Player Profiles: Kenny Bigelow Jr. and Billy Kinney

By Kristen Johnson

Each week, our blog will feature two members of the WVU football team! It’s your chance to learn a little more about them before they step out on the field!

Kenny Bigelow Jr.

Number: 40

Position: Defensive Lineman

Hometown: Wilmington, Delaware

Weight: 307 lbs

Height: 6 ft 4 in

Kenny Bigelow Jr. grew up in Wilmington, Delaware playing football, later to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers. He is one of two siblings and graduated from USC with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. As of now, he is obtaining his Masters in Corporate and Organizational Communication. As a sophomore in high school, he once had 39 tackles and five sacks and later a touchdown. As he grew into his junior year at Red Lion Christian Academy, he made the underclassmen All-American first team. As a senior, he was ranked as a five-star player and a top ten recruit. Later, he was selected to play in the US Army-American game. In 2014, he had a knee injury and in 2015 as a redshirted sophomore he played 13 games, and in one he had 10 tackles and multiple sacks. During West Virginia’s game against Tennessee, Bigelow came out with an amazing tackle that set the tone for the rest of the game. After the game, he spoke about the jolt he gave his team revealing that he had been working really hard for this opportunity and was fortunate to be able to come here and play.

Billy Kinney

Number: 15

Position: Kicker/Punter

Hometown: Morgantown, WV

Weight: 216 lbs

Height: 6 ft 4 in

Billy Kinney grew up in Morgantown which means he’s always had Mountaineer pride! He is majoring in Management and has been on the honor roll several times. In high school, Kinney played at University High for coach John Kelley. During his time there, he averaged about 54.8 yards on 59 kickoffs and 33.5 yards on 33 punts. Later, he was selected to play in the Chesapeake Bowl and deemed first team All-State honors as a junior. He made 34 PATs and 9 of 10 field goal attempts. In 2016, he saw the field copious times and was on WVU special teams against Youngstown State. He had four punts for an average of 49.2 yards. He kept the ball rolling against BYU with three punts for an average of 41.0 yards. Kinney played in every game that year and was also able to help the team to victory. He had a career long punt against Miami in a bowl game with 63 yards. Later, he was ranked number 4 in the Big 12 in punting.

 

Player Profiles: Kennedy McCoy and Josh Norwood

By Nick Martin

Each week, our blog will feature two members of the WVU football team! It’s your chance to learn a little more about them before they step out on the field!

Kennedy McKoy

Number: 6

Position: RB

Hometown: Lexington, NC

Height: 6 ft

Weight: 198 lbs

Kennedy is a junior running back out of Lexington, North Carolina and attended North Davidson High School. He was a three-year starter in high school racking up a school record of 2,061 yards rushing in one season and a total of 5,331 in his career. Coming into his freshman year at WVU, he had two running backs ahead of him, Rushel Shell and Justin Crawford and still saw action in all 13 games. He won All-Big 12 All-Purpose First Team according to Athlon Sports. Going into sophomore year he was second on the depth chart and looked to burst onto the scene right away. He got off to a slow start, but picked up steam towards the end of the season tallying a career high against Oklahoma of 137 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns. He finished the year with 596 yards with 7 touchdowns on 125 carries. Starting his junior year came with a very talented and very crowded backfield for WVU. Kennedy McKoy with Martell Pettaway, Tevin Bush and the addition of freshmen Leddie Brown and Alec Sinkfield all sharing the load on the ground attack giving a very diverse look for the Mountaineers. This is definitely the deepest backfield WVU has had in a while with McKoy leading the charge.

Josh Norwood

Number: 4

Position: CB

Hometown: Wilkinsburg, PA

Height: 5 ft 10 in

Weight: 174 lbs

Josh is a redshirt junior cornerback from Valdosta, Georgia and attended Valdosta High School. While there, he racked up 44 tackles, 11 for loss, 10 pass breakups, 6 interceptions and 5 forced fumbles and received region 1-6A co-Defensive Player of the Year and Georgia Sports Writers Association All-State First Team. Coming out of high school, Josh committed and signed with Ohio State. In 2016, he played in 11 games with the Buckeyes and helped them to an 11-1 record before getting steam rolled by Clemson in the college Football Semi-final.  After that season, Norwood transferred to Northwest Mississippi Community College. He then finally transferred from there to WVU where he is now one of the starting cornerbacks of a very athletic and physical defensive backfield.  This season, he has totaled 32 total tackles, 20 solo and 12 assisted, 4 tackles for loss and 1 forced fumble which came against Youngstown State.

 

Away Game Essentials

By Kaitlyn Lopez

As the football game in Charlotte approaches, you need to know what to pack on your trip to watch the Mountaineers take on Tennessee!

