"Mountaineers Are Always Free"

[superjames1992]

Losing Skid Continues in Loss to Syracuse
Mountaineers Lose 2nd in a Row...

31 -- (2-2)
10 -- (2-3)


Morgantown, WV - Disappointment is what the Mountaineers have suffered through this season. Their first 2 losses were against top 25 teams in LSU and Michigan, but now the Mountaineers have sunk even lower in their loss to the lowly Syracuse Orange. The Orange were 1-2 on the season coming into the game, fresh off a 31-14 loss to the Illinois Fighting Illini.

The Orange jumped out to a 21-0 halftime lead and cruised on to win by 3 touchdowns. They only outgained West Virginia by a margin of 374-311 and both teams only turned the ball over once, the Orange just used the amount of yards gained most efficiently, as the Mountaineers got up to the 50 numerous times, but just ran out of steam coming away with no points on those possessions.

Mountaineers head coach Superjames was rather livid after the game. "We cannot afford to lose these games to our rivals," he said. "We start off Big East play with an 0-1 record now! We cannot do that if we expect to compete for the Big East crown this season." It was said that in the locker room, Superjames threw a chair at cornerback Vaughn Rivers due to his terrible performance, though Superjames denies the report. "You all really have nothing to do, but pick apart us coaches, do you?" he said. "I can treat my players how I want to."

The loss sends Coach Superjames his first Big East Conference loss of his coaching career as the Mountaineers fall to 2-3 (0-1) on the season.

               1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT  Final
Syracuse        7    14   7    3   --   31
West Virginia   0    0    7    3   --   10

West Virginia Leaders
QB Adam Bednarik - 14/20, 197 yds.
HB Jason Gwanltney - 23 carries, 103 yds., TD
FB Owen Schmitt - 5 carries, 15 yds., 2 receptions, 54 yds.
LB Marc Magro - 7 tackles, TFL
LB Jay Henry - 6 tackles

[superjames1992]

Week 5 Overview

Big East Scores
Syracuse 31, West Virginia 10
Connecticut 30, Navy 0
Vanderbilt 52, South Florida 9
#25 Pittsburgh 28, Rutgers 7
Cincinnati 30, Buffalo 20


Top 25 Losses
#5 Florida 42, #6 Auburn 14
North Carolina 38, #21 NC State 31
#8 Purdue 42, #13 Minnesota 35
#11 Georgia 24, #9 Tennessee 17
#10 Penn State 23, #20 Ohio State 17
#4 Florida State 29, #18 Miami 28


Top 25 Coaches Poll
1. USC (40) (2-0)
2. Oklahoma (21) (3-0)
3. Texas (3-0)
4. Florida State (4-0)
5. Florida (4-0)
6. Michigan (3-0)
7. Purdue (3-0)
8. Penn State (3-0)
9. Georgia (3-0)
10. Wake Forest (4-0)
11. Auburn (3-1)
12. South Carolina (3-0)
13. Virginia Tech (2-1)
14. Michigan State (3-0)
15. Kansas State (2-0)
16. Tennessee (2-2)
17. Minnesota (2-1)
18. LSU (3-1)
19. Oregon State (3-0)
20. Alabama (3-0)
21. Louisville (2-0)
22. Miami (1-2)
23. Pittsburgh (2-1)
24. Texas A&M (2-0)
25. Nebraska (1-1)

Others Receiving Votes: Virginia, Ohio State, Iowa, Cincinnati, Oklahoma State, Missouri
Dropped Out: #20 Ohio State, #21 NC State


Big East Standings
1. Louisville (2-0) (1-0)
2. Pittsburgh (2-1) (1-0)
3. Syracuse (2-2) (1-0)
4. Connecticut (3-0) (0-0)
5. Cincinnati (3-0) (0-0)
6. West Virginia (2-3) (0-1)
7. South Florida (1-3) (0-1)
8. Rutgers (0-4) (0-1)

[doncoryell]

Re: "Mountaineers Are Always Free"

It was said that in the locker room, Superjames threw a chair at cornerback Vaughn Rivers due to his terrible performance, though Superjames denies the report.

