http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/ WVU Football | WVU Fan Site Wed, 10 Mar 2010 13:35:43 -0500 http://backend.userland.com/rss/ Articles weBLog en http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/images/logo.gif http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/ 88 31 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3273 Holy crap, it's been too long since I broke down some Mountaineer basketball. My last article of substance relating to the basketball team was this article of questions about the basketball team almost a month ago. Back in my prime I was hurling meaningful statistics at you faster than you can say "oh my God that Pitt guy's foot was on the line". So what have we learned in the time since then?Glad you asked. (You didn't, really, but cut me some slack. I need gimmicks to get back in my groove.)- OverviewAfter last week's wins over Providence (an 88-74 affair that might have been one of the more boring Mountaineer basketball games I've ever seen- but I suppose it's a good sign if I'm bored by a 14-point win), and Seton Hall, WVU has secured its 6th straight 20-win season, remains 3rd in the Big East, is ranked 7th in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll, 8th in the AP, and is 5th in RPI according to the always-helpful statsheet.com.Additionally, the Mountaineers' strength of schedule is ranked 3rd in the nation, understandable considering out-of-conference games against the likes of Marshall Purdue and Ohio State, as well as the full slate of conference games in the Big East, a conference Bobby Knight called the best conference he's ever seen.WVU's next opponentSo with all of those accolades, obviously we know that the Mountaineers are having a fantastic season. But what might you NOT know?(**Unless otherwise noted, all stats provided by statsheet.com**)- WVU is one of the best offensive teams in the nation. Gather your breath and I'll explain.To the naked eye, offensively, WVU's sets haven't looked very good at times, with extensive passing around the perimeter leading to too many contested outside shots, leading to missed shots, leading to a low shooting percentage. If you were to just look blindly at that shooting percentage as most commentators of WVU games do, you'd see that the Mountaineers are only shooting 44% (132nd in the country), which would lead you to believe that they aren't effective offensively.But looking closer, WVU is 1st in the nation in a statistic called "floor percentage" at 59%. What this means is that 59% of the time that WVU has possession of the basketball, the result of that possession is a score. Obviously, this is related to the fact that the Mountaineers are suddenly one of the best offensive rebounding teams in the nation (2nd in offensive rebounds/game).So hypothetically speaking, if Truck Bryant attempted an off-balance layup in the face of Dikembe Mutombo and missed that shot, obviously his shooting percentage would be 0% at that point. But if Kevin Jones rebounded that missed shot and put it back in for a layup, WVU's shooting percentage would only be 50%, but their floor percentage would be 100% because they scored without giving up possession. In essence, this means that WVU's standard offensive sets might not look that great and might be frustrating to watch at times, but their advantage rebounding the basketball leads to scores on possessions more often than any other team in the nation.And that's before we even get to defense.Not bad at all.College Basketball Stats by StatSheet.comI wasn't kidding when I said that we were suddenly much better at offensive rebounding.Want to know more about how well WVU rebounds now? Glad you asked.- WVU is the best offensive rebounding team in the nation, too.The Mountaineers also lead the nation in a statistic called "offensive rebounding percentage." That stat represents the number of rebounds controlled relative to the number of rebound opportunities on the offensive end of the floor.Looking at a raw stat like the number of offensive rebounds a team gets total is a helpful, but misleading statistic, as it doesn't take into account the number of opportunities for rebounds a team may have. To use an example from the NBA, obviously the Phoenix Suns are going to have more opportunities for rebounds than other teams, as their tempo and style lead to more shots, which leads to more rebounding opportunities, which leads to more possessions, etc.The Mountaineers get an offensive rebound on just over 43% of all chances for offensive rebounds. This is phenomenal. Just look at how far WVU has come in its own conference in this statistic:College Basketball Stats by StatSheet.comSo while observers may note that the Mountaineers rebound very well offensively, they may not know that they do it better than anyone else in the nation because the total offensive rebounds aren't as high as other teams. Why?Because WVU is 268th in the nation in possessions per 40 minutes. The Mountaineers grind down their own shot clock, then apply such fierce defensive pressure that they wind up grinding opponents' clocks down as well, leading to fewer possessions than 267 other D-I basketball teams.WVU's best offense is a missed shot.- WVU has been good on the defensive end as well, but not nearly as good as you've been led to believe.If you were to listen to writers, play-by-play guys, and most of the sports commentary with regard to the Mountaineer basketball team, you'd believe that the strongest asset of the 2010 Mountaineers is its stifling defense. You'd be wrong.Make no mistake, the Mountaineers are a solid defensive team. They are capable of forcing opponents into long scoring droughts, and keep the sometimes-struggling offense in the game at times. But for all the praise the team gets for its defensive prowess, would it surprise you to find that in terms of efficiency (points allowed per 100 defensive possessions), WVU only ranks 28th, allowing 89.9 points/100 possessions?Part of understanding this rank goes back to rebounding. As good as the Mountaineers are at rebounding the ball on the offensive end, you'd expect them to dominate on the defensive end as well, but that hasn't been the case. WVU grabs about 69% of the defensive rebounds available, which seems good, but only places them 107th in the nation in defensive rebounding percentage.Then there's the old standby of opponents' shooting percentage. WVU is 171st in the nation in defensive fg%, allowing teams to shoot an average of 43% against them. Considering that the Mountaineers appear behind teams such has Binghampton and IUPUI on that list, we as Mountaineer fans shouldn't exactly be beating our chests about WVU's defensive prowess. Especially considering that they don't block that many shots per game (4.1, good for 89th) or create that many steals per game (6.1, good for 210th). While the defense applied by the Mountaineers may LOOK stifling at times, it isn't preventing opposing teams from putting the ball in the basket or turning it over.So