Why Don't We Just Burn The Money?

If you're a Marshall fan -- like I am -- you've had your fingers crossed for an indoor practice facility built with taxpayer money for awhile now. Well, today might be your lucky day:

Plans for an indoor practice facility for Marshall’s athletic program have risen from dormancy.

Marshall University’s Board of Governors has included a $10 million building in its list of capital expenditures projects from 2008 to 2013. The move Tuesday does not signal imminent construction or even approval, but it does resurrect a stronger possibility.

Fantastic. We all know who supports Marshall athletics, right? It's sure not the donors, if they have any outside of Joan C. Edwards. It's the entire state of West Virginia and its taxpayers. And if I know taxpayers, the first thing on their list is a $10 million indoor practice facility for an 0-6 football team.

New roads? Nah. Improved public education? Maybe later. Indoor practice facility? Hooray!

Chubb Small: Hilarious Name/Person

Surely he can't be serious. Not even someone the strongest prescription of Prozac could be this cheery and upbeat. But yet, Chubb Small stands before us a regular sunflower of optimism.

Witness Chubb preach the 0-6 gospel, using Chuck Landon as his humble scribe:

TULSA, Okla. -- Most 0-6 teams would be coming apart at the seams right about now.

There would be dissension here, pointing fingers there, giving up everywhere.

That's what makes Marshall University so amazing.

Or bad at football. What's really amazing is the alarming rate at which they're losing football games.

Despite losing to Tulsa, 38-31, here Saturday for its sixth straight loss of the season, the winless Herd remains relentlessly upbeat and optimistic.

"That's because we know we're a good team," said running back Chubb Small, after rushing for 53 yards on 11 carries and scoring a career-high two touchdowns. "We know if we band together, everything will come. You can't get down because we're losing. We'll always be winners whether we're 0-12 or 12-0.

"We can be winners at heart."

Actually, dictionary.com defines winner as "one that wins, especially a victor in sports or a notably successful person." So you can see, Chubb, you're not winners. Not even close. You're 0-6, which I'm pretty sure is exactly the opposite of being a winner. In fact, with the help of my online dictionary, loser is defined as "one that fails to win: the losers of the game." See, that's more like it. If you had to describe Marshall this season, wouldn't "one that fails to win" work pretty well?

I thought so.

UPDATE: Which is worse: Marshall's season or this guy's career?

Probably A Marshall Fan

Sunburned And Hungover

Well, we didn’t drop 70. We didn’t even get close. To be honest, for about 50 of the 60 minutes of today’s game, losing seemed a real possibility. At halftime, I reused a quote one of my friends uttered after last year’s Louisville game: “where are my cyanide pills?” So, as you can tell, the afternoon morning and afternoon didn’t go quite as planned.

Still, we covered the spread and won by 25, so it wasn’t all bad. A ton of observations…

1. The atmosphere of the crowd was generally pretty good. Not only did I not witness any major altercations, I was not involved personally in any major altercations. This is a major accomplishment considering the correlation between how much beer I drink and how much I run my mouth.


2. Marshall fans are generally very nice, but most have a terrible inferiority complex. Unfortunately, there is no consensus on which way to go with this inferiority complex. Today, I was randomly made fun of for being a hillbilly (which I am not), wearing a collared shirt (which I was), wearing a Hollister collared shirt (which I most certainly was not), wearing sunglasses (check), being from Miami of Ohio (what?), and sitting in a chair (comfy). See how retarded this is? They need to have a meeting, pick a strategy, and then go out and start making fun of opposing fans with a clear purpose. Like Pitt and eating shit.


3. The thunderclap is synchronized annoyingness.


4. The most popular shirt today was “Chuck Norris Hates WVU.” The creative writing department at Marshall must really suck.

OK, now from the game…


5. The defense needs a scheme overhaul. At this point, our pass coverage can no longer be defended. Every single time we walk onto the football field, we are starting at a disadvantage. Each fan in the stands knows that the other team is eventually going to pick apart or secondary, either with short passes or beating our coverage deep – or both. I don’t have any clue whether we need to go to a 4-3 or a 3-4 or a box and one, but whatever it is, we need to hire a defensive coordinator to bring in his own system and implement the hell out of it. With our speed, we should be feared on defense, not laughed at.