"You have really got to control your anger." -- Coach Bob Knight

"If I had one of my water pitchers, I would have thrown it at him, too!" -- Coach Woodie Hayes

[superjames1992]

Re: "Mountaineers Are Always Free"

"You have really got to control your anger." -- Coach Bob Knight

"If I had one of my water pitchers, I would have thrown it at him, too!" -- Coach Woodie Hayes

Haha, I guess Coach Superjames has a little Bob Knight in him! :wink:

Is Bob Knight telling Superjames to calm down? Didn't I read recently he got fined in your dynasty for complaining about officiating? And didn't he throw a chair somewhere along the line, too?

Woodie Hayes has the right idea!!!

[superjames1992]

Re: "Mountaineers Are Always Free"

By the way, Don Coryell, do you have a favorite team you would like me to follow?

Anybody else who wants me to follow a certain team for them, just let me know. I'll try to include those in my weekly overviews.

[doncoryell]

Re: "Mountaineers Are Always Free"

By the way, Don Coryell, do you have a favorite team you would like me to follow?

Anybody else who wants me to follow a certain team for them, just let me know. I'll try to include those in my weekly overviews.

Nope. Just WVU is okay with me.

[superjames1992]

Re: "Mountaineers Are Always Free"

Nope. Just WVU is okay with me.

Okay. I just finished the Rutgers game. Update in a few minutes!

[superjames1992]

Mountaineers Squeak By Rutgers
Mountaineers End Losing Side, Win 34-27

27 -- (0-5)
34 -- (3-3)


Morgantown, WV - The Mountaineers got their first Big East win of the 2006 season today, albeit not very prettily. The Mountaineers barely scraped by the Scarlet Knights, winning 34-27 in Morgantown. The Mountaineers allowed Rutgers' runningback to scorch the Mountaineer defense to a tune of 265 yards in the game, but the Mountaineers still won, mainly because that was Rutgers' only good offensive production.

West Virginia went up 3-0 early and led by the same margin at the end of the 1st quarter. Rutgers tacked on 13 points in the 2nd quarter to West Virginia's 3, putting Rutgers up 13-6 at halftime. After struggling in the 1st half, the Mountaineers offense would ignite in the 2nd half, as they put up 4 2nd half touchdowns in the win. With the score tied with 39 seconds remaining in the game, West Virginia backup quarterback Pat White ran in for a huge touchdown of 37 yards that put West Virginia up 34-27 for good.

The Mountaineers really played rather uninspired football today. Despite outgaining Rutgers 474-361, the Mountaineers still struggled against the winless Scarlet Knights. The Mountaineers turned the ball over 3 times in the game, 2 via Adam Bednarik interceptions, and another off a fumble by Mike Poiter. Rutgers only turned the ball over once, which definitely kept them in the game. "Turnovers are definitely are Archille's Heel this year," commented Superjames. "This is surprising to me since we really did great with turnovers last season."

Jason Gwanltney was the lone star in today's game. Though he did not have a spectacular game running the football, he made a lot of huge plays in the passing game. On the ground, he carried the ball 11 times for just 58 yards and no touchdowns. However, he also grabbed 6 receptions for a career-high 123 yards and 2 touchdowns. "He played great today," commented Superjames. "I really hope we can continue to get him involved in the passing game like we did today."

The win ends the Mountaineers losing streak at 2 games. Their record improves to 3-3 on the season and a 1-1 mark in Big East play. Let's hope the Mountaineers can play better the next couple of weeks, because they will not beat those teams playing like they did today.

