West Virginia

WVSports – West Virginia LB Cutter making gains, growing

Published

2 years ago

June 9, 2024

WVSports – West Virginia LB Cutter making gains, growing

Ben Cutter found out a lot about himself and his game as a true freshman.

The North Carolina native was thrust into a large role than perhaps he might have initially expected due to the depth of the position.

Cutter played in 11 games and saw a total of 464 snaps but understands that even despite that experience he has a lot of learning still to do.

“I’m glad it happened though because I got a step forward on what I need to fix. I made a lot of mistakes but also did some good things. The mistakes are what I’m trying to focus on,” he said.

One of the biggest areas of focus for Cutter has been improving in the pass game. The 6-foot-0, 225-pounds, wasn’t asked to do much in pass coverage at the high school level with it basically restricted to dropping to the hash when the offensive lineman pass blocked.

At this level, linebackers are asked to understand route concepts and what’s happening on a play. And the faster that you can recognize what is unfolding, the faster it will allow you to play on the field.

It’s something that Cutter had to learn first hand in his first experience at the college level against Duquesne when he was playing the boundary and had to take wide receiver Tedy Afful in man coverage and carry him to the end zone. But at the start of the play, Cutter made a step toward the line of scrimmage and the Dukes’ wide receiver was able to get step on him and haul in a touchdown.

It’s not that Cutter played him all that bad, but it’s a wake-up call for how fast things happen at this level and the smallest mistake can lead to points for the opposition.

“Knowing route combinations, knowing where I need to be to affect the quarterback and bait them up. Just playing fast and playing comfortable,” he said.

Some of that is simply putting more effort into his film study in order to prepare and understand exactly what the opposing offense is trying to do on every play. That allows him to play faster.

Cutter has made leaps with his strength as well as a better understanding of how to use his hands. He also learned that taking care of your body in the weight room is something that is a necessity at this level in order to play at your best.

Cutter also has been working on his angles to the ball and avoiding some of the situations that occurred last season with his hips turned out and trying to tackle a running back with his hips squared to him. Mistakes are going to happen but it’s about growing from them.

“When you make the mistakes more than once you realize it and need to fix it,” Cutter said.

And that’s a good thing because the competition and depth in the linebacker room is as good as it’s been in recent years with a group that is hungry and fighting for reps. Cutter is hoping to make a sizeable leap forward and has been preparing as if he is going to be a starter, so he is ready for whatever role.

Cutter was a lower-rated three-star prospect coming out of high school and uses that to help propel his preparation in the off-season. He might not be the most talented option at all times, but he’ll make up for it in other areas that he can control.

“I wasn’t going to be outworked,” he said.

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West Virginia

Delegate Larry Kump, master of various catch phrases, has died – WV MetroNews

Published

9 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Delegate Larry Kump of Berkeley County has died, state officials announced. Kump was 78 years old.

Larry Kump

Kump, a Republican, served in the House from 2010 to 2014, again from 2018 to 2020 and finally 2022 to the present. He had announced plans to run again in the coming electoral cycle.

“As a battle-tested and liberty minded Christian and Constitutional Conservative, my consecrated action principles of good governance remains solid and steadfast,” he wrote to supporters in January.

He had been serving in the ongoing legislative session, but had been absent in recent weeks.

The daily prayer in the House of Delegates this past Wednesday included an expression of concern for Kump: “A special prayer for Delegate Larry Kump. Lord, you know where he is in the hospital now, and I pray right now that you would send your angels there to touch him, to be with him.”

Gov. Patrick Morrisey announced Kump’s death on social media, calling Kump “a devoted public servant who dedicated many years of his life to improving West Virginia.

“Delegate Kump served with a deep commitment to the principles he believed would strengthen our communities and protect our freedoms.

“On behalf of the First Lady and myself, we extend our condolences to Larry’s family, friends, former colleagues, and all those who had the privilege of knowing and serving alongside him. His legacy of service and his love for our state will never be forgotten.”

Secretary of State Kris Warner also posted condolences to Kump’s family. “Larry was a conservative Christian and a true Mountaineer! He will be sadly missed by his friends and colleagues,” Warner posted.

The West Virginia Democratic Party also put out a statement to offer condolences, saying Kump’s work reflected a lifelong commitment to accountability, public policy, and the effective administration of government.

“Delegate Larry Kump devoted his life to his family, his community, and to his state. He brought experience, independence and thoughtfulness to his role, and he never lost sight of the people he served,” said Mike Pushkin, the Democratic Party chairman who is also a delegate from Kanawha County.