Friends – What’s a trip to a game without your best buds? They’ll keep you awake on the road or be the perfect copilot! 

Pillow and blanket – Whether it be just a car ride or flight across the country, a pillow and blanket are essential to keep you comfy on the way to the game.

Mountaineer gear – You need to show everyone that you’re a Mountaineer fan! Wear your favorite jersey or lucky game day socks to represent the Old Gold and Blue.

Portable charger – Make sure you’re always at 100% with a portable phone charger so you can capture the best moments and make all your friends back home have FOMO. You don’t want to be this guy. 

Flag, pompoms, rally towel, etc. – No matter what it is, bring some WVU flare to your tailgate or the stands to show your Mountaineer pride.

Top 5 Things You Need for a WVU Tailgate

By Kaitlyn Lopez

Every tailgate is a party when you’re in Morgantown, but there are a few essentials that must be present at every game day.

1. Food – What’s a good tailgate without some snacks? Fire up the grill, grab some buffalo chicken dip, and munch on some pepperoni rolls before game time.
2. Music – To really get game day started, you need the perfect playlist. Throw on some “Seven Nation Army” and “Country Roads” to get you pumped up.
3. Cornhole and football – You can’t walk through the Blue Lot without seeing fellow fans tossing around a football or taking their best shot at during a cornhole game.
4. Blue and gold gear – If you’re not wearing blue and gold, you’re doing it wrong. Whether it be the jersey of your favorite player or a Flying WV face sticker, show support for your team! 
5. Friends – Waking up at 5 am is worth it when you get to spend the day with 60,000 of your closest friends cheering on the Mountaineers! 

Storming the Beaches of the Brazos

College football is a funny thing… it really is. Few things can invoke a wider range of joy to rage to joy over the span of three hours than a roller coaster college football game. Last Saturday was no exception to this as WVU trailed 35-17 halfway through the 3^rd quarter and I came within a few feet of throwing in the towel and leaving the game in a storm of sadness. For whatever reason however, cooler heads prevailed and I decided to stick around. Boy am I glad I did.

The Mountaineers of course would go on to score 29 answered points and win the game 46-35 over the ranked Red Raiders, thus snapping a nine game losing streak against ranked teams. If that statement doesn’t get your blood pumping I don’t know what does. This was a game that the Mountaineers needed to win for a variety of reasons, but above all maybe it was big because it showed the team that they are capable of overcoming adversity when their backs are against the wall, no matter the situation. That’ll go a long way in road games.

Speaking of road games, this Saturday at 8pm along the banks of the Brazos River in Waco, Texas the Mountaineer will take on a Baylor team that is literally playing in a life or death game in terms of their season. The Bears are 0-6, have been plagued by injuries and dismissals, and have been put into a situation that has seen around 30 freshmen and sophomores having to play meaningful snaps in game. Oh yeah, it’s their homecoming game too.

Don’t let the 0-6 record fool you, no seriously don’t. Look at the numbers. Sure the Bears are winless with two of those losses coming against FCS school Liberty, and UTSA, but if you look at the scores the Bears were competitive and came close in every game except for the 59-16 drubbing that Oklahoma State and Mason Rudolph unleashed upon them last weekend in Stillwater.

Still not convinced that Baylor’s 0-6 record is fool’s gold? Look no further than the fact that the Bears, in Waco, led Oklahoma late in their game before finally falling in a shootout 49-41. These Bears are desperate, hungry and frankly probably a little pissed off for that first win. The Mountaineers need to do their homework heading into Saturday night. But for us the fans, let’s do a little study session on the matchup, shall we?

Temple is coached by first year man Matt Rhule. Rhule came to Baylor from Temple where he turned a perennial doormat and program in Temple that was literally kicked out of the old Big East for being so uncompetitive into a pretty darn good team that even beat the likes of Penn State. Rhule enjoyed multiple 10 win seasons during his four years in Philadelphia, and saw the unthinkable likes of Temple hosting ESPN’s College Gameday come true. Rhule is a student of the game who played linebacker at Penn State under Joe Paterno as a walk-on four all four years of his college career. In short, Rhule is one tough dude with a proven formula for success.

What Rhule has inherited at Baylor for obvious reasons is without question a mess. A program with beyond a black eye, Rhule faces an uphill battle that goes beyond X’s and O’s. But, this is a blog about football, so we are going to talk football and what goes on on the field. So it’s time to look at who will be suiting up under the lights on Saturday.

Baylor started the year quarterbacked by graduate transfer Anu Solomon from Arizona and our old “pal” Rich Rodriguez. Solomon is a fantastic athlete, but was injured during the game against UT San Antonio. This injury opened the door for last year’s starter sophomore Zach Smith to take over the reigns, a position of which he has held ever since. Smith has nice size and throws a rocket of a ball, bit has had mixed results this season, a lot of which could be argued about his lack of consistent performers around him due to depth and injury issues. Smith has thrown eight touchdowns and six interceptions. Smith is not setting the world on fire, but he is a competent commodity that can get the job done.

