SHIFTING DUTIES

Just as West once tried, a long time ago, to move quarterback Eric Boykin to tight end, so too have the Chants. Jamie Childers, who accounted for 452 yards and six scores in spot duty a year ago, has been switched to the pass catching spot, where he’ll team with David Duran to give Coastal perhaps its best offensive threat.

However, according to a tidbit from the CCU camp, don’t be surprised to see Boykin take a snap or two at quarterback during games. Head coach David Bennett could use Childers, who stands six feet, five inches and checks in at 225 pounds, in some situations as a dual threat. West %%MATCH_12%% isn’t a stranger to this sort of tactic, having faced %%MATCH_13%%’ Mohamed Sanu in a similar role, but Childers’ appearance at QB could be a bit of a surprise.

KEEPING SCORE

Do you evaluate the results of a game by the score? Well, of course. We all do. But using it as a barometer of how a team plays is just as dangerous as using any single statistic to make far-reaching conclusions.

I’ve read and heard many statements this week about how West Virginia must score 45 or 50 points against Coastal Carolina in order for the game to be considered a success. To which I reply, ‘Hogwash.’ Or perhaps, some other farm animal by-product.

Many factors can make the score of a game misleading. One team might dominate play, yet suffer three turnovers that eliminates scoring chances. One mistake in the red zone can change seven points to three. An inferior foe might simply try to shorten the game and limit possessions. And have you forgotten about the ever-changing clock rules? Those have cut the average number of snaps per game from 80 to below 70 in most cases – another factor that certainly affects scoring.

All we’re saying is this: watch the game, and evaluate all aspects of play. Don’t be an AP voter and just compare scores.

UPSTAIRS, DOWNSTAIRS

West Virginia’s game day assignments will have Jeff Mullen, Dave McMichael, Steve Dunlap and Bill Kirelawich in the press box, with the remaining five assistants on the field.

BIG GAINS

Of all the numbers that Noel Devine has piled up, some of the most impressive come in big chunks. The senior back has 11 runs of 56 yards or more in his career, which showcases his ability to break a big gain on any play.

Oddly enough, Devine does not have any rushes in the 40-yard range in his career. After the 56-yard gainer, his next longest run was for 37 yards.

FILLER

Coastal Carolina’s media release for the game includes a listing of the equipment in their weight room. Highlights: TRX Bands, 14 step-up boxes, 32 Perform Better medicine balls, 35 Dynamax medicine balls, and 10 physio balls. Left off the list were the contents of the maintenance closet.

UNFAIR

Without many stats to peruse before the opening game, this thought comes to mind about starts – it’s a totally inequitable stat. Kickers and punters, for example, never get credited for a start (even though one kicker is on the field for the first play of every game). And shouldn’t the guys that win the punting, snapping and holding jobs get starting credit?

In these days of multiple formations, players may get credit for a start just because they are on the field for the first offensive play from scrimmage, even though they might only play a handful of snaps the entire game. Perhaps it’s time to change the rules for crediting starts?

In any event, senior defensive lineman Scooter Berry enters the CCU game as West Virginia’s current leader in starts with 28. Jock Sanders is the offense’s leader with 25. (Note that if our modified rules were in place, holder Jeremy Kash would be the leader with 34.)

AT THE SURFACE

This will be just the fifteenth game that Coastal Carolina will have played on artificial turf. CCU has played 65 of the 79 games of its existence on real grass, and has been quite successful. The Chants are 46-19 in those games, as opposed to just 4-10 on artificial surfaces.

If this doesn’t get you pumped for tomorrow then you probably don’t have a pulse and should be 6 feet under! Let’s GOOOOOOO Mountaineers!

Tickets

Tickets are available for Saturday’s game against Coastal Carolina. To order, log-on to WVUGAME.com, stop by the Mountaineer Ticket Office in the WVU Coliseum or call 1-800-WVU GAME.

Fans can pick up will call orders at the North end of the stadium beginning at 1:30 p.m., on Saturday.

Tickets for WVU students will be issued on a game-by-game basis to students who register at WVUGAME.com and print out a ticket no earlier than six days before game day. There is no charge for student tickets, and students must show their ticket and valid ID for entrance. No student tickets will be available at the stadium.

A reminder: all persons regardless of age require a ticket for admittance to WVU football games.

Parking

A limited number of Gold Lot (Area 72, adjacent to the Facilities Management Building in front of ERC/Towers) and the Purple Lot (Areas 52 and 61 behind Sheetz on Route 705) parking spaces still remain. Those spaces can be purchased on game day for $20 for cars. Buses and RVs are not permitted in these lots.

