The Shotgun/Throwdown: Orange Bowl Hangover (1/5/12) Edition

By WVUIE97@WVUIE97 Jan 5, 2012, 11:27am EST

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 Simply Orange, to help with the celebratory hangover.

Sorry for the delay folks, but there was a lot of good stuff to sort through and gather up. We have a tremendous amount of Orange Bowl Hangover items to choose from. And, if you didn't notice, men's hoops won too. It was a great night to be a Mountaineer. Follow me to the other side, follow me to freedom...

Orange Bowl Hangover:

Recaps/Features:

West Virginia routs Clemson in record-setting Orange Bowl - ESPN
Recap, stats, video, photos, etc

Another Great Night to be a Mountaineer! - MSNsportsNET.Com
Geno Smith threw six touchdowns passes – four to Tavon Austin - and Darwin Cook returned a fumble 99 yards for a touchdown to lead West Virginia to a 70-33 victory over Clemson Wednesday night in the 2012 Discover Orange Bowl played at Sun Life Stadium in Miami Gardens, Fla.

Orange Bowl: WVU makes this a game to remember - Charleston Daily Mail
No team - until West Virginia in its first Orange appearance - ever played a first half like this ... in any bowl in major college football history.

Doubters Wrong Again - BGN
West Virginia did what it does to those unfortunate enough to meet it in BCS bowl games. It stunned another opponent on Wednesday night, making the ACC champions look like chumps in a 70-33 win in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Orange Bowl: Bowl records fall as No. 23 WVU pummels No. 14 Clemson - Charleston Daily Mail
"We're still a work in progress," Holgorsen said. "You don't score 70 points by being good on offense. You score 70 points by being good on all three sides of the ball, which we did tonight."

WVU routs Clemson in Orange Bowl - Charleston Gazette
The Mountaineers exploded in the middle of the game behind Geno Smith and Tavon Austin -- and even with that defense lending a huge hand -- and rolled to a 70-33 win over the Tigers.

WVU's Smith dazzles in Orange Bowl victory over Clemson - PPG
Mountaineers QB has record-setting night with 401 yards, 6 touchdowns

Final: WVU 70, Clemson 33 - Big East Blog - ESPN
Here is a quick instant analysis

West Virginia Vs. Clemson Recap, Orange Bowl 2012: The Numerical - SBNation.com
The stats that mattered in West Virginia's 70-33 destruction of Clemson in last night's Discover Orange Bowl, from Geno Smith's near-perfection, to a second quarter apocalypse, to Orange Bowl defensive battles.

West Virginia routs Clemson at Orange Bowl, 70-33 - Miami Herald
In a triumphant homecoming, Geno Smith put on an electrifying passing show as West Virginia routed Clemson with an unstoppable offense.

A homecoming to remember for West Virginia’s Geno Smith and Stedman Bailey - Miami Herald
Smith’s mother, Tracey Sellers, said earlier this week she lost count of the number of family members and friends coming to see Smith play. Some are coming from as far as New York, South Carolina and the Bahamas. Miramar coach Damon Cogdell, a West Virginia grad, is bringing the state runner-up team to support the four former Patriots on West Virginia’s roster, including receivers Ivan McCartney and Stedman Bailey (Smith’s roommate).

Nothing can stop thrilling Geno Smith, West Virginia - Miami Herald
How was this even possible? Wasn’t the result pre-ordained? Color-coded? I mean, seriously. It was the Orange Bowl Classic. In a stadium whose interior is an endless carpet of orange seats. In an event whose original stadium was named after an orange. In a state where oranges grow on trees. So … you really thought the team dressed helmets-to-cleats in all orange would somehow lose?

West Virginia turns into a runaway train - Charleston Gazette
The Mountaineers put together a half for the ages, a game for the ages, running, passing, swiping and intercepting.

WVU Airraid bombs Clemson away (and then some) – Campus Union
Holly loves it when the Mountain Folk do well

Clemson couldn’t keep up with WVU - Times West Virginian
"Our guys felt like they weren’t getting too much credit," West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen said. "And they wanted to make a statement in this game."

Orange Bloodbath - Shakin The Southland
From the Clemson blog

2012 Orange Bowl Recap: Geno Smith and West Virginia Hammer Clemson 70-33 - Big East Coast Bias
West Virginia won the Orange Bowl with a dominating offensive effort, beating Clemson 70-33 behind 401 passing yards from Geno Smith.

WVU bowls over Clemson - Register-Herald
Smith broke the record for passing yards in a BCS bowl game with 401, topping the previous record set by Michigan’s Tom Brady (369) in 2000, as well as the BCS record for touchdowns (six), breaking the record held by USC’s Matt Leinart (five). It also tied Chuck Long of Iowa’s all-bowl record.

Orange Crushed - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
WVU's first half total also set a new bowl record, breaking the old mark of 38 set by USC in 2005.

West Virginia crushes Clemson in Orange - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
As the West Virginia Mountaineers celebrated their first Orange Bowl victory, safety Darwin Cook shared a hug with the game's mascot, Obie.

2012 Discover Orange Bowl Game Recap - WVillustrated
There were more Clemson fans than West Virginia fans inside Sun Life Stadium before the start of the Orange Bowl, but few could be found afterward.

BCS games bring out the best in WVU - Times West Virginian
Adversity seems to follow West Virginia University into Bowl Championship Series games.

HERTZEL COLUMN: Safety sneak by Cook huge play for WVU - Times West Virginian
That is right, in the midst of a 70-33 victory, the most important single play, the one that carried the most impact, was made by a defensive safety by the name of Darwin Cook.

West Virginia wins one for the Big East - Big East Blog - ESPN
There is being disrespected. And then there is the Big East. Er, the Big Least. The league everybody wants to diss and dismiss.