As mentioned, Baylor has been plagued by major injuries around basically every turn. Their top rusher, freshman John Lovett is questionable for Saturday with a toe injury which leaves his status up in the air. To make matters worse for the Bears, second leading receiver junior Chris Platt is out for the season with a knee injury. I wasn’t exaggerating when I said the Bears depth has been depleted. This is important and the Mountaineers need to take advantage of this over the course of the game by regularly punishing the Bears offense who may be facing levels of exhaustion.

Looking at the Mountaineers, they need to continue to improve on defense. Last week saw a dramatic shift in the fourth quarter that saw them lockdown a screen game out of Texas Tech that had been dominating them all day. Against the Big 12’s best, waiting until the end of the third quarter to figure things out may just be too late. I did really like what I saw last week out of some true freshmen on the defensive line, both Darius Stills and Lamonte McDougle put in really quality snaps at noseguard not only eating up double teams, but actually beating them in some cases and getting tackles. As the season goes on the Mountaineers need to continue to turn more of these raw young talents into DAWGS.

Junior wide receiver David Sills V was of course named a midseason first team All-American by multiple major media outlets. What a wonderful surprise he has been. His size and overall athleticism sprinkled in with unrivaled football IQ makes him a dangerous weapon that has accounted for 12 touchdowns, ranking as the best in the nation. Sills and his buddy Ka’Raun White will look to keep their impressive momentum rolling against a Bears secondary that has been prone to the deep ball.

Overall, at the midseason point WVU has the mark of a good team. Both of their losses were against a Top 15 and a Top 5 caliber team each by the same mark of 31-24 in contests that could have easily gone the other way. This game on Saturday is the definition of a trap game, and the Mountaineers can’t get caught looking ahead to a Top 25 homegame against Oklahoma State, because being the 1 in 1-6 for a struggling Baylor side would be beyond a momentum killer. If the Mountaineers play their game they should be OK, but they need to bring it from the opening kickoff.

So on Saturday night, here’s to the DAWGS bringing it and spoiling the Bears’ aspirations of a homecoming upset. LET’S GO, MOUNTAINEERS!

Can’t Jog Against the Frogs

November 1^st, 2014… November 1^st, 2014. On this day I walked back to my house from Milan Puskar Stadium trying to piece together the events of the day, and what exactly I had just witnessed unfold in the final 15 minutes of the WVU vs. TCU game.

The air was crisp, it was cloudy, ESPN College Gameday was in town and there was no way the Mountaineers were going to lose on this day. Quarterback Clint Trickett and the WVU offense were stringing together great performances, and the WVU defense was getting enough stops to win games. For the first 45+ minutes of the game, this narrative held true. WVU held a nine-point lead in the fourth quarter, controlling the clock and moving the ball. Yet suddenly, with ten minutes left the Mountaineers couldn’t get a first down and would eventually lead to TCU nailing a field goal as time expired.

Final score: TCU 31 WVU 30. Yes, five turnovers and a heartbreaking fourth quarter later… WVU did indeed lose to TCU on College Gameday. I personally don’t think the Mountaineers were the same after that loss. Trickett was of course thrown to the ground on a controversial no-call facemask, and WVU from my point of view never recovered after that play and struggled to a 7-6 season after a hot start. Fast forward three years, and once again the Mountaineers and Horned Frogs will lock up in the ESPN College Gameday game of the week. With your morose (there’s a fun word for you) trip down memory lane in place, let’s shift our focus to this edition of this matchup that has usually resulted in heated contests.

Last season WVU made quick work of dispatching the Horned Frogs by putting pressure on then redshirt junior quarterback Kenny Hill. They forced Hill into critical mistakes and turnovers by forcing passes, which would result in a blowout 34-10 Mountaineer victory. This year Hill returns as a redshirt senior, and also as a quarterback who no longer needs to play the role of game breaker but rather as game manager.

This change in offensive philosophy is the result of TCU offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie taking over full reign of the offense and changing things up from years prior. In the past, TCU was noted for being a pass happy team with wide receivers like Josh Doctson, or quarterback Andy Dalton throwing the ball all over the place. Now, the Horned Frogs have shifted their attention to being a more run heavy team. The pressure coming off of Hill has allowed him to also transition into a more responsible decision maker when tasked with throwing the ball.