6. Steve Slaton didn’t get off the bus. He might not have even left the hotel. I would like to say that who we saw today was an imposter, but I can’t. Slaton, when we need him most, has been disappearing more and more. Sure, he apparently caught the shuttle to the stadium after halftime, but we can’t keep spotting teams with an entire quarter/half.


7. Noel Devine is the truth. Our team is a much better team when he is involved in either the offense or special teams. It looks like Rodriguez is comfortable enough with him now to give meaningful playing time, which is a good sign. He should be turned loose very soon now.

That’s about all I have for now. We are working on a short week, so I do want to get into Maryland-bashing as soon as possible – we must protect this house! – but expect a few more Marshall comments over the next few days.

And remember, a win is a win. 10/11 more.

Marshall, Today's First Runner-Up

Congratulations Marshall. While WVU might be taking home the Friends of Coal Bowl trophy this afternoon, Marshall is the winner of an even bigger and better prize, at least for them. This should keep them talking for the next decade.

Full report to come later tonight.

5:48 = First Beer!

See everyone in the lot(s) today.

On Location: Joan C. Edwards Stadium

Yeah, trust me, it hurt to type that just as much as it hurt to read it. We are live and in living color at "The Joan," which is incidentally not a menopausal woman but a Division I (kinda) football stadium. After the game, we're getting the hell out of this god-forsaken town and should have a game report sometime Saturday night/Sunday morning, depending on our blood alcohol level.

Enjoy the blowout.

In No Way Does This Make You Look Slutty

Well, you knew it was only a matter of time until a story broke out of Huntington about a male strip club disguised as a Big Green fundraiser. It was inevitable.

But who knew it would be this good? The pictures, the quotes...it's almost sensory overload.

Usually I would just point you in the direction of the article to read the quotes and see the pictures, but that just wouldn't be doing this gem of an article justice. Enjoy.

"We are Marshall's biggest fans, literally," Angelo said. "It's girls night out, we are having a great time. The girls make new friends and builds camaraderie for the big games."

The coaches pulled volunteers out of the crowd, making for an interactive experience that offered a hands-on look at the game.

"It's a lot of fun to get off the field for a little bit and give back to the ladies of the community," Lauzon said. "They get to meet the athletes and get close to us. It makes them pay attention to what we do a little more."

"This is my 18th one of these and this might be No. 1 of the 18," Gale said. "This is an opportunity to take football to an intermediate level where everyone can learn a little bit. I'm looking forward to seeing No. 19 next year."

[courtesy of Deadspin, tip via APH]

C.J. Spillman Is Not Smart

Conservative estimates have put the number of WVU fans at "The Joan" above 10,000. Again, conservatively, that is more than 25% of capacity. More likely, we will see around 15,000 WVU fans, or around 40%. That's a huge number for an "away" game. C.J. Spillman, however, seems unfazed:

“We’re going to have a sold-out stadium like they did last year,” Spillman said. “This year they will be in Herd country. They’re going to get a taste of what we had last year. I feel that’s an edge we will have.”

You keep thinking that C.J.

Better Know A Victory: Marshall

Throughout the season, we will be inviting fans of opposing teams to sit down and talk with us in the week leading up the actual game. Unfortunately, we couldn't find any Western Michigan fans last week, so we just did what we do best: made fun of them without their consent. Needless to say, it was marginally funny.

This week is Marshall, however, so there's no shortage of fans eager to talk shit on, at, or around WVU. We trolled several Marshall message boards to find the best and the brightest poster to sit down with us and talk some football. We apparently lucked out in finding "MR05" from HerdNation, but who can really tell. He's a Marshall fan. Either way, a real person is better than we had last week with Western Michigan, so who am I to complain. Here we go...

