Mountaineer Morning Links: Maryland Pre-Game (9/20/13) Edition

Maryland previews, player features, soccer in action, tailgate prep, Big 12 roundup, TV viewing guide & more

By WVUIE97@WVUIE97 Sep 20, 2013, 9:07am EDT

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What You May Have Missed:

Gold and Blue Now: Friday, Sept. 20 - WV MetroNews
Garrett Cullen talks about future WVU schedules as we hear from West Virginia athletic director Oliver Luck discuss possible matchups against Penn St, Virginia Tech, Virginia, and Pittsburgh in the coming years.

Maryland & Under Armour officially unveil new pride uniforms - Testudo Times
Welding masks or at the very least, polarized sunglasses are ~~recommended~~ required.

The Runaway Beer Truck That Got Away - WVU Athletics
DC’s Owen Schmitt wanted to play for the hometown Terps, too, but Maryland didn’t give him the time of day when he began touring local D-I schools with a box full of Wisconsin River-Falls game tapes in the backseat of his car.

WVU-Penn State 2023 renewal part of beefing up nonleague schedule - WV MetroNews
Luck says future seasons should see Mountaineers facing two opponents from power-five conferences.

No. 21 W. Soccer Prepped for Weekend - WVU Athletics
The Mountaineers (4-2-2) play host to Richmond (2-4-2) on Sept. 20, at 7 p.m., then welcome Wright State (2-3-3) on Sept. 22, for a 1 p.m. match.

WVU looks to bounce back against Michigan Saturday - Daily Athenaeum
The West Virginia men’s soccer team is expecting Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium to provide a warm welcome Saturday night as they begin a five-game home stand. The Mountaineers will host Michigan in another difficult nonconference tilt.

Volleyball to Host Gold & Blue Players Challenge - WVU Athletics
The Mountaineers (10-1) face Liberty (1-9) on Friday at 1 p.m., and Georgetown (6-5) at 6:30 p.m., then battle with UMBC (7-4) on Sunday at 1 p.m.

The WVUsportsBuzz - WVU Athletics
A preview of this week's Varsity sports action.

News of Note:

Game Preview: Maryland - WVSports.com
West Virginia's (2-1, 0-1) matchup with border rival Maryland (3-0) often serves as an early season measuring stick for both programs, and this season that will ring especially true as the two teams prepare to square off at B&T Stadium Saturday afternoon.

Absolute Zero - WVU Athletics
Mountaineers will need to protect their young QB on Saturday.

Pressure: Deduction and Reduction - BGN
Maryland has generated a nation-best 14 sacks under coordinator Brian Stewart. How do the Mountaineers go about countering the rush?

Holgorsen won't give up on screen passes - Charleston Daily Mail
If something works, the West Virginia coach believes in doing it again. That makes the opposite true as well, and he'll abandon something if it doesn't work, though with one exception.

Steady in the line of fire - Charleston Gazette
Holgorsen liked how Childress stood up to pressure

Ford Childress instilling confidence in West Virginia Mountaineers - ESPN
A week after getting the surprise start, redshirt freshman Ford Childress will try to get the West Virginia offense humming again this weekend in a key nonconference battle against Maryland in Baltimore.

WVU senior lineman lends a hand in freshman QB's debut - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
One is a fifth-year senior, the other a redshirt freshman.

WVU offense still working out kinks in passing game - Daily Athenaeum
“There’s always room to grow, always room for improvement,” said senior wide receiver Ivan McCartney. “We’re just going to go out there day by day and keep improving.”

Terps look to pressure WVU on defense, offense - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Maryland linebacking duo leads nation in sacks

WVU to face strong defensive corp - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Facing an extremely strong pass rush, WVU quarterback Ford Childress knows protection will be at a premium when the two teams renew their border battle

Mountaineers WR Myers still has passion for baseball - Times West Virginian
Myers was a pretty good baseball player in Jacksonville, Fla., but decided to concentrate on football to earn his way through college.

Nick Kwiatkoski: What's in a Name? - WVillustrated
Sophomore linebacker is WVU's top defender right now, but the more his name is spoken, the less anyone knows how to pronounce it.

