and there's no exception here. There's a good chance your grilled meat will even taste better, because of these. Available at Home Depot (Thanks Nick) for $22.99.

Archive

Flying Dub-V's Plays of the Year

Time to take a look back at a year full of fantastic performances and plays on the gridiron for West Virginia.

Game 1. WVU v Marshall: Tavon Austin's Kick Return. With a lightning storm nearing, Austin's kick return gave WVU some breathing room. After the delay, WVU would score again to make it an insurmountable lead and the game would eventually be called. It was a very timley score for WVU.


Game 2. WVU v Norfolk St: Ivan McCartney's 39 yard TD catch. Early in the fourth quarter, Sticks got loose. Geno was able to throw a perfect dart to Sticks in the end zone for the score. It was a beautiful pitch-and-catch


Game 3. WVU at Maryland: Eain Smith's Interception. Maryland was driving late in the fourth quarter, with a chance to win the game. The Terps were in Mountaineer territory, and the defense desperately needed to make a play. Enter Smith, who read Danny O'Brien perfectly, stepped into a throw, and picked the ball off on the six.


Game 4. WVU v LSU: Geno Smith's Perfect Pass to Tavon. This play shows the outstanding accuracy Geno can display. This ball is perfectly thrown to Austin, who nearly takes it to the house.


Game 5. WVU v Bowling Green: Dustin Garrison's Entire Performance. 291 yards says it all. An outstanding day for the kid.


Game 6. WVU v UConn: The Fumble Return. Halfway through the 3rd quarter UConn was driving deep into WVU territory, when Pat Miller stripped Johnny McEntee of the ball. Juwone Snow recovered it to go 84 yards. That set up a Tavon Austin TD catch, and it was smooth sailing after that. Just a huge play by Miller and Snow.


Game 7. WVU at Syracuse: Stedman Bailey's Acrobatic Catch and Score. It was an awful game, but at least Bailey gave WVU one thing to cheer about.


Game 8. WVU at Rutgers: Tavon Austin's 80-yard Reverse TD. While Geno Smith's TD late was the most important play, Austin showing off his speed on a frozen tundra was the sexier play to put on the list.


Game 9. WVU v Louisville: Stedman Bailey's One-handed Catch. This play was incredible, and it did keep WVU's hopes alive of a comeback. Sadly, they didn't have any Tim Tebow luck.


Game 10. WVU at Cincinnati: The Block. In the final seconds the Bearcats were trying to force overtime with a tying field goal. That's when Eain Smith and just about everyone else blew through the Cincy line to block it. It was nice to see WVU actually get the break in the kicking game for once.


Game 11. WVU v Pitt: The Stedman Bailey Stiff Arm. This needs no explanation.


Game 12. WVU at South Florida: Stedman's Diving Catch. Maybe the bigger play was Shawne Alston getting a woozy Bailey lined-up for the spike.


Quick Look at Former Mountaineers with NBA Connections

Da'Sean Butler: Opened camp with the San Antonio Spurs, but was waived yesterday. FUTURE: Could easily find a place overseas to play, but could elect to play in the D-League to stay close to the NBA.

Devin Ebanks: Starts his second year with the Los Angeles Lakers. FUTURE: The team exercised his contract, and Ebanks will likely get a chance for some more playing time if he can adjust to playing more shooting guard and small forward.

Casey Mitchell: Was invited to attend camp in Houston. Mitchell was then waived earlier this week. FUTURE: Will be headed back to Sioux Falls in the D-League, where he has had a nice start to the season.

Joe Alexander: Currently playing in Russia for BC Krasnye Krylia. FUTURE: Tough to say at this point, but might be overseas for the foreseeable future. He had an outstanding season in the D-League last year and never got a sniff.




Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.



Clemson's Mike Bellamy will be suspended through the Orange Bowl.

Clemson's Sammy Watkins and WVU's Broderick Jenkins are being investigated after their names ended up on a promotional flyer.

The Mountaineers are actually going to practice before a bowl this year.


Austin also grabbed Second Team All America from Yahoo! Sports.