next time you hear someone spouting about WVU's badass defense, point out that the offense is the strength of the team. That should drop some jaws. Mon, 22 Feb 2010 15:25:31 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3273 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3272 I absolutely loathe anyone criticizing Mountaineer fans for outlandish behavior. In just about any context, if you hear someone complaining about the antics of WVU fans before/after/during football or basketball games, you'll hear my voice fervently defending those fans, usually with a reply of "that happens anywhere, don't get your panties in a bunch."Unfortunately, I wasn't able to attend last night's hard court edition of the Backyard Brawl. But from first-hand accounts and what anyone with cable in the United States could see plainly on television, there was seriously embarrassing behavior displayed by a few moron Mountaineer fans last night in WVU's 70-51 victory over #23 Pitt, and even I can't take up for the behavior of some of the Mountaineer faithful today.And that's saying something.The entirety of Sportscenter's, PTI, and other outlets' coverage of the game focused not on the Mountaineer team finding its stride against a rival, not on the play of newcomer (and Turkish sensation) Deniz Kilicli, not on the Mountaineers shooting a blistering 43% from 3-point range- the coverage focused on fan behavior. It wasn't enough that WVU fans were on notice by the administration that unruly behavior wouldn't be tolerated at the game. It wasn't enough that espn.com ran this ridiculous article on Tuesday. (Why ridiculous? In listing incidents of unruly fan behavior at WVU, the article notes a scene from the movie "The Express" where Ernie Davis was subjected to racially insensitive behavior from the crowd in Morgantown "during the 1959 season, even though Syracuse didn't play at Morgantown that year [and] veterans from both teams say the incident never happened.")No, assistant coach Tom Herrion was hit in the face with what appeared to be a coin EVEN AFTER THE CROWD WAS TOLD TO STOP THROWING THINGS ONTO THE COURT BY COACH HUGGINS.For his part, West Virginia University president Jim Clements apologized Thursday to Pitt, as reported in this article saying he was "appalled and embarrassed" by fans who threw objects onto the court during Wednesday night's game, vowing to crack down on unruly behavior with additional surveillance and security, prosecuting offenders, and offering an aid line for fans to report misbehavior.But why was all of this even necessary?We already know that the state of West Virginia faces an uphill battle in overcoming stereotypical views of the state and its citizens as a whole. And while it's obvious that only a few offenders actually threw objects onto the floor and the brush shouldn't paint too broadly, why is it that we must constantly endure additional embarrassment?It wasn't 4 months ago that WVU fans demonstrated their capacity for classy behavior, responding with great empathy and support for the visiting UConn Huskies, who were overcome with grief after the sudden and shocking stabbing death of cornerback Jasper Howard. We all remember this scene, right?That was a great day to be a Mountaineer.Wednesday was not.While the media dogpiles on WVU for previous incidents involving profanity and chanting the name of Rick Pitino's blackmailing mistress, this incident gives them anything they need to point to WVU and West Virginia to say, "See, those people have no class."Personally, I'm not the type of person that gets even remotely offended by chants from the student section involving one or more of George Carlin's seven dirty words. I'm of the opinion that people need to have much thicker skin when it comes to "obscene language" in general. (There's far more offensive things in the world than the use of the terms bull**** or ***hole. Choosing to be upset at those words is a complete waste of effort and imagination.)Escalating unruly behavior beyond the stands is something else entirely, and WVU fans have to be better than that. They are better than that.West Virginians are some of the nicest people on Earth. We live in a state that, for its population, disproportionally serves its country through military service more so than every other state. There's absolutely no reason that our fans can't have a good time at a football/basketball game, make the atmosphere intimidating for opposing teams, and support the home team without resorting to the sort of hooligan behavior exhibited by South American soccer fans. (And yes, I understand that not everyone that goes to WVU is a West Virginian. But they represent the state nonetheless.)And this seems like a good time as well to point out that while the initial objects thrown onto the floor (leading to Huggins' address to the crowd) were definitely thrown from the student section, based on the first-hand accounts and obvious trajectory of the object that hit Herrion did NOT come from the student section. So while alumni and the administration admonish the WVU student section for unruly behavior, please keep in mind that there's a strong chance they weren't responsible for the Herrion incident.Without being forced into better behavior by additional security measures and more stringent law enforcement relating to fan (mis)behavior, or other administrative remedies to misconduct, WVU fans should understand that behavior such as that displayed on Wednesday night embarrasses the university, the state, and its citizens.We can do better than that.We are better than that. Fri, 05 Feb 2010 12:17:39 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3272 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3271 I've been playing and watching basketball for a long time. Very rarely do I see something that I've never seen before, and even less often do things happen that I just flat out don't understand.This year's Mountaineer basketball team is the exception, though, leaving me with more questions than answers after most games. Their progress through the season has been impressive (especially considering they're basically getting a C- out of both guard positions at this point), and their losses are certainly explainable. (Road losses to solid #4 Purdue and Notre Dame teams, close home loss to #5 Syracuse).But close games against lesser opponents like Seton Hall, Cleveland State, and Marshall leave the impression that this Mountaineer team still has a ways to go before it becomes the dominant force many were anticipating going into this season. So with WVU about to play its last out-of-conference game against #25 Ohio State in Morgantown on Saturday (CBS- 2pm) and 13 games left in the season, here is a quick-hit list of things I don't understand about WVU men's basketball this year. Maybe we can combine forces to figure out the answers to some of these mystifying quandaries.1) Why isn't Kevin Jones a better free-throw shooter?For his career, Kevin Jones is about a 60% free-throw shooter. Not