West Virginia Seniors Reflective Before Home Finale

Senior-week nostalgia abounds at West Virginia, with 20 of them preparing to play their final home game at Mountaineer Field. Because that collection includes 16 players with starting experience, this will be a substantial sendoff.

By Michael Miller@michaelmillerWV Nov 26, 2015, 8:41am EST

Welcome, By-Godders, to the Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU's best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor and daily distractions.

Football:

Substantial senior class grows reflective before home finale | WV MetroNews
Senior-week nostalgia abounds at West Virginia, with 20 of them preparing to play their final home game at Mountaineer Field. Because that collection includes 16 players with starting experience, this will be a substantial sendoff.

WVU defense continues to set goals high | The Exponent Telegram
Late in the Saturday’s game at Kansas, victory and bowl eligibility well in-hand, Tony Gibson was still furiously coaching his third-teamers, trying to preserve the blanking.

Kagavi: Robot Cy Meets West Virginia | Wide Right & Natty Lite
WRNL is proud to present nine weekly articles from Kagavi leading up to the official release of The Adventures of Robot Cy, a fictional 8-bit video game trailer that never was.

Q&A: West Virginia QB Skyler Howard rebounds from winless October | ESPN
Skyler Howard has tuned out the criticism and focused on his team, and the Mountaineers have turned things around.

Words from Aaliyah keep WVU’s Sharif on path to prove himself | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Khairi Sharif was 5 years old, and his life was about to change. His mother was driving them back to their home in Houston after a karate tournament when a song by Aaliyah came on the radio. The chorus hit and Rachel Solomon glanced over at Khairi and sang to her son.

Basketball:

WVU hoops team rolling dice in Vegas | Charleston Gazette-Mail
By entering the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational, WVU basketball coach Bob Huggins gambled on his team faring well in Sin City. Forget tough odds on the tables. The Mountaineers will find tough teams there.

Paige making impact off bench for WVU | The Exponent Telegram
Much is always made at West Virginia about the pregame trip down the carpet when the starting lineups are introduced for the Mountaineers.

Carey wins 300th game at WVU | The Exponent Telegram
The West Virginia University women’s basketball team cruised to a 68-50 victory over Grand Canyon at the McCarthey Athletic Center in the third day of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame Women’s Challenge. Tuesday’s victory gave coach Mike Carey his 300th career win at WVU.

Around The Big 12:

Big 12's Bowlsby talks important issues in college sports | The Exponent Telegram
One of the most powerful individuals in college athletics sat quietly in the press box at Mountaineer Field last Saturday prior to the West Virginia’s football game against Texas.

Baylor QB Jarrett Stidham out for the regular season with broken ankle | Our Daily Bears
It's the Chris Johnson show now, everyone.

KnowDan's Korner: Be Thankful for Rhoads | Wide Right & Natty Lite
Iowa State may be moving on from Paul Rhoads but he has left an indelible mark on the program that we should all be thankful for.

Charlie Strong knows Texas was outcoached on its way to 4-6 | ESPN
Coach Charlie Strong's Longhorns, who could start eight freshmen Thursday against Texas Tech, have struggled to find consistency this season.

Why the Texas Longhorns rebuilding effort is progressing slowly for Charlie Strong | Burnt Orange Nation
The mess Strong inherited from his predecessor was always going to take several years to clean up.

How Cowboys and Sooners became Bedlam buddies off field | ESPN
More than a dozen Cowboys and Sooners on both sides of the Bedlam rivalry have grown to be very good friends.

Around The NCAA:

This Week In Schadenfreude is absolutely nothing but enraged Ohio State fans | SBNation
Usually, this column tours the country for the angriest college football fans from all over. This week, it's nothing but Buckeyes from top to bottom.

Everything you possibly need to know about rivalry week, from the Iron Bowl to Bedlam | SBNation
Your team's got something special to play for, whether it's a national title shot and state bragging rights or just the chance to end your season on a winning note. Here's the guide to every game, with stats and emojis.

Not having a Big 12 title game could actually help Oklahoma, and 3 other Playoff ranking takeaways | SBNation
Elsewhere, Clemson has actual incentive to keep pushing for the No. 1 spot, almost half the top 25 is still in the Playoff hunt, and Jeff Long's explanation for Oklahoma at No. 3 is his worst yet.

Alabama DC Kirby Smart the 'frontrunner' for South Carolina job, per report | SBNation
Fox Sports' Bruce Feldman reports that the architect behind the Alabama defense is South Carolina's top choice for head coach.

SHUTDOWN FULLCAST 3.35: THE RIVALRY WEEK EDITION | Every Day Should Be Saturday
BUYOUT SEASON 2: THE LEVERAGING, AVAILABLE ON THE STREETS NOW

After lengthy surgery, Bailey now in ICU | St. Louis Post-Dispatch
Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey underwent lengthy surgery in the Miami area for gunshot wounds, and remained hospitalized Wednesday in intensive care.

St. Louis Rams practice with hopeful outlooks on Stedman Bailey | ESPN
As Stedman Bailey went through surgery a day after being shot in the head, the Rams went through practice with the receiver fully on their minds.

RIchmond Spiders vs (22) West Virginia Mountaineers
West Virginia basketball fans are going to get a better read on the 22nd-ranked Mountaineers this week as WVU travels to Las Vegas for a pair of Thanksgiving break games at Orleans Arena to conclude the 2015 Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic.