West Virginia's Loss At Maryland In 2013 A Turning Point For The Program

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Football:

2013 loss at Maryland was turning point for WVU | Charleston Gazette-Mail
The damage done on Sept. 21, 2013, took time to repair. West Virginia football incurred serious wounds that day, and some took longer to mend than others.

Defensive effort was focal point during off week | Charleston Gazette-Mail
West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson was as disappointed following the Sept. 12 win against Liberty as he is after losses, and he wasn’t about to let his players sneak away into a week without a game.

WVU-Maryland pass-defense rankings prove sacks aren’t necessarily tell-tale | WV MetroNews
Maryland nearly leads the nation in sacks yet ranks near the bottom of the FBS in pass-efficiency defense. West Virginia has scarcely touched the quarterback through two games yet stands as a top-15 unit against the pass. So much for stats making sense.

O'Toole says WVU needs to make Likely uncomfortable | The Exponent Telegram
A year ago, when West Virginia beat Maryland, 40-37, there was only one kick that was remembered, that being Josh Lambert’s walk-off field goal of 47 yards that gave WVU a victory that avenged the previous year’s 37-0 thrashing in the rain in Baltimore.

WVU special teams tasked with tracking down speedy Likely | The Daily Athenaeum
As the West Virginia University football team prepares to face the Maryland Terrapins this weekend, the Mountaineers will have their eyes on stopping a player who has hurt them badly in the past: junior return man William Likely.

West Virginia looking to get running back Shell back on track | Pittsburgh Tribune Review
When junior running back Rushel Shell averaged 2.5 yards per carry in West Virginia's second game of the season, coach Dana Holgorsen suggested Shell was "second-guessing" himself.

Meadows the unsung hero of WVU's special teams in Liberty win | The Exponent Telegram
Bet you didn’t notice Nick Meadows when West Virginia beat Liberty in its last game. No, he didn’t take your ticket or sell you your beer. He started for West Virginia.

From the AD's Desk: Saturday Should be Exciting | WVU Athletics
Saturday should be an exciting day for Mountaineer sports fans.

Basketball:

Basketball Season Tips With Gold-Blue Debut | WVU Athletics
West Virginia University will tip off the 2015-16 men’s basketball season with the Gold-Blue Debut presented by Coke Zero on Saturday, Oct. 24, at 7 p.m., at the WVU Coliseum. Admission to the event is free with gates opening at 6 p.m.

West Virginia Athletics:

No. 4 WVU flying high heading into Big 12 conference play | The Daily Athenaeum
Hopes are high for the No. 4 West Virginia University women’s soccer team (9-1) going into Big 12 conference play. The Mountaineers ended their non-conference schedule with nine wins and a single loss early on to Virginia Tech.

Around The Big 12:

Big 12 football: Freshmen with misconduct history could be banned | SI.com
The Big 12 is considering instituting a policy of banning schools from accepting freshmen athletes with histories of violent misconduct, league commissioner Bob Bowlsby announced.

Tramel: Espionage returns to Big 12 football | News OK
Espionage has resurfaced in the Big 12. If it ever left. Coaching is a paranoid profession, but just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean everyone’s not out to get you.

Oklahoma State hopes to revive takeaway trend for Big 12 title push | ESPN
Recent history suggests that when the Cowboys force turnovers they are contenders. Last weekend they got seven. Can they keep it up against Texas?

Quarterback Patrick Mahomes galvanizing Texas Tech Red Raiders | ESPN
After taking the option pitch, DeAndre Washington saw Arkansas safety Rohan Gaines barreling down on him. But as Washington made his cut to try to slip through, Texas Tech quarterback Patrick Mahomes flashed in front of him and laid Gaines out. Two plays later, the Red Raiders were in the end zone for their first touchdown, setting the tone for their stunning 35-24 victory in Fayetteville on Saturday.

Baylor Bears in spotlight again after controversial sideline incident | Campus Rush
When Baylor assistant Jeff Lebby got caught violating NCAA rules by watching Oklahoma's game against Tulsa in Norman last Saturday from the Golden Hurricane's sideline, the incident prompted reactions fluctuating from outrage to protestations of innocence.

Around The NCAA:

T.W.I.S., in which Auburn fans want to replace Gus Malzahn with ... no ... NO ... | SBNation
This time in our weekly roundup of the Internet's angriest college football fans, Arkansas and South Carolina fans are sad enough to trade coaches, and HEY EVERYBODY, ALABAMA LOST.

COLLEGE FOOTBALL GAMBLING: Tennessee, Texas Tech and Week 4's 15 other best bets | SBNation
It's time to pick only the best wagers from the weekend schedule.

Solid Verbal: The ranked college football teams most likely to be upset in Week 4 | SBNation
Ty and Dan review their picks, locks, and upsets of Week 4's college football action.

Making football safe enough will be awkward and hard. We have to do it anyway. | SBNation
For a long time, I've had enough Big Thoughts regarding football and CTE that I wanted to write a Big Piece about it. But as with so many others -- fans, writers, players, coaches -- I haven't known where to begin.

Notre Dame wouldn't be the first team to make the Playoff with a former 3rd-string QB | SBNation
The No. 6 Irish are weathering an early storm of injuries and beat one of the toughest opponents on their schedule. How far can they go?

Geno Smith cleared for action, might be backup this week | ProFootballTalk
The Jets have made it clear that Ryan Fitzpatrick will remain their starter, but Geno Smith might be back in uniform this week.

Geno Smith of New York Jets returns to full practice ahead of schedule | ESPN
Six weeks after his jaw was broken by a teammate's fist, Geno Smith was cleared by doctors and returned to full practice ahead of schedule Wednesday for the New York Jets.

Today's Miss Throwdown is a beauty who has done some work for Playboy in the past. CLICK HERE for Abigail Ratchford's Instagram.