bad, but watching his form and seeing his outside shooting ability from other areas of the floor, how is it possible that he's not one of the better free throw shooters in the BIG EAST, let alone the team? 2) What happened to Devin Ebanks?Ebanks, as some will recall, had to dispel rumors last spring that he was planning to enter the NBA draft after his freshman season. He was named to the preseason All BIG EAST second team and the 2009-10 preseason list for the John R. Wooden Award All-American Team. At times, he's played to that standard, including a 22 point, 17 rebound performance against Seton Hall and 19 points, 8 rebounds against Marquette. (Both close WVU victories.)But here's his lines from the last 6 games:3-7, 11 points, 6 rebounds (Purdue)5-12, 11 points, 9 rebounds (Rutgers)0-4, 0 points, 3 rebounds (Notre Dame)5-13, 17 points, 11 rebounds (USF)4-12, 8 points, 6 rebounds (Syracuse)3-6, 6 points, 6 rebounds (Marshall)Do these look like the stat lines of a future NBA player?Ebanks came on very strong as the season progressed last year, particularly during the BIG EAST Tournament and WVU's lone game in the NCAA Tournament, so the hope still exists that he's a late starter and will pull it together in time for WVU's postseason (hopeful) run. Additionally, he seems to have been bothered by the hand injury that has forced him to wear a brace and/or tape for much of the year.But right now he looks lost, and I can't explain why.And in a related question...3) Why does Devin Ebanks ever shoot threes?Ebanks has attempted 24 threes. Guess how many he's made.Go on, I dare you.I bet you can't go low enough.Lower.No, seriously. Lower.3.He's made 3.In 24 attempts.For a 12% clip.We don't know why you're shooting them either, Devin.4) What in the hell is Da'Sean Butler talking about?“This was one of the best games we’ve played all year,’’ Butler said of the closer-than-the-score-indicates 68-60 win over the Marshall Thundering Herd on Wednesday night in this article from the Charleston Gazette. If beating Marshall in a close game is the best we can expect all year, I'm going to go ahead and make other plans for mid-March.5) How is John Flowers shooting 42% from the 3-point line?John Flowers shoots 47.3 from the free throw line, partially due to his horrific form. But he's shooting 41.7% from 3-point range this season in 12 attempts.I'm guessing there just aren't enough attempts at this point to draw any valid statistical conclusions. Still, it's amazing that Flowers isn't the one shooting 12%.6) Why hasn't Bob Huggins changed gameday wardrobe all year?I understand that Huggs isn't down with the suit and tie. I also understand that in the past, he's worn the same outfit on winning streaks, changing up when we lose. But why does he keep wearing the same ugly black pullover every single game?Personally, I prefer Pimp Huggins to all the other versions:Keep that pimp hand strong, Huggs.7) Wasn't Casey Mitchell supposed to be good?We heard all about Casey Mitchell's scoring ability in the offseason. We knew that he was the 2009 National Junior College Athletic Association player of the year, averaging a nice 20/5/2 line. Let's just see how he's doing this yea... oh, dear God... MAKE IT STOP!!! MY EYES!!!This is the approximate equivalent of the talent we've seen to this point from Casey Mitchell.Maybe Coach Huggins hit it on the head in the preseason when he said in this Charleston Gazette article, "There are going to be days when people walk out of here and think he's the best shooting guard who's played here since Wil Robinson, but there will be other days when they walk out of here and say, 'What the hell did they recruit that guy for?'''There's been an entire season's worth of the latter days, and not even a single moment when anyone even favorably compared Mitchell to Mrs. Robinson, let alone Wil Robinson.At this point, he's hitting the side of the backboard on open threes while reminding people of Private Pile after the other soldiers beat him with soap. Fortunately, the Mountaineers still have plenty of time to answer these questions, and hopefully those answers will come in the form of a beatdown of the Ohio State Buckeyes on Saturday. If not, Mountaineer fans could finish the season with one overriding question in their minds: what happened? Fri, 22 Jan 2010 11:35:08 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3271 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3270 **you have entered the Mountaineer Basketball chat** sir_wellington: It sure has been interesting being at WVU for four years now. sir_wellington: I remember when I first started, I was a gangly skinny kid that barely knew where to stand on the floor. its_in_ebanks: I feel you. sir_wellington: Seriously, this is what I looked like then:**sir_wellington is attempting to directly connect****sir_wellington is directly connected** sir_wellington: truck_me?_truck_you: damn son someone needed to show yo ass to the cheetos the_butler_did_it: Yeah, but you aren't THAT much bigger now are you? sir_wellington: pip, pip. check it: sir_wellington: mazzulla_oblongata: Jesus, Wells. truck_me?_truck_you: damn i aint seen guns like that since i saw my boy gilbert arenas mazzulla_oblongata: truck_me?_truck_you: heh pick one heh that was funny the_butler_did_it: Wells isn't the only one that got bigger though. Look at Kevin Jones over there: keeping_up_with_da_kevinjoneses: what, what'd I do? the_butler_did_it: Something's gotten into you, pushing around all these big boys inside and everything keeping_up_with_da_kevinjoneses: hey I dont know what youre accusing me of. you dont look like you did your freshman year either. keeping_up_with_da_kevinjoneses: i got pics- here's Da as a frosh: keeping_up_with_da_kevinjoneses: the_butler_did_it: Hey, what can I say, I think we all owe a lot of love to that personal trainer huggs hired when he came to WVU a few years ago. truck_me?_truck_you: what personal trainer? i aint seen no personal trainer HuggUlongtime: That's because you were suspended indefinitely over the summer. truck_me?_truck_you: oh, right its_in_ebanks: where is that trainer anyway? unspecified_trainer: I'm not here to talk about the past. its_in_ebanks: Woah, we're not asking about the past. Truck just needs to get in the gym with you. unspecified_trainer: Maybe he just needs to work harder. mazzulla_oblongata: oh, great truck_me?_truck_you: I ALREADY WORK AROUND THE CLOCK!!! Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:45:43 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3270 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3269 After the Purdue game, I mockingly suggested that if Santa Claus really wanted to give me a great Christmas gift next year, he'd bring the Mountaineers a point guard that can dribble.This request followed two solid months of inconsistent play from Truck Bryant and Joe Mazzulla. Mazzulla's problems stem from his inability to move his left (and primary) arm to the extent that Mountaineer fans wince for him whenever he has to raise his arm above shoulder level. (Even my wife says things like, "Oh, I feel so bad for him.")Truck Bryant's struggles, however, were something different altogether, particularly for a Moutaineer fanbase so used to steady efficiency from the point guard position over the past 8 years.Even after a solid game Wednesday night against Rutgers (we'll get to that in a minute), Truck's assist to turnover ratio (one of the most useful statistics when determining point guard play) was 3.5/2.3, good enough for 30th... in the Big East. (402nd in the nation).Sure, Truck's not a traditional pass-first point guard, and maybe the motion offense of the Mountaineers doesn't lend itself to high assist numbers from the point guard position, but facing pressure from teams like Cleveland State, Mississippi, and Purdue, you'd see opponents literally taking the ball out of Truck's hands, sprinting the opposite direction for an easy dunk or layup.This is typically not the posture you want to see from your point guard.But even beyond the turnovers, Truck demonstrates some of the most maddening offensive tendencies I've ever witnessed from a point guard at any level.Last year I joked in this Wire from our site about Truck's tendency to leap into tall people expecting a whistle that usually doesn't come from the referees. This season, more than ever, Truck seems to be relying on that same offensive strategy to horrible results.As an outside shooter, Truck's 3pt% is actually pretty good, at nearly 40%, but believe it or not, Truck actually shoots a lower percentage with 2-pointers at 37%. And that number includes open layups, so take those out of the equation and Truck's probably hitting only around 1/3 of the contested shots he takes inside the 3-point line.Considering that Da'Sean Butler and Devin Ebanks are shooting 49% and 46% respectively, Kevin Jones is shooting a staggering 61%, and even Wellington Smith is chiming in with 46%, and you begin to understand why Truck has seen his minutes dwindling as his crazy, off-balance shots increased.Don't believe me? Here's some action shots I found just by googling Truck Bryant:Granted, these are only small snippets in time, but they've become an all-too-common sight for Mountaineer fans wondering why their point guard jumps into taller people time and time again.Apparently, Mountaineer basketball coach Bob Huggins was similarly troubled by Truck's play.After the same Purdue game that found me praying to a jolly old fat man, according to this Charleston Gazette article, Coach Huggins and Bryant had a 1-on-1 meeting to discuss whether or not Bryant had it in him to be an actual POINT GUARD as opposed to a turnover machine that recklessly careens into the lane all-too-frequently.According to the article, Truck seemed to get the point, had two solid days of practice, and was rewarded with a return to the starting lineup against Rutgers last night, where he performed well, turning the ball over only once with 2 assists, solid defense, and 15 points on 5-6 shooting in 20 minutes of a blowout win.Solid, efficient. Much better.Was it better because of the opponent and the blowout win? Time will tell.But the Mountaineers aren't going to realize their full potential as a team unless Truck Bryant becomes the point guard they need him to be. Not just another slashing scorer, but an efficient distributor able to get the ball to Butler/Ebanks/Jones in a position for THEM to be effective scorers.And that potential COULD stretch as far as Mountaineer fans could imagine given the playmakers on the roster. But they can't do it with turnovers and low percentage shots from the point guard position.Hopefully last night's progress shows a matured Truck Bryant and the ability to lead the team to that potential. Otherwise, Mountaineer fans are going to be asking Santa for answers. Thu, 07 Jan 2010 12:16:04 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3269 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3268 By Dusty This game wasn’t about the Mountaineers. And WVU played like it. But at least the embarrassment of this one will be buried in the nation’s eyes by the feel-good story of Bobby Bowden winning his last game. With the Gator Bowl being played in Florida -- including a record-breaking and decidedly partial crowd -- and every celebration imaginable given to Bowden before and during the game, No. 16 West Virginia seemed to collapse under the pressure against a 6-6 Florida State squad that technically shouldn’t have even been picked for the game, losing 33-21 in Bowden‘s swan song. In case you hadn't heard, this was Bobby Bowden's last game. Just wanted to make sure that was pointed out.The loss snapped the Mountaineers’ four-game bowl winning streak, and has WVU fans hoping this isn’t the start of a long-and-painful return to the bowl tendencies of the Don Nehlen era, where the squad lost 11 of 12 during one gut-wrenching stretch. Not that WVU doesn’t have some excuses for Saturday‘s choke-job. * The loss of starting quarterback Jarrett Brown to an ankle injury allegedly hurt the team, although Brown had completed just 1-of-4 passing at that point thanks to no protection from the o-line. That left fans getting their wish of true freshman Geno Smith taking the reins under center.Brown did have a 32-yard touchdown run to start WVU off on the right foot, but the lasting memory for fans will probably be his under-thrown interception that led directly to a Seminole touchdown. * The loss of academically ineligible starters Nate Sowers and Scooter Berry had a huge impact on a patched-together defense that was shredded from whistle to whistle. Plus, FSU’s offensive line gave its skill positions all day to make decisions and get outside as WVU got next-to-no penetration into the backfield and couldn‘t contain the edges. * The continued lapses in kickoff coverage couldn’t be spackled over with pooch kicks, and FSU averaged 25.3 yards on returns, including a 69-yarder that set up a field goal that put the Seminoles ahead to stay. * Florida State held the advantage in time of possession -- 37:07 to 22:53, as big an indictment on the defense’s lack of stops as anything else I can print. * But the most confusing in my eyes (and this isn’t really an excuse since the coaching staff again made the choice) is Noel Devine’s complete lack of touches in the 4th quarter, despite having racked up more than 180 yards of total offense in the first three stanzas. Ryan Clarke was also notably absent, getting only three touches all game. The game will likely serve as Devine’s farewell, although he wouldn’t admit as much afterward, telling the Charleston Gazette in this article, “I'm not sure. I have to sit down and talk to my family and do the research.'' Devine has until Jan. 15 to submit paperwork for the NFL Draft, and until Jan. 18 as the final day to stay or go officially. But would you stay in an offense that forgets its go-to player in key situations? On Saturday, Devine broke off chunks of yardage at will early against a defense