Charley West:

First off, MR05, thanks for joining us. I'll get right to it: does Marshall -- 5-7 last year, 28 point loser to Miami, and 24 point underdog -- have a chance against #3 ranked WVU?

MR05:

Well, why wouldnt we? I mean that is why they line up and play the game isnt it. Our offense is improved, we actually have some speed to throw at you guys this year. The only thing I am concerned about is that your team gets ticked off after the loss and steals all of our computers, 32 inch TV's, road signs, and more importantly, our sheep.

Our defense has to step up and make tackles in the open field. We cant miss tackles behind the line of scrimmage. We need some help in the lines of you guys making some mistakes on the field.. Anything can happen. I left the Orange Bowl last week ticked off at the loss, ticked off at scoring 3 points, and ticked off and trying to tell myself that a four touchdown loss was not as bad as the score. I really think our team feels the same way.

The gap between these two teams is nowhere near as big as the Appy State/Michigan gap and you saw what happened there.

My plan is after four quarters of play this Saturday, is to run onto the field, tear down some goal posts, and party until late Wednesday evening.

I just may get all pumped up and "make it rain" like Pac Man does. By the way, he's not coming to the game is he? I hope not, dont want to run the risk of getting belted with a pool cue.

GO HERD

If I had written a list of talking points for Marshall fans before reading this response, it would have included, "Pac-Man Jones, Ellis Lankster/J.T. Thomas, and at least one redneck/inbred joke." Luckily, he packed all of those into one response, which is admirable.

Besides the fact that I can't for the life of me understand how Marshall makes fun of WVU for being hillbillies (talk about the pot calling the kettle a cracker), it's good to see a Marshall fan so upbeat for the game. I know I wouldn't want to walk into a stadium believing inevitable doom awaited inside.

If you want an example of this, remember 2001...in the Orange Bowl...with Derek Jones at QB. For Marshall, Saturday is going to be worse than that.

20 times worse.

Just A Friendly Reminder

Mountaineer Field South

The DA hasn't gotten a lot of love (or hate) on this site, but they ran an article today which allows me to bring up this point:

Mountaineer fans will own Joan C. Edwards Field.

To exactly what degree, I don't know. Most of the information anyone has is merely anecdotal, but when Rich Rodriguez is the one with the anecdotes, it's a little more believable. As DA Sports Editor Tony Dobies reports today:

“I have heard that a lot of WVU fans bought Marshall season tickets just for the WVU/ Marshall game and are selling the rest online,” [Jeremy Hatcher, co-director of the Maniacs said].

Head coach Rich Rodriguez has heard the same.

“I know that every ticket that we could buy that they would give us that we’ve gotten and I’ve heard that a lot of West Virginia fans have bought season tickets to Marshall games just to come to this game, so we are certainly hopeful,” he said. “We are certainly still going to get outnumbered out there, but a handful of West Virginia fans that can get a ticket for this game will be down cheering loud and proud.”

The DA goes on to say:

The game kicks off at 11 a.m., where West Virginia fans, estimated at 14,000, will fill up the stands and cheer on their favorite team in blue and gold.

14,000 is a lot of WVU fans, considering Marshall averaged just over 26,000 on it's own last year. Personally, I'm betting on more. It might not be as dramatic as the wonderful DA Photoshop effort shown above, but considering a likely Mountaineer blowout, there will be plenty of noise from the Gold and Blue faithful.

We Play For Championships!

Unfortunately, at Marshall, those "championships" include winning the prestigious 2006 Fulmer Cup.

If you don't know, the Fulmer Cup is presented by Every Day Should Be Saturday, or EDSBS, a college football blog of orgasmic proportions. Starting with each season and continuing all the way through the following offseason, EDSBS tracks the amount of football player arrests and assigns a point value to each: 1 point for a misdemeanor, 2 points for a smaller felony (larceny, etc.) and 3 points for the big felonies (aggravated assault, etc.). Occasionally, bonus points are awarded to those who commit acts so stupid or ridiculous that a bonus point is almost mandatory. As you might be able to guess, EDSBS has a strong Florida Gator lean, hence the use of Phil Fulmer as the namesake for such a prestigious trophy.