The Horned Frogs’ offensive talent lies within their backfield in the form of the duo of sophomore Darius Anderson and senior Kyle Hicks. Hicks has been sidelined for the past few weeks with an injury, but is expected to return this Saturday. Anderson is a rare blend of speed, quickness and power that has resulted in him blistering defenses for 422 yards and six touchdowns this season. That’s concerning for the Mountaineers who struggled mightily against Kansas in the run game, but there were some reasons for that which we will get to in a minute.

TCU head coach Gary Patterson is arguably the best coach in the Big 12 when it comes to preparation and in game management. Patterson is a brilliant defensive mind whose credentials speak for themselves historically. His Horned Frog defense impressed a lot of people two weeks ago when it for all intents and purposes held Oklahoma State’s high powered offense in check on the road in Stillwater. The Frogs are doing what teams in the past who found success in a basketball-score style Big 12 on defense have. They’re making enough stops a game to allow their offense to pull ahead in a shootout. The 4-2-5 defense employed by TCU is one that may be friendly however to a quarterback such as Grier who can spread the field out both through the air and on the ground with his legs. It’ll be interesting to see how the Frogs respond.

If the Frogs want to stop Justin Crawford and company on the ground, they will rely on a defensive front that shined against the likes of a big SEC front in Arkansas. A heavy defensive line usually can result in stalemating an offensive line in order to spring open linebackers to make tackles in gaps. That will be TCU’s plan on paper to slow down WVU’s solid run game.

As for WVU, questions still remain to be answered defensively. Those questions better be answered by this Saturday if the Mountaineers hope to knock off the undefeated Horned Frogs in their house. Last week Kansas stayed in the game, and in fact almost turned the tide in the 3^rd quarter due to the successes of their run game. Breaking off long runs left and right resulted in an astonishing nearly 400 yards on the ground for the Jayhawks. The Mountaineer staff notes that several starters were not only missing, but also went down during this game, including the likes of senior safety Kyzir White, who is a punishing presence and leader.

This week the Mountaineers hope to have back these starters, and also perhaps the return of redshirt sophomore linebacker David Long who has not seen the field yet this season due to the rehabbing of a meniscus injury. Long is expected to travel with the team, and head coach Dana Holgorsen noted that players are not listed on the two deep depth chart until they play. So who really knows? But, the Mountaineers certainly could use Long on Saturday for his ability to shoot gaps and stuff runs, he probably does that better than anybody else on the defensive side of the ball.

WVU is going to have to get stops as a means to manage the game and give themselves a chance to win it. Why TCU is so good is because they know how to manage the clock and control a game, al a Kansas State in many years. Sure they are putting up a lot of points, but they are also completely controlling games and dictating the tempo. If the DAWGS defensive (woof, woof) can keep them off the field and negate that ability, it’ll go a long way in making things easier for Grier and the offense.

It’s October, and October always presents the most challenges for the Mountaineers. If they want to really make a run in the Big 12, this game is a “prove it” style of affair. They need consistent performances and assignment knowledgeable showings in what is sure to be a ruckus environment. It will certainly not be easy; in fact, this may be one of the two or three toughest games remaining at least on paper. Never the less, there has to be a belief that the Mountaineers can win this game, because they absolutely can. Remember, it’s never a bad thing to be in big games. LET’S GO, MOUNTAINEERS!!!

Big 12 Opener- No More “Gimmes”

The last couple of Saturday afternoons have been great for the statisticians and whoever supplies fireworks to Milan Puskar Stadium, but they have also been tough from the standpoint of gauging where the Mountaineers really stand. The offense has dominated both East Carolina and Delaware State, albeit a slow start last week that was laden with early dropped passes and turnovers; but low and behold they turned it on and the game was out of reach by the middle of the second quarter.

Defensively, the Mountaineers aside from a few big plays over the past couple of weeks that were the result of either a blitz in the secondary, or somebody filling into a role being out of position, have held their own. But until lacing it up against the stingiest portion of the schedule, it will take some time to figure out just how rabid the DAWGS are.

One thing that has just been beautiful to watch, that will not change with competition as it is a matter of timing, is the success of quarterback Will Grier linking up with his crew of receivers including Gary Jennings, Marcus Simms, David Sills V, and Ka’Raun White with precise levels of timing. Having a quarterback that can hit a receiver in stride at the college level is a dangerous weapon to have, along with Grier’s proven ability to throw the goal line corner fade. Secondary tests will get tougher the deeper into Big 12 play the Mountaineers go, but having Grier and company should serve as a means of confidence for WVU fans that the offense will be able to meet the challenges with success.

That first challenge comes this weekend in Lawrence, Kansas bright and early. Yes, I just said that, against the Kansas Jayhawks. At this point you probably think I’m trying to turn this into satire, but the reality is if you look at the numbers Kansas should probably be a lot better than these first few weeks have indicated. Also, don’t forget that WVU lost in Lawrence in 2013, granted that was a WVU team that was dealing with multiple injuries and morale was low, but one must never forget history as that is how history repeats itself.