               1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT  Final
Rutgers         0    13   0    14  --   27
West Virginia   3    3    14   14  --   34

West Virginia Leaders
QB Adam Bednarik - 16/33, 259 yds., 3 TDs, 2 INTs, 5 carries, 36 yds.
QB Pat White - 1/1, 16 yds., 8 carries, 68 yds., TD
HB Jason Gwanltney - 11 carries, 58 yds., 6 receptions, 123 yds., 2 TDs
FB Owen Schmitt - 4 carries, 37 yds., reception, 1 yd., TD
WR T.J. Mitchell - 2 receptions, 51 yds.
FS Abraham Jones - 6 tackles
RE Pat Liebig - 5 tackles, TFL, sack
DT Keilein Dikes - 5 tackles, 2 TFL, sack

[superjames1992]

Week 6 Overview

Big East Scores
West Virginia 34, Rutgers 27
#21 Louisville 38, Marshall 31
Connecticut 37, Syracuse 30 (OT)
#23 Pittsburgh 49, Cincinnati 46

Top 25 Losses
#12 South Carolina 35, #11 Auburn 28
Northwestern 31, #8 Penn State 28
Duke 27, #13 Virginia Tech 20
Mississippi State 27, #18 LSU 21
#5 Florida 38, #20 Alabama 10
#6 Michigan 42, #17 Minnesota 14
Illinois 34, #14 Michigan State 17

Top 25 Coaches Poll
1. USC (36) (3-0)
2. Oklahoma (23) (4-0)
3. Texas (1) (4-0)
4. Florida State (1) (4-0)
5. Florida (5-0)
6. Michigan (4-0)
7. Purdue (4-0)
8. Georgia (4-0)
9. Wake Forest (5-0)
10. South Carolina (4-0)
11. Kansas State (3-0)
12. Tennessee (3-2)
13. Oregon State (4-0)
14. Auburn (3-2)
15. Louisville (3-0)
16. Miami (2-2)
17. Michigan State (3-1)
18. Penn State (3-1)
19. Pittsburgh (3-1)
20. Texas A&M (3-0)
21. Minnesota (2-2)
22. Nebraska (2-1)
23. Alabama (3-1)
24. Iowa (4-1)
25. Illinois (5-0)

Others Receiving Votes: Virginia Tech, LSU, Missouri, Georgia Tech, NC State, Fresno State, California, Oklahoma State, Cincinnati
Dropped Out: #13 Virginia Tech, #18 LSU

Big East Standings
1. Pittsburgh (3-1) (2-0)
2. Connecticut (4-0) (1-0)
3. Louisville (3-0) (1-0)
4. Syracuse (2-3) (1-1)
5. West Virginia (3-3) (1-1)
6. Cincinnati (3-1) (0-1)
7. South Florida (1-3) (0-1)
8. Rutgers (0-5) (0-2)

[superjames1992]

Morgantown, WV - The Mountaineers have been struggling as of late this season, losing 2 of their last 3 games, the 1 game they won being a nailbiter over winless Rutgers. Now comes a make-or-break stretch for the Mountaineers as the rest of their opponents have a combined record or 15-7.

Next week, the Mountaineers will travel to Louisville, Kentucky. They will face off against the #15 Louisville Cardinals (3-0) in a crucial game as far as the Big East Championship is concerned. Despite the Mountaineers lowly 3-3 record, they are still alive and well in the Big East Championship race, as they are only 1-1 in conference.

Then the Mountaineers will face South Florida (1-3), who went winless in Big East play last season. Though this game should not present much of a problem, we still need to be careful not to blow this game off because West Virginia already lost to Syracuse, a team not much better than South Florida.

The Mountaineers follow up the South Florida game with their first bye week of the season. Then they travel to Connecticut to face the undefeated Connecticut Huskies (4-0). Though this team has yet to face any considerable opponents, they certainly have looked good in their games against lesser opponents, so we could easily see them win the game and perhaps the Big East.

Next the Mountaineers face Cincinnati (3-1), a team that has surprised many this season. After defeating both #3 Miami and #11 Ohio State, the Bearcats earned a #24 spot in the AP Poll, their first national ranking in a very long time. They were not ranked in the Coaches Poll. They lost to #19 Pittsburgh last week 49-46, which knocked them out of the top 25, but they still look to be good.

Next, the Mountaineers will travel to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania after a bye week to face off against the #19 Pittsburgh Panthers (3-1) in the "Backyard Brawl". Pittsburgh's lone loss of the season came against a very good Michigan State squad earlier this season. Tyler Palko is a very dangerous quarterback of Pittsburgh that could exploit the weak West Virginia secondary to his advantage.