UPDATED: Austin 3rd Team AP All-America



Tuesday, December 13, 2011

WVU Gift Buying Guide, Dec. 13th

So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!

6. WVU ProToast NCAA Toaster
Why? Because this thing rules. Who doesn't want toast with the flying WV on it? This is so pointlessly fantastic that if you don't have it you might be Un-American. And, if you are like me and are married to someone from a rival school, a nice piece of WVU toast in bed will piss them off imensley...which can be fun. On Amazon for $33.95

Archive


Deep Thoughts, WVU Style

WV Illustrated reported yesterday that according to the WVU Ticket Office, the school has only sold about 5,700 tickets to the bowl game. This is the worst number of any team going to a BCS game, and probably means WVU will take a major hit having to pay a considerable fee for unsold seats. You can blame the economy, or the fact the game is on a Wednesday right after the holiday. You can even blame WVU's marketing of those tickets. However, when gameday rolls around, there will still be close to 25,000 WVU fans in South Beach for the game. The secondary market has been the biggest culprit for the school. Stubhub has tickets for about 40 dollars. Ebay has a plethora of different prices, and there are more sites that people use as well. Why would fans go through the school, where the tickets are more expensive and have less control of where the seats will be, when they can pick and choose from these sites? I do feel for the school, because they will take a bath of unsold seats, but it's just not practical to buy from the school.

There are about 100 different reports and/or rumors about the future of Defensive Coordinator, Jeff Casteel. Many believe he will be Arizona-bound to join Rich Rod, while others think he isn't going anywhere. Whatever the case is, I wonder what the future of the 3-3-5 stack defense will be. Will the Mountaineers truly want to move into the Big 12 having to rely on speed over size? Many teams do run the spread in the conference, but there is generally more size, and stronger running backs. With six safety commits on the recruiting list you would imagine the team sticks with the 3-3-5, but I guess you never know. Personally I would like to see this team go to a more conventional look, but you can't argue that Casteel has had good success over the years with the stack.

So, whats your prediction on when WVU gets out of the Big East? Call me pessimistic, but I don't see the school getting out until after the waiting period. I have no inside information, and don't know law at all...it's just a guess. It seems to me that WVU was hoping the Big East would just back down and possibly settle from the beginning. However, the conference has fought back and seems to be ready to take the court battle all the way to the end. We'll see what happens, but don't be surprised if we are stuck for at least another year.

WVU netted more than $700,000 from beer sales in the first year it was authorized at Mountaineer Field. More importantly is the fact that excessive drinking incidents dropped by about 30%. This isn't surprising at all. By allowing the sale of beer inside it reduces the amount of morons pounding brews before the kickoff. It also helped that WVU eliminated the "pass outs" rule, where one could leave at halftime, get wasted, and come back in the second half. Oliver Luck hit a homerun with these changes, and expect things to even get better next year.

Former Mountaineers in the NFL, Week 14

Anthony Becht, TE, Chiefs: Didn't register any stats for in a loss to the Steelers.

Brandon Hogan: Was inactive for the Panthers. Yet to play this year.

Mortty Ivy, LB, Steelers: Resigned by the Steelers las week, and had one tackle in win over the Browns.

PacMan Jones, CB, Bengals: Registered four tackles and had two passes defensed in loss to Steelers.

Ellis Lankster, CB, Jets: Was inactive for the Jets this week.

Pat McAfee, P, Colts: Had six punts, with an average of 44 in a loss to Baltimore.

Corey McIntyre, FB, Bills: Started, but didn't register any stats in Buffalo's loss to the Chargers.

Ryan Mundy, FS, Steelers: Didn't register any stats in win over the Browns.

Chris Neild, NT, Redskins: Didn't register any stats in loss to the Redskins.

Robert Sands, FS, Bengals: Back to the inactive list.

Owen Schmitt, FB, Eagles: Didn't register any stats in win pver the Dolphins.

Steve Slaton, RB, Dolphins: Was inactive this week for the Dolphins.

Injuries:

J.T. Thomas: Injured Reserve

Monday, December 12, 2011

WVU Gift Buying Guide, Dec. 12th

So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!

