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 Indigo Imp Brewery's Autumn Ale.
What You May Have Missed:
Luck Releases 2014 Baseball Schedule - WVU Athletics
The WVU baseball schedule for the 2014 season has been released.
Mazey aims to ‘ramp up’ baseball schedule in 2014 - WV MetroNews
"Part of your college education is visiting different places and seeing different things," Mazey said. "I think it’s neat for the kids to play people from across the country."
Hawley Field no place for Mountaineers - Register Herald
For the first time in my lifetime, college baseball was actually relevant in West Virginia last spring.
Keane Named Athlete of the Week - WVU Athletics
Varsity Sports Report
News of Note:
Plenty of Work Ahead for WVU - WVU Athletics
Mountaineers are swimming in the deeper end of the pool now.
Should we be pessimistic or optimistic about WVU? - Charleston Gazette
The question, then, becomes an easy one: Is West Virginia headed in the right direction? The answer? Well, not so easy.
Big 12 'wear and tear' taking a toll on Mountaineers - Charleston Daily Mail
"If you're replacing your starters with true freshmen, you're not where you want to be," Holgorsen said. "We've got guys out there who are not ready to play at this level yet."
Holgorsen: WVU Will Be Better - EerSports
With his team now out of bowl contention, West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen spent the majority of today's media teleconference talking about recruiting and building up the program - a problem he says is not unique to the Mountaineers.
Dana Holgorsen believes WVU getting better through recruiting - Times West Virginian
“I’m very comfortable with it,” he said. “No one is happy with 4 and 7. No one is happy being home for the holidays. The first time it happened to me is the first time it’s happened to West Virginia in quite some time.
Continuing to Build - BGN
One big thing that West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said following his team's disappointing 31-19 loss at the hands of Kansas Saturday afternoon came when the third-year head coach talked about the depth his program has been able to obtain in the last few years.
Holgorsen looking to develop depth - Bluefield Daily Telegraph
“We need to continue to improve. We need to continue to build our roster. We need to continue to add depth.”
Mountaineers on wrong side of football history - Daily Athenaeum
“We’ll get back to work in January,” he said. “We’ll be working before our kids report in the offseason. We’ll probably pay a little bit more attention to recruiting in January. There are guys out there that are not ready to play at this level. When you’re replacing starters with true freshmen, it’s not where you want to be.”
Problem-filled season for WVU nearing end - Daily Athenaeum
WVU is used to sending its seniors out on a high note, giving it one final bowl game to play in while also developing young talent during bowl preparation. This season will conclude abruptly Nov. 30 following a regular season finale against Iowa State.
Disappointed Seniors Face Final Game at WVU - WVillustrated
Seniors Rowell, Eger reflect on difficult ending to their Mountaineer careers with one game remaining.
FURFARI COLUMN: Could WVU football program get any lower? - Times West Virginian
Keep in mind, too, that this totally unexpected triumph snapped Kansas’ 27-game losing streak in conference competition. The Jayhawks’ last such win had been posted on Nov. 6, 2010.
Multimedia: Upon Further Review - WV MetroNews
The MetroNews team of photographers and videographers takes its weekly look inside West Virginia football following the Mountaineers’ seventh loss of the 2013 season snapping it’s run of 11 consecutive bowl game appearances.
Bowl Aspirations Gone After Loss to Kansas - WVillustrated
The season will conclude on Nov. 30 when the Mountaineers welcome the Iowa State Cyclones to Milan Puskar Stadium.
Hoops
Duo bounces back into form - Charleston Daily Mail
A pair of career-best performances couldn't have come at a better time for Juwan Staten and Eron Harris.
HERTZEL COLUMN: Staten finally grasping WVU offense - Times West Virginian
“I finally got a good grasp of the offense, of what works and what doesn’t,” he said. “Coach Huggins gives me a lot of responsibility and freedom.”
Williams off to strong start for West Virginia - Daily Athenaeum
There are a lot of new names on the West Virginia men’s basketball roster this year, but one that’s already standing out through three games is true freshman forward Devin Williams.
Pro News:
WVU Pros Week 11 - Geno gets benched, Goode gets first start, Johnson scores - ProsReport
Our WVU Pros saw some ups and downs this past week, but that's the business of the NFL. Here's how they fared.
Geno Smith: Why Former Mountaineer Should Remain Jets' QB - ProsReport
It was another long day in what has been a long rookie season in the NFL for Geno Smith as the New York Jets (5-5) fell to the Buffalo Bills (4-7) on Sunday.
Around the League (and Beyond):
Baylor Football: Are You Not Entertained? - Our Daily Bears
ISU’s defeatest attitude must go - Ames Tribune
QB Montell Cozart makes most of first start - Lawrence Journal World
K-State's Lockett wins battle against TCU All-America corner - Topeka Capital Journal
Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops won't name starting quarterback until Saturday - Oklahoman (autoplay)
Oklahoma State vs. Baylor: Breaking down the Big 12's de facto title game - Oklahoman (autoplay)
Unleash Tyrone Swoopes: Now is the time - Burnt Orange Nation
Instant classic tough to stomach for downtrodden TCU - Dallas-Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Amaro named semifinalist for two major awards - Lubbock Avalanche Journal
What's On Tap:
Pick Your Own Basketball Seats - WVU Athletics
Interactive feature now available to fans.
Video of Interest:
Junior linebacker Jared Barber had a rough 2012 season, but came back strong in 2013 and proved he was one of the most reliable players on the defensive side of the ball.
Video of (Dis)Interest:
This is kinda awesome
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown is a Cuban/Spanish-American model. CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Sindy Perez.
More from The Smoking Musket:
- West Virginia Football Coaching Approval Meter: Post-Kansas Edition
- Mountaineer Morning Links: Monday (11/18/13) Edition
- West Virginia Pulls Away Late To Top Duquesne 96-83
- West Virginia Mountaineers vs Duquesne Dukes Preview
- Sunday Post-Game Roundup: Kansas Jayhawks Edition - Recaps, Photos, Videos, Etc.