that had allowed 200 yards per game to opposing rushers. The junior racked up 127 of his 168 yards and a touchdown in the first two quarters. He added the remaining sum in the third quarter on five carries, but had as many carries in the fourth as you or I did. “I’m not disappointed that I didn’t carry the ball more, I’m disappointed that we lost to Florida State,” Devine told the Bluefield Daily Telegraph in this article. But why did he receive only five second-half carries, including the 4th quarter shutout? "We couldn't get in rhythm number one,“ Head coach Bill Stewart told the Associated Press after the game, as reported in this article. “We tried to get it out in the flats and put the ball in No. 9's hands. We didn't think Jock (Sanders) had it enough, to be honest.”Well let’s hope that Jock will also be used more next season, since his share of the Gator Bowl offense amounted to one rush for 7 yards and two receptions for 14. Brown, who finished his last game with just one completion and 43 yards rushing, helped engineer a surprisingly run-heavy first drive that seemed almost too easy. The drive needed just over three minutes and eight plays to 72 yards, with the capper coming on a 32-yard scramble to the end zone from Brown. That TD made up for an overthrow of Bradley Starks for a sure touchdown one play prior. Tyler Bitancurt’s PAT made it 7-0. Do yourself a favor and stop watching this video after about 30 seconds in.Florida State responded immediately, as it would with ease most of the day. Freshman QB E.J. Manuel led his unit 51 yards in 10 plays to get a 26-yard field goal from Dustin Hopkins to make it 7-3. The Seminoles actually missed out on a chance for more after driving to the WVU 7 for 1st-and-goal, but WVU’s defense dug in its heels to get the stop. The Mountaineers went right back to work on their second drive, with Devine setting a WVU Bowl record with a 70-yard outburst to the FSU 4. The junior found pay dirt moments later to make 14-3 with three minutes left in the first quarter. The Seminoles had a chance to get closer on their third possession after returning a shaky 37-yard punt to the WVU 24. But Florida State couldn’t break through, and Hopkins came up wide right on a 37-yard field goal try. Brown again had the Mountaineers cooking when he broke a 27-yard run to start the ensuing drive, but he threw a costly pick on the next play. Manuel completed three passes for a combined 38 yards to take advantage, leading to a 12-yard TD run from Jermaine Thomas, which made it 14-10 after the PAT. Devine stepped up again immediately, rushing three straight times for 9, 18 and 20 yards. But with a 1st down at the FSU 22, the wheels came off. A holding flag hamstrung the drive, and an ill-advised “pass attempt” after an o-line breakdown got Brown flagged for intentional grounding. Instead of working from the Seminole 22, WVU suddenly faced 3rd-and-34 at the FSU 46. Things went from bad to worse on the next play, as Dekoda Watson sacked Brown for a 9-yard loss, and the QB turned his ankle on the way down. Brown also probably fumbled on the play (which would have been a sure Seminole TD) but officials didn’t seem to notice. Scott Kozlowski punted and pinned FSU at its own 25, but the defense couldn’t stop another methodical FSU strike. Bowden’s crew went 51 yards in 13 plays, but most damaging of all, the Seminoles ate up seven minutes, 32 seconds of game time to do it. Hopkins capped the journey with a 42-yard field goal, sending the game to halftime with WVU clinging to a 14-13 lead. The second half opened with the momentum still squarely with Florida State. Greg Reid returned the opening squib kick 69 yards to the WVU 9. The defense again held the ‘Noles to only a field goal, but this one put FSU up for the first time 16-14. Smith attempted to lead the WVU comeback, and had success in leading the Mountaineers to the FSU red zone thanks to a 19-yard completion to Tavon Austin and two Seminole personal fouls on the same play. With 1st down at the FSU 13, Smith was sacked for a loss of 7, and WVU could go move no closer. Bitancurt then added salt to the wound when he missed 33-yard field goal wide right -- just his second miss of the year. The Mountaineer defense finally got a much-needed stop, keeping FSU from driving into its territory for only the second -- and last -- time, but WVU responded with a 3-and-out. After a 28-yard punt, Florida State started from its own 46, and needed just two plays to score. Manuel found Jarmon Fortson, who made an incredible one-handed grab, for 29 yards to start things off, and Thomas followed with a 19-yard touchdown two plays later, again bouncing to the outside to make it 23-14. West Virginia finally showed some grit to cut the deficit to 23-21, starting off with Devine’s last big contribution, a 34-yard break to get things going late in the 3rd quarter. Smith also found Starks and Devine for a combined 29 yards, and Clarke finished the drive with a 5-yard score on the first play of the 4th period. West Virginia finally got a good stop on the kickoff, stopping its opponent on its own 19. Florida State, though, came right back with another extended drive, taking six minutes to move 81 yards for another score. The Seminoles converted three 3rd downs along the way, using 12 plays to sustain a drive that ended with Manuel going two yards on an option keeper to push the lead to 30-21 with 8:54 remaining. Mark Rodgers tried to give WVU a spark with a 51-yard kickoff return, but the Mountaineers couldn’t do anything, despite starting at the FSU 35. With no Devine hand-offs in sight, the Mountaineers fizzled on their first three plays, and a false start brought up 4th-and-13 at the 38. Stew opted to forgo the field goal try after the Bitancurt miss, and Smith threw incomplete into triple coverage to give the ball back to FSU with 7:18 left. FSU iced the game from there with another deliberate, ball-control drive. The Seminoles took up more than five minutes while going 42 yards in 11 plays. Hopkins added a 37-yard field to produce the final score at 33-21. Thomas closed the day with 121 yards rushing and the two scores, while WVU’s defense again made a mobile QB look like a superstar as Manuel completed 17-of-24 passing for 189 yards while also rushing for 70 yards. The frosh had rushed for only 126 yards all season. "They've got good athletes and they make plays," West Virginia defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel told the Gazette in this article. "When you get in this type of game you can't make the same mistakes repeatedly.'' WVU finishes the year at 9-4, and drops to 1-6 all-time in the Gator Bowl. Sun, 03 Jan 2010 21:22:23 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3268 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3265 (Click here to read Jude's breakdown of moments 7-4.)3) WVU Wins Fiesta Bowl, Entire Mountaineer Fanbase Extends Middle Finger Towards Ann Arbor, MichiganIn what most considered a complete mismatch, the 9th ranked Mountaineers