5. WVU Pool Table

How sweet is this thing? Spectacularly crafted, with "West Virginia" and "Mountaineers" carved right on there. This is the perfect addition to any man cave or play room out there. Yes, a bit pricey, but totally worth it. Find it at Mountaineer World for $3,800.

Archive



Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.


West Virginia Getting ready to start Orange Bowl Prep.

Meanwhile, Clemson begins practice tomorrow.

Yes, Tajh Boyd almost went to WVU.

The Orange Bowl website has profiles of both teams.


Friday, December 9, 2011

Follow us on Facebook!

Hey Folks,

You can now be a fan on Facebook! Just search Fling Dub-V or click this link to become one of our fans. Every post is linked there, and feel free to drop us a line with a question, comment etc... Thanks to all supporting this website!

Flying Dub-V Postseason Awards

Offensive Player of the Year: Geno Smith, QB, West Virginia. It was an epic season for Geno, as he broke nearly every single-season passing record in Morgantown. He was 7th in the nation in passing yardage, and finished first in the conference in passing efficiency, completions, and touchdowns.
Honorable Mention: Isaiah Pead, RB, Cincinnati and Mohamed Sanu, WR, Rutgers

Defensive Player of the Year: Derek Wolfe, DT, Cincinnati. It was an outstanding season for Wolfe, who led the Bearcat's defense that played exceptionally well. Wolfe finished with 9.5 sacks, 19.5 TFL, and three forced fumbles. More importantly he anchored an offensive line that was very god against the run.
Honorable Mention: Khasseem Greene, LB, Rutgers and Kendall Reyes, DL, UConn

Coach of the Year: Butch Jones, Cincinnati. There are great arguments for both Louisville's Charlie Strong and Greg Schiano of Rutgers, but Jones led a fantastic turnaround that nearly ended in a BCS bid. He also had to deal with losing his star quarterback and still found a way to win a share of the conference. From 4-8 to 9-3 in just one year...not bad, Butch.
Honorable Mention: Strong and Schiano

First Year Player of the Year: Teddy Bridgewater, QB, Louisville. It was a completely different team after Bridgewater took over for the Cardinals. Yes, it too a few weeks, but once the kid was comfortable, Louisville took off and nearly get a BCS-bid. He had respectable numbers as a freshman, finishing with 12 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 66. More importantly, he proved he can lead this team to potentially big things.
Honorable Mention: Lyle McCombs, RB UConn and Michaelee Harris, WR, Louisville

Special Teams Player of the Year: Tavon Austin, RS, WVU. The all-purpose beast for the Mountaineers had a very solid season returning kicks for WVU, including two touchdowns. He was also one of the leaders in punt return yardage, which included a long of 64. The triple-threat player seems to have a bright future in front of him.
Honorable Mention: Dave Teggart, K, UConn and Jeremy Deering, RS, Rutgers



Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.



The Miami Herald has run a nice profile on the matchup, specifically the two offenses.

Let the Florida recruiting continue!

Right now, BetUS has the total points at 60. Ummmm, take the over?

WVU fans are already booking their trips.

WVU Gift Buying Guide, Dec. 9th

So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!

4. WVU Duct Tape

Who doesn't need duct tape? It's the most useful item possibly on this planet. So, why not pimp your tape out with duct tape what has the Flying WV on it? Blue tape, with the gold logo...it doesn't get much better than that. Plus, it can be used to wrap presents, and also to tape down your tree if your cat is a monster like mine. Available at Amazon for just $6.97!

Archive:


WVU-Kansas State Final Thoughts

As Kevin Jones goes, this team goes. At least at this point. Fortunately for Mountaineer fans, Jones is having an exceptional start to the year. He is averaging a double-double (20 pts and 11 reb) and last night finished with a career high 30, with 12 boards. Jones also hit the 3-pointer to send it to overtime, had the winning bucket in double OT, and buried two free throws to ice it. He seems a lot more comfortable in the leader role this year, and could be really special.

