West Virginia

What I Think About The Coal Rush Game

Published

4 hours ago

October 13, 2024

Welcome back to your weekly column where we can rationally and irrationally discuss the state of affairs of the West Virginia Mountaineers football program. Last night was one of the bigger games in a season where big games are going to happen and the program needs to take three or four steps forward. It is Neal Brown’s best team in his six years at the helm of this program and he is blessed with a dual-threat quarterback who is fast and slippery enough to make plays appear out of thin air; he has a senior, capable offensive line that grades out as one of the best units in the country; two very capable and very different running backs and supposedly had a very good transfer portal class. All in all, we aren’t judging this game and this tenure on one outcome or one play, we are judging it on the culmination of six years and the words spoken by the head coach

We’re coming off a 9-4 (season), I look at most of the preseason Top 25 (lists), we’re not in it,” Brown said. “With a team that finished strong last year, that returns a lot of production, that has one of the most-dynamic players in all of college football in (quarterback) Garrett Greene … and we’re picked seventh in the league. And we’re not in most of these preseason Top 25s.

Let’s talk about it.

Iowa State

This was a good game and Iowa State is a good team. They are a smart, talented, well-coached team that does everything you want in your program. They have smart quarterbacks who can make throws and pick up yards when needed. They have tough running backs. Matt Campbell has concocted a defensive scheme that forces you to use the entire field and earn your points.

Losing to Iowa State is not losing to Iowa State from 2012-2017. Iowa State is a good team. Matt Campbell is a good coach. This year Iowa State was 5-0 entering Morgantown and there were questions about just how good they were, “who have they played?” were the questions asked. Maybe those questions are still asked because who have they played and beaten but this game was different. Morgantown. At Night. COAL RUSH. IT was supposed to be harder and in some rights, it was a hard game for the Cyclones. West Virginia got the ball and the lead early. Iowa State misses a field goal and that fickle mistress of momentum was all with the Mountaineers.

Then came the passes. Then came the miscues. Then came the playing right into Iowa State’s hand. Bad snaps. Bad reads. Bad throws. Miscues on the defensive side. All the things that happen all the time to teams that are coached by Brown. It came unraveled in a way that is familiar and haunting and tiresome. So tiresome.

Losing to Iowa State wasn’t on any one person and in reality losing as an unranked team to a highly ranked visitor shouldn’t cause fans to be angry in droves, because the game was good, we were in the ball game competitively for 50 minutes before we made too many mistakes, but those mistakes are always happening and always a reason why WVU can’t overcome itself. The rakes returned.

Brandon Yates

According to Brown, Yates had a hand issue that contributed to the bad snaps and while Brown contemplated changing centers but Yates is their starting center and in their opinion their best guy so no change was made. Probably should have been.

Whether we should have or shouldn’t have, that’s probably up for discussion. Brandon had played so well. He’s our starting center…. he’s clearly our best option….

Garrett Greene

I feel for Greene. At this point, he is who he is, which is a one-two read guy and then scramble and teams know this and have a certain type of defense they play. They have to carry a single or double spy to contain Greene and they have to stop the run. This should, in theory, open up the pass but Greene does struggle with the intermediary passing game, specifically the crossing routes and timing routes of the position. He is generally good on the deeper routes so teams play a deeep safety and double or triple the deep receiver and take their chances on the inter-middle throws. It worked well for this game as Iowa State as the Cyclones held Greene to 18/32 for 200 yards and picked him off twice.

What Iowa State did well was get ahead and force Greene to have to play a game he isn’t comfortable playing, threading the needle against 7-8 coverage and having no real room to run. Greene is capable of making those plays in those situations and when West Virginia gets in that situation they can’t overcome themselves.

The Neal Brown Tenure

I wanted to talk about this but felt that I needed to talk about the game first and to be honest, I felt nothing. It was what it was. I thought we’d lose, I thought we would do some dumb stuff that cost us and in general I didn’t really expect us to win or be competitive or do anything worth noting.

Neal Brown is now 3-16 versus Top 25 teams but where is Brown in relation to the past coaches. Let’s look. Just to remind you I did all of this research years ago. Those who are doing it now can just quote me since I did it SEVEN YEARS AGO. (Still ahead of the curve on this stuff!)

