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The Shotgun/Throwdown: Wednesday (8/31/11) Edition

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's nationally recognized best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions. We're being brought to you today by Heartland Bavarian Black Lager.

Coach Holgorsen had his first game week presser yesterday and talked about energy...specifically who had it and who didn't during last years game in Huntington, after watching the game film. Depth charts have been released, but that seems to be more for the press and program printers than anything to go by as both are apt to change before Sunday. Plenty of player interviews (videos and features) to go along with video interviews with other members of the coaching staff to peruse today. Make sure you stick around today, we're finishing up our positional previews and bringing back a short lived, yet popular feature later this morning...and maybe a shoe or two may get thrown this afternoon.

What You May Have Missed:

Head Coach Dana Holgorsen - Mountaineer TV
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen's Tuesday afternoon press conference at Milan Puskar Stadium.

Football: Coach Holgorsen's News Conference - MSNsportsNET.Com
Transcript

Defensive Coordinator Jeff Casteel - Mountaineer TV
Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel talks about preparing for the opener against Marshall this Sunday.

Top 20 offensive and defensive coordinators - Rivals.com
Check out where Casteel is ranked

Gold & Blue Now - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Today's Video

WVU Releases Preliminary Football Depth Chart - WVillustrated.com
Coach said things could still change between now and Sunday, though

Football: Marshall Game Day Information - MSNsportsNET.Com
Parking info and other pertinent information for Sunday - NO GAME TICKETS REMAIN

The 2011 Brutally Honest Heisman Race - College Football News
Geno is in their top 10

College Football Bowl Projections - CBSSports.com
Orange Bowl here against Florida St.

Top players, coaches, teams honored in Herbie Awards - ESPN
He has Geno and Bruce at a couple spots, but when it comes to picking the BE Champion, he's an ignorant slut

WVU Football Will Be Escorted to Games in Style - WVillustrated.com
If you hadn't seen the pics floating around Twitter or Facebook the last few weeks

2011-12 Men's Basketball Preview Guide - Big East
BE schedule to be released today at noon...just like the BE to trumpet BB during kickoff week for FB

WVU Men's Soccer Turns Fifty - MSNsportsNET.Com
This Friday West Virginia University begins its 50th season of men’s soccer when the Mountaineers battle Monmouth in the Save Face WVU Classic at Dick Dlesk Stadium (Coach Marlon LeBlanc says plans are in the works for a big celebration for the golden anniversary of soccer at WVU in 2011).

News of Note:

Energy Efficiency - BGN
"One thing that was very glaring in our game last year was who was more excited to play and who was playing with more effort," he said. "It was evident who was playing with more excitement and enthusiasm. It was very obvious." - HCDH on watching the WVU/MU game film from last year

Holgorsen has concerns heading into opener - Register-Herald
“I’ve used this example before, but last year, I had a lot of familiarity with OU (Oklahoma). Then they came in defensively and changed everything we had prepared for,” Holgorsen said. “From a coaching standpoint, you want to know what they’re doing. Not knowing is what drives coaches crazy every week. You want to know what they’re going to do, you want to know what their tendencies are, you want to know their personnel, but you’ve got to be able to adjust whether there’s a ton of familiarity or not.”

HERTZEL COLUMN - Holgorsen all business as Herd approaches - Times West Virginian
“It doesn’t matter who the team is; we will prepare the same way,” he said. “A few I-AA teams, we watch them play big-time schools and we watch them win. If you don’t think they are important, you are not focusing on the right things. We are all about focusing on us.”

Holgorsen's offenses are physical - Charleston Daily Mail
Just don't confuse finesse with soft. That's the insult. What the Mountaineers really, really hate is to be told what they do on offense is not physical. That, they say, is a lie.

WVU coach Holgorsen rolling toward debut - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said he hasn't stopped to think what it will be like to step onto the field as the man in charge for the first time.

New WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen hopes to have a explosive offense - PPG
The new beat writer for the PPG gives her team overview

Coal Bowl: Herd will test WVU defense - Charleston Daily Mail
"Talking with the staff, it's probably going to be a little more of a challenge for the defensive guys," Holgorsen said. "They have some familiarity with (the Thundering Herd) staff because they went against them last year, but if you look at their personnel, they've got a lot of good skill kids. They don't have as many tight ends as they had in the past."

Marshall-WVU has no future - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Next years game will likely be the last for quite a while

‘Rivalry’ won’t be missed - Charleston Gazette
Hickman's Notebook

Dunlap and Holliday share history - Times West Virginian
Sometimes this rivalry stuff creates strange bedfellows, of that you can be sure.

