Some notes by a columnist who covers WV football for the Post-Gazette
Defensive tackle Scooter Berry pleaded no contest yesterday in Morgantown Municipal Court to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a dispute outside a Morgantown bar. He was fined $200. Court records show a public intoxication charge will be dropped if Berry completes an alcohol education class. Berry was suspended indefinitely following his Oct. 18 arrest. Coach Bill Stewart reinstated the junior for the 17-9 win Saturday against Louisville.
Colin Dunlap's West Virginia football
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WVMule: By my count 8 Mountaineers are injured going into the game. Stew fibs about injuries...so who can we expect to play Friday night and how close to 100% are Devine and Neild?
Colin Dunlap: Neild is in better shape than Devine ... If I had to put a number on it, Devine would be 70 percent, Neild 85. Alright ... time for a handful more.
goldnblueblood: Wow this thought just hit me like a ton of bricks ... UConn used a power scheme to move the ball up and down the field against Cincinnati. Do you think it would be beneficial to split a larger portion of carries with Ryan Clark and Ricky Kovatch in the I-formation?
Colin Dunlap: It might ... although I like No. 6, Will Johnson, a little more than Kovatch. That said, remember something: UConn has road-grinders on that line. I mean, they have guys who look like those old Boston College, Wisconsin and Nebraska linemen. Big, burly, guys with two knee braces, arms that look like Andre the Giant and a mean streak to match ... WVU does not have those type of linemen. That is the one thing that is a concern -- WVU's linemen are more the agile type than the bulldog type.
Mountiefan: Is it just me, or is the O-line the weak link this late in the year. It seems as if the tackles are getting beat upfield on every snap and not allowing Jarret to go through his progressions. Is there anything we can do scheme-wise to help the O-line out?
Colin Dunlap: To me, the interior of the line has been worse than the outside guys
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
But yesterday, Stewart calmed a lot of nerves.
"We are not as bad as we first anticipated," the second-year head coach said. "Jarrett Brown practiced, that was good to see, and Noel was running around [Monday night]. He was not getting hit in any way, but that was good to see. But Jarrett practiced pretty darn well."
The translation for this (if it follows the way Stewart generally goes about things) is that both players will play against the Bearcats.
In short, anytime a player has been "out there" or "running around" early in the week under Stewart, particularly one with an ankle or knee injury, that player has played in the game on the weekend.
Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly announced Tuesday morning that Collaros, who has beaten Louisville, Syracuse and Connecticut in succession the past three weeks, will start against the Mountaineers. After practice Tuesday, Kelly said he would develop a couple of packages for Pike, who injured his left (non-throwing) arm Oct. 15. At the time, he was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.
So how will West Virginia's defense deal with a 6-foot-6 dropback passer (Pike) and a 6-foot run-and-pass threat (Collaros)?
"I don't know if I can tell you that," nose tackle Chris Neild said with a serious face. Then, he laughed. But he did not give up any secrets.
Before he was injured, Pike was 128 for 199 for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns in six games (272.2 yards per game). In the five games he finished, his team scored 47, 70, 28, 28 and 37 points. His most impressive performance might have been a big-time road win at then No. 24 Oregon State, one of the toughest destinations in college football -- particularly for a team from east of the Mississippi -- when he went 31 for 49 for 332 yards, rushed for a touchdown and threw for another in a 28-18 win
In relief duty against South Florida and his three starts, Collaros has completed 76 of 100 passes for 1,229 yards and thrown for 10 touchdowns and one interception. The sophomore also averages 6.5 yards per rushing attempt and has run for four touchdowns.
Even as Pike has an NFL-type arm, it seems that Collaros' athleticism is what could have the Mountaineers worried more. Mountaineers coach Bill Stewart has long known about Collaros, being that West Virginia recruited him out of Steubenville High School in Ohio. Stewart, from nearby New Martinsville, W.Va., has heavy ties to that area.
"Oh, I saw him in high school, I recruited him, but we already had Jarrett [Brown] here," Stewart said. "I thought the kid was going to go to the [Major League Baseball] draft. ... He has the whole gamut in baseball.