Take that, ACC!!! - Times West Virginian
Now we know why the Atlantic Coast Conference did not want West Virginia University as a member.

Clemson collapses on ACC's biggest stage - ACC Blog - ESPN
You want to be first in line at the movies? Stand behind Clemson's defense, they'll let you in.

Orange Bowl notebook: Austin tops nation in total yards; Casteel mum on future - Charleston Daily Mail
Casazza's Notebook

What We Learned: West Virginia finds its groove in time to set bowl record - Sporting News
Orange Bowl Notebook

Orange Bowl notebook: Cook's return opened door for WVU - Charleston Gazette
"I just saw the ball and thought, 'Is it loose?' '' Cook would say afterward. "It was a big pile, so I knew he wasn't on the ground yet.''

West Virginia safeties thrive in Orange Bowl - Miami Herald
Orange Bowl Notebook

Videos/Photo Galleries:

Highlight Of The Night - ESPN Video
Geno Smith tied the record for any bowl game with six touchdown passes, and the Mountaineers set a bowl scoring record with 70 points.

Video: Orange Bowl postgame - Big East Blog - ESPN
Rece Davis, Lou Holtz and Mark May break down West Virginia's historic 70-33 victory over Clemson.

Video: Orange Bowl wrap - Big East Blog - ESPN
Heather Dinich and Andrea Adelson wrap up West Virginia's win over Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Video: West Virginia's Geno Smith - Big East Blog - ESPN
Andrea Adelson talks with Orange Bowl MVP Geno Smith following the Mountaineers' 70-33 win over Clemson.

Video: West Virginia's Najee Goode - Big East Blog - ESPN
Andrea Adelson talks to West Virginia linebacker Najee Goode after the Mountaineers' 70-33 win over Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Eain Smith’s Postgame Thoughts - Mountaineer TV
Defensive back Eain Smith following West Virginia’s win over Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Stedman Bailey Postgame Comments - Mountaineer TV
Inside receiver Stedman Bailey following West Virginia’s win over Clemson in the Discover Orange Bowl.

Orange Bowl Postgame Interviews - WVillustrated
Cook, Tandy, Eain, Rader, Coach Roberts, Milhouse, Coach Casteel, Najee, Stedman, Geno, Alston and Tavon

Video: Orange Bowl Postgame - BGN
Stedman, Geno, Barclay, Julian, Eain and Coach Dawson

VIDEO: Orange Bowl Post Game - WVMETRONEWS.COM
WVU presser, Dabo, Geno, Tandy, Coach Roberts and Bruce

PHOTO GALLERY: 2012 Discover Orange Bowl - WVillustrated

What You May Have Missed:

Gold And Blue Now: Thursday - WVMETRONEWS.COM
WVU's victory against Clemson in the Orange Bowl and the men's basketball team gets back on track

Jeff Casteel: "I Hope I'm Going to Be Back" - WVillustrated
WVU defensive coordinator deflects questions regarding his future, while Oliver Luck discusses the possibilities.

Orange Bowl: WVU's Luck has had busy start to year - Charleston Daily Mail
"We've had a lot of donors, including Ken, step up with some sizeable donations, some six-figure donations, to provide tickets to the military personnel, which has helped us substantially," Luck said. "It's a challenge and one that a lot of schools are facing."

Top 10 First-Year FBS Head Coaches - LostLettermen.com
#4

Women's Basketball: WVU Falls at Connecticut - MSNsportsNET.Com
The West Virginia University women’s basketball team fell to No.2/2 Connecticut, 79-60, at the XL Center in Hartford, Conn. on Wednesday night.

THE CURIOUS INDEX, 1/5/2012 - Every Day Should Be Saturday
Spencer is giving us all kinds of love today...and we deserve it. Worth the click for the gif at the top.

Video: Bowden Highlights Chalk Talk - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Many former WVU football players gathered at the Intercontinental Hotel in Miami for a Chalk Talk. Morgantown native and former Clemson head coach Tommy Bowden was the key note speaker and former players like Pat White, Steve Slaton and many more were in attendance

How the BCS Diminishes College Football (Infographic) - College Sports Scholarships
Some interesting information here

News of Note:

West Virginia 85, Rutgers 64 - ESPN
Recap, stats, photos, video, etc

West Virginia 85, Rutgers 64 - MSNsportsNET.Com
Truck Bryant scored 29 points to lead West Virginia to an 85-64 victory over Rutgers Wednesday night in a Big East game at the Rutgers Athletic Center in Piscataway, N.J.

Men's Basketball: Mountaineers Rout Rutgers - WVMETRONEWS.COM
West Virginia followed up its worst offensive performance of the season with one of its best in beating Rutgers 85-64 on the road Wednesday night.

WVU basketball: Bryant leads Mountaineers to win over Rutgers - Charleston Daily Mail
Putting together their most impressive first half of the season, the Mountaineers fought back a mild Rutgers second-half rally to claim an 85-64 win in a Big East contest played at Rutgers Louis Brown Athletic Center.

WVU Trucks Rutgers - BGN
Truck Bryant scored 29 points to lead five players in double figures as West Virginia ripped Rutgers 85-64 for its first true road win of the season Wednesday.

West Virginia Hammers Rutgers to Get Back on Track - WVillustrated
West Virginia rebounded from its loss to Seton Hall by pounding Rutgers Wednesday night.

Rutgers Blown Out by West Virginia 85-64 - On the Banks

Recruiting:

Orange Bowl: For Mountaineers, recruiting pipeline built in South Florida - Charleston Daily Mail
Not only did the Mountaineers swap Boyd for Smith, but they also flipped one recruiting hotbed for another.

Video: Inside Miramar High School - WVMETRONEWS.COM
Miramar High School has been a pipeline to WVU, and MetroNews was able to pay a visit to its campus