Botched Coverage Proved Costly For West Virginia vs. Kansas State

Things again looked right for West Virginia Saturday afternoon. A deficit from the third quarter was now part of the past, and a fifth straight win was less than a quarter away...

By Michael Miller@yall_walker Dec 7, 2015, 10:18am EST

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

Football:

For WVU, kick return, botched coverage proved costly vs. Kansas State | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Things again looked right for West Virginia Saturday afternoon. A deficit from the third quarter was now part of the past, and a fifth straight win was less than a quarter away.

Hurting and hobbled, Howard couldn’t capitalize on keepers | WV MetroNews
For Skyler Howard, gutsy but gimpy was not a winning combination.

Secondary couldn’t cover K-State’s Burton on crucial throws | WV MetroNews
Kansas State kept up its reputation for plugging away at the run game, yet awoke the sellout crowd with a second-half 77-yard touchdown pass to Deante Burton on Saturday.

WVU to see familiar faces in Cactus Bowl vs. Arizona State | Charleston Gazette-Mail
When West Virginia plays Arizona State in the Cactus Bowl on Jan. 2, there will be familiar faces all around Chase Field.

West Virginia draws Cactus Bowl bid | Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
With just the second sentence of his opening remarks about West Virginia's selection for the Cactus Bowl in Phoenix, coach Dana Holgorsen addressed an undeniable downside of the Mountaineers' Jan. 2 matchup against Arizona State.

WVU off to the desert again | Beckley Register-Herald
It will be a new year before West Virginia University hits the football field again, but after a difficult conclusion to the regular season on Saturday, the Mountaineers have one last chance to finish out the 2015 season on a high note.

Basketball:

Williams, defense roll through Kennesaw State | The Daily Athenaeum
Behind Kennesaw State’s (2-8) 31 turnovers and a trio of stellar offensive performances, 20th-ranked WVU (7-0) secured its seventh-straight victory in 87-54 fashion.

WVU’s Defense Thwarts Fairleigh Dickinson | WVU Athletics
Mountaineers roll past Knights for fourth consecutive win.

West Virginia Athletics:

Sturges gets first WVU win on weekend road swing | The Daily Athenaeum
The win over RIT gave head coach AJ Sturges his first career win with the Mountaineers.

WVU Successful at 2015 Winter Airgun Championships | WVU Athletics
Senior Garrett Spurgeon and freshman Ginny Thrasher of the No. 1-ranked West Virginia University rifle team earned top-10 finishes at the USA Shooting Winter Airgun Championships, held today at the Olympic Training Center, in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Around The Big 12:

The Big Ten is blocking the Big 12's championship game effort, could spark new conference realignment | SBNation
This effort ran into some trouble.

Oklahoma Sooners To Play Clemson Tigers In College Playoff | Crimson And Cream Machine
Selection Sunday has come and the wait is finally over! On New Year's Eve the No. 4 Oklahoma Sooners travel to Miami, Florida to take part in the national semi-final against the Clemson Tigers.

Sugar Bowl 2015: Oklahoma State vs Ole Miss - Third Time's The Charm | Cowboys Ride For Free
0-2 Against this team all time, maybe third times the charm

The #17 Baylor Bears are headed to the Russell Athletic Bowl vs. #10 North Carolina | Our Daily Bears
Clear your schedules for December 29, when the Bears will be in Orlando, Florida to face the high-flying UNC Tar Heels.

It's Official: TCU Will Face Oregon in the Valero Alamo Bowl | Frogs O' War
TCU winds up exactly where we thought they would, against exactly who we thought they'd play.

Texas Tech vs LSU in Advocare Texas Bowl | Viva The Matadors
The Red Raiders take on #20 LSU in Houston on Dec 29

Around The NCAA:

2015 College Football Bowl Schedule | SBNation
Your one-stop College Football 2015 bowl schedule with picks and more.

2015-2016 college football bowl watchability rankings, according to the numbers | SBNation
Some bowls are more watchable than others. Let science rank all 40 games and tell you which you least want to miss.

Every College Football Playoff team had a weird, inexplicable moment that helped it make the field | SBNation
A lot of teams COULD'VE been in the College Football Playoff. But in weird moments, things broke for the four in the bracket. And that's why college football is the best sport on earth.

WVU lands highly rated junior college cornerback | Charleston Gazette-Mail
West Virginia coaches got on the road early Sunday and their first stop yielded big results when Dodge City (Kansas) Community College cornerback Elijah Battle pledged to the Mountaineers.

Cornerback pledge begins WVU’s late-cycle emphasis on jucos | WV MetroNews
Two-star cornerback Elijah Battle’s commitment Sunday became the first in a series of junior-college recruits anticipated to join West Virginia’s rebuilding defense.

WVU football staff plans big week of recruiting visits | Charleston Gazette-Mail
Now that West Virginia’s regular season has come to an end, the Mountaineer coaches will turn their focus to recruiting over the next two weeks. The new contact period started last Monday, but preparations for Kansas State limited what the staff could do. With no obligations for a game this weekend or next, the staff will be spread out across the country in full force.