I'll Take This Saturday

Yeah, I know, Cincinnati is a good team. Sure they beat us as recently as 2003. Yeah, they're ranked in the top 25. But everytime I think of them, I think of this game. Just getting used by a young, impressionable Pat White and a nubile, naive Steve Slaton. Wow, they grow up so fast these days. Where does the time go?

Louisville Is Classy, Part Zero

Apparently, Louisville's Preston Smith spit on Pat White. Having trouble believing a Louisville player could be guilty of such an atrocious act? If so, check the video:



Not a whole lot of doubt there, eh? If I were an opposing player, I would stay the hell away from Pat White before and after a play. The last thing you want to do is make this guy mad. Hell, he didn't know where he was for half the game and he's still carving up the once and never 2nd best team in the Big EAST.

So, Preston Smith, I say bully to you. Thank you for finding a new way to motivate the conference's most electrifying player. All of West BY GOD Virginia salutes you.

[Thanks to Card Chronicle for the story/video]

Seems Like A Year Ago

Oh yeah, it was.

This is Pat White's second TD run from last year's game at Mississippi State. I post this for one reason: to remind Pat White how good he was -- and is. Runs like these have been regular, almost expected, over the past 3 years. We all know he still has it in him.

So Pat, if you're wondering how to get it back.....stay healthy and unleash your inner bitch-slap.

The Fragile

(Editor's Note: I write this post as the biggest Pat White supporter)

With that said, I’m starting to get a bit concerned about Pat. Since the South Florida game of last year (one which he was hurt in), Pat has missed one game (Rutgers), left two others (South Florida and Syracuse) and been beaten up pretty good in two more (Marshall and Maryland).

What does this all mean? I still haven’t grasped the full consequences yet, but I don’t like where it’s headed.

But for now, it’s something to chew on.

Two Heisman Hopefuls, Or None?

Unfortunately, and it pains me to say this, but one of these two is going to have to start to play badly for the other one to win the Heisman. Blasphemous? Hardly. Hear me out.

In the end, I think our season would be better served by neither winning the Heisman. They are both equally awesome players -- maybe a slight edge to Pat White -- and both steal a great deal of the others "stats."

Think about it. When does Pat White's Heisman stock go up? When Slaton has a tough game. And vice-versa. When they both dazzle, which is bound to happen more often than not, they'll end up splitting votes.

You might bring up Matt Leinart and Reggie Bush. Both won Heismans. Both played on the same team. Well, two things: 1) Steve Slaton is not Reggie Bush. That's only a compliment to Bush, not a knock on Slaton. Bush was a highlight reel waiting to happen. Slaton is also a home-run hitter, but not in the same way; and 2) Leinart was Bush's elder. When Leinart won, he was the sole leader of the Trojans. Sure, it was Bush's breakout season, but it was still Leinart's show.

At WVU, it's both Pat's and Steve's show. They share it almost equally. My hope is that they both blow it up, split votes, finish 2nd and 3rd (or something like that) in the Heisman, and we go to the National Championship.

Then Devine wins it in 2009.

Pat And Erin, Sitting In A Tree...

We all know Pat White is an all-around awesome guy with a great life. My friend, at Kegler's last year, even had a picture taken of her and White, totally oblivious of the fact that the man she flippantly asked to take the picture was Steve Slaton. Slaton was pissed. White was loving it. Just another day in the life of Pat fucking White.

But that life just got a little bit better this past Saturday. As both the (Martinsburg) Journal and Deadspin have reported, Pat White and Erin Andrews totally made out on the 50 yard line of Mountaineer Field. OK, so maybe they didn't exactly make out, but she still kissed him, and if my copy of "Rules of Dating in Junior High School" is still accurate, they're now going steady. Bitchin!

If Pat White goes off for 300 passing and 200 rushing against South Florida, you'll know why. I just wonder how he's going to do it hiding that bulge in his pants.

3 Down

Well, well, Ralphy, make that four years in a row that you have not been able to figure out the Mountaineers. This time, the Terps simply didn't have the talent or the depth to play with the Mountaineers.

Here is a delayed recap of my thoughts of the game:

First, I thought Thursday's victory was a GREAT team win. After sleep walking through the first and second series, the D really stepped up last night. I loved the pressure and man coverage. I have never had such a swing of emotion from thinking this is one of our worst D's ever to later in the same game saying well these guys are not so bad.

I see a lot of people are being hard on Pat White, who did have an off night for him yet was still pretty good. I would remind people that we wore him out against Marshall and I sure his body and mind were still not together five days last. He got really beat up last week.

As for the rising star of the game, Noel Devine. Obviously, Charley has tackled this in detail, but there is one point I would like to make. Last year, the team was limited because they didn't have enough top talent after Slaton and White. Now, with Devine, it looks like Rod can plug him in and the offense will not miss a beat. This will be huge. Last year, I don't think they put Maryland away in the third quarter liked they did this season. Why? Because of Devine. His talent alone was the difference. When you combine this with the defense, I'm officially giddy for the rest of this season.

Now comes the break with Maryland. Good thing. Because the Fridge would stand no chance next year. But right now, I'm going to enjoy this season. I hope you do too.