Vernard Roberts working hard to earn starting job in freshman season - Daily Athenaeum
"It doesn't matter to me whether I'm number two, three or four, I believe that I can play, and I'm just going to go out and be the best player that Vernard Roberts can be," he said.

Size doesn’t slow WVU’s Garrison - Bluefield Daily Telegraph
A true freshman from Pearland, Texas, Garrison possesses 4.45 speed in the 40-yard dash, but is more than just a speedster.

WVU's Garrison Wears 29 to Help Remember Roots - WVillustrated.com
Monday, as the page on the calendar turned to Aug. 29, memories must have flooded Dustin Garrison’s head.

Video: Football Interviews 8/30 - BGN
Geno, Sticks, Najee, Coach Bedenbaugh and Lindamood

Geno Smith: Going Against a Friend - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Video

Wide Receiver Ivan McCartney - Mountaineer TV
Wide receiver Ivan McCartney talks about the competition between wide receivers during fall camp, and about the offense wanting to make a statement early.

Video: Looking for a leader -- West Virginia - Big East Blog - ESPN
Andrea Aldeson talks about defensive end Bruce Irvin, quarterback Geno Smith and offensive lineman Don Barclay.

VIDEO: WVU Football Interviews - Marshall Week - WVillustrated.com
Garvin, Julian, Coach Dawson, Tavon, Stedman, Millard, Geno, Garrison, Coach Gillespie, Wright, Sticks, Nehlen, Corey Smith, Najee and the Tandy

Around the League (and Beyond):

Herd player arrested for series of armed robberies - CollegeFootballTalk
Just days before the start of the 2011 season, Marshall has been forced to deal with a fairly significant off-field incident involving a player expected to contribute on both offense and special teams.

UConn Game With Fordham Postponed - Hartford Courant
UConn and Fordham will not play football Thursday night because Rentschler Field is being used as a commodities distribution center for towns that need supplies in the wake of Tropical Storm Irene. UConn officials said they hope to get confirmation to reschedule the game for Saturday at noon.

Louisville football starters to get special duty - Courier-Journal
Some Cards are regulars in kicking game, too

Bearcats feel they have early opportunities - Cincinnati Enquirer

USF quarterback Daniels learned from uneven season, coach says - Tampa Tribune

Syracuse University football tailback Antwon Bailey's days as a changeup are over - Post Standard

Rutgers football to unveil uncommon defense with rotating cornerbacks - Star Ledger
...seemingly in response to offenses such as the one WVU is running

Pitt Notebook: Panthers defense hopes to emulate Steelers - PPG

Maryland Fans Attempt Challenging Spectrum-Out For Opener - SBNation.com
3 - 2 - 1 - FAIL

College football fan prays for kickoff amid NCAA scandals - Andy Staples - SI.com

What's On Tap:

Wear gold and blue on College Colors Day, Mountaineer Fridays - WVUToday
"I’d like for all West Virginia fans to step up and participate in national College Colors Day," said WVU head football coach Dana Holgorsen. "Let’s show the country how strong Mountaineer Nation is by wearing our gold and blue. Our logo is recognizable all over the world and this is a great way to show your Mountaineer spirit."

Kick Off Coal Bowl Weekend By Having A Fish Fry With Bob Huggins - The Smoking Musket
Bob Huggins will hold his first annual fish fry the evening before the kickoff off WVU's 2011 football season against Marshall. On September 2nd at the Waterfront Place Hotel, Huggins will host a fish fry to raise funds and awareness for The Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, The Norma Mae Huggins Cancer Research Fund, and Remember the Miners Scholars Program. There will be players on hand from the 2010 Final Four team as well as other past Mountaineer greats.

WVU meets the Bayou for the 16th annual Marmaduke Dent Benefit - WVUToday
The event will take place Friday, Sept. 23, at 6:30 p.m. at The Erickson Alumni Center. The Erickson’s very own executive chef, Scott Spiker, will be teaming with Luke Mandola, owner of Houston’s Ragin’ Cajun, to bring the taste of Louisiana to alumni and friends of WVU.

Videos of Interest:

This gives me chills:


Video of (Dis)Interest:

I saw Marshall players listed 2 maybe 3 times (thanks to @JimmyTraina of SI's Hotclicks):


Hump Day Video of the Week:

We love Kate Upton:


Miss Throwdown:

Today's Miss Throwdown is Italian model Flavia Lucini. As always, the picture links to the gallery.

Heartland Bavarian Black Lager image via www.heartlandbrewery.com