The Shotgun/Throwdown: Stills Brothers are Ready to Take the Horns Down

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

Football

The eyes of Texas are upon WVU linemen Darius and Dante Stills

#11 Texas’ offensive coaches are seeing double this week as they prepare for West Virginia. Brothers Dante and Darius Stills are ranked second and third in the Big 12 in sacks, respectively. The Fairmont natives have also combined for 12 TFLs this season. WVU head coach Neal Brown said that they two defenders have played at a high level this year, but could really approach their potential if they can play more consistently. In other news, check out what coach Brown had to say about the “Horns Down” sign!

Neal Brown Gets It.

WVU head coach Neal Brown travelled to the southern part of the state on Friday to see the Bluefield Beavers defeat the Richlands (VA) Blue Tornado, 51-38. Brown wasn’t just there to see a classic Beaver blowout, he was there to see Bluefield’s WVU commit Kaulin Parris, who is a five-star kicker/punter, as well as defensive end Sean Martin, who is the top rated player in the state of West Virginia. Both Parris and Martin are in the class of 2020. Coach Brown also got to see Bluefield’s Isaiah Johnson, a five-star cornerback that is currently the top rated West Virginia player in the class of 2021 and the third best corner in that class nationally.

Mountaineers, Longhorns to Hook Up Saturday

Neal Brown and the Mountaineers are preparing to host the #11 Texas Longhorns in front of a sold out crowd. Earlier this week Texas coach Tom Herman discussed how hostile the environment can be when visiting Morgantown. Will this week’s game be as memorable as last year’s meeting between WVU and Texas?

President Gee and Coach Brown agree, students shouldn’t leave football games early

By the time the fourth quarter rolls around at Mountaineer football games, the sections reserved for students are usually quite a bit emptier than the start of the game. This has become such a problem that even West Virginia University officials have taken notice.

Three Guys Before The Game – Bye Bye Bye Week (Episode 143)

On this episode of Three Guys Before The Game, Tony Caridi, Brad Howe, and Hoppy Kercheval begin discussing West Virginia’s matchup with Texas this week. The guys also review the Big 12 games from this past week.

West Virginia vs. Iowa State Kickoff Time Announced

The West Virginia football game against Iowa State on Saturday, October 12, will start at 4 p.m. ET and will be televised on ESPN. This makes back-to-back weeks the Mountaineers will play in the afternoon on an ESPN network.

Can the bye week prep help WVU against Texas?

With the West Virginia football team on bye last week, head coach Neal Brown spent the time focusing on player development, particularly with the younger Mountaineers on the team.

Basketball

WVU Holds First Official Practice of 2019-20

The men’s basketball team started practice last week, and now the West Virginia women’s basketball team is also back on the court for the new season. Head coach Mike Carey is working to incorporate six new players on the team, including senior Lucky Rudd.

West Virginia Athletics

WVU Earns First-Ever Top-25 Ranking

In just its fifth year of varsity competition, the West Virginia golf team has earned a top-25 ranking for the first time ever. The Mountaineers are ranked #25 in the first Bushnell/Golfweek Coaches Poll of the season.

Around the Big 12

Five Garner Week 5 Honors

Oklahoma State’s Chuba Hubbard was selected as this week’s Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week. Clay Johnston of Baylor was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week. Newcomer of the Week went to Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts. Baylor kicker John Mayers and TCU returner Jalen Reagor shared Special Teams Player of the Week honors.

Big 12 Roundup & Recap: ISU Falls, OU Shines, TCU Is Angry

Week 5 in the Big 12 was interesting and there is now a clearer picture of the teams in the conference.

OU football: Sooners spirit squad told not to do ‘horns down’ as controversy over Oklahoma-Texas gesture spreads

Oklahoma spirit squad members have been “heavily encouraged” not to perform the “Horns Down” sign at athletic events or on any social media platform. Is this an overreaction that could take away from the rivalry between the Texas and Oklahoma?

KU seems to have lost a top RB — and now another one’s likely to miss the season too

Kansas head coach Les Miles gave an update this week on running back Khalil Herbert, who sat out Saturday’s TCU loss for personal reasons. Miles hinted then that Herbert might be pursuing a four-game redshirt and then a graduate transfer from KU.

Around the NCAA

What happens next after California’s governor signed a bill to pay NCAA players

California just passed a landmark bill, but this battle isn’t over. The new law allows college athletes in California the ability to profit off of their name and likeness, something current NCAA bylaws do not allow them to do.

Almost every national champ has at least one bad game along the way

One Saturday of struggles doesn’t always mean that much. Even the best team struggles at some point in a four-month season, and it won’t always be against an especially good opponent.

Bowl projections, updated and explained each week

The newest predictions are here! Check out the current projections for this year’s college football bowl season.

College football picks by Bud Elliott

Every week, Bud Elliott picks spreads and totals across the country. Track those here, along with the status of various futures throughout the year.

The Chiefs and Patriots are a reminder that the best NFL teams can win ugly (when they have to)

What separates the great teams, such as the Patriots and the Chiefs, from the good teams, like the Lions and the Bills, is the ability to win games when not everything goes perfectly.

10 winners from Week 4 of the 2019 NFL season

Week 4 did not put elegant football on display for the world to see. The final Sunday of September played host to a wide swath of ugly football across the league.

How to judge Daniel Jones vs. Dwayne Haskins after the first of potentially many NFL matchups

In Week 3, Daniel Jones put the rest of the NFL on notice by rallying his Giants to a comeback win against the Buccaneers. In Week 4, his mantle as the NFC East’s most exciting young quarterback was briefly challenged by a player drafted nine slots after him.

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