defied all odds in manhandling a 3rd ranked Oklahoma Sooners team 48-28 that many believed were national championship worthy. And although many rightfully questioned the man's worthiness as a Head Coach following this recent Gator Bowl disaster against Florida State, nobody could question Bill Stewart's ability to hold the entire team and program together after Rich Rodriguez decided to stick a proverbial knife into the backs of his team, alma mater, and state of West Virginia. But Senior QB and part-time Super Hero Patrick White, along with strong performances by Noel Devine, Owen Schmitt, Darius Reynaud and the entire defense wouldn't let Vegas or 84% of the country (per an ESPN.com SportsNation poll) decide the outcome of this contest in the desert.Pat White being Pat White.Bob Stoops' squad had no reason to overlook the underdog Mountaineers based on the fact they lost to Boise State in overtime the previous bowl season, 43-42. But that didn't matter as WVU beat the Sooners on both sides of the ball, piling up a staggering 524 yards of total offense while setting a school bowl record. (All without the services of star running back Steve Slaton who left early due to a hamstring injury.)Without Slaton, the trio of White, Devine, and Schmitt helped WVU rush for 349 yards against an Oklahoma defense that had allowed less than 92 yards on the ground per game. The defense was no slouch either only allowing 6 points in the first half while frustrating Sam Bradford and the Sooner offense.Although the Sooners eventually found some success moving the football and scoring, the game was never in question and if it was, the answer was Devine's nail in the coffin 65 yard TD run. Pat White may have put it best following the game saying he "just thinks we were a little bit more hungry than what they were."That kind of appetite brought home one of the finer moments in the history of the football program. 2) Huggins Listens to Country Roads, Comes HomeAll WVU fans remember the feeling. It's hard to forget when you are left high and dry for what another considers to be a "step up." Head Basketball Coach John Beilein (or Be'Lyin, as he was commonly referred to at the time) chose to do just that when he accepted the same post at the University of Michigan and was officially brought onboard at Ann Arbor, April 3, 2007. You know the saying "everything happens for a reason?"Well, 99% of the time it is an easy excuse from a person who is struggling and has no answers to their problems. It's a way of looking at an unfortunate situation and trying to find a silver lining and lesson to learn from it. Fortunately for WVU and its basketball program, it was certainly appropriate because Beilein's departure sure seemed like destiny with bringing home native son and one of the premier basketball coaches in Bob Huggins.Oh sure, Beilein and WVU had some wonderful times. We thank him and his services as he took over a major rebuilding project courtesy of Gale Catlett who walked out on his team during what seemed like a 30-game losing streak and recruiting classes full of future And-1 tournament players and disappointments. Beilein accepted the challenge even after Dan Dakitch said thanks but no thanks while putting his tail between his legs and scurrying back to Bowling Green where he would eventually have less than mediocre seasons and unceremoniously resign. (Note: WTF was the WVU Athletic Department thinking when hiring Dakitch? Seriously.) But we shouldn't have really been surprised that Beilein, who previously flirted with the NC State job, eventually took his whistle and complex Princeton-style offense and 1-3-1 defense to the "big time, (Daddy)."What John Beilein didn't have was a passion to be a Mountaineer. This passion is unquestioned for Bob Huggins who spurned Kansas State following a 1-year stint in which he energized the basketball program in Manhattan, Kansas as well as bringing in the #1 rated recruiting class in the country. Huggins claimed it wasn't an easy move, and I believe him. However, I believe the uneasy part was awkwardly telling Kansas State that he appreciated the opportunity they provided him but it was time for him to go home. And in all honesty, Kansas State had no reason to complain anyway due to the fact most people didn't know they had a basketball program until Coach Huggs started wearing purple and silver. Bob Huggins needed West Virginia and West Virginia needed Bob Huggins. Contrary to what it looks like in the above picture, it didn't take much for Huggins to say yes to AD Ed Pastilong this time.Looking back on the last few years since Huggins has been hired, it's hard to imagine anything better that could've happened to the WVU basketball program. There are major upgrades and renovations in the works for the Coliseum as well as the addition of a much needed practice facility. Season ticket sales are at an all time high. The team currently resides in the top-10 and recruiting has never been better. The team is full of tough-minded, "get after it" players who have taken on the personality of Huggins, which has to be frightening to opposing teams if you've ever caught a glimpse of Huggins' death stare. Many analysts and talkingheads are even considering this a potential Final Four squad.Just remember that the tough times wouldn't seem so bitter if the good times didn't feel so sweet. Unlike his 2 predecessors at WVU, something tells me this will be Huggins' last coaching position.During his press conference, one of most memorable quotes from Huggins was "thanks for letting me come home."I think I can speak for Mountaineer fans everywhere when I say, "no Huggs, thanks for coming home."Mountaineers, through and through.And now for the greatest WVU Sports moment of the past decade.....1) West Virginia wins Sugar Bowl (all while carrying weight of BIG EAST conference on its back)Although there were a few sports moments or victories some WVU fans can argue as the most memorable, few could argue the significance of the Sugar Bowl win not only for West Virginia University, but for the entire BIG EAST conference. After the ACC raided the conference of Miami, Virginia Tech, and Boston College, the rest of the country questioned if the BIG EAST was worthy of continuing its inclusion in the Bowl Championship Series. The BIG EAST's answer? Just WVU defeating SEC power Georgia in the Sugar Bowl which was virtually a home game for the Bulldogs considering the game had been displaced that year due to the hurricane in New Orleans. Even departing BIG EAST commissioner Mike Tranghese was fully aware of the impact the win had by being quoted as saying the win "gave the BIG EAST credibility again and cemented its automatic BCS berth." (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, 6/6)WVU was certainly no slouch that year, only having lost one game to Virginia Tech early in the season while the coaching staff was slowly figuring out that Pat White and Steve Slaton needed to be starting in order to give the football program arguably