The Shotgun/Throwdown (12/31/18): West Virginia “not inclined” to enrich Holgorsen’s contract, despite Houston rumors

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

Football

As Houston rumors swirl, WVU not inclined to enrich Holgorsen’s contract | WV MetroNews
Dana Holgorsen has a contract at West Virginia that expires after the 2021 season. He could have a six-year fully guaranteed offer waiting in Houston, which partially explains why the head coach of a Power Five program would consider the atypical move of stepping down to one of college football’s mid-majors.

WVU recruiting: Signees earn USA Today All-State nods | Charleston Gazette-Mail
The postseason is flush with awards handed out to high school football players around the country, but one should catch the eye of fans more than others – the USA Today All-State teams.

For West Virginia seniors — and maybe one junior — a painful ending | WV MetroNews
It is the finite nature of college football that accounts for its heightened emotion. For each individual player, the window is always four years. Sometimes less.

Basketball

Out of the doghouse, Ahmad delivers late against Lehigh | WV MetroNews
In his own words, Esa Ahmad said he could have very easily shut it down and taken his benching last week personally.

Bolden's 22 Lifts West Virginia Over Lehigh | West Virginia University Athletics
Beetle Bolden came off the bench to score a career-high 22 points and Esa Ahmad added 21 to lift West Virginia to a 78-68 victory over Lehigh here at the WVU Coliseum this afternoon.

WVU Downs Niagara in Nonconference Finale | West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia University women's basketball team used a 37-point first quarter to jump out to a big lead in a wire-to-wire, 84-32 win over visiting Niagara on Saturday afternoon at the WVU Coliseum.

West Virginia Athletics

WVU Upsets No. 20 NDSU at South Beach Duals | West Virginia University Athletics
Snapping a six-match losing streak, the West Virginia University wrestling team posted a 1-1 showing in the final day of the South Beach Duals on Sunday, held at the Broward County Convention Center, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The Mountaineers (2-7, 2-1 Big 12) picked up a 19-17 victory over No. 20 North Dakota State (5-3, 2-2 Big 12) before dropping a 23-20 match to No. 13 Purdue (3-4, 0-1 Big Ten).

Around the NCAA

Miami’s Mark Richt retires as head coach after just three seasons | SBNation
The Hurricanes finished the 2018 season with a 7-6 record.

Miami hiring undefeated Temple head coach Manny Diaz | SBNation
Diaz will become the fifth consecutive Temple coach to leave the Owls for a Power 5 job, except unlike his predecessors, he never actually coached Temple.

Manny Diaz must finally assemble the all-Canes coaching staff | SBNation
Everyone jokes about this every time Miami hires a new head coach. It’s time to actually make it happen.

In one of CFB’s chalkiest years since the 1970s, Bama-Clemson IV was inevitable | SBNation
We get the (probably awesome) national title game we always knew we were getting.

2019 NFL mock draft: The Cardinals are on the clock | SBNation
The choice for Arizona at No. 1 is easy. After that the first round is wide open.

Which NFL teams clinched the final playoff spots in Week 17 — and how? | SBNation
The Colts, Eagles, and Ravens made it in. The Steelers, Titans, and Vikings didn’t.

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