The Mountaineers then have their final bye week of the season before facing off with the Marshall Thundering Herd (2-2) in the "Friends of Coal Bowl". The Thundering Herd are led by quarterback Bernie Morris and could potentially upset the Mountaineers.

That wraps up the season for the Mountaineers. They have a tough road coming up ahead and we'll see if Superjames and the West Virginia Mountaineers can get through the road with at least a .500 record to become bowl eligible.

[superjames1992]

West Virginia Upsets Louisville 40-21
Mountaineers Leave Papa Johns Cardinal Stadium With Victory

N/R 40 -- (4-3)
#15 21 -- (3-1)


Louisville, KY - It was not supposed to happen. It was expected that Brian Brohm and the Louisville offense would absolutely demolish the Mountaineers through the air against their weak and inexperienced secondary. But, as they say, that's why they play the games on the field and not on paper. Brian Brohm only threw for 154 yards in the game and threw 2 interceptions as the Mountaineer defense played their first good defensive ballgame of the season en route to a surprising 40-21 victory for West Virginia. "I am glad we finally actually stopped a team," commented Superjames. "It was getting rather old and boring watching opposing offenses score on us every time."

The Mountaineers got off rolling in the 1st quarter as the Mountaineers jumped out to a 21-3 lead after a quarter of play. Louisville would cut the lead to 21-13 midway through the 2nd quarter, but West Virginia would tack on a field goal before the half to take a 24-13 halftime lead. The Mountaineer defense continued to play very good in the 3rd quarter, limiting the Cardinal offense to no points. West Virginia would add a touchdown off a 3 yard touchdown run by Pernell Williams to make the score 31-13 after 3 quarters of play. In the 4th quarter, West Virginia kicker Colby Jones got a workout, as he nailed 3 field goals in the final quarter. Louisville scored off Brian Brohm's first touchdown pass of the day within 2 minutes left. Louisville converted the 2 point conversion attempt to make the score 37-21. After a failed onside kick, West Virginia got the ball back and ran out the clock, hitting a field goal as time expired to win the game 40-21. Many called the decision to call for a field goal to run up the score a rather "unclassy" move by Superjames, but he does not think so. "Hey, we're trying to impress voters, the bowl committees, the fans, and so on. We just wanted to make a statement and I think we made one alright!"

The Mountaineer offense was very good in the game as well. Adam Bednarik completed 20 of 30 pass attempts for 276 yards, a touchdown, but 2 disappointing interceptions to go along with the otherwise good numbers. Jason Gwanltney rushed for 99 yards on 16 carries, but recorded no rushing touchdowns in the game. Fullback Owen Schmitt recorded 2 rushing touchdowns of his own as he rushed for 27 yards on 6 caries. Pernell Williams also got a touchdown as he ended with 19 yards on the ground.

A rather disappointing event happened today for the Mountaineers, however, as star strong safety Eric Wicks suffered an injury that will sideline his for 4 weeks. "I wish him nothing but the best in his recovery," commented Superjames. "It's tough to see a kid miss games due to injury in his senior season, but at least it's not a season ending injury. That's something we can all be grateful for."

With the win, the Mountaineers improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big East. The Mountaineers are still alive in the hunt for the Big East Championship.

               1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT  Final
West Virginia   21   3    7    9   --   40
Louisville      3    10   0    8   --   21

West Virginia Leaders
QB Adam Bednarik - 20/30, 276 yds., TD, 2 INTs
HB Jason Gwanltney - 16 carries, 99 yds.m 4 receptions, 50 yds.
FB Owen Schmitt - 6 carries, 27 yds., 2 TDs, 2 receptions, 11 yds., TD
WR Ryan Dawson - 3 receptions, 63 yds.
FS Jeff Cook - 4 tackles
FS Abraham Jones - 4 tackles, INT

[superjames1992]

Week 7 Overview

Big East Scores
West Virginia 40, #15 Louisville 21
Connecticut 34, Cincinnati 17
#19 Pittsburgh 37, South Florida 34
Rutgers 33, Syracuse 28