So now that I’ve ruined your day by bringing up “that game”, let’s move on to breaking down Saturday’s game.

Kansas is coached up by David Beaty, who is in his third season as the head coach of the Jayhawks with a current career mark of 3-24 (1-17 Big 12). It’s no secret that Kansas is arguably the current toughest job in the Power 5. A basketball crazed school that is not necessarily the most fertile environment for local recruiting talents. Beaty’s signature win at Kansas thus far without question is beating a struggling Texas team at home last season. If you look at the the roster Beaty has assembled though, it’s actually pretty head scratching as to why Kansas hasn’t been able to find more success this season.

The Jayhawks are 1-2 this year, with their win coming over FCS opponent Southeast Missouri State. Their two losses have come to Mid American Conference opponents Central Michigan and Ohio U, respectively. The last two weeks against the aforementioned MAC foes, the Jayhawks have given up 87 points combined, and a whole lot of offense. I subscribe to the “any given Saturday” philosophy though, so I am going to break this Jayhawk team down with the same mindset they have going into Saturday, they’re showing up to win the game.

As mentioned prior, it doesn’t make much sense to me, especially on the defensive side of the ball why the Jayhawks have struggled so much thus far in 2017. They are anchored by the preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in junior defensive end Dorance Armstrong Jr. Armstrong Jr. has 19 tackles on the season, and four tackles for loss. He’s still looking to get his first sack of the season, after recording ten of them in 2016. He brings a speedy combination of technique and awareness along the perimeter that is rare for someone of his physical stature. Armstrong Jr. grades out pretty well statistically based off of PFF’s formula (shout out to the three of you reading this article who are stat junkies). Alongside Armstrong Jr. is junior defensive tackle Daniel Wise, who was a first team All-Big 12 selection in 2016 (starting to see what I mean now when I say that Kansas has some ball players?). Wise has made a living off of shooting the gaps in the interior line, and will be looking to lower Justin Crawford’s monster yards per carry numbers.

The back seven is where Kansas has struggled defensively. Actually, that’s a pretty unfair statement to make on my part, especially if you factor in redshirt junior linebacker Joe Dineen Jr., who is putting up really solid numbers thus far looking at box scores. So I guess to reiterate as a means of clarification, the Jayhawks are struggling mightily thus far in the secondary. The past two weeks combined they have given up over 700 passing yards, and are allowing quarterbacks to do it in a very efficient manner. This spells bad news for the Jayhawks because of the obvious chemistry and comfort that Will Grier has developed with his platoon.

On the offensive side of the ball, Kansas is being quarterbacked by former Washington State starter and junior college transfer Peyton Bender. Looking at Peyton on film and looking at statistics, he is everything a prototypical “Air Raid” type offense quarterback should be. He doesn’t run the ball, in fact his stat line on the year for rushing (with sacks factored in) is literally -58 yards, yes -58 yards rushing. He is a pocket passer who will sit back there and look to sling the pigskin out of the pocket. He has put the ball in the air 146 times in three games, throwing for 1030 yards, six TDs and 5 INTs.

Kansas does a fine job of spreading the ball out to a lot of different guys. Junior wide receiver Steven Sims Jr. comes to mind as their best weapon, he’s a speedster who has gotten behind Big 12 corners over the past couple of years. West Virginia has struggled historically against teams who know how to use a tight end, and senior Ben Johnson is a respectable one. So something to keep an eye on is if the Jayhawks try to get Johnson on a seam over the middle.

The Mountaineers need to go into this game with the utmost focus. I always think that noon kickoffs in this conference favor us because it is 11am for everybody else, so our guys’ internal clocks have a little more time to shake off the cobwebs than the opposition. Kansas’ Memorial Stadium is a bizarre place to play a football game, the lack of energy coming from the stands can serve as a sap for visiting teams. WVU can’t let that happen to them. It’s so important to start the Big 12 portion of the schedule off on a high note before a bye week to prepare for a big game against currently ranked TCU. If WVU wants to be ranked going into that game (rankings don’t matter right now, in my opinion), they need to win against Kansas in style to show that they’re a focused football team that plays to their level of competition and not down to others.

So tune in on Saturday, whip up something tasty to snack on and LET’S GO, MOUNTAINEERS!!

 

 

We’re Playing Pirates from Pitt (County)!?!?

Back in the mid-to-late 2000’s as a college football crazed middle schooler I remember a stretch between 2005-2009 when WVU would play this team from Conference USA that gave them fits every single year in the beginning of the season. Not only would they play this team every year, but they would alternate playing them at home and playing them on the road, a real rarity for a series between a “power program” like WVU and a team from Conference USA. WVU leads the series 18-3 all time, but make no mistake that these games were often slugfests in the past.

