Mountaineer Morning Links: Virginia Tech Game Day (11/12/13) Edition

VT hoops previews, football notes, Women's soccer NCAA previews, WVU Pros update, Big 12 roundup & more

By WVUIE97@WVUIE97 Nov 12, 2013, 9:10am EST

If you buy something from an SB Nation link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics statement.

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 Short's Brew's Autumn Ale.

What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Now: Tuesday, Nov. 12 - WV MetroNews
Bob Huggins and Dana Holgorsen give WVU fans an update on their teams as the Mountaineer basketball team plays Virginia Tech today while the WVU football team hopes to get healthy for Saturday’s matchup against Kansas.

HERTZEL COLUMN: Could president position interest WVU’s Luck? - Times West Virginian
There is a certain irony in this aspect of Clements’ career at WVU and move to Clemson, for the ACC refused to take WVU as a member because of academics, yet one of the ACC’s most prominent schools, Clemson, would take WVU’s president as its own.

Three Big 12 Soccer Squads Make the NCAA Field of 64 - Big 12 Conference
The Mountaineers will host Rutgers (13-4-4) on Friday, Nov. 15 at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Women’s Soccer Draws Rutgers in NCAA First Round - WVU Athletics
"I have a lot of respect for Rutgers and it is going to be a battle," coach Nikki Izzo-Brown says.

Unseeded WVU to face Rutgers in first round of NCAA tournament - Daily Athenaeum
The mood following the announcement during the tournament selection show was polite yet displeased.

WATCH: WVU Women's Soccer Team on Big 12 Championship - WVillustrated
Watch full video interviews with the West Virginia Women's Soccer Team a day after they won the Big 12 Conference Championship.

Keane Named Athlete of the Week - WVU Athletics
Varsity Sports Report

News of Note:

Basketball

WVU to Face Tech on ESPN - WVU Athletics
Mountaineers, Hokies to play rare afternoon midweek game.

WVU, Va. Tech share similarities - Charleston Gazette
In a lot of ways, the West Virginia and Virginia Tech basketball teams that meet today in Blacksburg are mirror images of each other.

A lot expected of Staten - Charleston Daily Mail
"Juwan Staten is going to play a bunch of minutes," Coach Bob Huggins said after Staten played all 40 minutes in WVU's season-opening win Friday against Mount St. Mary's.

Hero of last year’s matchup, Staten expects ‘good road test’ at Virginia Tech - WV MetroNews
West Virginia likely to be without Terry Henderson again for Tuesday's 1 p.m. tip in Blacksburg, Va.

Preview: WVU vs VT - BGN
Virginia Tech was upended by USC Upstate in its opener, 64-63. Was that just a one-time blip, as sometimes occurs early in the season, or it it a harbinger of some tough times this year?

Rebounding, defense to be focus for WVU against VT - Times West Virginian
it really wasn’t much of a surprise when he was asked where his team needed the most work going into today’s 1 p.m. game at Virginia Tech that will be shown as part of ESPN’s season-opening basketball marathon, those two areas were cited.

WVU, Hokies renew rivalry today on ESPN - Register-Herald
Game in Blacksburg, Va., part of Tip-Off Marathon

WVU Men's Basketball: WVU Faces Virginia Tech in Blacksburg - WVillustrated
Heading into today's game, 1 p.m. eastern time on ESPN, the Mountaineers look to start the season 2-0 while the Hokies are still searching for their first win, 0-1.

Football

No room for error in final games - Charleston Daily Mail
West Virginia is in a must-win situation and has to beat Kansas Saturday and then Iowa State November 30 to reach six wins and bowl eligibility.

Must-Win Territory - BGN
For the last few weeks, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen has said time and time again that he wouldn't be talking to his team about "must-win games" until the situation arose where the Mountaineers had to win in order to make it to a bowl game.

Holgorsen Highlights WVU RB Sims on Big 12 Conference Call - WVillustrated
The Mountaineers display a 4-6 record while sitting at seventh place in the Big 12.

QB not QB? Still the question - Charleston Gazette
The more things change, the more they stay the same for West Virginia's football team.

WVU banged up after Texas thriller - Times West Virginian
"Injuries are starting to mount, but they are for everyone," he said.

Injuries piling up for West Virginia’s quarterbacks - Daily Athenaeum
West Virginia’s seemingly ever-revolving door of quarterbacks may be spinning yet again this week after incumbent starter Clint Trickett was quite literally knocked out of Saturday’s game against the visiting Texas Longhorns.

Holgorsen has QB decision to make — again - Register-Herald
The journey to this point has been one Holgorsen would probably prefer be erased from his memory.

QB Starter, Bowl Game Up In The Air - EerSports
"It’s all based on practice," said Holgorsen.

Has program declined or have rules changed? - Charleston Gazette
Ever take a glance backward to see what's happening over there in the Big East?

‘We called a run play. We threw it.’ - WVU Sports with Mike Casazza
And so begins the deconstruction of WVU’s final possession against Texas.

Multimedia: Upon Further Review - WV MetroNews
The MetroNews team of photographers and videographers takes its weekly look inside West Virginia football following the Mountaineers’ heartbreaking 47-40 overtime loss to Texas.

The Takeaway: WVU fails to finish - WV MetroNews
In their weekly installment of "The Takeaway," Allan Taylor and Justin Hoff break down the Texas film and look ahead to this weekend’s contest against Kansas.

Furfari: Both teams battled hard in West Virginia heartbreaker - Register-Herald
If you enjoy football, you had to like that except for the outcome.

WVU headed in right direction - Daily Athenaeum
Take what you will from the way the game ended, but looking at both in-game management and what’s ahead after Saturday night proves the program is headed in the right direction under Holgorsen.