Top 25 Losses
West Virginia 40, #15 Louisville 21
#4 Florida State 38, #9 Wake Forest 9
#21 Minnesota 27, #18 Penn State 24 (OT)
Iowa State 48, #22 Nebraska 17
Kansas 31, #20 Texas A&M 24
Arizona State 24, #13 Oregon State 19
#6 Michigan 45, #17 Michigan State 14
#2 Oklahoma 41, #3 Texas 24
#7 Purdue 23, #24 Iowa 20

Top 25 Coaches Poll
1. USC (34) (4-0)
2. Oklahoma (21) (5-0)
3. Florida State (3) (5-0)
4. Florida (1) (6-0)
5. Michigan (1) (5-0)
6. Purdue (1) (5-0)
7. Georgia (5-0)
8. South Carolina (5-0)
9. Texas (4-1)
10. Kansas State (3-0)
11. Tennessee (3-2)
12. Auburn (3-2)
13. Wake Forest (5-1)
14. Miami (3-2)
15. Pittsburgh (4-1)
16. Minnesota (3-2)
17. Alabama (3-1)
18. Illinois (6-0)
19. Michigan State (3-2)
20. Penn State (3-2)
21. Virginia Tech (2-2)
22. Missouri (4-0)
23. Louisville (3-1)
24. Georgia Tech (4-1)
25. Oregon State (4-1)

Others Receiving Votes: Iowa, Fresno State, Texas A&M, California, Nebraska, Connecticut, Iowa State, LSU, Middle Tennessee State
Dropped Out: #20 Texas A&M, #22 Nebraska, #24 Iowa

Big East Standings
1. Pittsburgh (4-1) (3-0)
2. Connecticut (5-0) (2-0)
3. West Virginia (4-3) (2-1)
4. Louisville (3-1) (1-1)
5. Rutgers (1-5) (1-2)
6. Syracuse (2-4) (1-2)
7. Cincinnati (3-2) (0-2)
8. South Florida (1-4) (0-2)

[superjames1992]

West Virginia Tops South Florida 21-3
Defense Shows Up Again For Mountaineers

3 -- (1-5)
21 -- (5-3)


Morgantown, WV - The Mountaineers extended their win streak to 3 games today with the home win versus the South Florida Bulls. The Mountaineer defense allowed the fewest points in Superjames' college coaching career in the game, as they held South Florida to only a field goal. The Mountaineers grabbed their 5th win of the season today and seem to be back on track.

West Virginia jumped out to a 21-0 lead at halftime and would cruise in the 2nd half, as they scored no points in the 2nd half of play. South Florida tacked on a field goal in the 3rd quarter, their only score of the day. Superjames was certainly pleased with the win. He said, "I think this is a testament to how our defense is improving. We had a lot of unexperienced guys this year, but they are maturing now as we progress throughout the season. We've had 7 games this season, and I can certainly see a lot of improvement in our team over those 7 games."

Jason Gwanltney rushed for 162 yards and a touchdown in the game on 34 carries as he continued his hot streak he has had lately.

With the win, the Mountaineers improve to 5-3 on the season and 3-1 in Big East play.

               1st  2nd  3rd  4th  OT  Final
South Florida   0    0    3    0   --   3
West Virginia   7    14   0    0   --   21

West Virginia Leaders
QB Adam Bednarik - 23/30, 258 yds., 2 TDs
HB Jason Gwanltney - 34 carries, 162 yds., TD
WR T.J. Mitchell - 7 receptions, 94 yds., TD
WR Rayshawn Bolden - 7 receptions, 53 yds.
TE Steve Monroe - 3 receptions, 50 yds., TD
LB Kevin McLee - 9 tackles, 4 TFL, sack
LB Marc Magro - 5 tackles, TFL

[superjames1992]

Week 8 Overview

Big East Scores
West Virginia 21, South Florida 3
Connecticut 37, Rutgers 14
Cincinnati 34, #23 Louisville 31
#15 Pittsburgh 27, Syracuse 16