This program of course was East Carolina, who was at the time very seriously arguably the best program in the state of North Carolina. Skip Holtz, son of coaching legend Lou Holtz was captain of the ship during this span that included back-to-back Conference USA titles in 2008-2009, and a 2008 season that saw back-to-back upsets over #17 Virginia Tech and #8 West Virginia to start their season. Indeed, the guys in purple were nothing to scoff at.

Fast forward to 2017 and WVU is now obviously in the Big 12, with East Carolina being in the American Athletic Conference, essentially a rebirth of remnants of the Big East with sprinkled in elements of Conference USA. The Pirates have struggled in recent years since the somewhat bizarre firing of now assistant head coach at Oklahoma, Ruffin McNeill who had a reasonably successful tenure during his stint at the helm.

Now here’s where the fun starts, and boy am I grasping for straws with this one… BUT with that being said, let me tell you why you should be psyched for noon tomorrow, strap yourselves in for a wild ride.

East Carolina University sits in Greenville, North Carolina. “What county does Greenville reside in?” you ask. The answer… Pitt County, North Carolina. That’s right, we are playing a team from Pitt on Saturday. “But wait” you say, “you haven’t mentioned who ECU’s head coach is!?!?” East Carolina is led by second year head coach Scottie Montgomery, who served for two seasons as an assistant coach for the Pittsburgh Steelers between 2010-2012. What stadium do the Steelers play at? Heinz Field, the same stadium that the Pitt Panthers do.

OK, so maybe I’m really reaching here… but jeez it’s like we are practically playing Pitt!

Anyway, let’s talk X’s and O’s as the Mountaineers will look to throw one up in the W column tomorrow in front of a Gold Rush crowd.

The Pirates are coming in after a loss last week to defending Football Championship Subdivision champion James Madison 34-14. Yes, a program with the lineage of East Carolina should not be losing to an FCS team on paper, but you have to realize that in the past decade that FCS programs at the top of their tier have become no laughing matter. For the first half of their game against FCS runner up Youngstown State last year, WVU learned this first hand. These teams are very talented and usually run out of depth in the second half against FBS programs, but last Saturday James Madison proved to be in it for the long haul.

As mentioned, the Pirates are coached by second year man Scottie Montogomery. The Pirates went 3-9 last year and are in the middle of a rebuild to try and restore their legacy of the decades prior.

Offensively, look for graduate transfer Thomas Sirk to be leading the way at quarterback for the Pirates. Sirk is a redshirt-senior graduate transfer from Duke with 6’4” 220lb frame and ample game experience. Sirk has been plagued with injury issues throughout his career, including rupturing both Achilles tendons. Sirk provides the kind of experience a team rebuilding needs, and will not be phased by a hostile environment.

Last week statistically Sirk frankly struggled. His stat line went 21-35 with 2 INT’s and no TD’s. In order for the Pirates to have any hope against what looks like a talented WVU side who will be hungry, he must improve these stats dramatically.

As far as skill positions go on offensive for the Pirates, junior Derell Scott is their number one at running back. Last week Scott went for 45 yards and a score, however it looks like the redshirt-senior graduate transfer from Clemson, Tyshon Dye is expected to get his share of touches this week as well. That’s something to keep an eye on, may add a new wrinkle for the Pirates.

The Pirates have a pretty good wide receiver in redshirt-senior Davon Grayson, and I expect him to line up against senior Mike Daniels for WVU. I thought Daniels showed a lot of good promise against Virginia Tech, so this could be a pretty good matchup.

Defensively the Pirates in all honesty got shredded on the ground last week by JMU for 422 yards. That should be particularly concerning for their staff as WVU is coming in with a talented backfield obviously led by the lead returning rusher in the Big 12 in Justin Crawford who had a 100+ yard game against a Virginia Tech defense slated to be one of the best in the country. It’s a catch-22 for the Pirates, because while they need to stop the run they need to also account for the awesome passing attack of Will Grier & Co.

Speaking of Will Grier, how about that performance last week? Going for 371 yards, three TD’s and 52 yards on the ground against a Bud Foster led defense is incredible. It looks like we have a good one, and that momentum needs to keep rolling over the next few weeks before conference play starts.

The Virginia Tech game was a great game despite the outcome, it was the kind of game that makes people love college football. Loud crowd, hotly contested game, etc. As I said last week, it was going to be two great teams and somebody was going to have to lose unfortunately, and that’s what happened. With that being said, we now have things to look at for the games to come.