Well, now that you know the back-story, we can get to my point...

This week, leading up to Saturday, there will be a lot of shit-talking coming out of Huntington. A lot of that "shit" will focus around Pac-Man Jones and Chris Henry, Quinton Andrews, J.T. Thomas and Ellis Lankster. These Herd fans aren't that original, so you know it's coming.

When it does, pull out this little cheat sheet (because you have obviously printed it out and put it in your pocket for quick reference) and point to Marshall sitting proudly atop the 2006 Fulmer Cup standings. When it came to getting arrested and general thuggery, in the year 2006, Marshall bested them all. And in the end, they did indeed, play for championships.

Felons.

Mark Snyder, Et. Al., Are Delusional

Usually, I would just write-off a bad Chuck Landon article as Chuck being Chuck. He's just so far gone that there's not much use even making fun of him.

But this latest article is not Chuck being Chuck. Chuck isn't even the problem with this article. No, the problem of this article is a much bigger deal than the mere Chuck Landon: it's Mark Snyder, head coach of Marshall.

Let's take a closer look.

MU coaches saw positives in loss

I could see a lot of positives in a 28 point loss too, if I were on acid.

MIAMI - Mark Snyder wasn't happy.

Don't entertain that inane notion for even part of a minute.

The ultra-competitive Marshall University head football coach never will be content with losing, 31-3, like his Herd did Saturday against the Miami Hurricanes before 39,830 fans in the Orange Bowl.

This all seems pretty reasonable. Who would be content with losing 31-3?

Yet, there was a discernible difference in Snyder's demeanor during his post-game press conference.

Despite MU not scoring a touchdown, committing four turnover [sic] and incurring 12 penalties, Snyder actually was - gasp - encouraged by the Herd's season-opening performance.

Here's where everything goes very, very wrong.

Take a look at the first part of this sentence: " Despite MU not scoring a touchdown, committing four turnover [sic] and incurring 12 penalties..." This is basically the worst-case scenario for a team in any game, no matter who you're playing. The only thing worse is if the bus broke down on the way to the game and the team had to forfeit.

Then how in the world are you encouraged by any of this? Because the bus didn't break down? I would be encouraged with the bus company on that one, not my football team.

"I'm not happy about it," said Snyder emphasizing that point. "I'm not saying that. But I'm encouraged about my team, yeah. It's no moral victory or anything like that. I'm still PO'd I got beat. But I think we're a better football team.

A better football team than what? Last year? Would last year have scored less? Maybe 2? 0? Negative 4? Was last year's team so bad they would have intentionally sabotaged the bus? How damnit?!?!

"Standing on that sideline, I've got more options to go to, I've got more weapons. We've just got to make sure we bring it all together. I told the kids, 'Don't be happy that we got beat, because we got beat.' We've beaten teams like this before.

I'm not 100% sure they have beaten teams like that before.

Since 2005, when Mark Snyder took over as head coach, here is the list of teams that Marshall has beaten:

William & Mary
SMU
UAB
Tulane
Hofstra
UAB (again)
Memphis
Tulane (again)
UTEP

Do you see Miami on that list? Do you see any BCS schools on that last? So I guess I AM 100% sure they have not beaten teams like that before.

"We're just not quite there yet."

Indeed, they're not. That was obvious last Saturday and it will be obvious again this Saturday when Marshall is host to No. 3 West Virginia University at Edwards Stadium. The Herd simply isn't good enough yet to beat such high-profile programs.

This job isn't as fun when Chuck Landon and Mark Snyder are doing my job for me.

Count standout senior center Doug Legursky among the encouraged, also.

"We showed a lot of good things," said the Beckley native. "We moved the ball like crazy (234 yards total offense). Our defense had some great stops. We were pretty good on special teams today. We had a lot of things that we can build on. That's just what we have to do."

You know your program sucks when "moving the ball like crazy" means 234 yards total offense. You also know your program sucks when "our defense had some great stops" means giving up 31 points. Lastly, you know your program sucks when it says Marshall on your jersey.