Top 25 Losses
#5 Michigan 41, #20 Penn State 28
Maryland 40, #14 Miami 33
Ole Miss 38, #17 Alabama 20
Cincinnati 34, #23 Louisville 31
Texas A&M 27, #22 Missouri 24
Vanderbilt 29, #7 Georgia 21
Ohio State 34, #19 Michigan State 21

Top 25 Coaches Poll
1. USC (32) (5-0)
2. Oklahoma (27) (6-0)
3. Florida State (1) (6-0)
4. Michigan (1) (6-0)
5. Florida (6-0)
6. Purdue (6-0)
7. South Carolina (5-0)
8. Texas (5-1)
9. Kansas State (5-0)
10. Tennessee (3-2)
11. Auburn (4-2)
12. Wake Forest (6-1)
13. Pittsburgh (5-1)
14. Illinois (7-0)
15. Minnesota (4-2)
16. Georgia (4-2)
17. Virginia Tech (3-2)
18. Georgia Tech (5-1)
19. Oregon State (5-1)
20. Texas A&M (4-1)
21. Iowa (4-2)
22. Miami (3-3)
23. Penn State (3-3)
24. Missouri (4-1)
25. Ohio State (2-4)

Others Receiving Votes: Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan State, LSU, Middle Tennessee State, Oklahoma State, Houston
Dropped Out: #17 Alabama, #19 Michigan State, #23 Louisville

Big East Standings
1. Pittsburgh (5-1) (4-0)
2. Connecticut (6-0) (3-0)
3. West Virginia (5-3) (3-1)
4. Cincinnati (4-2) (1-2)
5. Louisville (3-2) (1-2)
6. Rutgers (1-6) (1-3)
7. Syracuse (2-5) (1-3)
8. South Florida (1-5) (0-3)

Note: These polls suck!!! Ohio State, a team with a losing record at 2-4 is ranked at #25 while undefeated and 6-0 Connecticut is unranked. These polls are based too much on preseason expectations as Ohio State was ranked very high in the preseason polls. Oh well, I still love the game, though!!!

[superjames1992]

Week 9 Overview

Big East Scores
#13 Pittsburgh 28, Temple 21
Louisville 38, Akron 17
Cincinnati 31, Syracuse 28
Rutgers 27, Navy 24

Top 25 Losses
Wisconsin 42, #6 Purdue
#14 Illinois 56, #23 Penn State 45
Oklahoma State 28, #20 Texas A&M 20
Alabama 33, #10 Tennessee 28
#5 Florida 44, #16 Georgia 27
#24 Missouri 24, #9 Kansas State 21
#4 Michigan 48, #21 Iowa 41
#18 Georgia Tech 42, #22 Miami 28

Top 25 Coaches Poll
1. USC (38) (6-0)
2. Oklahoma (21) (7-0)
3. Florida State (1) (7-0)
4. Florida (1) (7-0)
5. Michigan (7-0)
6. South Carolina (6-0)
7. Texas (6-1)
8. Auburn (5-2)
9. Wake Forest (7-1)
10. Illinois (8-0)
11. Pittsburgh (6-1)
12. Minnesota (4-2)
13. Kansas State (5-1)
14. Virginia Tech (4-2)
15. Purdue (6-1)
16. Georgia Tech (6-1)
17. Oregon State (6-1)
18. Tennessee (3-3)
19. Missouri (5-1)
20. Georgia (5-2)
21. Alabama (4-2)
22. Ohio State (3-4)
23. Connecticut (6-0)
24. Oklahoma State (5-2)
25. Iowa (4-3)

Others Receiving Votes: Texas A&M, Houston, Miami, Penn State, Louisville, Cincinnati, California
Dropped Out: #20 Texas A&M, #22 Miami, #23 Penn State

Big East Standings
1. Pittsburgh (6-1) (4-0)
2. Connecticut (6-0) (3-0)
3. West Virginia (5-3) (3-1)
4. Cincinnati (5-2) (2-2)
5. Louisville (4-2) (1-2)
6. Rutgers (2-6) (1-3)
7. Syracuse (2-6) (1-4)
8. South Florida (1-5) (0-3)