Former Mountaineers in the NFL, Week 5

Pat McAfee, P, Colts: Had five punts for a a 55 average, with one inside the 20 Sunday against Kansas City.

Corey McIntyre, FB, Bills: Started at fullback, and recorded one tackle in win over the Eagles. He was also banged up late in the game.

Ryan Mundy, FS, Steelers: It was a wild game for Mundy, who caught a pass from the punter on a fake for 33 yards. Also had five total tackles in Steelers' win over Tennessee.

Chris Neild, NT, Redskins: Bye Week for Washington.

Robert Sands, FS, Bengals: Inactive once again this week. Has yet to dress for Cincinnati this year.

Owen Schmitt, FB, Eagles: Didn't register an stats in Eagles' loss to the 49ers.

Steve Slaton, RB, Dolphins: Bye Week for Miami

Injuries:

PacMan Jones: PUP List

Brandon Hogan: PUP List

J.T. Thomas: Injured Reserve

Projecting the New Big East

So, maybe you're like me, and have already given up on the SEC and Big 12. You just know that WVU is forever stuck in the Big East, until superconferences take over the world. Well, if that's the case, it's time to try to figure out what the new Big East will look like. The conference would like to get 12 teams, which could give them a conference championship game, and possibly will help them keep the AQ status. So, what will the conference look like? Let's break it down.

The Returners:

Cincinnati

Connecticut

Louisville

Rutgers

South Florida

West Virginia

Assuming that none of these teams abandon ship (that's assuming a lot) it's not a bad core of teams. WVU is the flagship football program for the Big East, while the rest should stay competitive. Cincy, UConn, and Louisville have all been to BCS games, and South Florida and Rutgers have been NFL-producing machines. Again, could certainly be worse.

The Favorites:

Army

Air Force

Central Florida

Navy

Temple

I'm not a fan of bringing in the service academies. They have a good following, and are outstanding universities. However, going 6-6 every year with the best win being over Southern Miss just isn't really making you jump for joy. And, it does nothing for recruiting. In regards to UCF, I'm always a go for a Florida team. Plus, it would make for a solid rivalry for South Florida. Temple has really improved things since getting dumped from the Big East a few years back. And, the Philadelphia market is there for the taking.

The Possibilities:

East Carolina

Houston

Memphis

SMU

Villanova

I'm intrigued by Houston and SMU. The recruiting pipeline could always use Texas, and the Houston and Dallas markets would be solid. Both schools bring a fun version of football to the table, and could contain a level of competitiveness needed to keep AQ status. Memphis has been dying to get into the Big East since Louisville came in. Not a bad market, horrible football program...needs to improve. I'm mixed on Nova. If the conference was in better shape, then absolutely. However, this is a football program that is not sold on moving to the FBS level. The last thing the Big East needs is more insecurity. ECU has already applied to the Big East, just not sure if the conference cares.

The Long Shots:

Boise State

James Madison

The Broncos are the newest sexy pick for football-only. There is no denying the success that Boise has had recently. This team is constantly in the Top-10, and have a few BCS wins to their name. However, travel will be a killer. It's over 2,600 miles to get from Boise to Tampa. There would only be a few trips a year if they were football-only, but it's still a lot on the old budget. JMU is interesting. Their fanbase is already better than some in the FBS. They are also playing WVU next year at FedEx Field. This is a school that may be making the move to the FBS soon.

The Not Ever Going to Happen:

Notre Dame

Let it go folks, it's not going to happen...ever...ever.

The Projected Big East:

Old:

Cincinnati

Connecticut

Louisville

Rutgers

South Florida

West Virginia

New:

Air Force

ECU

UCF

Houston

Memphis

Temple

This is entirely a guess. I think Air Force is the only academy that is interested. Army and Navy will continue to roll strong as independents. ECU and UCF will finally get their wish of being in the conference. To me, Houston and Memphis are easy targets. Two schools that have a lot going for them (primarily markets), probably would drop C-USA in a second. And, Temple would welcome the Big East back. It's not a horrible conference, but certainly leaves something to be desired.

In Honor of Columbus Day, The Big East Ready to Pillage

Here is the latest from Big East conference realignment...

The Big East had a teleconference this morning, and are going to start talking to institutions in regards to joining the conference. Tom Liucci of the Star-Ledger writes...

According to the (Big East)statement, commissioner John Marinatto has been authorized "to engage in formal discussions with additional institutions and (we) are considering a model that includes 12 football-playing schools."

So, the Big East is going after it...at least that's the perception. Twelve schools would give the conference a championship game at the end of the year, and could put some pressure on the BCS heads to allow the Big East to keep its AQ status.

So, who are the teams? Air Force, Navy, UCF, Houston, Memphis, Temple, and SMU have all been rumored. And, ECU has already applied. Boise State for football may also be in the mix, but that just seems ridiculous for travel. Plus, there's no guarantee that WVU, Louisville, Rutgers, UConn, and/or Cincinnati will even be in the conference in the future. This is going to be interesting to watch.

