Former Mountaineers in the NFL, Week 8

Anthony Becht, TE, Chiefs: Was resigned this week, but didn't register any stats.

PacMan Jones, CB, Bengals: Had one punt return for 63 yards in his first game back. However, injured his hamstring as well.

Mortty Ivy, LB, Steelers: Didn't register nay tackles in his first game after being signed from the practice squad.

Ellis Lankster, CB, Jets: Bye week for the Jets.

Pat McAfee, P, Colts: Six punts averaging over 44 yards per, in a loss to the Titans. Also had one blocked.

Corey McIntyre, FB, Bills: Registered three tackles in Buffalo's win over the Redskins.

Ryan Mundy, FS, Steelers: Registered five total tackles in win over the Patriots. Did have a crucial holding call late as well.

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

Robert Sands, FS, Bengals: Inactive again for the Bengals. has yet to suit up this year.

Owen Schmitt, FB, Eagles: Was targeted once for the Eagles in their win over the Cowboys.

Steve Slaton, RB, Dolphins: rushed for seven yars on five carries with his first career touchdown for Miami. However, the Fins still lost.

Injuries:

Brandon Hogan: Has been practicing, and may come back after the bye week.

J.T. Thomas: Injured Reserve

It's Gameweek! Week 10 Primer

Matchup: West Virginia v Louisville

When: Saturday, 12:00p, Big East Network

Line: WVU -13

West Virginia Players to Watch:

Geno Smith, QB: 2715 yards, 20 TD, 5 INT

Dustin Garrison, RB: 517 rush yards, 141 pass yards, 5 TD

Tavon Austin: 56 rec, 1239 all purpose yards, 5 total TD

Stedman Bailey, WR: 43 rec, 815 yards, 7 TD

Louisville Players to Watch:

Teddy Bridgewater, QB: 1029 yards, 7 TD, 6 INT

Michaelee Harris, WR: 26 rec, 356 yards, 2 TD

Dexter Heyman, LB: 55 total tackles, 10 TFL, 3 sacks, 2 INT

Hakeem Smith, S: 43 total tackles, 4 TFL, 8 PB, 1 FF

Storylines:

How do these rivals respond on and off the field following a bitter battle to get into the Big 12. WVU ultimately got the spot, but it wasn't pretty. Look for Louisville to play with a bit of a chip on their shoulder, trying to prove that the Big 12 took the wrong program. As for the fans? Well, expect a lot of talk going both ways. It will be eventful, though I'm sure WVU officials are happy that it wasn't Louisville who got it over WVU...or this weekend could have been really ugly.

It's a battle of the best offense and the best defense in the Big East. Something has to give, right? WVU's offense will certainly go right at the best defense in the conference, but can they survive another slow start? Will Louisville look to cut off the run, or go right after Geno Smith? How about the Louisville offense against the WVU defense? Can Teddy Bridgewater do enough against an inconsistent unit? A lot of questions to be answered on Saturday.

WVU once again controls their own destiny. And you wonder if this team is going to get back to playing on a high level following the second half of the Rutgers' game. The team stepped up after six quarters of mediocre play. Whatever that lapse was, it was quickly forgotten with how the Mountaineers did in that second half. WVU has plenty of tough games left, but if they play to potential they should fare well.

Will we see changes on the defense? Specifically at the cornerback position. Broderick Jenkins ended the game with two picks, but more importantly just flat out played better than Pat Miller. Miller had another tough game, which included two pass interference calls. He has made some nice plays this year, but has been inconsistent at best. Jenkins may have earned himself more playing time. We'll see on Saturday.

WVU-Rutgers Final Thoughts

Well, not exactly how you write it up, but a win is a win. The Mountaineers did well to deal with the adverse conditions, and are backing to controlling their own destiny. It also looked like the conference realignment wasn't much of a distraction. It was plenty of a distraction to the fanbase.

Most Valuable: Shawne Alston. The big back took advantage of the conditions, and bruised through defender after defender. The junior finished with 110 yards and two touchdowns, including a 52 yard scamper early on. Alston was also asked to do a lot of blocking due to the injury to Ryan Clarke, and ended up performing admirably. All-in-all it was an outstanding day for Alston.

Least Valuable: Pat Miller. Not a day to remember, again, for Miller. The cornerback got owned the entire game, allowing for numerous big gains. He also picked up two pass interference calls on the same drive, including one of 4th down. Broderick Jenkins would come in and outperform Miller by a mile. It makes you wonder if there will a change in the starting 11. Miller has made some big plays this year, but just hasn't been consistent...though in his defense, really nobody has on that unit.

Most Surprising: The final score. Didn't expect 72 points to be scored in a blizzard. We got the mistakes and turnovers you would normally get in a game like that. However, a plethora of big plays did come to some surprise. Now, normally with weather like this the offense will be on an advantage due to the bad footing, but that many big plays in the snow is ridiculous.