Furfari: Maryland favored to end slide vs. WVU - Register-Herald
Edsall, who’s 0-2 against WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen, is expected to have his charges fired up and well prepared to knock off the younger, less-experienced Mountaineers.

WVU renews rivalry with Terps - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
Those classic rivalries of years gone by have gone by the wayside with West Virginia University's move to the more midwestern Big 12 Conference.

Terrapin coach has had little success against WVU - Register-Herald
Maryland head coach Randy Edsall knows West Virginia well. That doesn’t mean he enjoys playing the Mountaineers.

Terps’ Diggs has Mountaineers attention - Parkersburg News and Sentinel
"He's probably a little better at downfield play than Tavon. Tavon didn't have just the downfield potential. His thing was to get the ball and go score."

Mountaineers Set to Meet Familiar Face in MD's Deon Long - WVillustrated
Terps receiver initially signed with WVU before transferring and ultimately landing at Maryland.

Maryland-WVU quotes of the week: Blitzes, border war and recruiting - WV MetroNews
With cameras rolling and mics recording, enjoy the top quotes leading up to WVU-Maryland.

Opposing view: Edsall has Maryland on the mend - WV MetroNews
MetroNews chats with Dave Lomonico of Terrapins Times for some intel on the Maryland program.

Three Questions - BGN
TurtleSportsReport.com and BlueGoldNews.com traded questions and answers on some of the top factors in Saturday's West Virginia - Maryland game.

BGN Video: Offense - BGN
Smith, Childress and Shorts

Recruiting:

A WVU recruit, rivalries and a potential Tech AD candidate - Charleston Gazette
But Devante Averette, also a three-star linebacker, appears to be one to watch as the football season progresses.

Pro News:

Gyorko with big week in return to PNC Park - WV MetroNews
Former Mountaineer winding down his rookie season on a high note.

HERTZEL COLUMN: Rasheed Marshall makes transition from field to booth - Times West Virginian
“It wasn’t as easy as I thought,” he said of his first experience.

Around the League (and Beyond):

A Game-By-Game Preview Of Saturday's Games - Big 12 Conference

Bears ready for Round 2 with Louisiana-Monroe - Waco Tribune

Notebook: Second early bye week to pay dividends for Cyclones - Cyclone Fanatic

KU shuffles O-line to overhaul toughness, not chemistry - Lawrence Journal World

Kansas State tries not to get caught up in Texas’ troubles - Wichita Eagle

Bye Week Blues | What The Stats Say About Oklahoma's Offense - Crimson And Cream Machine

Stat watch: Oklahoma State's Josh Stewart tied for fourth in nation in punt return average, other notable categories - Oklahoman

Inside the Numbers: Kansas State - Burnt Orange Nation

TCU Football Quarterly Report: The First Quarter - Frogs O' War

Franchione, Bobcats hoping to find a little upset magic - Lubbock Avalanche Journal

College GameDay Kickoff: Week 4 - ESPN

What's On Tap:

Times listed on ESPN links here are for Saturday ET

West Virginia Mountaineers vs. Maryland Terrapins - ESPN
3:30 pm from M&T Bank Stadium on ESPNU/ESPN3. Terps are giving 6.5.

Louisiana Tech Bulldogs vs. Kansas Jayhawks - ESPN
Noon from Memorial Stadium on FS1. Jayhawks are giving 10.5.

Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks vs. (20) Baylor Bears - Preview - ESPN
4 pm from the Floyd on FS1. Bears are giving 29.

Texas State Bobcats vs. (25) Texas Tech Red Raiders - Preview - ESPN
7 pm from Jones AT&T on FSN affiliates. Raiders are giving 26.5.

Kansas State Wildcats vs. Texas Longhorns - Preview - ESPN
8 pm from DKR on ABC/ESPN3. Horns are giving 5.

College Football TV Schedule
All times listed in here are Central

Video of Interest:

With two touchdowns last weekend against the Georgia State Panthers, wide receiver Daikiel Shorts is looking to make a big impact this weekend against a strong Maryland Terrapin team in Baltimore, Md.