Since I wrote that, Dana would go 4-4 and finish with a 10-21 record against Top 25 teams.

Nehlen – 27%

Rodriguez – 46%

Stewart – 50%

Holgorsen – 32%

Brown – 15%

To match Nehlen, Brown would have to win 3 straight Top 25 matchups. To match Dana, he would need to win 5 straight. To match Rodriguez he would need to win 10 straight. To match Stewart he would have to win 14 straight.

At this point we know that big games and Neal Brown don’t mix. He has never beaten a team that finished ranked. He has been ranked one week in his entire tenure and that was in the coaches poll at 25. Not in the AP. In the coaches poll where GAs fill out the ballot and coaches game the system to make their team better week to week.

Next week will be much of the same and as the seat warmer overheats and gets hot, West Virginia will go to Arizona and make a statement and get back to 4-4. Then a loss to Cincy, but a bounce-back against Baylor and UCF, sitting at 6-5 and a loss to Texas Tech to finish the year.

Nothing changes. Nothing gets better. Nothing moves. Dear West Virginia administration do the merciful thing. Do the right thing. Make the call that needs to be made. Right now fans are not apathetic, they are not mad, they are DONE. Fans are choosing to go pick pumpkins with their wives, paint the boat, mow the yard, help their in-laws, do homework, they are actively choosing NOT to watch your product. They don’t want to be a part of this anymore because they worry that you are going to tell us at 7-5 this was fine. The team sold out multiple games. Season tickets were sold and lots of people came to games so everything is ok. Its not ok. We’re tired. There is no joy with this team. There is no fun with this team. There is nothing to tell me that next week will be better. There is nothing to tell me that I should believe. My money isn’t going to the football team anymore. Why should the fans of this team spend money when every time they do they get reminded of why they shouldn’t? You have to do better. WE have this conversation every week. If we were dating, my friends would tell me to just break up with you by now. Your friends would be asking “why are you with him if you fight all the time”? You know how that relationship goes, you stay, you try, you promise and then finally one of you acts like an adult and does the mercy killing and you both realize how much better you are now that you aren’t shackled to the dead weight you had. Dear Wren, Dear Gee, Dear Athletic Department, end this madness and let’s start over. This isn’t working and we need to be single for a while.

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West Virginia

West Virginia falls flat in 28-16 setback against No. 11 Iowa State – WV MetroNews

Published

12 hours ago

October 13, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia falls flat in 28-16 setback against No. 11 Iowa State – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — What began as a night full of anticipation for West Virginia turned into extreme disappointment as the Mountaineers were unable to overcome a sloppy offensive showing against a stingy defense in what amounted to a 28-16 loss to 11th-ranked Iowa State at Milan Puskar Stadium.

“Two things that stick out, we had two turnovers, they had zero, and that resulted in 14 points. We had six penalties and they had one,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “We were leading the country in that category coming into the game. Disappointing, and the table was kind of set, and in the second half when it was winning time, we didn’t win. Our guys fought and competed, but they made a couple more plays than we did.”

Donning black jerseys on what was dubbed a Coal Rush to honor the state’s rich mining tradition, West Virginia (3-3, 2-1) received the opening kickoff, twice converted on third downs and punctuated its 14 play, 75-yard series with Jahiem White’s 8-yard touchdown run as the tailback evaded multiple defenders on his way to the end zone.

Asani Redwood’s third down sack of Cyclones’ quarterback Rocco Becht on Iowa State’s opening series forced Kyle Konrardy into attempting a 47-yard field goal, but it missed wide, and the Mountaineers regained possession with a chance for an early two-score lead.

WVU appeared on its way to doing just that when Greene connected with Justin Robinson for 9 yards on third-and-8 to put the Mountaineers 5 yards short of the red zone, but after Rodney Gallagher was unable to hang on to Greene’s pass on third-and-3, Michael Hayes missed wide on a 36-yard field goal attempt — the kicker’s first unsuccessful field goal this season.

“I have to get clarity on that,” Brown said of the incompletion to Gallagher, which was originally ruled a reception. “The ball definitely moved. I want to see the view where they had beyond a doubt that he didn’t maintain possession. His knee is down. He does have to bring the ball down. That was big. We’d have had the ball inside the 10-yard line, and then we miss the field goal. We should never miss that field goal, but we did.”