Least Surprising: Rutgers blowing the lead. The Knights haven't beaten WVU since the mid 90's, meaning no lead is ever safe in this rivalry. And just like many games before, the Mountaineers made adjustments at halftime and Rutgers had no answer. Greg Schiano has to be ecstatic that WVU is leaving the Big East. He is now a whopping 0-11 against the Mountaineers.

Play of the Game: Geno's 1-yard TD run. The 4th down play called for Geno to look for Tyler Urban in the endzone. However, Smith felt it was wiser to fake the pass and go for the line himself. He beat the safety and dove into the endzone to give the Mountaineers the lead for good. The quarterback showed great leadership in the 4th quarter, especially on that drive.

Grades:

Quarterback: Geno had some trouble holding on to the ball in the fun weather, but ended up playing a solid game. His completion percentage was good, and made some big throws when needed. And, even ran a little bit, including scoring the game winner.

Grade: B+

Running back: Alston was the featured back in this snowy game, and even Tavon Austin got the reverse game going. The team went for over 200 yards, proving that when needed, this team can pound the rock.

Grade: A-

Wideout: Yes, a few drops in the tough weather, but also some sensational catches. The receivers did well to pick up as much yardage as possible after the catch.

Grade: B+

Offensive line: A good bounce-back week for the unit. Geno had time to throw the ball, and the ground attack went for over 200 yards. There were a few penalties picked up, but did handle a very good defensive line.

Grade: B+

Defensive line: Created little havoc in tough conditions. Created some pressure, and finished with one sack. Julian Miller did recover two fumbles.

Grade: C+

Linebacker: Struggled against the run most of the day, but did do better in coverage. Still a work in progress.

Grade: C

Secondary: Another day to forget for the majority of the unit. Coverage was loose, and tacking was also shambolic.

Grade: C-

Special Teams: Kicking games were a mess in the snow. There were a few badly taken penalties. However, coverage wasn't terrible. Mixed bag.

Grade: C

Coaching: The halftime adjustments seemed to work for the defense, as they shutout Rutgers. The offense was called well, and some aspects of special teams seemed to improve

Grade: B

Dear Big East, Thank You

Dear Big East Conference,

I’d like to personally thank you for the many years of joy and enrichment that you have provided me and Mountie fans the world over. It’s hard to think that we’re leaving, being one of the last founding members in the Conference. Leaving only Rutgers behind. But that’s just it. The writing was on the wall. For WVU football to stay relevant, we had to leave. There really wasn’t a choice in the matter.

We’re moving on. And you will as well. We will miss you, I’m sure, particularly during the months of December to March. Big East Basketball has been at the pinnacle of the sport for some time now. And will continue to be.

Think of it this way…if Pitt, Syracuse and us give you 21 million each to leave early, you’ll be set for a long time. Use the money wisely. Replace John Marinatto. Keep on playing roundball. You don’t need this football weirdness anymore. Gobble up the good basketball programs out there that don’t have football, and make yourself even stronger.

You will be missed, Big East. Thank you for 20 great years.

-dookiestyle

From the Blue Lot

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

What's the response to last Friday's debacle against Syracuse?

Dookie – Who knows. It seems like everything regarding WVU football right now is up in there air. It seemed as if we had developed some stability, at least on the field, leading up to the bye week and going into Syracuse. A strong national ranking…nationally televised game…

And bang. Snotted.

The response would be to destroy Rutgers on the road, and on national television. But…it’s a road game. Those are proving to be hard this year in the Big East for all teams. Hopefully, WVU comes out the winner. A response that would be reassuring to the fans would be a strong defensive and special teams performance.

Danks: PAINNNNN. Well, hopefully. That was one for the worst losses in recent memory, and hopefully one that embarrassed the hell out of them. I expect a much different attitude tonight, one that is much more focused. I also expect that if people do screw up they may not see the field again. It's time for accountability. This team can't afford to lose another game in conference.

I think a quick start will go a long way against a Rutgers team that is struggling offensively. Plus, WVU always beats the Knights...always. And, no I don't believe in jinxes.

Do you think that all of this conference shit is having an effect on the team?

Dookie - It has to be having an effect on the entire program. You wanna say that it shouldn’t, and that the coaches should be keeping the team focused and what have you. But this stuff is everywhere. It has to be on their minds.

Put it in perspective…you’re 19 years old, playing football for WVU and you are from New Jersey. Your whole family gets to see you play at least once a year. And next year, you may not be playing an away game in New Jersey or Connecticut, but in Manhattan, Kansas or in Iowa. Probably would be on your mind a little bit too.