It's Marshall Week

Yes, Marshall week. Expect a lot of content over the next week as we systematically destroy the Marshall program. Expect the Mountaineers to do the same come Saturday.

Better start catching up on your sleep now so you'll be ready for that 6:45 AM kickoff.

[thanks to A-Hay for the pic.]

I Have A Job, Byron Leftwich Doesn't

I was all set to just get tanked and not worry about posting this weekend, but then Byron Leftwich goes and gets himself cut from the Jacksonville Jaguars. Way to go Byron. Being cut is essentially the same as getting fired, and as we know from Office Space, the Bobs like to wait until Friday to fire people.

For some reason, I picture the Jags offensive line carrying Leftwich out of the team facility, ala Marshall in 2002, and then throwing him in a dumpster beside the loading dock. I'm pretty sure that's how it happened this afternoon.

Bernie Morris 4 Heisman

Chuck Landon is one of our nation's most prized treasures. Nobody could write the type of just absolute comedy that he writes without secretly being in on the joke. Hell, he even has a mullett. How can you get funnier than that? You can't.

He's the new Seinfeld. Or at least the new Jeff Foxworthy. Either way, he's funny.

And he decided to get funny like a clown in his latest offering. Kill me softly Chuck Landon:

Marshall QB is in a zone

OK, apparently this article is about Chad Pennington.

HUNTINGTON -- There is a good reason why Bernard Morris is enjoying the best preseason camp in his Marshall University football career.

I was wrong.

It's because the senior quarterback has gotten back in his comfort zone.

By going back to the future.

First off, what is Bernie Morris' comfort zone? Is it the one where he has thrown way more interceptions that touchdowns in his career? Is it the one where he has a losing record as a starter? Is it that one Chuck? Tell me!

Also, why would you reference Back to the Future, a movie only 22 years old. The only "logical" reason I can come up with is that you're secretly pro-Parkinson's Disease. You bastard.

Morris looks better than ever heading into the 2007 season because the offense has returned to his roots in the program.

I once took a shit and it looked better than my last shit, which was kind of green. Is this the same thing?

"I feel comfortable with the offense," said the Herd's starting quarterback. "It's similar to what we did back when Stan (Hill) and Graham (Gochneaur) were here in '03 and '04.

"The offense hasn't really changed that much. We've got some new things and a lot of small adjustments here and there, but it's pretty much the same offense as back then.

"Those old guys could probably come back here and look at our playbook and recognize a lot of stuff that we're running right now. It's the same offense as when I was a freshman and redshirt freshman.

Yes, it's the same plays that haven't worked since 2003. Luckily for you, the smart guy that you are, it's apparently taken 5 years and offensive coordinator Larry Kueck dumbing down the offense for you to finally learn all those plays.

"You know, Coach (Larry) Kueck (offensive coordinator) has a wonderful system. He takes pride in teaching it to the young guys and even the old guys. And once you learn it, I think it's something good that you can take away from Marshall, as far the type of offense that Coach Kueck has."

Morris showed how much more comfortable he is again Saturday during the second officiated scrimmage of camp here at Edwards Field. During a day that was devoted more to young players, Morris nearly was perfect on the first-team offense's opening drive, completing 8 of 10 passes for 83.

Although the drive ended when reserve running back Kelvin Turner fumbled, Morris was impressive as he ran the offense.

When I read about this drive, I like to picture Bernie Morris so confused that he has orchestrated a drive and hadn't yet turned the ball over that he stripped Kelvin Turner himself just so all was right with the world again. Anybody else thinking the same thing?

That's because this offense plays to Morris' strengths more than the run-oriented offenses did the past two seasons. It simply fits Morris much better.

"It does," the 6-foot-4, 220-pound senior said. "We have a few quarterback option plays where if you're a mobile quarterback you can take advantage of it. But it's really based on mismatches on the field. We try to get the ball into the best player's hands on a certain call.

"With the plays that we have now, it's just too easy to get the ball where it needs to be. We just have to execute and be disciplined and know what we have to do on Saturday."