Kump was known for his turns of phrase, for example kicking off his comments on the House floor with “Great googly moogly” for emphasis. He often described his adoration for his “beloved and bodacious wife Cheryl.”

He regularly concluded interactions and written communications this way: “Meanwhile, and for sure and for certain, may God bless you all real good!”

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West Virginia

Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops

Published

21 hours ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Vape Safety Act of 2026 passes W.Va. House, tightening oversight and licensing for shops

CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WCHS) — The Vape Safety Act of 2026 passed in the West Virginia House of Delegates on Friday, aiming to crack down on what lead sponsor of the bill Del. David McCormick, R-Monongalia, said are the bad actors in the vape shop world.

“They’re very lightly regulated,” McCormick said. “Here’s something that is becoming a blight on our landscape out here in our neighborhoods and towns. They’re all over the state and they need some oversight.”

McCormick said the bill will also strengthen licensing as to who can run the shops.

A key part of the legislation that passed the House by a vote of 88-5 is an FDA registry, requiring all the products sold in the shops to be approved at the federal level.

“Make sure that something doesn’t have 30 times the nicotine in it that it’s supposed to, which has happened, and get a 12-year-old kid addicted to nicotine,” McCormick. “That’s buying something that looks like Pokémon.”

Cracking down on the marketing strategies vape shops use is also included in the bill. It has gained support from both sides of the aisle.

“You walk into them and they have you know it looks fun and all the flavors and all the things,” Del. Hollis Lewis, D-Kanawha said. “So when teens go in there, it’s geared towards teens. So I think some regulation is important.”

Other provisions include vape shops not being allowed within 300 feet of schools, libraries or churches.

“I would deem these things almost attractive nuisance for kids and teenagers,” Lewis said. “What we want to do in this piece of legislation, we want to ultimately, above anything else, is protect our children and to get rid of bad actors to make sure that we know what’s being sold in the shop and we know who’s selling it.”

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West Virginia

BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

BYU Cougars at West Virginia Mountaineers odds, picks and predictions

The No. 23 BYU Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) visit the West Virginia Mountaineers (16-12, 7-8) Saturday for a 5:30 p.m. ET (FOX) tip from WVU Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia. Let’s analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s NCAA basketball odds around the BYU vs. West Virginia odds and make our expert college basketball picks and predictions for the best bets.

BYU has dropped 2 of its last 3 games after falling 97-84 against UCF on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 13.5-point home favorite with the Over (162.5) hitting. F AJ Dybantsa led all scorers with 29 points and G Robert Wright III added 20 as only 3 Cougars players scored in double figures in the upset loss.

West Virginia has dropped 3 games in a row after falling 91-84 in overtime against Oklahoma State on Tuesday, failing to cover as a 1.5-point road underdog with the Over (143.5) hitting. G Honor Huff scored a game-high 20 points on 6-of-12 shooting from 3, while the Mountaineers overcame a 13-point halftime deficit to force OT before running out of gas.

– Rankings: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll

Watch NCAA basketball on Fubo!

BYU at West Virginia odds

Provided by BetMGM Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports Scores and Sports Betting Odds hub for a full list. Lines last updated 10:20 a.m. ET.

Moneyline (ML): BYU -135 (bet $135 to win $100) | West Virginia +110 (bet $100 to win $110)
Against the spread (ATS): BYU -1.5 (-115) | West Virginia +1.5 (-105)
Over/Under (O/U): 142.5 (O: -110 | U: -110)

BYU at West Virginia picks and predictions

Prediction

BYU 81, West Virginia 74

PASS.

There is better value on the Cougars to cover the spread.

BET BYU -1.5 (-115).

A win all but guarantees a cover for the Cougars in this matchup with such a slim spread. They have covered in 2 of their last 3 and 3 of their last 5, including back-to-back road games.

Neither side has played particularly well recently, with both teams being 4-6 straight up (SU) and 3-7 ATS over their last 10 games. This matchup will give Dybantsa, the nation’s leading scorer (25.1 points per game) who earned USBWA Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week honors last week, an opportunity to take over the game.

BET OVER 142.5 (-110).

The Mountaineers have scored at least 74 points in 2 of their last 4 games while allowing 67 or more in 3 of their last 5.

The Cougars have hit the Over in 7 of their last 10 games. They have scored 79 or more points in 4 of their last 5, including 90 or more twice in that span. They have scored 82 or more points in 7 of their last 10 and have allowed at least 86 in 6 of their last 9.

For more sports betting picks and tips, check out SportsbookWire.com and BetFTW.

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