Danks: There is no question. These kids want to know what their future is, and it's not that hard to get wrapped up in all the news on blogs and Twitter. Hopefully now that WVU is headed to the Big 12, the kids and the fans can get back to matters most: winning the crappy Big East.

Should be just kickoff out of bounds?

Dookie - It certainly couldn’t hurt at this time. Or move some starters on to the coverage team. Motivate them by cutting their playing time. Just absolutely shocking how that could happen after a bye week. Just tell the ref to spot the ball at the 50. At least save some time for the offense to get back on the field.

Danks: Yes...Yes.

WVU-Rutgers Preview

The Mountaineers look to turn things around, following a pathetic performance last week. WVU did nothing right in a loss to Syracuse, and now find themselves needing to win out for a good chance at the BCS bid. The Mountaineers face a Rutgers team that has exceeded expectations, but are also coming in off a loss. The Knights also haven't beaten WVU since 1994, so the Jersey boys will be amped and ready to go.

Offense:

West Virginia: The offensive line is in for a battle. Rutgers has one of the better lines in the Big East, and will come right after Geno just like Syracuse did. It worked well for the Orange, so the Mountaineers better be ready to slow it down. The line has been inconsistent this season, but usually play better coming off a shaky performance. Look for Geno to possibly speed the tempo up to get the ball moving quicker than last week, which should help the line. The pass game may have been hurting, but the boys did block fairly well for the ground game. Dustin Garrison and Shawne Alston continue to be the stalwarts for the Mountaineers. Both are averaging over 4.5 yards per carry. Look for the two to be used a bit early on to keep the defense honest. If the find space, then Geno should have more time to look down the field towards his group of receivers.

Rutgers: Gary Nova will get the start once again for the Knights, and will certainly be looking for Mohamed Sanu. Nova has been mistake-prone, and can't afford to lose too many opportunities on Saturday. This means quick plays, and high percentage passes to Sanu should be the recipe. Sanu is having an unbelievable year with 65 catches and six touchdowns. But, someone else needs to step up. Mark Harrison and D.C. Jefferson need to start getting into the mix to help this pass attack branch out. The ground game hasn't been great either, which put even more pressure on Nova. They face a defense that allowed a heap full of points last week, so we'll see if they run some misdirection and play-action to confuse the Mountaineers.

Defense:

West Virginia: No idea what to expect from a unit that completely whiffed last week. Syracuse did whatever they wanted for 60 minutes, while the Mountaineers stumbled all over the field. The defensive line got no pressure on the quarterback...again. The linebackers were out of place, and the secondary decided to really not cover anyone. It's been a confusing year for this unit...just no consistency at all. Julian Miller and Bruce Irvin have struggled to get pressure on the quarterback by themselves. Look for Jeff Casteel to bring a linebacker or two early to try to loosen up the line. The secondary has to play better. They are in for a serious battle with Sanu, and will have to keep watch of the other talented receivers. The Mountaineers will give up some yardage...it's just how they are built at this time. However, if they can get back to tightening up when it matters most, it would be highly beneficial.

Rutgers: This unit is solid. The Knights are strong up front, though are coming off a game without a sack. That can't happen against WVU if they want to be successful. Justin Francis needs to get loose against the WVU line. Like most quarterbacks, Geno makes mistakes when the pressure is on him, so Greg Schiano will bring the pain. The secondary better be up to the task. They will be in a serious battle against the Mountaineer receiving core that hasn't been stalled by anyone. The first step will be to slow down the run, something they haven't really done all year. Plus, it's hard to stack the box against an offense that spreads you out on every play. Again, they need to get to Geno to have any success.

Special Teams:

West Virginia: The coverage has now allowed three return touchdowns. They are near last the nation in net punting, and Tyler Bitancurt even missed an extra point last game. Expect the Mountaineers to once again make some changes in the coverage for this weekend. Tavon Austin and Brad Starks should be doing most of the kick returning.

Rutgers: San San Te is a streaky kicker, who is coming off a rough game. Justin Doerner is a pretty good punter, and a good kickoff specialist. Jeremy Deering and Jordan Thomas are very dangerous kick returners, who could be in for big days. Sanu should be doing the punt returning.

Overall:

First off, I can't wait to see Eric LeGrand bring the Knights out. That will be quite a scene in Piscataway this weekend. Just great to see the kid doing so well. As for the game, expect the Mountaineers to come in with a lot of energy early, following the brutal game last week. The defense may even make a big play or two early against the young offense for Rutgers. The Knights will keep this game close, and may even get to Geno themselves. If Rutgers can win the turnover battle, then it should be a close game all day. However, just too much firepower for the Mountaineers will give them the victory at the end of the day.

Prediction: 34-21 West Virginia

WVU is Officially in the Big XII

Just check out big12sports.com Classy!