Mountaineer Morning Links: Thursday (10/2/14) Edition

Kansas previews, new football commitment, varsity notes, WVU Pros updates, Big 12 roundup & more.

By WVUIE97@WVUIE97 Oct 2, 2014, 8:48am EDT

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What You May Have Missed:

Gold & Blue Now: Thursday, Oct. 2 - WV MetroNews
Clint Trickett explains how important the deep ball will be on Saturday against Kansas. We also hear from Kansas play-by-play analyst, Bob Davis as he gives us his outlook on the Jayhawks’ chances against WVU.

Holmes named Big 12 Preseason Player of the Year - WVU Athletics
“This a tremendous honor for Bria and the WVU women’s basketball program,” said head coach Mike Carey.

Volleyball Falls to Marshall on the Road - WVU Athletics
WVU closed out its nonconference slate with a 3-0 loss at Marshall.

Shorthanded WVU Falls at No. 13 New Mexico - WVU Athletics
Playing a man down for 89:44 of the match, the WVU men’s soccer team fell 6-1 at No. 13 New Mexico on Wednesday evening at the Lobo Soccer Complex.

Schwindel continues to overcome challenges throughout career - Daily Athenaeum
As conference play continues for the West Virginia women’s soccer team, one player is excited to be back on the field helping her team fight for another Big 12 title.

Huggins believes depth key for WVU hoops this season - Register Herald
When Bob Huggins looked down his bench last season, it wasn’t exactly a comforting feeling. The West Virginia University basketball coach had just eight players that averaged more than 15 minutes per game, and only five of those averaged more than seven points per outing. There just weren’t a lot of options.

News of Note:

Kansas Preview - WVU Athletics
Sometimes you have to dig deep to come up with a compelling storyline for a football game and other times the stories just write themselves.

Casazza: Third down key to WVU success - Charleston Daily Mail
This season, WVU (2-2, 0-1 Big 12) ranks No. 14 in conversions and is tied for No. 78 in stopping conversions.

Mountaineers preparing for surprises - Charleston Daily Mail
Casazza's Notebook

Solid In The Middle: Trickett, Orlosky On KU - BGN
Here, quarterback Clint Trickett and center Tyler Orlosky delve into the specifics of what makes the Jayhawks tick, and what the Mountaineers can do to counter.

WVU Assistants Analyze Keys For Saturday - BGN
Despite a slow start and difficult outings against Duke and Texas, Kansas is no slouch defensively, and - after last season's win in Lawrence - will not be afraid of matching up against West Virginia's offense.

Bryce Petty, Clint Trickett top Big 12 in QBR - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
Baylor’s Bryce Petty has carried last season’s excellence into this season while West Virginia’s Clint Trickett and Oklahoma’s Trevor Knight are among the conference’s most improved players.

Big 12 stat check: Week 6 - ESPN
If the season ended today, WVU receiver Kevin White would have a legit case in the All-America discussion.

FURFARI COLUMN: White has topped last year's numbers in first four games - Times West Virginian
West Virginia University wide receiver Kevin White likely set some sort of unkept record during the Mountaineers’ 2-2 season’s start.

Arkansas, West Virginia, and seven most improved Power 5 teams - FOX Sports
Athlon Sports lists the Power 5 conference's seven most improved teams, including Bret Bielema's Arkansas Razorbacks and the West Virginia Mountaineers squad led by QB Clint Trickett.

WVU out to impose its will against Jayhawks - Exponent Telegram
WVU likes to turn football games into track meets, more along the lines of Baylor than the way Alabama or Oklahoma, two teams who beat the Mountaineers, like to play.

Tackling an emphasis during WVU's bye week - Exponent Telegram
WVU Football Notebook

’Eers Eye Depth In Bye - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen used his team's bye week for a number of things, one being to evaluate depth.

Redshirt players impress Holgorsen during bye week - Daily Athenaeum
WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen said Week 5 gave some younger players another chance to show their progress thus far in the WVU system.

WVU ground game still a work in progress - Exponent Telegram
No matter how much football changes, the more it stays the same.

Are WVU special teams better than most think? - Register Herald
Since writing a column last week grading the West Virginia football team after the first four games of 2014, I’ve received a great deal of feedback regarding my grade of C for the WVU special teams.

WVU has edge on Jayhawks - Martinsburg Journal
On paper, Saturday's Big 12 contest between Kansas and West Virginia looks like a mismatch.

West Virginia defense wary of Kansas' potential for big plays - Bluefield Daily Telegraph
As West Virginia’s new defensive coordinator, Tony Gibson has seen the Mountaineers revert to their old habits of letting opponents get yards in chunks, and he said the potential for Kansas to produce big plays is real despite the Jayhawks’ struggles of late.

Special teams a rare plus for Kansas - Charleston Gazette
The Kansas team that West Virginia plays this weekend is a mess in more ways than one.

Hickman: Weis will land on his feet - Charleston Gazette
Cleaning out a crowded notebook and a cluttered mind while already missing Charlie Weis:

Recruiting:

WVU lands pledge from juco defensive end who signed with Louisville in 2012 - WV MetroNews
Larry Jefferson is a Rivals three-star prospect who also holds offers from K-State, Miami and Maryland.

Jefferson Credits Coaches for Commitment - EerSports
JUCO DE Larry Jefferson talks about his commitment to West Virginia.

Pro News:

Ryan Mundy enjoying best season of his career - WVU Pros
When Ryan Mundy was drafted in the 6th round of the 2008 NFL draft by the Pittsburgh Steelers, he may have been unsure if he'd ever find a starting role.

WVU Pros Diamond Report: Year In Review - WVU Pros
In the spirit of the start of the Major League Baseball postseason, today at WVU Pros we give you a final recap of all the alumni happenings on professional diamonds across the country.