The Mountaineers fell flat from that point forward, starting with Becht’s 60-yard touchdown pass to wideout Jaylin Noel, who capitalized on a coverage bust for an easy score that allowed the visitors to get even at 7 with 13:05 to play in the opening half.

“Momentum is real,” Brown said. “That hurt for sure. It hurt we didn’t convert and hurt missing the field goal, and we had a really poor communication on the explosive play.”

Brown said defenders got different defensive calls on the play, which the Cyclones caught the Mountaineers off guard on and capitalized in the form of the long TD.

“They tempo’d us and using the helmet communication, half of them got one call and half of them got the other,” Brown said. “I’ll have a better answer for you Monday.”

That was the start of a strong showing for Becht on a night where his father, Anthony Becht, was honored during a break in the action for being inducted into the WVU Sports Hall of Fame this year.

West Virginia punted for the first time on its third series, and though it was able to flip the field and have the Cyclones start at their 9, it proved irrelevant.

Iowa State (6-0, 3-0) put together a 17 play, 91-yard drive and went on top to stay when Carson Hansen accounted for his first of three touchdowns on an 11-yard run. The Cyclones converted all three of their third downs on the long possessions that put them in front, including Becht’s 18-yard pass to Jayden Higgins on third-and-10.

“Something we have to go back and look at on film, the third down and fourth down conversions, we have to clean up,” WVU linebacker Josiah Trotter said. “Those hurt us.”

The Mountaineers countered with a quality series, but it stalled when Greene was brought down for a 2-yard loss on third-and-2 just outside the red zone, forcing Hayes into a 43-yard field goal that he converted 32 seconds before halftime.

Iowa State took its 14-10 lead into the break, and the teams exchanged punts to start the second half.

The Cyclones punted for a second time in the third quarter, and after the Mountaineers took over at their 14, Greene’s 14-yard pass to tight end Kole Taylor and the quarterback’s 28-yard run on the next play, allowed WVU to enter Iowa State territory.

However, two plays later, Greene had a pass intercepted by Jamison Patton on second-and-6 from the Iowa State 29. Brown felt the Cyclones got away with premature contact on Taylor.

“Looked like a two-hand push in the back, and that should be called not nine out of ten times, but ten out of ten times,” Brown said.

On the ensuing series, Iowa State got into the red zone and was faced with third-and-goal from the 6 when Becht threw an incomplete pass well out of the end zone, only for a defensive holding penalty on cornerback Ayden Garnes keeping the Cyclones’ offense on the field. Hansen reached the end zone on a 3-yard run on the next play and the visitors upped their lead to 21-10 with 11:57 left.

Any chance for the Mountaineers to rally from an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit for the second time in as many Big 12 home games vanished when Greene threw an ill-advised pass that was intercepted by Jontez Williams at the WVU 40-yard line. It marked Greene’s sixth interception in his last four games and the Cyclones’ 10th pick this season.

“I was trying to do too much. It’s my fault,” Greene said. “They’re a drop eight team and they want quarterbacks to do that. I fell right into it.”

After Hansen converted a fourth-and-2 with a 5-yard run on an option, the tailback scored his third touchdown on a 2-yard run with 4:42 remaining.

Greene’s 10-yard touchdown pass to White with 1:10 to play marked the game’s final scoring play.

Iowa State finished with a 394-354 advantage in total yards. Becht completed 18-of-26 passes for 265 yards. Hansen rushed 20 times for 96 yards.

Greene was 18-for-32 with 206 yards, one touchdown and two interceptions. He was WVU’s leading rusher with 10 carries for 87 yards. White added 46 yards on 12 attempts, while CJ Donaldson was limited to 17 yards on nine rushes.

“We didn’t run it well enough to win, but we didn’t do that poorly running the football either,” Brown said.

The Mountaineers were plagued by several poor snaps from center Brandon Yates that led to negative plays.

“Yates has a little bit of a hand issue, but they were a factor,” Brown said. “Three resulted in negative plays, but there was probably eight to ten in the game.