Aaron Brown gives us a preview of what he can do. Yes, the 3-pointer late in OT was all class, but he did much more than that. Brown also showed some versatility on the court, even creating his own shot from the corner. Brown grabbed a few rebounds and actually hit some free throws. Brown was also active on top of the 1-3-1. The freshmen have all stepped up at certain times this year. Now it's time for them all to take that next step.

Deniz Kilicli did something rare last night, and he did it twice. Seriously, who travels after getting a rebound? And, who does twice in one game? Well, the Turk did. Call it a lack of toughness or a lack of concentration. Whatever it was it can't happen again. And, I have a feeling Huggs will make sure it doesn't happen again. It's too bad it did occur last night. It overshadowed what was a very nice half of basketball for Kilicli.

Frank Martin scares the hell out of me. Huggs may yell and look pissed, but Martin takes it to another level. He is like a nuclear explosion combined with a hurricane...just straight demonic rage. Seems like a good coach though. Kansas State has played well under him. On a side note, why do college football coaches get chastised for yelling at kids, but never college hoops coaches?


Wednesday, December 7, 2011

WVU Gift Guide, Dec. 7th


So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!


3. WVU spirit Flag
If your'e going to get one flag for your home or tailgate, it has to be this one. There is nothing better than the flying WV, with the gold and bue stripes. This just screams classy. It is a little pricier than other flags, but it is well worth it. Just smooth , baby. WVU Shop has it for 59.99

Archive:

Big East Power Rankings, End of Regular Season

1. West Virginia (9-3, 5-2 in conference): After another close win, things fall into place for the Mountaineers to get the BCS tiebreaker. Next Step...Taking on Clemson in the Orange Bowl.

2. Cincinnati (9-3, 5-2): Outstanding turnaround this season for the Bearcats. Probably BCS-bound if Zach Collaros stayed healthy. Next Step...Facing Vanderbilt in the Liberty Bowl.

3. Louisville (7-5, 5-2): From 2-4 to nearly reaching the Orange Bowl, 2011 was a wild one for the Cards. Next Step...a tri to Charlotte for the Belk Bowl against NC State.

4. Rutgers (8-4, 4-3): The Knights proved the critics wrong this year, fighting for the championship and reaching a bowl. Next Step...Yankee Stadium for the Pinstripe Bowl against Iowa State.

5. Pittsburgh (6-6, 4-3): Not a true season to remember for the Panthers, who sputttered all year. Next Step...Compass Bowl, again, facing SMU.

6. Connecticut (5-7, 3-4): The Huskies struggled to find consistency all year on offense. Having the one of the worst secondaries in the nation didn't help either. Next Step...Basketball season.

7. South Florida (5-7, 1-6): Started 4-0, finished 1-7. The Bulls just completely fell off the horse. Next Step...Beach season.

8. Syracuse (5-7, 1-6): Successfully lost five straight to end the season. What looked promising, turned to hell. Next Step...Basketball season

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

WVU Gift Guide, Dec. 6th


So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!


2. The WVU 1311 Grill Topper
Who doesn't love a good piece of meat from the grill? Hell, I grill year-round, even though I live in Maine. The grill is practically a family member. So why not pimp it out with this sweet grill topper. Imagine a steak or burger with the flying W-V seared right into it. Hell, it probably makes it taste even better! Available on Amazon for just 49.99!

Archive:

Orange Bowl Updates

Every few days we will try to provide you with stories and tidbits surrounding the Orange Bowl that will tide you over till gameday in early January.



No worries Mountaineer fans, Flipper the Dolphin picked WVU to win!

ESPN will send Mike Tirico, Ron Jaworski, and Jon Gruden to Miami for the call of the game.


Over 2,000 tickets of WVU's allotment sold on first day.


Records be Falling (Updated Again)

In Year One of the new offensive scheme that Dana Holgrosen brought with him, the Mountaineers have performed well. Yes, there have been some hiccups, mistakes, a few too many turnovers. But, considering where they were at this time last year, it's night and day. Actually this season has been so productive through the air that passing and receiving records are going to be broken all over the place. Here are just a few of the major ones that should be changing hands over the next few weeks.

UPDATE: Here are the latest numbers for WVU. Some of the records have already been broken.

