The Shotgun/Throwdown (5/7/18): Vegas Predicts Another Seven Win Season For West Virginia

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

Football

Sportsbook projects WVU’s 2018 win total same as last season | WV MetroNews
Oddsmakers were spot-on in 2017 by forecasting West Virginia’s regular-season win total at seven. Now BetDSI unveiled the same projection for the Mountaineers in 2018.

WVU recruiting: Mountaineers aim to get back into Florida | Charleston Gazette-Mail
As far as new offers go, 2017 was the apex of Florida recruiting at West Virginia. The Mountaineers extended 92 offers in the Sunshine State that year, but the cycle was filled with drama, decommitments, eventual transfers, and more. When lead recruiter JaJuan Seider left for a job with the Florida Gators, the staff’s plan for recruiting in the state was clear – it’s time to move on. That is easier said than done, though.

WVU, UT Have a History - Just Not on the Gridiron | West Virginia Athletics
West Virginia and Tennessee will be playing for the first time ever when they meet at Bank America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, on Saturday, Sept. 1, but that doesn't mean there isn't some history between the two schools. Actually, the football history is a little more extensive than you might think and pretty one-sided in Tennessee's favor.

Charlotte's Belk College Weekend Gets a Country Kickoff | West Virginia Athletics
It might only be the beginning of May, but college football is already on the minds of many. The West Virginia University Mountaineers and University of Tennessee Volunteers are set to open their seasons at the Belk College Kickoff on September 1 at Bank of America Stadium. In celebration of the event, the Inaugural Belk College Kickoff Tailgate Concert will be held Friday, August 31 and will feature Brad Paisley with special guests Kane Brown and Davisson Brothers Band.

Ex-WVU football captain Elijah Wellman eager to run with Redskins | Charleston Gazette-Mail
As captain of West Virginia’s football team, Mountaineer fullback Elijah Wellman took great pride in carrying out the state flag each time West Virginia took the field for a game at Milan Puskar Stadium. While Wellman won’t be carrying the flag as he begins rookie mini-camp with the Washington Redskins, he will proudly take the state with him as he embarks on his future in the NFL.

Baseball

WVU Drops Finale at Kansas | West Virginia Athletics
The West Virginia University baseball team lost the final game of a three-game series at Kansas, 5-2 on Sunday afternoon in Lawrence, Kansas. The Mountaineers (24-21, 7-11 Big 12) were held to two runs on seven hits. The Jayhawks (22-25, 5-12 Big 12) scored five runs on eight hits while committing one error.

Around the Big 12

Drop-off in ticket sales for Kansas football since 2009 is alarming | Diehards
Kansas football hasn’t had it easy in recent years, and the ticket sales in Lawrence, Kan. are reflecting the ongoing struggle to produce a winning Jayhawks team on the gridiron.

Oklahoma superfan, WWE legend Jim Ross shares moving story about Baker Mayfield | Diehards
Legendary wrestling announcer Jim Ross told a heartwarming story about Baker Mayfield after the former Oklahoma quarterback was drafted No. 1 overall in the 2018 NFL Draft.

Texas lands Cal grad transfer RB Tre Watson | Burnt Orange Nation
Once again, the Longhorns have landed a likely day-one starter through the grad transfer market.

Around the NCAA

Scott Frost isn’t down with UCF national championship claim | SBNation
The former Knights coach said the real champ is the winner of the Playoff.

TODAY’S FBS TEAM PREVIEWS BY BILL C

As always, SB Nation’s Bill Connelly is working his way through every Division I FBS football team, from Georgia State to Alabama. Check out the teams Bill has already previewed by clicking HERE.

After a lost 2017, can Kalani Sitake make BYU *BYU* again? | SBNation
The Cougars lost their identity and collapsed to 4-9 last year. Can Sitake’s attempted culture change take root?

Now would be a really, really good time for UMass to be good at football | SBNation
Mark Whipple nearly engineered a UMass breakthrough in 2017 and returns almost all of last year’s stars. Now’s the time to show proof of concept.

NMSU fans will always have Tucson, but what’s next for Doug Martin’s Aggies? | SBNation
Hard jobs don’t get easier, and Doug Martin has a lot of work to do to keep pushing the Aggie program forward.

Ketucky Derby 2018 results: Justify wins first leg of Triple Crown | SBNation
The results of the 144th running of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday afternoon at Churchill Downs in Louisville.

The Warriors starting the Death Lineup in Game 4 means they’re ready to get serious | SBNation
Golden State is no longer messing around.

LeBron James has every basketball superpower imaginable | SBNation
The King’s completeness helps the Cavaliers keep winning.

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