Game day bus passes will be sold in the Green Lot (off Van Voorhis Road) for $50. Recreational vehicles can park in the Green Lot for $100, and in the WVU Coliseum lots for $40. The Mountaineer Station parking garage in the Green Lot also will be available to cars only for $40. There are 500 parking spaces available in this garage.

Game day passes for cars only will be sold in the Light Green for $40.

Recreational vehicles may enter the WVU Coliseum at 8 a.m., and the Green Lot at 3 p.m., Friday. All other recreational vehicles may enter lots for which they hold a pass starting at 6 p.m., Friday; no cars will be admitted to parking areas until 7 a.m., Saturday. All RVs must now be parked three hours prior to kickoff. Once traffic begins to exit a lot, no cars will be admitted into that parking area until 6 a.m., Sunday.

Small tents may be erected in designated areas only and may not be larger than 12’ by 12’. A parking permit for the designated lot is required to erect a tent and the vehicle must be parked adjacent to the tent. Tents may only be erected after 7 a.m. on game day.

Disabled parking will be strictly enforced. Disabled parking is available for single-game purchase ($20) on a limited basis at the WVU Law School (Brown Lot); accessible vans will provide transportation from that lot and the Blue Lot to the stadium gates.

Permit holders will be required to have the following: WVU issued color-coded parking permit, valid state-issued disabled parking placard or license plate, valid state-issued disabled parking registration card and photo ID of the disabled permit holder (the photo ID must match the disabled parking registration card). Disabled permit holder will be required to park in the spots reserved for disabled parking only. This will be strictly enforced.

A disabled-accessible shuttle bus will begin leaving the WVU Coliseum at 1 p.m., and provide return service after the game.

Free parking is available in the lots adjacent to the WVU Coliseum.

Fan Experience

There will not be Fan Festival in the Caperton Indoor Practice Facility for the 2010 season. Fans can visit the Donald J. Brohard Hall of Traditions in the Puskar Center. Doors will open at 11:30 a.m., and close at 1:30 p.m.

Stadium Reentry

Stadium reentry passes will be issued at the end of the first quarter. Ticket holders who leave will receive a reentry check, which must be presented, along with a ticket stub, for readmittance at any time.

Traffic Information

No vehicles will be permitted to enter Don Nehlen Drive (formerly Willowdale Drive) from Route 705 after home football games. Both lanes on Don Nehlen Drive will be used for stadium traffic to exit the area. Also, no parking will be permitted on Don Nehlen Drive. Elmer Prince Drive will permit bus traffic only.

Fans traveling on I-79 should access the stadium via the University Avenue or Pierpont Road exits off I-68. Long delays are expected around the Star City area.

Buses

Central Cab shuttle buses begin leaving the Coliseum at 1 p.m., and run until approximately one hour after the game. Cost is $4.00 round trip.

MountainLine buses will run from the Mountaineer Mall. MountainLine stadium service will begin at 1:30 p.m., and will run at least one hour following the game. Cost is $3.00 round trip; children 3 and under ride free.

PRT

The PRT will run from 9:30 a.m., until one hour after the game. There is no charge for PRT service on game days.

Prohibited

The following items are prohibited at Milan Puskar Stadium: gym bags, backpacks/school bags, large purses (exceeding 12” x 12” x 12”), coolers, alcoholic beverages, weapons and laser pointers.

The following items will be searched and are permitted into Milan Puskar Stadium: diaper bags, average size purses, small purses and fanny packs. A size-wise box is available at each gate and guest services location to determine if a bag is permitted. All personal items will be inspected. An express lane is available at the east, west and north gates for those fans entering Milan Puskar Stadium who are not carrying items into the game.

Video cameras, with the intent of non-commercial use, are permitted. The cameras must not exceed 12” x 12” x 12”.

Banners and signs, except those associated with the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, are not permitted at Milan Puskar Stadium.

The FAA regional office will allow no VFR air navigation near the stadium, except for law enforcement and medical aircraft.

No hard containers or umbrellas are permitted inside Milan Puskar Stadium. Only unopened plastic containers of soft drinks and water will be permitted. No open containers will be permitted into the stadium.

Baby strollers are not permitted in the seating areas. Fans can check their strollers at Guest Services in the South concourse of the stadium.

Due to the University smoking policy, smoking will not be permitted in the seating, aisle, portal and restroom sections of the stadium. Smoking is permitted in the concourse area.

As in the past, external speakers and/or commercial cargo-type rental trucks (U-Haul, Hertz, Ryder) will not be permitted in University parking lots during home football games. Complaints from fans and nearby residents, as well as the hospital’s close proximity, have brought about this policy.