Defensive tackle Scooter Berry pleaded no contest yesterday in Morgantown Municipal Court to a disorderly conduct charge stemming from a dispute outside a Morgantown bar. He was fined $200. Court records show a public intoxication charge will be dropped if Berry completes an alcohol education class. Berry was suspended indefinitely following his Oct. 18 arrest. Coach Bill Stewart reinstated the junior for the 17-9 win Saturday against Louisville.
Colin Dunlap's West Virginia football
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
WVMule: By my count 8 Mountaineers are injured going into the game. Stew fibs about injuries...so who can we expect to play Friday night and how close to 100% are Devine and Neild?
Colin Dunlap: Neild is in better shape than Devine ... If I had to put a number on it, Devine would be 70 percent, Neild 85. Alright ... time for a handful more.
goldnblueblood: Wow this thought just hit me like a ton of bricks ... UConn used a power scheme to move the ball up and down the field against Cincinnati. Do you think it would be beneficial to split a larger portion of carries with Ryan Clark and Ricky Kovatch in the I-formation?
Colin Dunlap: It might ... although I like No. 6, Will Johnson, a little more than Kovatch. That said, remember something: UConn has road-grinders on that line. I mean, they have guys who look like those old Boston College, Wisconsin and Nebraska linemen. Big, burly, guys with two knee braces, arms that look like Andre the Giant and a mean streak to match ... WVU does not have those type of linemen. That is the one thing that is a concern -- WVU's linemen are more the agile type than the bulldog type.
Mountiefan: Is it just me, or is the O-line the weak link this late in the year. It seems as if the tackles are getting beat upfield on every snap and not allowing Jarret to go through his progressions. Is there anything we can do scheme-wise to help the O-line out?
Colin Dunlap: To me, the interior of the line has been worse than the outside guys
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
By Colin Dunlap, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
But yesterday, Stewart calmed a lot of nerves.
"We are not as bad as we first anticipated," the second-year head coach said. "Jarrett Brown practiced, that was good to see, and Noel was running around [Monday night]. He was not getting hit in any way, but that was good to see. But Jarrett practiced pretty darn well."
The translation for this (if it follows the way Stewart generally goes about things) is that both players will play against the Bearcats.
In short, anytime a player has been "out there" or "running around" early in the week under Stewart, particularly one with an ankle or knee injury, that player has played in the game on the weekend.
Cincinnati coach Brian Kelly announced Tuesday morning that Collaros, who has beaten Louisville, Syracuse and Connecticut in succession the past three weeks, will start against the Mountaineers. After practice Tuesday, Kelly said he would develop a couple of packages for Pike, who injured his left (non-throwing) arm Oct. 15. At the time, he was considered a Heisman Trophy candidate.
So how will West Virginia's defense deal with a 6-foot-6 dropback passer (Pike) and a 6-foot run-and-pass threat (Collaros)?
"I don't know if I can tell you that," nose tackle Chris Neild said with a serious face. Then, he laughed. But he did not give up any secrets.
Before he was injured, Pike was 128 for 199 for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns in six games (272.2 yards per game). In the five games he finished, his team scored 47, 70, 28, 28 and 37 points. His most impressive performance might have been a big-time road win at then No. 24 Oregon State, one of the toughest destinations in college football -- particularly for a team from east of the Mississippi -- when he went 31 for 49 for 332 yards, rushed for a touchdown and threw for another in a 28-18 win
In relief duty against South Florida and his three starts, Collaros has completed 76 of 100 passes for 1,229 yards and thrown for 10 touchdowns and one interception. The sophomore also averages 6.5 yards per rushing attempt and has run for four touchdowns.
Even as Pike has an NFL-type arm, it seems that Collaros' athleticism is what could have the Mountaineers worried more. Mountaineers coach Bill Stewart has long known about Collaros, being that West Virginia recruited him out of Steubenville High School in Ohio. Stewart, from nearby New Martinsville, W.Va., has heavy ties to that area.
"Oh, I saw him in high school, I recruited him, but we already had Jarrett [Brown] here," Stewart said. "I thought the kid was going to go to the [Major League Baseball] draft. ... He has the whole gamut in baseball.