Click Clack

Yes, I know that the title of this post is lame. But, I gotta work up my detest towards all things Maryland. So, that includes Under Armor.

Before we get into the Terps, lets take a quick stroll back to last week.

Well, it won't be a long one. I went camping this past week and could only listen to the game. So that means you will have to rely on Charley Vest's post for a wrap up. By the way, ladies, did you catch that Charley Vest wears polo shirts to football games? Yes, he's a bit of a dandy. In addition to Vest's summation, the one thing I'm getting troubled with is Pat White's potential overuse running the football. Whenever Rod gets a little concern, he goes to White on a sweep or a draw. While White's a great security blanket, he has got to be healthy for Big East games.

Now that I have that off my chest, let's move onto the Terps.

Since Ralph Friedgen came to Maryland and turned around the program, I really, really have not liked Maryland. And with Virginia Tech deciding they would rather play a scrub team than West Virginia, Maryland has top billing on the non conference slate. Well, that is until next year when they take a 'break' on the series.

So, West Virginia must do the only proper thing. Crush 'em.

Pat White Is Fast, Awesome

The positive press continues. Hit me with your best shot Stewart Mandel:

Game Changer No. 1: The Dual-Threat Quarterback

The Prototype: West Virginia's Pat White. From the moment the then redshirt freshman came off the bench in the Mountaineers' Oct. 15, 2005, game against Louisville and promptly led a 17-point, fourth-quarter comeback and triple-overtime victory, it was obvious he possessed that rare ability to change the course of a game in one play. While it certainly doesn't hurt to have the ultra-fast Steve Slaton lining up next to him in the shotgun, White himself is as speedy (4.43) and nimble as any slashing tailback. In fact, he gained more rushing yards than all but 15 running backs nationally last season (1,219 yards, 18 touchdowns).

"He can go for a home run at any time," said Rutgers coach Greg Schiano. "He's fast, and he can stop on a dime. He can be going full speed horizontally, stick a foot in the ground and go full speed vertical. Give him just a little bit of daylight, and he's off."

Like the aforementioned Young, White began his career as a raw and little-used passer known solely for his feet. Also like Young, he began to show off his arm toward the end of his sophomore season, completing 63 percent of his throws for 833 yards, nine touchdowns, and two interceptions over his last four outings. And again like Young, the 6-foot-2, 185-pound White will likely morph into the total package in his junior season, as Mountaineers coach Rich Rodriguez looks to add a big-play passing component to his squad's already potent running offense. "He's got a strong arm," Rodriguez said. "What we're trying to do is quicken up his release a little bit, shorten it. He's worked at that. He got better at it last year and he's getting even better."

I find it scary when anybody says that Pat White has gotten better in the off-season. You know who else finds it particularly scary? Bill Cubit, Mark Snyder, The Waffle House, Skip Holtz, Jim Leavitt, Greg Robinson, Sly Croom, Greg Schiano, Steve Kragthorpe, Brian Kelly, Randy Edsall, and the Mustachioed Marauder of Mediocre.

I love alliteration.

This is AWESOME!

Ummm, where can I get one of these?

How You Get On TV

Be Very, Very Afraid

Last year, WVU ranked 3rd in the nation in points per game and 2nd in the nation in total rushing yards. The star running back, Steve Slaton, finished 4th in the Heisman voting, while QB Pat White won Big East Offensive Player of the Year. Those are all lofty accomplishments.

How do you improve on that? Mindfuck all of college football, that's how. Somewhere, Coach Rich Rodriguez is laughing.

Enjoy/masturbate to excerpts from Joe Starkey's column on ESPN.com:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- Sure, West Virginia had the third-highest scoring offense in the country last season.

That didn't mean coach Rich Rodriguez was afraid to tweak it. He even took suggestions.

"I don't know how many people sent me letters about going to the wishbone," Rodriguez said Saturday, shortly after his team's season-opening practice at Mountaineer Field. "So I said, 'The hell with it, I'm gonna do it.'"

Do it. Not really, but it would be totally awesome if you did. I prefer to humiliate opponents with plays that were invented by 1930s Army teams.

He was kidding, of course, but there is a significant change in the WVU offense -- and it can only be construed as terrible news for defensive coordinators everywhere.

The Mountaineers intend to play faster this season.

Seriously.

That much became obvious after watching 15 minutes of practice. On its first three plays from scrimmage, the offense used three wildly different formations without switching personnel.

Faster? Oh no. No. No. No. Sensory overload.

Different formations? No. Too difficult to defend. Seriously Rodriguez, we scored 38.8 points a game last year...isn't trying to score more just a tad presumptuous?

"That's the idea, so we can play fast, so we don't have to substitute and not let the other team have time to substitute," said fullback Owen Schmitt. "Just go, go, go. That's what Coach Rod wants. We can run all the way down the field and stay in the same personnel but with different formations."

OK, that's enough. We get the point: we're going to be really, really, REALLY good. At this point, I have to try my best to stay clear of epileptic seizures when reading about Mountaineer football.

** Thanks to loyal reader Amelia for the tip. **

We Have Fast Players

Over/under of opposing defensive coordinators who lost control of their bowels after watching this video: 4.5.