Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions. We're being brought to you today by Boulevard Brewing's Tank 7 Farmhouse Ale.
What You May Have Missed:
West Virginia travelblog: The Mountaineers are hospitable - Oklahoman
OU fans touted the good reception they received Saturday night at Milan Puskar Stadium.
Mountaineers prepared to enter Big 12 play - Daily Athenaeum
The Mountaineers have won consecutive Big 12 regular season championships and have lost just two of the 20 conference games they’ve played since their move from the Big East.
Men’s Soccer Completes Road Swing at JMU - WVU Athletics
WVU will travel to take on James Madison on Tuesday.
Abam Named Athlete of the Week - WVU Athletics
Varsity Sports Report
News of Note:
Opportunities were there in losses for Mountaineers - Charleston Daily Mail
"It doesn’t seem like we’re really able to get the — I guess the right word would be ‘understanding’ — of when it’s time to put the throttle down and get momentum back."
WVU special teams not earning highest grade - Charleston Gazette
"That one, because that was so devastating, you’d have to give special teams a negative.’’
Hickman: Finishing games key for WVU - Charleston Gazette
"I don’t know, maybe we’re the third-best team in the country,’’ Dana Holgorsen said Monday, tongue firmly planted (we think) in cheek. "Who knows?’’
Football Notebook - WVU Athletics
WVU has faced No. 1 and No. 2 in this week's ESPN Power Rankings.
10 Amazing College Football Stats from Week 4 in the Big 12 - AthlonSports.com
5: Yards Clint Trickett is shy of matching his 2013 total
9: Kevin White's fewest receptions in a game this season
Holgorsen talks WVU bye week, Travis Bell - BGN
After four weeks in which it played two of the best teams in college football, the West Virginia football team is getting a bye week at about the right time.
Bell’s status unsure after Holgorsen says cornerback ‘took a week off’ - WV MetroNews
The fifth-year senior, reinstated during preseason after two arrests, was not dressed for Saturday's loss to Oklahoma.
Bell's status unknown at present - Exponent Telegram
Hertzel's Notebook
Big 12 Teleconference: Holgorsen Upbeat Heading into Bye Week - WVillustrated
WVU Head Football Coach Dana Holgorsen talked with the media on Monday morning, highlighting the upcoming bye week for the Mountaineers.
Holgorsen's Take: Big 12 Teleconference - WVSports.com
While the Mountaineers haven't sustained many long-term injuries the roster is relatively beat up, as is most teams in the country after four games, but this week will allow them to get healthy and prepare for another home game against Kansas Oct. 4.
WVU’s ‘D’ Ready For Bye Week - Intelligencer / Wheeling News-Register
Tony Gibson admitted his unit didn’t play its best football against No. 4 Oklahoma.
The Takeaway: Weekly replay show dives deeper into WVU-Oklahoma - WV MetroNews
Allan Taylor and Garrett Cullen break down the Mountaineers' loss and the raging bull that was Samaje Perine.
Sooners leave strong impression on Rose - Exponent Telegram
WVU defensive lineman Kyle Rose was straightforward in his assessment of Oklahoma’s win on Saturday, but he still believes his team has a lot of things it can achieve.
Not finishing a disappointment for WVU - Exponent Telegram
The Mountaineers possess a pair of victories and a pair of defeats, with the defeats somehow being more impressive than the victories, which makes it truly hard to gauge just how good this WVU team is or can be.
Oklahoma proves WVU needs to be more consistent - Register Herald
Expectations obviously were at the young season’s peak pitch Saturday for West Virginia University’s Big 12 home opener against No. 4 nationally-ranked Oklahoma.
Oklahoma run game proves too much - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
West Virginia notebook
WVU run defense leaves team unable to pull off upsets of nation’s top contenders - Daily Athenaeum
West Virginia’s 45-33 loss to No. 4 Oklahoma Saturday night proved where the Mountaineers stand among the Big 12 Conference’s elite.
Two victories are awaiting WVU - Times West Virginian
As long as West Virginia University’s special teams continue to play on only four cylinders, or perhaps five or six, the West Virginia Mountaineers will continue to sputter at times in big games, and those special-teams lapses will continue to haunt them.
Who are these Mountaineers? - Register Herald
Four weeks into the 2014 football season, we still don’t know a whole lot about this year’s West Virginia football team.
Wearing The Jersey - Nick Kwiatkoski - WVU Athletics
Watch as redshirt junior linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski discussed his adjustments this off-season in this week's edition of Wearing the Jersey
Big 12 Power Rankings: Week 5 - FOX Sports
5. West Virginia (2-2, 0-1)
Big 12 FPI rankings: Week 4 - Big 12 Blog - ESPN
Here's how they and the rest of the Big 12 stack up entering Week 5.
Recruiting:
Cole On Board With WVU - BGN
Call them the Mountaineer-Patriots. West Virginia added yet another football verbal commitment in the Class of 2015 when Tyrek Cole of Miramar High School added his name to the WVU roster.
Rivals250 CB Cole commits to WVU - WVSports.com
Cole becomes the fifth four-star prospect to select West Virginia in this recruiting cycle and the fifth overall player from Miramar to commit to the Mountaineers in the class of 2015.
Cole Island Coming to Morgantown - EerSports
West Virginia added a huge commitment on Monday night, as Miramar (FL) cornerback Tyrek Cole pledged to the Mountaineers.
Big 12 recruiting scorecard - ESPN
Here’s the latest around the Big 12 on the recruiting trail this week
Pro News:
Early INT, miscues doom Geno Smith and the Jets on Monday night - WVU Pros
In the New York Jets first of three nationally televised games this season, they showed they are like a nearby Lorne Michaels’ creation: not quite ready for prime-time players.
Around the League (and Beyond):
Baylor’s Petty anxious to see full arsenal of options at WR - Waco Tribune
The Measuring Stick - Wide Right & Natty Lite
Kansas vs. Central Michigan: Do You Really Feel Any Better? - Rock Chalk Talk
Cats picking up the pieces after loss - Manhattan Mercury
Reports | Baker Mayfield Ruled Eligible To Play For The Oklahoma Sooners - Crimson And Cream Machine
Cowboys roll with QB changes - Oklahoman (autoplay)
Suspended Texas players won't return for Kansas game - Burnt Orange Nation
Game Week: TCU @ SMU - Frogs O' War
Red Raiders start anew -- again -- with Smith in charge of defense - Lubbock Avalanche Journal
What's On Tap:
Kansas Game to Kick at 4 p.m. - WVU Athletics
Game to air on Fox Sports Net.
Root Sports prepares for Pitt/WVU telecast overlap - Pittsburgh Tribune Review
West Virginia plays Kansas at home in a 4 p.m. Big 12 game, and Pitt visits Virginia in the ACC at 7:30 p.m.
Video of Interest:
Let's cover the stadium in gold on October 4th against Kansas! Get your United Way/Gold Rush t-shirt at various locations around Morgantown through October 4th. For a list of sale locations visit unitedway.wvu.edu. Proceeds go to the United Way Campaign.
Video of (Dis)Interest:
Miss Throwdown:
Today's Miss Throwdown was Playboy's Miss October 2013. CLICK HERE for today's gallery of Carly Lauren.