Absolutely no soliciting of any kind is allowed at Milan Puskar Stadium or in the parking lots adjacent to the stadium.

Ruby Memorial Hospital

Ruby Memorial Hospital will be closed to the general public during West Virginia home football games. Staff and families of patients will need to obtain passes in advance to gain admission to the hospital during games. Hospital personnel called to work on an emergency basis should alert the state police by calling *SP on their cell phones as they approach the hospital. Emergency traffic should access the hospital via Elmer Prince Drive.

Here is an excerpt from a D.A article about the new version:

As West Virginia University football season dawns, students expect a new song each year to keep their Mountaineer pride alive: local rapper 6’6 240’s “Gold N Blue” anthem.
6’6 240, real name Lionel Jordan, debuted the 2011 installment of his “Gold N Blue” hits Wednesday on WVAQ.
While these school spiritpacked raps are nothing new to Jordan, who has released five “Gold N Blue” songs since 2005, he said with each year there is always new material to cover.
“This year there was a huge number of players that needed recognition; more than usual,” Jordan said. “This year’s is the best one yet.”

Check it out:

Roll Out the Carpet is the story of West Virginia University basketball. This comprehensive history chronicles over one hundred seasons of the game, from the early years of the Tri-State and Eastern Conferences, to the golden era of Hot Rod Hundley, Jerry West, and Rod Thorn, to the Mountaineer’s most recent triumphs under coaches John Beilein and Bob Huggins.

For Mountaineers, it’s not just about winning a prize, trophy or title—it’s about the work ethic, pride, and loyalty that embodies the spirit of the state. With unparalleled insider access, alumnus and longtime athletic department official John Antonik details the vibrant history of the players, coaches, and fans that created the finest moments of Mountaineer basketball. These pages overflow with accounts of nail-biting tension leading to buzzer-beating shots, thrilling game-saving moments, and rich, intimate details of the superstar players and coaches that built an institution of gold and blue.

From the first game in 1904 against rival Pitt to West Virginia’s glorious return to the 2010 NCAA Final Four, Roll Out the Carpet celebrates the tradition of Mountaineer basketball. With over five hundred  photographs – many of which have never been published before – and articles of memorabilia from the WVU athletic department, university archives, and personal collections, this book is a must-have for any West Virginia University basketball fan. It’s a great day to be a Mountaineer!

With a foreword by Rod Thorn and an afterword by Bob Huggins.

A native of West Virginia, John Antonik received a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and a Master’s Degree in Sports Management from West Virginia University. He is Director of New Media for Intercollegiate Athletics, West Virginia University and author of West Virginia University Football Vault: The History of the Mountaineers.

Visit www.wvupress.com to purchase Roll out the Carpet for $39.95.
Visit Amazon to get it for $31.96.

Watch a vidcast about this book:

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Forget, for a moment, what can become of this 2010 West Virginia University football team — a squad with nine starters returning on offense and nine on defense.

Imagine how different everything could look had two players chosen another direction.

Running back Noel Devine and receiver Jock Sanders, seniors and the Mountaineers’ two most potent offensive weapons, thought about jumping into the National Football League draft pool after last season.

Had they left, this team would have been staring at a large problem. Instead, West Virginia is among the favorites to battle for a Big East Conference title.

“You just don’t understand how much I’m going to lean on those two,” West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. “Those two young men are going to be as important to us as any two players are to any college football team in the country this year. I understand their importance and I will not understate that.”

It wasn’t so much the uncertainty of where he would be drafted — or if he’d even be selected at all — that served as the motivation for Devine to return to Morgantown.

Devine, who at 5 feet 8, 180 pounds can bench press 445 pounds and squat 500, insisted his return was motivated not one bit by the lure of personal gratification.

“I speak from the heart. People don’t understand I have a good heart. They think I’m something else or something,” said Devine, who has rushed for 3,381 yards and scored 23 touchdowns in his career. “And here’s what it is from the heart: I want this team to win. It ain’t about individual awards at all; people need to believe that about me. I don’t care what they say about me winning this or me winning that. It is about bringing a championship to Morgantown. I mean that, man, I really do. That’s all it is about with me.”

CONTINUE THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

Personally, the look of this uni has grown on me in the past hour. At first I thought it was pretty basic and MEH. But after Huggins description of the details and the meaning behind the design, I love it. How could you not? It represents the 29 lost coal miners of the Upper Big Branch Tragedy.

Here are the High Resolution Images for the new uniforms

“I’m just glad we’re playing Coastal Carolina on this Saturday in our home stadium,” he said with a smile.

