William Crest Concentrating On Backup Quarterback Role, In A Position Battle With Chris Chugunov

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

Football:

William Crest's days as a quarterback-running back-receiver seem to be finished. West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen said at a news conference Tuesday the redshirt sophomore is concentrating on his original position and competing with redshirt freshman Chris Chugunov to be the team's backup quarterback.

Jovon Durante's transition from outside receiver to the slot seems full-go, and West Virginia coaches want to ensure their most dynamic athlete stays full-speed as he learns the nuances of a new position.

Amid distorted crowd noise blaring from overhead speakers, West Virginia ran two hurry-up possessions during Tuesday evening's half-hour media viewing session. While it represented only a snapshot of the complete practice, the offensive results were paltry: Two sacks, two dropped passes, one illegal procedure flag and zero first downs.

Jeremy Tyler came to West Virginia four years ago from Martin Luther King High in Lithonia, Georgia, with the hopes of becoming the Mountaineers' next great free safety. But soon he was shipped off to spur safety to back up KJ Dillon when WVU had depth issues there, and then later to bandit safety where he played behind Karl Joseph and then Jarrod Harper last season. And when Harper was on the mend last spring recovering from offseason shoulder surgery, it was Tyler who manned the bandit safety position.

They are four players who arrived at West Virginia at four different times and from four different places, but what sets them apart is what brings them together. Nana Kyeremeh, Rasul Douglas, Antonio Crawford and Maurice Fleming are fighting for starting jobs and playing time at cornerback. Kyeremeh has been with WVU since 2012. Douglas is a junior college transfer. Crawford is a Division I transfer. Fleming is a graduate transfer. They're all fifth-year seniors who know they don't have another chance to get what they want and have never had.

West Virginia Athletics:

The Big 12 Conference, ESPN and FOX Sports announced this morning that five league soccer contests will be telecast on ESPNU and FOX Sports Regional Networks (FSN) during the 2016 campaign. The No. 6-ranked and four-time reigning Big 12 Conference regular-season champion West Virginia University women's soccer team will be featured in three of these telecasts, including two home matches at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium.

Around The Big XII:

BYU's candidacy for inclusion in an expanded Big 12 Conference encountered a new, but not altogether unsurprising obstacle on Monday. As first reported by FOX Sports, 25 LGBTQ advocacy groups have written a letter to Big 12 administrators, urging the conference not to include BYU in its expansion plans because of concerns that the school "actively and openly discriminates against its LGBT students and staff."

Oklahoma's Samaje Perine heads the list of the top 10 running backs in the Big 12 going into the season. West Virginia's Rushel Shell comes in at No. 7 according to ESPN.

Around The NCAA:

Art Briles has been out of football for less than three months after scandal at Baylor led to his departure, but he still has a hard time coming to grips that a season is starting without him on the sidelines.

Georgia fired Richt for only winning 10 games per year, so Kirby Smart better win 11 pretty soon. His first team has question marks at QB and in the trenches, but they could still make a serious East run.

Today's Miss Throwdown is a Brazilian model from California. CLICK HERE for Marina Mendes' Instagram.