(records courtesy of wvustats.com)

Geno Smith

Total Yards
Record: 3,515 yards (Marc Bulger, 1998)
2011 Geno: 3,919 yards (NEW RECORD)

Passing yards
Record: 3,607 yards (Marc Bulger, 1998)
2011 Geno: 3,978 yards (NEW RECORD)

Pass Completions
Record: 274 (Marc Bulger, 1998)
2011 Geno: 314 (NEW RECORD)

Pass Attempts
Record: 419 (Marc Bulger, 1998)
2011 Geno: 483 (NEW RECORD)

Passing Touchdowns
Record: 31 (Marc Bulger, 1998)
2011 Geno: 25

Tavon Austin

All-Purpose Yards
Record: 2,104 (Steve Slaton, 2006)
2011 Tavon: 2,294 (NEW RECORD)

Receptions
Record: 77 (David Saunders, 1998 and Shawn Foreman, 1997)
2011 Tavon: 89 (NEW RECORD)

Stedman Bailey

Receiving Yards
Record: 1,043 (David Saunders, 1996)
2011 Stedman: 1,197 (NEW RECORD)

Receiving Touchdowns
Record: 12 (Darius Reynaud, 2007 and Chris Henry, 2004)
2011 Stedman: 11

Former Mountaineers in the NFL, Week 13

Anthony Becht, TE, Chiefs: Was inactive for the Chiefs this week.

PacMan Jones, CB, Bengals: Registered two tackles and had one pass defensed in loss to Steelers.

Brandon Hogan: Was inactive for the Panthers. Yet to play this year.

Ellis Lankster, CB, Jets: Was inactive for the Jets this week.

Pat McAfee, P, Colts: Had three punts, with an average of 48 in a loss to New England.

Corey McIntyre, FB, Bills: Started, but didn't register any stats in Buffalo's loss to the Titans.

Ryan Mundy, FS, Steelers: Didn't register any stats in win over the Bengals.

Chris Neild, NT, Redskins: Didn't register any stats in loss to the Jets.

Robert Sands, FS, Bengals: Was active fo the first time this year, but didn't register any stats in loss to te Steelers.

Owen Schmitt, FB, Eagles: Didn't register any stats in loss to Patriots.

Steve Slaton, RB, Dolphins: Was inactive this week for the Dolphins.

Injuries:

J.T. Thomas: Injured Reserve

Monday, December 5, 2011

WVU Gift Guide, Dec 5th

So, what to get your Mountaineer fan for Christmas? Well throughout December we will giving you great ideas that would please any West Virginia fan out there. Let's get it on!



How is this not the greatest thing ever? I would even pay more to have Bob yell at me. This certainly isn't cheap, so this would be for the more well-off Mountie fan...about .1% of us (no, not me either).



Orange Bowl Info

The West Virginia Mountaineers will be heading to a BCS game for the first time since the 2007 season. Dana Holgorsen's boys had a solid season, finishing 9-3 and a share of the Big East crown. They won the tiebreaker over Cincinnati and Louisville due to being the highest ranked Big East team in the BCS (23).

The Discover Orange Bowl will be played on Wed Jan 4th, at 8:30 on ESPN. The Mountaineers face ACC winner Clemson, who dismantled Virginia Tech (again) in the championship game. On paper, this game looks very entertaining. Both teams have explosive offenses, and both teams have defensive units that do give up some points. If your'e a betting man, take the over.

There are also some nice connections between the two. Tajh Boyd was originally lined up to be the quarterback of the future at WVU before decommiting and ending up at Clemson. Meanwhile, Broderick Jenkins and Clemson star, Sammy Watkins played together in high school. These are a few stories I'm sure will be talked about at length.

I'm sure many other storylines will be coming out over the next few weeks, so sit back and enjoy the fact that WVU is BCS-bound yet again.

Here is some helpful info already out about the game.

MSNsportsnet has posted ticket info

Stubhub also with some pretty good deals as well.

Get your official Orange Bowl merchandise here!

Good article from ESPN, introducing many of the stories we'll be talking about.