WVU-Connecticut Final Thoughts

Another slow start for West Virginia turned into a blowout. A key defensive play ignited a 23-point 3rd quarter, and the Mountaineers rolled through the Huskies. It was a complete effort for WVU, as the Special Teams unit put in their best performance this year.

Most Valuable: Stedman Bailey. This could have gone to a few different people, but we give Bailey the edge for having yet another huge game. The redshirt sophomore finished with 178 yards with two touchdowns, including an 84-yard strike. Bailey made an unreal juke move to bust open that play, and then turned on the afterburners to get to the house. He now has four consecutive games with over 100 yards receiving, and continues to get stronger.

Least Valuable: Corey Smith? I know this is kind of harsh, considering the dude lost his punting job last week. However, Smith still had a chance to keep his kickoff job, and he pulled one right out of bounds. He also averaged less than Tyler Bitancurt. Smith didn't kill the team, but it's just easy to single him out the most.

Most Surprising: Special Teams. This unit brought it. Tyler Bitancurt's field goals and kickoffs were solid, Mike Molinari's punting was incredible(including three inside the twenty), and the coverage finally brought some confidence. UConn's longest return on a kickoff was just 26 yards, and longest punt return just 19. The only issue was Tavon Austin nearly dropping every punt, but he still averaged over 10 yards a return. It was certainly a step in the right direction for the group.

Least Surprising: The Passing Game. Sure, it was a slow start, but you had to expect Geno Smith would eventually get it going. The Huskies are too beat up in the secondary, and it showed in the second half. Smith finished with 450 yards passing and four touchdowns. It could have been an even bigger day, if it weren't for a few drops. Dana Holgorsen admitted after the game that he gave up on the run too soon, but it must be hard to go back to it when you have a quarterback slinging it all over the yard.

Play of the Game: 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.

Quarterback: It was a slow start, but Geno ended up with huge numbers. He didn't have a great game, but finished with four touchdowns and 450 yards. Imagine if he played up to his full potential. Could have had eight touchdowns. Needs to improve completion percentage. Yes, I'm being picky.

Grade: B+

Running back: The Huskies did a nice job in slowing down Dustin Garrison and company, and Holgorsen did admit he gave up too early on the run. However, WVU did get close to 100 yards, including a fantastic touchdown run by Garrison.

Grade: B

Wideout: Three receivers over 100 yards again. There were some nice catches, but there were also some big drops. Plus, route-running and tempo left something to be desired. We have seen this group play better.

Grade: B

Offensive line: Not their best day, but managed to have a good second half. Geno still had a lot of time to throw the ball, but the run game was smothered for a while by UConn.

Grade: B-

Defensive line: The pressure was back. Johnny McEntee was getting drilled the entire game, and the big boys up front did a great job in blowing up the rush game. UConn finished with just 82 yards on the ground.

Grade: A-

Linebacker: Jewone Snow nearly took a fumble to the house, and Najee Goode seemed to be in every play. The unit looked better this week, especially in the second half.

Grade: B

Secondary: A pretty good performance for this unit, especially in pressure and against the run. Some coverage packages still look shaky, but seem fixable.

Grade: B

Special Teams: Good kicking, good coverage, pretty good returning. This is a recipe for success. Best game so far for this unit.

Grade: A-

Coaching: Kudos to all this week. Great schemes, great halftime adjustments, and a great call to make a change at punter. There's also no telling how important whatever was said at halftime was, because it was a different team in the second half.

Grade: A

Today, We Win for Mike

Milan "Mike" Puskar (1935-2011)

From the Blue Lot

Each week, Danks and Dookiestyle will answer questions about the Mountaineers upcoming game…

Was Dana Holgorsen wrong to crucify the fanbase for inconsistent crowd size?

Dookiestyle:

Not in the slightest.

Its a new ballgame in Morgantown, so to speak. The University is serious about become a national perennial power in football. Its something the fans have been clamoring for years. Yes...we've had good teams and played in big games. But I think the goal is to be that good EVERY year.

Its no longer puppy dogs and ice cream. Holgs eats puppy dogs. He wants to create a big time program, and the fans have to be a part of it. That means going to every game. 60,000 plus every time. Morgantown needs to become menacing. It will help the face of the program in terms of national media...and...ahem...potential other conferences.

Danks:

Absolutely not. All we hear about is how WVU fans want to be known as one of the best fanbases around. Well, then you have to show up in rain, snow, sleet, hail, or shine. It doesn't matter if WVU is playing Georgia or Georgia Southern...every game should be packed. You don't see LSU, Michigan, or Ohio State with empty seats, no matter the weather or opponent. And, stop complaining about the ticket prices. It's simply economics people, supply and demand. Ticket prices can be that high, because people buy them!

Oh, and the students. Don't even get me started on the students. Unless I was in a hospital bed I would be at a game. Students just aren't tough anymore. "Oh, it's raining. Let's watch on the game on TV...or maybe we'll just watch Project Runway instead."

Over/Under WVU rushing yards this weekend...120.

Dookiestyle:

I'm going to take the over, purely because I think the game is going to get out of control early. By the end of the game, the Huskies will be tired and won't feel like defending much, being down 50.

