The Shotgun/Throwdown (9/5/18): Will Grier takes over No. 1 spot in ESPN’s Heisman Watch

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

Football

2018 Heisman Watch: Bryce Love Out, Will Grier New No. 1
After the opening week of the season, ESPN has our boy leading the pack.

How Did Every Mountaineer Grade Out in Week One? | EerSports
Want a deeper look at how each individual Mountaineer performed in the win over Tennessee on Saturday? Well, as you can find only at EerSports, ProFootballFocus evaluated and graded every player on every snap. Here's a look at the top performers for West Virginia in Week One, per the scouts at PFF College.

WVU football: For starters, the Mountaineers liked what they saw | EerSports
WVU has never lost to a FCS team. Here's what the coaches and players had to say about being 1-0 and what it takes to move to 2-0.

Avery’s blitz hit also a smash in West Virginia’s film room | WV MetroNews
The iconic defensive image from a 40-14 win over Tennessee became a breakthrough for the senior safety who was slowed by injury last season.

WVU notebook: Shea Campbell the man at Sam | Charleston Gazette-Mail
When WVU’s latest depth chart was made available for Saturday’s Youngstown State game, redshirt freshman Exree Loe was listed No. 1 at the strong-side linebacker position.It was news because Morgantown native Shea Campbell, a former walk-on, received most of the snaps against Tennessee after the season-ending injury to Charlie Benton.In this case, however, Loe’s position on the depth chart was, well, fake news.

HERTZEL COLUMN: Bigelow has worked years for this opportunity | Times West Virginian
If dreams come true for those who put the most into them, then West Virginia nose guard Kenny Bigelow Jr. — or, judging by the way he played in Saturday’s opener against Tennessee, maybe it should be nose tackle instead of guard — should have a long and lucrative career in the National Football League.

WVU notebook: Stills brothers impress; linebacking corps thins | Times West Virginian
It was a good debut for WVU’s “Bruise Brothers,” Dante and Darius Stills, on the defensive line together in Saturday’s victory over Tennessee.

Mountaineers lucky punt-protection breakdown didn’t do more damage | WV MetroNews
After first punt of the season was blocked, special teams coach made personnel changes.

Holgorsen looks ahead to home opener against Youngstown State | WV News
Following its season-opening victory over Tennessee this past Saturday, West Virginia’s football squad gets the home portion of its schedule going this coming Saturday, as it hosts Youngstown State. The contest will kickoff at 6:00 p.m. and will be televised by AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh.

Basketball

Big 12 Unveils 2018-19 Women’s Basketball Slate | West Virginia Athletics
The Big 12 Conference released the 2018-19 league schedule on Tuesday, completing the season slate for the West Virginia women's basketball team.

Around the NCAA

THIS WEEK IN SCHADENFREUDE, a Michigan Man’s 1,600-word thesis links the Wolverines to the decline of the Midwest | SBNation
Plus: Miami fans tell it very much how it is. Maryland works with Big 12 refs to screw Texas. Would Belichick replace Herman? Braylon Edwards tweets through the pain, and FSU fans show the new coach all the patience he could ask for.

AND NOW, WE OVERREACT TO COLLEGE FOOTBALL’S WEEK 1 | SBNation
TO THE TAKES MACHINE!

130-team S&P+ rankings, in which Alabama once again rules the roost | SBNation
Freshly updated S&P+ rankings through the first week of the college football season.

What if teams battled over each others’ land? The College Football Empires Map after Week 1 | SBNation
The rules are explained below, we’ve already had huge chunks of land change hands, and we also have a continuation of 2017’s map.

NFL Panic Index 2018: What are the Raiders even doing? | SBNation
Welcome to Week 1, when we don’t know how much longer Carson Wentz will be out, and Le’Veon Bell and Earl Thomas are still MIA.

Retiring Ryan Howard is MLB’s true single-season home run king | SBNation
Baseball has got a lot of troubled eras: steroids, speed, juiced balls. But Howard manages to assume the dinger throne by virtue of coming up at just the right time.

Nike’s campaign with Colin Kaepernick seeks praise and profit, not justice | SBNation
The apparel empire’s union with Kaepernick is an example of capitalism’s troubling allure.

---

Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in The Shotgun/Throwdown? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

Follow us!
Twitter: @smokingmusket
Facebook:The Smoking Musket