its best 1-2-3 (including Owen Schmitt) punch on offense of all time.During my trip to Atlanta that year, WVU as always brought a large contingent of loyal fans. However, once in the stadium it was hard not to notice the majority of the seats were filled with red-clad Bulldog fans who didn't have far to travel. Although most were gracious, a large percentage of their fans didn't give the BIG EAST champions a shot to win, let alone make it a competitive game. Perhaps this attitude was adopted from Georgia players such as safety Greg Blue who couldn't have possibly said more stupid and/or ridiculous statements about the upcoming matchup and how they would introduce the young Mountaineer stars to the SEC. As indicated by the rushing yard totals and final numbers on the scoreboard, you could be sure ol' Blue will never forget the names on the back of those Mountaineer freshmen jerseys. Slaton in very familiar territory that day.Many consider the 38-35 Mountaineer victory one of the biggest upsets of all time since the beginning of the BCS series. And it sure started early as WVU struck fast with 21 points in the first quarter before Coach Mark Richt and Georgia could even figure out what happened. Steve Slaton ended up being the star of the show while breaking Tony Dorsett's Sugar Bowl record with 204 yards. Most memorable were his two dazzling 52-yard runs showing everybody that Georgia of the big bad SEC did not have the speed to match up with the skill players of WVU on that particular day. Sure, it took a late fake punt by Phil Brady to seal the victory after an incredible, yet improbable comeback by the Bulldogs. But the late game heroics just makes it that much more of an amazing football game. At the time, West Virginia had lost 11 of its last 12 bowl games under Don Nehlen and then Rich Rodriguez. Since the Sugar Bowl, WVU has gone on to win consecutive bowl games including the Gator, another BCS game later at the Fiesta, and then the Meineke Car Care Bowl behind the arm of Patrick White.After this Sugar Bowl victory, the naysayers began to hush down their criticisms of whether or not the BIG EAST deserved an automatic BCS bid. After this Sugar Bowl victory, the WVU football program and the BIG EAST post-ACC defection has never been the same. What a sweet victory and sports moment, indeed.Do you think we missed any moments that should've made the top 10? Tell us in the comments below!*******************************************************************************************Here's to another decade of football championships, deep NCAA runs, epic tailgating performances, and lots of Gold and Blue memories we will cherish for years to come. (Let's just hope the rest of the decade goes better than displayed on the first day of 2010.) Sun, 03 Jan 2010 18:24:54 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3265 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3264 (Click here to read PB's breakdown of moments 10-8.)7) Devin Ebanks throws down on #2 Pitt (2009)WVU was facing a #2-ranked Pitt team in the Big East Tournament that had handled the Mountaineers in both of the teams' previous meetings. But the Mountaineers beat down the Panthers following strong performances by Da'Sean Butler, Alex Ruoff, and freshman Devin Ebanks, who provided this show-stopping highlight:Ebanks was beginning to fulfill the promise he had as a highly-touted recruit, and WVU was in the process of serving notice that the Huggins brand of basketball was going to be just as successful in Morgantown as the Beilein brand had been, albeit in a vastly contrasting style.The Mountaineers would lose in the semi-finals of the Tournament, but everything after destroying Pitt's hopes of repeating as Big East Champions was gravy. 6) Quincy Wilson annihilates Miami safety Brandon MeriweatherIn the 2000's, the Mountaineers won two BCS bowls (both huge upsets), went to the Elite 8 and multiple Sweet 16's in basketball, and provided a massive number of highlights for WVU fans' enjoyment worldwide. But of all the countless hours I've spent watching WVU sports in the last 10 years, there was never a moment of such jubilation as during this play: WVU scores in the closing minutes of a game against the #1 Miami Hurricanes, and does so in stunning fashion- a screen pass featuring RB Quincy Wilson trucking future NFL player Brandon Meriweather, then hurdling his dead corpse en route to the end zone. This play was so stunning that in one of the first articles to appear on this site in 2005, I named it the top moment of jubiliation in my time spent in Morgantown (and did so without hesitation.)Granted, Miami won the game on a last-second field goal shortly after Quincy's scamper, but those 10 minutes following the TD before Miami's win were pure ecstasy. 5) Women’s Track – Megan Metcalfe wins a NCAA national championship in the outdoor 5,000-meter run in 2005 Just kidding.5) WVU stages a massive comeback in a 3OT win over Louisville (2005)Despite being down 24-7 in the fourth quarter, WVU learned that it might have something special in the Pat White/Steve Slaton freshmen combo as the Mountaineers came roaring back to force overtime on the strength of Slaton's staggering 6 touchdowns on the day.For all intents and purposes, this game served as the coming out party for Slaton and White, providing the springboard to the Big East championship that season and a berth in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. (We'll get to that in Dan's countdown of the top 3 moments.)To that point, Pat White was a co-starter and Steve Slaton was the much-less-heralded freshman running back craving playing time behind super-recruit Jason Gwaltney. Not anymore. 4) Elite 8 run (2005)WVU was coming off of a 17-14 season in 2003-2004 in which it seemed that the Mountaineers were turning things around under coach John Beilein and his quirky no-rebounds-but-we-hit-threes-and-don't-turn-the-ball-over style of play. But no Mountaineer fan could have expected the success WVU would have late in 2004-2005.As late as mid-February, the Mountaineers were 14-8 and it looked as if they were headed to another NIT before finishing the regular season on a 4-1 run to bring their overall record to 18-9. Still, bracketologists predicted that WVU needed at least a couple of wins in the Big East Tournament to even be selected to the NCAA Tournament. They got the wins.WVU had a week for the ages in New York City, beating Providence, #19 Boston College, and #13 Villanova en route to a championship game appearance against #21 Syracuse. Though the Orange would win the championship, the performance that week was enough to garner a 7-seed for the Mountaineers in the NCAA Tournament.The magic didn't stop there.After a thrilling victory over Creighton in the opener (featuring a Tyrone Salley dunk with 2 seconds left on the clock to take the lead), the Mountaineers played one of the most memorable games in NCAA Tournament history against #2-seed Wake Forest (featuring future NBA All-Star Chris Paul.) (In a