This offense is predicated on Morris being able to kick down on his progression reads.

"If it's not there, just try to get the ball out of my hands and not try to run the ball all the time," said Morris, who has passed for 2,468 yards and 14 touchdowns in his career.

By the third quarter of the WVU game, they'll have to remind Bernie that when he gets the ball out of his hands, he should at least attempt to not throw it to the other team. Unfortunately for Bernie, INTs and being 6'4" are the only things he's good at.

That concept is much different than last year's "let-Bernie-run" offensive philosophy. Morris had 82 rushes for 324 yards in '06 and was the Herd's No. 2 rusher.

I really hope the playbook was titled, "let-Bernie-run."

All that has changed now that the offense is reverting back to its pass-happy days.

This is going to end VERY badly.

That explains why Morris did so much mental preparation for this season during the summer months.

"I did a lot of watching film of spring football practice to see how I was throwing the ball," said Morris. "I watched Brian (Anderson) and Wes (Beardain). We all sat in the film room and tried to make our corrections in there and, then, bring them into two-a-days."

It was simply a matter of self-critique.

"You've got to be hard on yourself ever now and the," Morris said. "That's the only way you can get better. Coach Kueck does a wonderful job of getting on you on the field and trying to get you into game-like situations.

"He's on your back, but at the same time you have to think and react."

At least Bernie knows that as the starting quarterback of a I-A school, he has to think and react. $20 says Rex Grossman is his idol. If only we could compare black quarterbacks to white quarterbacks. If only.

Why Not Use Bernie Morris?

I always enjoy talking about the punting woes of bad college football teams. Marshall is no exception. Hit me with it one time Chuck Landon:

HUNTINGTON -- There is a green elephant in the room that nobody is talking about.

It is Marshall's punting ... or, lack thereof.

This crucial phase of MU's football team has been an issue since punter Marty Biagi tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee while making a tackle during a special teams scrimmage in spring drills.

Punting has been a concern ever since.

Obviously, punting is a concern for Marshall, mostly because they do it A LOT. But instead of trying to find some no-name schmo to take over the punting duties, why not go with your senior quarterback and captain, Bernie Morris?

I know what you're thinking -- Bernie Morris can't kick. Well, probably not. But he won't have to if I have my way. Here's my line of thinking:

1) Bernie Morris is a bad quarterback.
2) Last year alone, he threw 12 INTs compared to only 8 TDs.
3) He can throw the ball really far.

OK, so we have no talent, a penchant for INTs, and great arm strength. Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

Why not just have Morris heave the ball downfield every play and pray for an INT? That will help swing the momentum that is field position. Sure, the offense won't score any points, but there was a pretty good chance that was going to happen anyway.

Genius, if you ask me.

Marshall Jokes Are Funny

Since it's a little slow today, I thought I would hit you guys up with a little joke. It's a cute little joke, so if you'd like to retell it and sound edgier, just add obscenities and hookers where you see fit.

A first grade teacher explains to her class that she is a Marshall Fan. She asks her students to raise their hands if they are Marshall Fans too. Not really knowing what a Marshall Fan was, but wanting to be liked by their teacher, their hands fly into the air.

There is, however, one exception. A little girl named Linda has not gone along with the crowd. The teacher asks her why she has decided to be different. "Because I'm not a Marshall Fan," she reports. "Then," asks the teacher "What are you?" "I'm a Mountaineer Fan" boasts the little girl.

The teacher is a little perturbed now, her face slightly red. She asks Linda why she is a Mountaineer Fan. "Well, my dad and mom are Mountaineer Fans, so I'm an 'Eer fan too," she responds. The teacher is angry now. "That's no reason," she says loudly. "What if your mom was a moron and your dad was an idiot, what would you be then?"

Linda smiles and says, "Then I'd be a Marshall Fan."

Marshall In QB Clusterfuck

Doug Smock has just a jewel of an article in this morning's Charleston Gazette. Let's get right down to picking this thing apart.

HUNTINGTON — Is there room for two quarterback controversies on the same football team?