I really liked what I saw out of the wide receiver group of junior Gary Jennings, junior David Sills V and redshirt senior Ka’Raun White. The three combined for over 300 yards receiving and three touchdowns. There were some timing issues on a few plays, but that will come around as they are in more live game environments with Grier. Sprinkle in the return of sophomore Marcus Simms this week who can fly and it looks like our offense will be pretty potent at the receiver spots.

The offensive line gave up two sacks last week. You never want to see your QB get planted, but two sacks for a group that has new guys filling in left and right against a defense like Virginia Tech is a pretty positive takeaway. The continuity needs to continue to build like everything else these next few weeks before the meat of the schedule.

I was impressed with defensive coordinator Tony Gibson once again, as it looks like he has fielded another defense that understands the assignment heavy nature of the 3-3-5. Sure, they gave up some scrambles at key times and there were some frustrating moments, but that is to be expected early on when you have that many new starters.

With tomorrow being a noon game, make sure to get into the stands bright and early to watch The Pride of West Virginia take the field in Morgantown for the first time this season with their fantastic pregame. The weather is going to be great, and all your friends will be decked out in gold. There’s nothing quite like it, so be there.

LET’S GO, MOUNTAINEERS!

Operation: Bring Back the Black Diamond

Nick Davidson

This Sunday, September 3^rd 2017, nearly 11 years and 11 months to the day, a rivalry will be renewed that is steeped and shrouded in history thicker than the fog of the hills of the Appalachian Mountains.

Two land-grant institutions, one founded in 1867, the other in 1872, both standing to serve as beacons of education for the hardworking people of Appalachia.

One nestled along the banks of the Monongahela River, where country roads lead to October nights with the sounds of Mountaineer football ringing through the hills. The other perched adopted the Eastern Continental Divide a mere 250 miles away, rains down the familiar tune of Enter Sandman as the Hokies make their walk into Lane Stadium.

West Virginia and Virginia Tech football are two programs and institutions cut from a more similar cloth than their two fan bases would ever care to admit about one another. Perhaps, just maybe, that’s what makes this rivalry one that is so special. But in order to understand this rivalry, one has to look at the history.

While the two schools started lining up across from each other in 1912, the game didn’t become an annual series until 1957. The Mountaineers dominated the series for the most part until the late 80’s, when the Hokies began to experience a program renaissance under new head coach Frank Beamer.

The 90’s and early 2000’s brought about much more hotly contested games, and in 1997 the rivalry would be given a tangible identity in the form of the Black Diamond Trophy. Virginia Tech has won six of the nine games in which the trophy was on the line, with the most recent being handing the Mountaineers their only defeat of the memorable 2005 Sugar Bowl championship season.

You would probably be hard pressed to come across someone in West Virginia, or the southwestern part of Virginia who doesn’t understand what the term “black diamond” is referencing. However, if you somehow fall into the category that doesn’t, I suggest you pick up a history book and educate yourself on the importance of coal to the region.

The Black Diamond Trophy stands as a symbol of the grit, determination, perseverance and ability to achieve against any and all odds that so often characterizes the personas of these two programs and their supporters. As Virginia Tech left for the ACC, along with an array of elevated hostilities, rumors, accusations and general bad blood spewing between the two programs, the series walked off into the mountains and slumbered its way into a dormant hibernation (at least on the field) standing at 28-22-1 in favor of the Mountaineers.

That all changes on Sunday night at 7:30pm outside of our nation’s capital.

Mountaineers and Hokies alike will circle the wagons, load up the caravans, and fly their battle flags via I-68 traveling east or I-81 traveling north. Make no mistake about it, this is a primetime, top-25 clash, with a New Year’s Six bowl atmosphere on Labor Day Weekend to open the 2017 season.

The banter has gone on all offseason between the two programs, via fans and official team social media alike. It’s time for the talk to end and for the gloves to go on in this heavyweight affair. So without further ado, let’s talk X’s and O’s.

First, we must understand our enemy. Virginia Tech is a team coming off of a 10-4 2016 season being led by second year head coach Justin Fuente. Like it or not, very similarly to the Mountaineers, the Hokies for a long time now have figured out ways to make the most of their personnel and execute at a high level. I don’t expect that to change going into the 2017 season.

Announced recently, the Hokies will be sending out redshirt-freshman quarterback Josh Jackson (no, not the kid that played shooting guard for Kansas and now the Phoenix Suns). The 6’2” Jackson was a 3-star dual-threat quarterback in the 2016 recruiting class according to 247Sports. He brings with him the interesting pedigree of being the son of former University of Michigan offensive coordinator/running backs coach/associate head coach Fred Jackson. Jackson was given the nod to get the start due to his field awareness as well as ball security.