What is College Color Day you might ask? Well here is the description from the official College Colors Day website:

College Colors Day is an annual celebration dedicated to promoting the traditions and spirit that make the college experience great by encouraging people across America to wear apparel of their favorite college or university throughout the day.

Additionally, College Colors Day, which coincides with “back to school” and the kick-off of intercollegiate athletics, strives to advocate higher education through increased public awareness, and celebrates the achievements of colleges and universities, acknowledging their fundamental importance.

Since its inception in 2005, College Colors Day has grown rapidly across the country. Thousands of organizations and millions of individuals participate annually by donning their team colors and sharing in the college spirit with friends and colleagues.

WV Football

Basically, CCD is a clever marketing tool by the THE COLLEGIATE LICENSING COMPANY that encourages people to buy officially licensed school garb. I don’t have a problem with this as I love to wear the Old Gold and Blue and I’m sure you all do to.

I know I will participate, hell I wear my College Colors pretty much daily.  What do you plan on wearing Friday? (and Game Day?)

Fortune favors the bold.

Or at least that’s what I tell myself when my preseason predictions invariably turn out wrong. I’m still waiting for my fortune.

Still, if you’re going to try to divine (not Devine) the future, you might as well go big and bold. Here are 10 fearless predictions for the 2010 Big East season:

1. Noel Devine will go to New York for the Heisman ceremony: The West Virginia senior will have a career year, and his highlight runs in big games will ensure that he becomes a Heisman Trophy finalist.

2. Zach Collaros will break the Big East’s single-season yardage record: We’re basically talking 4,000 yards here — Louisville’s Brian Brohm compiled 3,978 yards in 2007. So that’s a huge number, and Collaros will have to average more than 300 yards a game over the course of 13 contests. But Central Michigan’s Dan LeFevour went over 4,000 twice when Butch Jones was his coach. Collaros averaged 356 total yards in four starts a year ago and has a plethora of weapons; plus, Cincinnati might have to win some shootouts.

3. UConn will win at least nine games — in Randy Edsall’s last season: In no way is Edsall scrambling to leave UConn. He’s been there for a decade, has some of the finest facilities anywhere and is in total control of his program. But he’s also a hot commodity in the coaching business, and his already high respect level soared with the way he handled the Jasper Howard tragedy last year. Some blue-chip program will make Edsall an offer he can’t refuse this offseason.

4. The league will score three big nonconference victories: And those three will be: UConn over Michigan in Week 1; Pitt over Miami on Sept. 23; and West Virginia in the biggest upset at LSU on Sept. 25.

5. The Pitt-West Virginia winner will be in the BCS title chase: In three of the past four years, the Big East champion has been in the thick of the national title hunt in November or beyond. That trend continues this year, and Pittsburgh and West Virginia are the two most likely teams to carry that mantle, given its schedules and returning talent. If the Mountaineers do beat LSU, watch out. Similarly, even if Pitt loses early, the Panthers will have a chance to get back in the race.

6. The Big East will have to wait until 2011 to experience the Champs Sports Bowl: The league’s new No. 2 bowl spot has the option of taking Notre Dame once in the next four years. That once will be this year, as the Irish finish between seven and nine wins, and the bowl eagerly snaps them up. Remember the Gator and Sun Bowls had a chance to take Notre Dame twice in a four-year span and never did because Notre Dame couldn’t qualify. The Champs people know this and won’t let the opportunity pass them by. That means a Big East team could win 10 or 11 games, finish second in the league and still end up in Charlotte for the Meineke Car Care Bowl.

7. Syracuse will challenge for a bowl bid: The Orange haven’t made the postseason since going 6-6 in 2004. They’ll have a chance this year. They should be no worse than 3-1 to start the year, with Akron, Maine and Colgate on the schedule. If Syracuse can find just two wins elsewhere, it will go into the regular season finale at home against Boston College for a chance to break even. Playing two FCS teams means that 6-6 guarantees nothing; but with so many bowl spots open, long-suffering Orange fans will have hope.

8. South Florida will struggle to make a bowl: With games at Florida, at Miami, at Cincinnati and at West Virginia, the Bulls don’t have much room for error in 2010. They’ll still make a bowl game at 7-5, but bigger things will be on the horizon once Skip Holtz establishes his program.

9. Rutgers will play in the first New Era Pinstripe Bowl: OK, this isn’t that bold. If Rutgers is available — and with Norfolk State, FIU, Army and Tulane on the schedule, bowl eligibility is all but inevitable — the Scarlet Knights are the logical choice to play the first-ever bowl game in new Yankees Stadium.

10. Rutgers and Pittsburgh will be invited to the Big Ten in January: Well, I said I was going bold.

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