“We did [consider changing centers]. Whether we should or shouldn’t have, that’s probably up for discussion. Brandon had played so well. He’s our starting center and he’s going to be our starting center this year.”

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West Virginia

WVU Depth Chart vs. No. 11 Iowa State

Published

20 hours ago

October 12, 2024

Press Room

The West Virginia Mountaineers (3-2, 2-0) host the No. 11 Iowa State Cyclones (5-0, 2-0) in a Saturday night primetime matchup. Kickoff is set for 8:00 p.m. EST and will broadcast on FOX.

OFFENSE

QB: Garrett Greene, Nicco Marchiol

RB: Jahiem White OR CJ Donaldson

WR (X): Hudson Clement OR Justin Robinson

WR (H): Traylon Ray, Rodney Gallagher III

WR (Z): Preston Fox, Jaden Bray

LG: Tomas Rimac, Sullivan Weidman

C: Brandon Yates, Landen Livingston

RG: Ja’Quay Hubbard, Nick Krahe

RT: Nick Malone, Xavier Bausley

DEFENSE

DE: Sean Martin, TJ Jackson II

NT: Fatorma Mulbah OR Hammond Russell IV

DT: TJ Jackson II, Asani Redwood

SPUR: Tyrin Bradley Jr., Ty French

WLB: Josiah Trotter OR Ben Cutter

MLB: Trey Lathan, Caden Biser

SPEAR: Aubrey Burks, Zae Jennings

CB: Ayden Garnes, TJ Crandall

FS: Anthony Wilson, Jaheem Joseph

CAT: Jaheem Joseph, Kekoura Tarnue

CB: Garnett Hollis Jr., Dontez Fagan

SPECIAL TEAMS

K: Michael Hayes, RJ Kocan

H: Oliver Straw, Leighton Bechdel

P: Oliver Straw, Leighton Bechdel

KO: Michael Hayes II

LS: Austin Brinkman, Macguire Moss

KR: Traylon Ray, Hudson Clement

PR: Preston Fox, Rodney Gallagher III

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West Virginia

Jubawithatwist faces older in West Virginia Breeders' Classic

Published

1 day ago

October 12, 2024

Press Room

Jubawithatwist faces older in West Virginia Breeders' Classic

The showdown between defending Sam Huff West Virginia Breeders’ Classic winner Coastal Mission and the up-and-coming 3-year-old Jubawithatwist will have to wait for another day. Trainer Jeff Runco opted to point Coastal Mission to the Grade 3 Forty Niner Stakes in New York.

So, the stage will belong to Kristy Petty’s Jubawithatwist, as the talented son of Juba headlines a full field of ten with four alternates in this year’s renewal of the richest race for West Virginia-breds on the 38th annual West Virginia Breeders’ Classics card.

Click here for Charles Town entries and results.

The ten-race program features nine WVBC events along with one other West Virginia-restricted stakes race, with over $1 million in purses up for grabs Saturday evening. The night will also feature a mandatory distribution of the Charles Town 6-12 jackpot that currently sits at $42,146, along with an early and late Pick 5, with the former covering the first five races on the card, and the latter covering the final five contests.

Jubawithatwist returns to state-bred competition after a respectable fourth in the Robert Hilton Memorial on Charles Town Classic and Oaks night against open competition. Petty says her charge exited that race in good order, and is ready to roll on Saturday night.

“He came out of that race well and he’s been whinnying and really feeling himself in the mornings, so he’s coming into the race great,” said Petty. “He’s just all racehorse.”

The Sam Huff will not be Jubawithatwist’s first time around three turns at Charles Town. He passed his first test at the configuration with flying colors in a June 27 allowance race, a race that gives Petty plenty of confidence going into Saturday’s contest.

“That really has been nice to know that he shouldn’t have any issues with the distance. But I told him he’s still going to have to have his running shoes on.”

Jubawithatwist’s regular pilot Gustavo Larrosa has the call on the 3/5 morning line favorite.

While Runco will be leaving the defending champion West Virginia-bred in the barn, he will still be represented by the second and third choices on the morning line in Runaldo and two-time Breeders’ Classic winner Muad’dib. Runaldo is coming off a career best 88 Beyer Speed Figure from Daily Racing Form in his most recent effort on Aug. 17th. He will have the services of Arnaldo Bocachica.