Around Jackson offensively there are a mixture of experienced and new faces. The skill player that the Hokies must lean on heavily for game experience is senior wide receiver Cam Phillips. Phillips brings to the table 2063 career receiving yards, as well as 10 touchdowns. Virginia Tech ended the 2016 season 18^th nationally in total offense, two spots behind WVU at 16^th. So while there are some new faces at skill positions, they’ll look to keep those steady numbers rolling.

Virginia Tech is of course associated with being a defensive brand of football. Defensive coordinator Bud Foster is the longest tenured coordinator in college football, and his “lunch pail” defenses have been a hallmark of the sport. Many feel that the 2017 version of the Hokies defense could be one of their strongest ever, at least on paper.

In the trenches, the Hokies will enjoy the experience of big men Tim Settle and Ricky Walker holding down the interior, with the likes of Mook Reynolds, Andrew Motuapuaka, and Tremaine Edwards roaming behind them at linebacker. The secondary for the Hokies looks to be strong, but faces some questions as the status of cornerback Brandon Facyson is unknown due to an injury that has raised questions about his status for Sunday.

In short, the Hokies like the Mountaineers are a program that is trending up coming off of a successful 2016 season. They are no slouch, but neither are we. The bottom line is that one of these two good football teams is going to start the season with a loss on Sunday.

Now, onto our beloved Mountaineers. It has been a long time since the bitter end of an otherwise fun 2016 season. The Mountaineers enjoyed a 10-3 season, their best mark since joining the Big 12 in 2012. Head coach Dana Holgorsen and staff without question have settled into Morgantown and look to continue the blue collar business as usual trend of WVU being amongst the winningest programs in college football.

Leading his platoon into battle on Sunday night will be redshirt-junior quarterback Will Grier. If you are reading this article, you most certainly have heard of Grier and have been waiting to see him in live action in a Mountaineer uniform for some time now. Grier was the Parade Magazine Player of the Year, Mr. Football USA, and a four-star composite pro-style quarterback recruit according to 247Sports in 2014.

Grier joining the Mountaineers after transferring from the University of Florida has since sent waves of excitement for his debut. Dana Holgorsen has historically put up big numbers with quarterbacks who were frankly not very highly recruited, so it is intriguing to think what he might do with one of the pedigree of Mr. Grier.

Surrounding Grier on offense the Mountaineers return many familiar faces at the skill positions, along with the return of junior wide receiver David Sills V who is returning from a one-year stint amongst the junior college ranks as a quarterback.

The familiarity and game experience of Ka’Raun White, Gary Jennings and Sills at the starting wide receiver positons should give Grier confidence in getting the ball to these guys. With that being said, the Mountaineers need to identify a reliable second platoon of receivers to provide a valuable rotation to the talented Grier.

In the backfield the Mountaineers will enjoy the return of senior running back and the Big 12’s lead returning rusher Justin Crawford, along with the sophomore duo of Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway. All three of these backs enjoyed at least one 100-yard game last season.

Defensively is where the Mountaineers face without a doubt their most questions. Just like in 2016, the Mountaineers return very few starters and will need to fill those roles with confidence. But just like in 2016, defensive coordinator Tony Gibson has some undeniable talent and experience to plug into those positons to lead his patented DAWGS defense.

Along the defensive line look for a three player anchor of sophomore Reese Donahue, redshirt-senior Xavier Pegues, and redshirt-sophomore Adam Shuler II. Don’t be surprised to see talented freshmen Lamonte McDougle or Darius Stills get some quality game reps, or junior college bigman transfers Jalen Harvey or Ezekiel Rose. The Mountaineers will need them.

At the linebacker positions the stalwart Al-Rasheed Benton will lead the show, along with Xavier Preston, and the emergence of a Mountaineer legacy name promises to make some plays. This coming in the form of redshirt-freshman Dylan Tonkery, younger brother of former Mountaineer defender Wes Tonkery.

The backend of the Mountaineers defense would appear to be its strongest link, with punishing spur Kyzir White being joined by the return of former freshman All-American Dravon Askew-Henry who missed the 2016 season due to injury. At corner there will need to be a success by committee type approach due to the demands of the Big 12’s pass happy nature. Look for Syracuse graduate transfer Corey Winfield, and seasoned veterans like Elijah Battle to make an impact here.

So there it is, my preview for this game on Sunday that is way too long in the making, as well as my quick peek in on what our Mountaineers are bringing to the table for the 2017 season. This rivalry is one that many in the southern part of the state would argue is our biggest. I am looking forward to witnessing this game firsthand at FedEx Field, and I truly believe it’s going to be a great one. Both teams show a lot of promise for the upcoming season, and I honestly can’t say one way or another who is going to come out on top.

With that being said, I don’t think it will take any encouragement to get Mountaineer Nation fired up on Sunday. The mission is simple… bring that Black Diamond Trophy back to where it belongs.