The Shotgun/Throwdown: West Virginia will ‘get creative’ to fill holes after signing day

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

Football

Mountaineers will get 'creative' to fill football roster spots | Charleston Gazette-Mail
National Signing Day has come and gone for the college football recruiting class of 2020. While recruits can still technically sign with any college through the end of March, the picture has cleared up quite a bit for West Virginia University’s program. Coach Neal Brown had 22 spots he could fill in this recruiting class and he signed 20 between the two signing days in December and February.

WVU football defensive assistant Al Pogue headed to Auburn | WV MetroNews
West Virginia outside linebackers coach Al Pogue, whose infectious enthusiasm on the practice field made him one of the most popular coaches on Neal Brown’s staff, is leaving the program for a position at Auburn.

Who could replace Al Pogue on the WVU coaching staff? | The DA
West Virginia outside linebackers coach Al Pogue left the program on Saturday to take a job at Auburn, leaving a gaping hole on the team’s defensive staff.

Basketball

WVU basketball is in a bad spot, but have the talent and time to turn it around | Charleston Gazette-Mail
After Saturday's loss on the road to Oklahoma, Bob Huggins spoke of a familiar feeling which reminded him of how his 2016 team was eventually sunk.

The Mountaineers are overrated, but this is no time to overreact | WV MetroNews
Overrated. Just an hour or so after receiving an official pat on the back from the NCAA, West Virginia left no doubt that label is applicable to the Mountaineers in yet another dismal performance on the road.

West Virginia delivers another road dud in blowout loss at Oklahoma | WV MetroNews
West Virginia’s road performances are becoming as predictable as the plot of a “Fast and Furious” movie — and much like that series, there is no ending in sight.

Mountaineers need to find their go-to guys | Times West Virginian
“What’s wrong with West Virginia’s basketball team?” How many times have we all heard that question in the last 24 hours? In the last week? Month? Let’s, for a moment, drift off into fantasy land and see if we can’t answer that question this way...

Cowgirls Outlast Mountaineers in Stillwater | WV Illustrated
The West Virginia University women’s basketball team (14-7, 4-6 Big 12) led early, but couldn’t come away with a win, as it suffered a 60-57 loss to Oklahoma State, on Saturday afternoon, inside Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Student opinions varied on possible Coliseum naming rights deal | The DA
With a possible name change coming to the WVU Coliseum in the coming years, students across campus have mixed emotions.

West Virginia Athletics

Mountaineers finish in second place at New Hampshire quad meet | The DA
The West Virginia University gymnastics team traveled to Durham, New Hampshire, this weekend to compete against New Hampshire University, Brown, and George Washington in a quad meet.

Around the NCAA

National Signing Day’s 2020 state champs, mapped | Banner Society
Per the rankings, these are the teams that hauled the most talent out of every state.

Duke breaks North Carolina’s heart with two buzzer-beaters in one game | SB Nation
Just when Tar Heels fans believed it couldn’t get worse, it got worse.

Boise State vs. the Mountain West: 5 still-possible realignment ideas | Banner Society
Boise State and the Mountain West have settled a TV money beef, or at least kicked it down the road. But it’s worth thinking about the Broncos’ future in the conference.

Which XFL team should you root for? | SB Nation
There are eight XFL teams, but which should you support? We’re here to help.

Best Picture nominees, recommended by people who haven’t watched them | Banner Society
Let us ponder the greatest films we’ve never seen.

The Winners and Losers of the 2020 Oscars | The Ringer
From #BongHive’s triumph to, um, Eminem’s surprise appearance, there was plenty of good and bad at the 92nd Academy Awards

The 2020 Oscars Were Predictable Until They Weren’t | The Ringer
In a ceremony that both played it safe and made history, the night’s awkward moments often collided midair with its more heartening ones

‘Parasite’ Winning Best Picture Is Unprecedented and Undeniably Deserved | The Ringer
The Oscars don’t always get it right, but they did on Sunday, and possibly also opened the door for the Academy Awards to make legitimate progress in the future

️ ️ ️ MAKE PAT THE VOICE OF THE XFL, VINCE

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