Muad’dib famously started his career winning his first ten races and twelve of his first 13, but has just four wins from his last 13 starts. The son of perennial top West Virginia stallion Fiber Sonde has kept top company, and will be ridden by Grade 1-winning jockey Angel Cruz.

I’m the Money Man, Lieutenant Brown, Juba’s Notion, Espresso, Remys Showtime, Late in the Game, and Sargent Kobe round out the remainder of the body of the field from the rail out, with Summoning Denis, Jungle Beast, Bad Lineage, and Moon Fall the four runners on the also-eligible list should there be any defections from the body of the race. The Classic will go as race 8 on the 10-race program, with a post time of 10:32 p.m. EDT.

Post	Horse / Sire	Rating	Trainer / Jockey	Last Start / Next Start	HRN
1	I’m the Money Man Windsor Castle Advertisement	0.00	Ronald Sigler Denis Araujo	1st, MNR ALW (08/13/2024-R4)	15-1
Last Race	1st, MNR ALW (08/13/2024-R4) Advertisement
2	Lieutenant Brown Mikimoto’s Mojo	0.00	Michael E. Jones Jr. Carlos Eduardo Lopez	4th, CT ALW (09/14/2024-R8)	30-1
Last Race	4th, CT ALW (09/14/2024-R8) Advertisement
3	Muad’dib Fiber Sonde	5.92	Jeff C. Runco Angel Cruz	2nd, CT ALW (09/19/2024-R7)	6-1
Last Race	2nd, CT ALW (09/19/2024-R7) Advertisement
4	Juba’s Notion Juba	4.12	John A. Casey Reshawn Latchman	3rd, CT ALW (09/19/2024-R7)	15-1
Last Race	3rd, CT ALW (09/19/2024-R7) Advertisement
5	Espresso Juba	0.00	Keith A. Brown Victor Rodriguez	9th, CT ALW (07/19/2024-R5)	12-1
Last Race	9th, CT ALW (07/19/2024-R5) Advertisement
6	Remys Showtime Fiber Sonde	0.00	Armonte Craig Keimar Trotman	4th, CT AOC (08/24/2024-R4)	30-1
Last Race	4th, CT AOC (08/24/2024-R4) Advertisement
7	Jubawithatwist Juba	0.00	Kristy Petty Gustavo Larrosa	4th, Robert Hilton Memorial S.	3-5
Last Race	4th, Robert Hilton Memorial S. Advertisement
8	Runaldo Creative Cause	0.00	Jeff C. Runco Arnaldo Bocachica	1st, CT AOC (08/17/2024-R7)	5-1
Last Race	1st, CT AOC (08/17/2024-R7) Advertisement
9	Late In The Game Denis Of Cork	3.79	Ronald Sigler Antonio Lopez	1st, CT ALW (09/19/2024-R7)	10-1
Last Race	1st, CT ALW (09/19/2024-R7) Advertisement
10	Sargent Kobe Kobe’s Back	0.00	Michael E. Jones Jr. Fredy Peltroche	2nd, CT CLM (09/21/2024-R9)	50-1
Last Race	2nd, CT CLM (09/21/2024-R9) Advertisement
11	Summoning Denis Denis Of Cork	0.00	Kristy Petty Wilfredo Santiago	6th, CT AOC (08/17/2024-R7)	30-1
Last Race	6th, CT AOC (08/17/2024-R7) Advertisement
12	Jungle Beast Golden Years	4.45	Javier Contreras Juan M. Nunez	6th, CT AOC (09/19/2024-R6)	15-1
Last Race	6th, CT AOC (09/19/2024-R6) Advertisement
13	Bad Lineage Juba	0.00	Lawrence Perry Jr. Fredy Peltroche	2nd, CT ALW (09/27/2024-R7)	30-1
Last Race	2nd, CT ALW (09/27/2024-R7) Advertisement
14	Moon Fall Tapwrit	0.00	Michael E. Jones Jr. Christian Maldonado	2nd, CT CLM (09/26/2024-R8)	50-1
Last Race	2nd, CT CLM (09/26/2024-R8) Advertisement