Jaysean Paige Becomes A Reliable Option Off The Bench

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

Football:

Early look: Motel 6 Cactus Bowl -- Arizona State vs West Virginia | ESPN
West Virginia hopes to control the Motel 6 Cactus Bowl by relying on its strength on offense.

Playing in baseball stadium not an issue for Cactus Bowl | Beckley Register-Herald
West Virginia University football players and coaches don’t feel that playing at Chase Field — the 49,033-seat home of Major League Baseball’s Arizona Diamondbacks — will be much of an issue for the Mountaineers (7-5) in the Jan. 2 Cactus Bowl.

Basketball:

WVU’s Paige becomes a reliable option off bench | Charleston Gazette-Mail
By not traveling, Jaysean Paige has come a long way this season. The senior guard, now in his second season at West Virginia after spending the previous two years at separate junior colleges, was set to represent the Mountaineers at Big 12 media day in October with teammates Devin Williams and Jon Holton.

Paige's attitude as good as his game | The Exponent Telegram
To watch Jaysean Paige play basketball, especially when he’s as hot as he was in the first half of Monday night’s 84-59 victory over Eastern Kentucky, is a thing of beauty but terribly misleading.

Around The Big XII:

Oklahoma State Cowboys' quarterback plan for Sugar Bowl still unclear | ESPN
Will Mason Rudolph start for Oklahoma State against Ole Miss in the Allstate Sugar Bowl?

Around The NCAA:

Toledo beats Temple in Boca Raton Bowl after this controversial onside kick recovery | SBNation
The Rockets rode the passing game and a fortunate late call to a rain-soaked victory.

Former Michigan State Spartans coach Nick Saban was always seen as brilliant football mind | Campus Rush
Michigan State fans don't like Nick Saban, but they respect him for what he did with program in late '90s

Murray transfer points to serious issues for Sumlin, Texas A&M | SI.com
Kyler Murray is reportedly set to transfer from Texas A&M, becoming the second former five-star QB (after Kyle Allen) to leave the Aggies this month. The departures show that Kevin Sumlin has serious problems in need of fixing in College Station.

Huggins missing just one Christmas gift | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Twas the Tuesday before Christmas and WVU basketball coach Bob Huggins wasn’t in his house. He wasn’t in a warm, glowing cabin, sitting with his spouse. Nor was he in the woods somewhere, hunting a covey of grouse. "I’m recruiting," he said. "On my way to Ohio." Would you expect anything else?

Bridgeport’s Drummond, Bonamico on WVU preferred walk-on decisions | WV MetroNews
Bridgeport senior standouts Dante Bonamico and Elijah Drummond both accepted preferred walk-on opportunities over the past week with the Mountaineer football team, joining teammate Dylan Tonkery who accepted a scholarship offer last year from WVU.

Mountaineers in the Pros Update: Week 16 | WVU Athletics
Tavon Austin had a pair of touchdowns in the Rams’ 31-23 win over the Buccaneers in this weeks Mountaineers in the Pros update.

Rams' Stedman Bailey is already walking, a month after being shot twice in the head | Washington Post
We're not doctors over here, but it appears that St. Louis Rams wide receiver Stedman Bailey is recovering extremely well, taking "light jogs" just a month after being shot twice in the head. On Monday, he posted a video to Instagram with the proof.

Today's Miss Throwdown is an American fashion model, who has been rumored to be romantically linked with Justin Bieber. Give the Biebs another point for this one. CLICK HERE for Hailey Baldwin's Instagram.