What I Think After “Surviving” Youngstown State

I think FCS opponents are a necessary evil

I know everyone would love to see three quality opponents. The Big Ten has gone as far as to ban Football Championship Subdivision teams from their members schedules. The problem with that type of assessment is that these FCS games with big schools net a big paycheck.

WVU paid the Youngstown State Penguins $500,000 to come to Morgantown, presumably lose, and not ask the Mountaineers to come play them in Ohio. It should be noted that FCS teams rely on these types of games to fund their entire athletic department. Take Northern Iowa for example. Iowa State and Iowa do not receive state subsidies while Northern Iowa does. Due to being cut off ”from television revenues of the Big Ten and Big 12, Northern Iowa cannot fund its athletic department and what that pays for without the state subsidies. That includes the payouts it receives from playing FBS teams.

Some fans may say “Yeah but if we can pay for Youngstown State to play here, why can’t we at least play Marshall?” Well ask Marshall. Members of the Group of 5 know that Power 5 teams don’t want to play at their stadiums. They use this information to their advantage, asking in excess of 1 million dollars to play a “one-and-done” game. WVU got off light last year when they had to pay Georgia Southern only $850,000.

I think I had flashbacks to Kevin White

Tell me you didn’t have a flashback to 2014 of Kevin White running behind Big 12 secondaries catching touchdowns with the dreads flowing. Ka’Raun showed off his speed and the way he catches the ball with his hands. We still haven’t seen Ka’Raun demonstrate the ability to box out defenders and use his body to shield everyone else away from the ball. That can come with time. If this catch is a precursor to the rest of the season, get ready to enjoy seeing another White brother enjoying an All-American type season.

I think the outcome is expected

Yes, WVU should have won by more. Winning by only 17 doesn’t seem like enough against an opponent who doesn’t even play FBS football. Human nature still exists in football, especially with 18-22 year old kids.

These players have spent the last 4+ months focusing on Missouri. That has been their single focus and then that game has come and gone. Now they have to get up for the Youngstown State Penguins? It just doesn’t have the same appeal. And you can look around the state of college football and see that other schools are struggling with the same scenario. Oklahoma State “failed” to put away Central Michigan. Baylor was tied with SMU at halftime.

I think I really liked the McKoy touchdown

One of the things that has frustrated me the most with Dana and the offense has been the lack of creative plays. I can turn on highlights every week and see some offensive coordinator design a play that results in a player being left alone by the defense. Rolling sweeps with a backside throwback to a fullback. A double reverse with a QB toss. Something that results in a player being 20 yards behind the defense. But I haven’t seen that with WVU. Until Saturday. On Saturday we saw WVU stack receivers, run a screen play but allow McKoy to run a streak. The entire defense bit on the screen. This play may never result in McKoy running free again but now they have to honor it.

I think I really hate early bye weeks

We just played two football games and we already have a bye week? I am definitely not a fan. I would much prefer to have a football game this weekend.