WVU-LSU Reaction

Well, it was a good effort, but too many mistakes ultimately doomed the Mountaineers. WVU did prove quite a bit though. There's no doubt that this offense is coming together. However, tackling and special teams must improve if this Mountaineer team has BCS hopes.

Most Valuable: Offensive Line. The much beleaguered group was outstanding. Geno Smith had ample time to throw all night long, and the ground game found some holes. WVU ended up putting over 500 yards on arguably the country's best defense. The major reason was the big boys up front. If this continues, imagine what the Mountaineers may do against inferior defenses.


Least Valuable: Special Teams. Nothing kills a team like an entire unit dropping the ball. Enter WVU's Special Teams...over the last six years. The coverage was dreadful, and ended up costing the Mountaineers dearly. The 99-yard kick return TD in the 3rd quarter proved to be the back breaker, as WVU failed to right the ship after. To make matters worse, the Mountaineers have the worst net punting in America.


Most Surprising: 533 yards. How good can this offense be if WVU can drop 533 yards on LSU's defense? Geno Smith was able to find open wideouts consistently, and the rushing attack had success in the second half. Now, if the Mountaineers can just hold onto the bal...


Least Surprising: Mistakes. Wish I could say I was surprised, but this WVU team is young, and haven't played in a lot of nationally televised night games. Turnovers, poor tackling, poor punting all plagued the Mountaineers, and ultimately buried them. However, those mistakes can be fixed.


Play of the Game: Morris Clayborne's 99 yard kickoff return. Just when it looked like WVU had a chance to steal the all momentum, Clayborne broke the Mountaineer spirit with the return. Poor tackling and outstanding ability for Clayborne were a recipe for disaster.

Grades:


Quarterback: Geno played well. Sure, he threw a few picks, and had a fumble. But, he also threw for over 460 yards against arguably the best secondary in the nation. Geno's completion percentage does need to improve, but again, it was LSU.
Grade: B


Running Back: The crew did well, and Dustin Garrison may have won the starting job. The youngster has looked the best so far hitting the hole. Shawne Alston once again seems to be pretty good in a short yardage roll. The group was strong in blocking too.
Grade: B+


Wideout: A few drops and a fumble drop the grade down a touch, but a great job finding space and yards after the catch. This group will be very difficult to defend moving ahead.
Grade: B

Offensive line: Just an outstanding day for the group, Yes, there were a few penalties called, but the group was the reason WVU was able to go for over 500 yards of total offense. Look for this group to continue to shine.
Grade: A-

Defensive line: Still no pressure on the quarterback, and struggled late to stop the rush. Need to get more consistent.
Grade: C

Linebacker: Made plays early, but failed to slow the rush down when the team needed it. Also need to learn how to tackle.
Grade: C-

Secondary: Dropped a crucial interception early, and couldn't stop falling for playaction. Was bailed out by a dropped touchdown to start the second half.
Grade: D+

Special Teams: Miserable performance. No yardage gained, coverage was terrible, tackling was even worse, and the punting game is a disaster. This group needs fixing soon.
Grade: D-

Coaching: Mixed bag. Dana Holgorsen had a good game plan, and the turnovers you can put on him. Jeff Casteel was beaten all night. Game plan and adjustments just didn't add up. The defense looked out of place on more than one occasion. Special Teams need help soon.
Grade: C+

West Virginia-LSU Preview

There is no measuring how important this game is for West Virginia. A primetime game on ABC, with the GameDay crew in Morgantown, and the idea that this could be a quasi-audition for the SEC. Who knows if that's the case, but beating the second ranked Tigers on national television couldn't hurt. So, what are the chances WVU can win? Better than most think. An explosive offense, a defense that can make some plays, and a night crowd should help WVU keep this one close.

Offense:

West Virginia: The offense is improving by the week. However, the Mountaineers are yet to put four quarters together. Geno Smith's numbers are ridiculous so far, with over 1,000 yards passing, seven touchdowns, and just one pick(which wasn't his fault). However, his execution in the redzone must get better. The fade pattern has been his nemesis this season, so will see if Dana Holgorsen switches up the play-calling. The rushing game has gotten better. Shawne Alston was a nice addition last week, bringing experience and toughness in short yardage. The youngsters have also looked better hitting the hole. The offensive line was huge against Maryland, opening holes and allowing Geno plenty of time to throw. However, the second half wasn't as strong. This unit will be in a major battle against the LSU front. The Mountaineers will have little chance if the line can't keep Geno Smith from getting killed. Look for WVU to run some quick hitters and draw plays early to potentially slow LSU down.

LSU: Ground control and an efficient passing game has been the recipe for success. Expect a heavy dose of Spencer Ware and Michael Ford throughout the game. The two have combined for nearly 500 yards so far, with an average just under 5.0. A lot of the praise has to go to the offensive line. This unit is one of the best in the SEC, so WVU will have to try some creative stunts to break them down. If the Mountaineers tire out, the LSU line will blow them over late in the game to allow the Tigers to control possession. The great lines has also allowed Jarrett Lee to be very efficient this season. Lee isn't going to beat you with his arm, but he also hasn't been killing his team. However, the Tigers have done a nice job in making sure Lee hasn't been needed to make a lot of big plays, so it's easy to limit the mistakes. Will WVU stack the box? They could, but that leaves single coverage on talented receivers, Russell Shepard and Rueben Randle.