related note, as I pointed out in the previously-linked article from 2005, this game wins the award on this list for Game in Which Jude was Most Intoxicated. In my own defense, though, it wasn’t my fault. The game went into double overtime and I drink more when I’m nervous, leading me to drink WAY too much beer over the course of this 3 hour game, replaying the press-conference after the game on TIVO about 14 times, insisting that it wasn't the same press-conference, and thus annoying everyone in the room.)WVU followed up that win with a victory over Bob Knight's Texas Tech Red Raiders before eventually losing a big lead in the Elite 8 game against #4-seed Louisville for the right to go to the Final Four.But Mountaineer basketball was back in national prominence, and the success of that season would springboard the Mountaineers to two more Sweet 16 appearances in the next 3 years, an NIT championship, and berths in the NCAA Tournament in 4 out of the last 5 years. Tue, 29 Dec 2009 12:30:33 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3264 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3263 As the first decade of the 2000's winds down, we at The Couch have decided to compile THE comprehensive list of the best moments in what was probably the greatest decade in the history of Mountaineer sports. So with no further ado, lets get right into it.10) Pat White Mocks the Panthers 11/16/2006This was at the end of a game in which WVU so thoroughly dominated the Panthers in their own stadium (well, it's not really theirs) that the Mountaineers outrushed Pitt by a stupefying 438 yards. (WVU had 437, Pitt had NEGATIVE 1 yard.) Steve Slaton had 345 yards from scrimmage and 4 TDs, while Pat White both threw and ran for over 200 yards. By the end of the game the commentators were out of things to talk about, but managed to catch this 18 second gem on camera. Just one more reason why Mountaineer fans will always love #5.9) Joe Alexander tells Duke to 'Get that **** out!" At 3:03 of the above video, Joe Alexander sends a drive attempt by DeMarcus Nelson back from whence it came, then proceeds to yell loud enough that I could clearly hear exactly what he said from my seat about 40 rows up on the opposite end of the Verizon Center. I nearly imploded. That block wasn't just the culmination of Joe's career, one where he went from unheralded recruit, to a meak winger that disappeared from games under Beilein, to dominant monster known for crazy athleticism and a chip on his shoulder under Huggs. It also personified the evolution of the WVU basketball program from a team that relied on smart passing and hitting a million 3's per game (and didn't even attempt to rebound) to a team that was physically stronger than most teams they faced and could go head to head with the likes of second-seeded Duke and kick their ass. It took Huggins all of 11 months to change the attitude of the program and serve notice to the entire country that WVU basketball was going to be very dangerous despite a complete change in coaching philosophies.8) Crushing #3 VT in 2003I apologize up front for the awful soundtrack to the above video, but the game itself was unbelievable. Coming into Morgantown the #3 ranked team in the country, that Hokie squad remains the highest ranked team the Mountaineers have ever beaten. And the game wasn't even competitive. It was a beat down from the opening kickoff until 00:00. VT did absolutely nothing offensively and didnt even manage to cross midfield in the 2nd half. The only points they scored came from an EXTREMELY questionable fumble recovery-for-touchdown. Quincy Wilson ran for 178 punishing yards in his typical battering-ram style, and when he got winded from running over Hokie linebackers, Kay-Jay Harris came in and grabbed another 77 yards. 'Sheed Marshall hit Travis Garvin for a 93 yard TD to start the 2nd half to push the score to 21-7 and the rest was defense. Brian King had 2 interceptions and the Hokies turned it over 4 times total.This was also the game famous for the chaos that ensued afterwards when the police decided to pump a metric ton of chemical pepper spray into a student populace drunk on glee and light beer "for their own protection." It was totally worth it.Honorable mention- The WVU Rifle team 'Restores the Glory.'WMITC would be remiss if we didn't include the sole national championship won during the decade, especially considering the circumstances. While not really a very memorable 'moment' as only about 40 actually saw the competition, this has to be included. If you aren't aware of the situation, basically, WVU's rifle team was THE national powerhouse prior to 2003, when the team was disbanded due to budget cuts. However, the team itself had other ideas, carried on as a club team, and eventually won enough public support that the freaking state legislature caved and put a $100,000 annual appropriation in the budget in 2004. Not the University budget......the STATE budget.A great article in the Washington Post accounts the saga here.Quote from David Hardesty, University President at the time:Quote:"I guess we misjudged the civic pride and passion West Virginians have in their national championship team," So after all that, on March 14th, 2009, in Fort Worth, Texas, the team won its 14th national championship and it's first since 1998. Gotta be proud of those guys and gals. Thu, 24 Dec 2009 21:27:17 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3263 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3262 According to multiple sources including this nbcsports.com article, "Charlotte-Mecklenburg police say Cincinnati Bengals receiver Chris Henry has died, one day after suffering serious injuries upon falling out of the back of a pickup truck in what authorities describe as a domestic dispute with his fiancee.""Police say a dispute began at a home about a half-mile away, and Henry jumped into the bed of the pickup truck as his fiancee was driving away from the residence.Police said at some point when she was driving, Henry “came out of the back of the vehicle.” Obviously, Chris Henry is well-known by WVU fans as the troubled, yet extremely talented receiver that saw his Mountaineer and then early NFL career marred by off-the-field run-ins with both the law and team officials for both the Mountaineers and Bengals. Henry seemed to have straightened himself out in recent years, avoiding trouble and providing Bengals fans with a person to root for after seemingly finding a grip on his personal demons.Details of the events leading to Henry's death are sketchy at this point, and no charges have yet been filed. Despite Mountaineer fans' harsh feelings towards Henry following his tumultuous time spent in Morgantown, obviously no one would have wished for his untimely demise.Henry leaves behind 3 small children.Troubled or not, Mountaineer nation has lost one of its own. Rest in peace, Chris Henry. Thu, 17 Dec 2009 10:23:53 -0500 http://www.wemustignitethiscouch.com/modules/weblog/details.php?blog_id=3262