Oops, there I am, being the troublemaker again. Mea culpa.

I told you this was going to be a good one. Marshall, a team that went 5-7 last year, has not one, but two quarterback controversies? One is bad enough, but two is probably going to result in gunfire.

But seriously, there are indeed two levels of interest at the quarterback position at Marshall. For starters, there is Brian Anderson’s quest to run down incumbent Bernard Morris and seize the No. 1 spot. Then there is the battle of the well-touted true freshmen, Mark Cann vs. Chris Smith.

Glad we got serious, Doug.

Though I wish you wouldn't tell me that there are two levels of interest at the quarterback position at Marshall. Let the reader decide for themselves. My decision is that, instead of two, there are negative four levels of interest.

First, the big battle, which is becoming fun to watch. I know, I know, the Chuck Spearman/Alex English faction of fans crowned Anderson the best man last spring, and probably wants Cann to start against Miami 19 days from now. But objectively, this race is now getting good.

I have absolutely no idea what this means. Alex English played in the NBA in the late 70s and throughout the 80s, mostly with the Denver Nuggets. I googled "Chuck Spearman" and couldn't find anything, so I am just going to assume he is a figment of Doug's imagination. So, apparently, the made-up person/80s NBA player faction of fans thought Anderson was great last year and wants Cann to start against Miami this season.

Glad we settled that.

Let's skip ahead a few paragraphs...

His biggest play, a 41-yard bomb to [Darius] Passmore, can be debated. Passmore was wearing two defenders and still caught the ball with some ease — kind of reminiscent of 10 years ago when Chad Pennington tossed it in the general direction of another No. 88, and all defenders were helpless to do anything about it.

So the big question: Was it a good decision or not by Anderson?

Yes, let's go ahead and compare Brian Anderson to Chad Pennington and Darius Passmore to Randy Moss. This seems logical. Anderson is white, Pennington is white. They both play QB. Passmore is black, Moss is black. They both play WR. Perfect.

“[He’s pushing Morris] a lot,” Snyder said. “We’re giving them equal reps and Brian’s doing OK, and Bernie’s doing OK. Both of them still can get better. We’ve got a long way to go.”

Morris wasn’t incompetent Saturday, going 6-of-10 for 52 yards. He had a little bad luck himself — Zearrick Matthews broke up what looked like a sure touchdown pass to Passmore. He threw a good pass to Spann on the far sideline, made a good check-down or two, etc.

Bernie Morris wasn't incompetent? Don't believe it. I need to see video confirmation of this before I'll allow Doug Smock to convince me of this.

But he had his off moments. Aaron Johnson muffed a “pick-six” deep in the offense’s territory, on a ball Morris should never have thrown. Michael Janac rejected another pass, but could well have pulled it down for another interception.

That's more like it. All is right with the world again. The sky is blue and Bernie Morris sucks. Whew.

At this point, I guess I should deal with the second of the negative four QB battles in Marshall camp this fall. It's Cann vs. Smith, which is like Ali-Frazier, except not.

Then there is Cann vs. Smith, and this isn’t just a down-the-road deal. While both figure to keep their redshirts, barring disaster, the winner stands to travel on road trips — and perhaps sneak ahead of Wesley Beardain on the depth chart.

(Beardain, who has to lead all QBs in interceptions and near-picks in camp, had a big scrimmage himself, going 5-of-7 for 105 yards.)

I’ve already heard the murmurs: Smith has the inside lane here and always will, being from across the river and with Snyder knowing his father well, and all that stuff.

Phooey on that, I hope.

Good use of the word "phooey." I have no joke for that.

As for the actual battle, they're going to give it to Chris Smith because he's from hell (read: Ohio) and Snyder knows his dad? What is this, little league? I would definitely base my subsidized athletic department's future on these two factors. Good work Mark Snyder.

You know how Rich Rodriguez always talks about his young son committing to play for the Mountaineers as a QB? If it is up to Snyder, I think he'd go ahead and play him now. Sure he's like 5 years old and we have all-American Pat White, but fuck it. Let's go with who we know.