Forgive me father, for I am about to sin...
Well, that certainly was a steaming pile of dog shit, wasn't it? Surely, none of us have witnessed a more poorly conceived effort than the one that CRR put together Thursday night. It's like he popped a couple Xanax and lost all ability for creative thought (and consciousness). Seriously, what was that?
- What was with the 71 consecutive Pat White runs straight up the middle? (I haven't rewatched the game, so I don't know the exact number). It's like CRR's play-calling shrinks significantly when we're facing a test. At some point, you can tell he's actively trying not to lose, rather than to win. To me, this is embarrassing. The last thing a top 10 program does is play not to lose, at home, to a 17 point underdog. You just don't do it. You step on their throat from the word go and blow them out of the damn stadium. When we took the 17 point lead, that's what should have happened. Instead, we played grab-ass for the next 15 minutes. What a fucking joke.
- Where is Steve Slaton? Outside of the Sugar Bowl, has there ever been a worse big-game player in a Mountaineer uniform? Last year, he put the ball on the turf over-and-over against Louisville and then delivered a whopping 43 yards against South Florida. This year, he has averaged 62.3 yards in our three biggest games (South Florida, Rutgers, and Louisville). It's obvious that Rodriguez doesn't trust him in important situations, which is saying a lot when you're talking about a former Heisman trophy candidate.
- Don't let Owen Schmitt punt. Just don't. If you're going to go for it on 4th down, go for it. If not, trot McAfee out there and let him punt. He is the fucking punter for God's sake. I can't get mad at Owen Schmitt as it's his job to be a fullback, not a punter. This one, as always, falls on CRR. And while I'm at it, we were lucky to get 9 yards on that punt. It traveled 3 at the most.
- Noel Devine must play more. There's just no way around this. Everytime he touches the ball, the entire stadium holds its breath. Not because he might fumble, as is the case with Slaton, but because he might break a run or somebody's ankles. He's a game-changer, both with score and momentum. That kick-return was just another example of this. If Slaton is busy throwing up on himself in big games, give the kid a chance. He's only the most heralded recruit in Mountaineer history.
So that's about it. If you saw me after the game, you almost undoubtedly told me a "win is a win." I then undoubtedly wanted to punch you in the face. I came pretty close a couple times, too. If you want to be one of the best of the best, a win is never a win. Style points always count. Walk into the stadium, no matter who the opponent, and fuck them up. Easy as that.
Now, we need to get that memo to CRR.