Danks:

I'll take the under. I'm not a pessimist, I just credit UConn in having a good rush defense. They are allowing just 75 yards on the ground per game, and will be looking to make WVU as one dimensional as possible. I think WVU will still have rushing success, but closer to 100 yards. Plus, Geno Smith will want to throw all day against this secondary.

Gut Feeling. WVU in SEC, Big 12, stuck in Big East

Dookiestyle:

SEC. I know I'm being very optimistic, but I think the cards are gonna fall fast on this. Now that TCU is gone, every team in the Big East knows that AQ status is going bye bye. All six remaining programs are like ugly kids on the eve of prom looking for a date. I like our leadership. And I think there's been a ton of smoke. All the rumors can't all be fake, can they?

I think the ACC act next. They take Uconn and Rutgers. Then the SEC goes. WVU, Missouri and Florida State to SEC.

Danks:

Big East. Until I see concrete evidence about a move, I believe WVU is stuck in the Big East. The future could be grimm. I guess I am a pessimist.

WVU-Connecticut Preview

The conference season begins this weekend with an old foe coming to town. I'm not talking about UConn (though, they are coming to town). Nope, I'm talking about Paul Pasqualoni. The former Syracuse head coach is in his first year in Storrs. It hasn't been the start the Huskies were looking for, and this weekend poses major matchup problems. Meanwhile, WVU is coming off a very strong performance, and is looking to build heading into the conference schedule.

Offense:

West Virginia: Don't look now, but the Mountaineers have found a running game. At least, they did last game. Dustin Garrison ran for nearly 300 yards, and WVU went for four rushing touchdowns. Garrison is now the primary back, but expect to see Shawne Alston, Vernard Roberts, and Andrew Buie get some work. As good as Garrison was, the offensive line was even better. The rush and pass blocking was very good once again. This group has pulled a complete 180 from the beginning of the season. The receivers also continue to get stronger. The route running, blocking, and tempo are much more to the liking of Dana Holgorsen. Tavon Austin, Ivan McCartney, and Stedman Bailey should be busy tomorrow, considering the UConn's secondary has been inconsistent. It will also be interesting to see if the running game boosts Geno Smith's efficiency.

Connecticut: The Huskies have been up and down offensively this year. Lyle McCombs has had an outstanding first year running the football. The redshirt freshman has over 500 yards gained, and is the fourth leading receiver. UConn expected more depth at the running back position, but injuries derailed it. However, McCombs has been able to handle the big workload so far. Expect him to be used quite a bit on Saturday to take the pressure off Johnny McEntee. The trickshot quarterback has struggled to get into rhythm, completing just 50 percent of his passes. The Huskies also have had personnel changes at wideout, but still have good experience with Kashif Moore and Isiah Moore. The problem is McEntee just isn't very good yet. His lack of experience has shown, but should have time to throw the ball this week. The Mountaineer line has been hit and miss, and the Husky offensive line is very strong. But, UConn will have to run the ball to keep it close.

Defense:

West Virginia: The unit finally created some pressure last week, even recording a few sacks. Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin did a nice job to create that pressure, while WVU could sit back in good coverage. The linebacking unit continues to battle injuries, so look for Juwone Snow to get another start. The secondary played a billion times better than the last few weeks as well. Terrence Garvin continues to play well at safety, picking up a sack and another pick against Bowling Green. WVU will look to stack the box, and force McEntee to try to beat them. The Mountaineers have struggled a bit against the run this season, allowing three teams to go for over 100 yards rushing. If WVU can slow the UConn rushing attack, look for some serious pressure sent after the quarterback.

Connecticut: The Huskies are a mixed bag on defense right now. The front line is big. Really big. Led by Kendall Reyes, UConn is keeping teams under 76 rushing yards per game. If the Huskies can cut down the Mountaineer rushing attack it will certainly give them a better chance. However, the pressure will have to be there. UConn can't afford to give Geno Smith time to find receivers. Look for Sio Moore and other backers to go after the line early to see if they can break it down. The front seven need to play an exceptional game, because the depleted secondary will be in fro a long day. With Blidi Wreh-Wilson still injured, the young secondary will be in for a long day.

Special Teams:

West Virginia: The Mountaineers are still terrible in kick coverage. They should seriously just kick the ball out of bounds. Corey Smith lost his starting job at punter. Michael Molinari will get his first start tomorrow. Tyler Bitancurt has been perfectly fine placekicking, and Tavon Austin has good history returning the ball against the Huskies.

Connecticut: Dave Teggert has been inconsistent this season. He is perfect from 50+, but has missed a few from intermediate distance. Cole Wagner has done fairly well punting, and Nick Williams can be a dangerous returner on both kicks and punts. The Huskies' return coverage has been better than in past seasons.

Overall:

On paper, it's a very good matchup for WVU. A weak secondary, and an inconsistent offense plays right into the Mountaineers' hands. Even if the running game is slow to get going, Geno Smith will find open receivers. Lyle McCombs will have to have a huge game to keep them in it. At the end of the day, it won't be enough. WVU is just too powerful, and should be breezing through by the second half.

Prediction: 38-20 West Virginia