Defense:

West Virginia: Mixed results last week for this unit. While the secondary played well, the front six was blown off the line and out of position way too much. The line still isn't getting pressure on the quarterback, and the linebacking play is a bit inconsistent. The unit isn't facing a dynamic offense, so look for Jeff Casteel to dial up blitzes, especially on 3rd and long. The front six will also be facing a very strong offensive line, so look for WVU to try and use speed to their advantage. The secondary will have to deal with some talented wideouts, but could find an opportunity or two against an unproven quarterback. WVU will need to stop the run plain and simple, to give their offense as many opportunities as possible.

LSU: Got younger from last year, but still one of the best groups in the nation. Allowing just 12 points a game, this defense has already slowed down Oregon and Mississippi State. There are playmakers at every position, especially in the secondary. Morris Claiborne, Tyrann Mathiue and company will map it very hard for the WVU receivers to find any space. The front seven will also look to completely destroy the run. Considering WVU has struggled rushing the ball this season, it might not be that difficult. The Tigers will probably face may quick plays, and the WVU's uptempo style between plays will keep them honest.

Special Teams:

West Virginia: Kicker, Tyler Bitancurt has re-found his mojo from freshman year, going 7-8 to start the season. The coverage continues to improve as well, since looking terrible against Marshall. Tavon Austin is a threat every time he touches the ball, though had a little trouble holding handling the football last week. Austin will be very important in this game. WVU may be in a serious field position battle. If that's the case, then look for Austin to potentially be a difference maker.

LSU: Drew Alleman has only missed one attempt so far, and is a good weapon from deep. The Tigers have used two punters this season, both have been fine. Morris Claiborne is a threat to house it every time he has the ball. Let us not forget that last year the Tigers scored on a punt return touchdown against WVU.

Overall:

It's should be a great game. West Virginia does have a good chance to win this game. A combination of mistake-free offense and solid defense will keep this game close all night. Look for the Mountaineers to put Lee into a few 3rd and longs that he can't convert. This should open the door for Geno Smith and company. Three touchdowns will probably be enough for the Mountaineers to seal the deal. Throw a field goal on top of that, and WVU will come away 4-0.

Prediction: 24-21 West Virginia

It's Gameweek! Week 4 Primer

Matchup: (16) West Virginia vs (2) LSU

When: Saturday, 8pm, ABC

Line: LSU -5.5

WVU Players to Watch:
Geno Smith, QB: 1,008 yards, 7 TD, 1 INT
Tavon Austin, WR: 20 rec, 236 yards, 1 TD, 1 return TD
Ivan McCartney, WR: 17 rec, 211, 2 TD
Darwin Cook, S: 22 Total tackles, 1 INT

LSU Players to Watch:
Spencer Ware, RB: 226 yards, 3 TD
Mike Ford, RB: 218 yards, 4 TD
Tyrann Mathieu, CB: 24 tackles, 3 TFL, .5 sacks, 3 PD, 1 FF, 1 FR
Bennie Logan, DT: 12 tackles, 3.5 tfl, .5 sacks,

Storylines

Distractions, Distractions, Distractions. Some are good, some are pretty damn awful. The good? ESPN will be on campus this weekend for "Gameday", so the college football world will have its eyes on Morgantown. The bad? Trying to figure out what the future of WVU will be. The conference shuffle took another wild turn this week, when the Big East was essentially declared dead with Syracuse and Pitt leaving, and Rutgers, UConn, Villanova, and WVU looking elsewhere. How will the players deal with all of this? Good question. I guess we will find out at 8pm on Saturday.

So, how good is this WVU team? This should be the best test. LSU is defensively legit, and the offense has been efficient. However, it's not a very scary offense. The young WVU defense will have to play better, but should be able to keep the Mountaineers in the game. This will be on Geno Smith and the offense to find a way to break the tight defense. I imagine that Holgorsen has a few tricks in the playbook we haven't seen yet.

The Fans will be in the spotlight Saturday night. The game will be televised on ABC, so hide your "West F***ing Virginia" shirts! The game is sold out, fans will have a whole day to get primed up, and should be nice and rowdy by kickoff. LSU hasn't played a lot of non-conference night road games over the years, so we'll see how the Tigers react to what should be a wild crowd.

Will a decision of the future of the program be made by the end of the week? It's doubtful, but you never know. Who would have had Pitt and Syracuse in the ACC this quickly? The uncertainty is very scary, but most believe Oliver Luck is the right man to have running the athletic department at this time of need. I'm sure a win over LSU will help whatever cause he is fighting at this time.

WVU Not Ranked in the Coaches Poll to Start Year

West Virginia will not be ranked in the Coaches' Poll to start the season. The Mountaineers sit 12 votes behind the 25th-seed, Penn State...a team they would probably destroy. WVU is joined by the rest of the Big East on the outside looking in. South Florida(9 votes) and Pittsburgh(3 votes) are the only other conference schools getting recognition.

It's a little surprising that the Mountaineers didn't crack the Preseason Top-25. The program was picked to win the conference, with many calling them a darkhorse for the Top-5. However, being the Big East favorite doesn't carry a lot of weight anymore, especially after a dismal 2010 season for the conference.

The Mountaineers will have a lot to prove early on, especially against LSU, who will start the season ranked 4th. If WVU can run the non-conference table look for them to be in the Top-20 as they head into the conference schedule.

Side Note: Why does Doc Holliday get a vote? Dude doesn't even coach a real program.

Here is the Top 25, with Oklahoma coming in as number 1.