Welcome, By-Godders, to The Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU’s best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor, and daily distractions.
Football
Darius Stills Named to Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
West Virginia senior defensive lineman Darius Stills was named to the watch list for the Chuck Bednarik Award. The award has been presented to the College Defensive Player of the Year for the past 26 years. Stills, a Fairmont, West Virginia native, was also named to the Lott Trophy Award watch list. He was an All-Big 12 First Team selection last season, and finished the year with 47 tackles, a team-leading 14.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and a forced fumble.
WVU-Maryland football game on Sept. 19 canceled, others in question
The Big Ten Conference announced Thursday that its member schools would move to a conference-only schedule for the upcoming football season. Maryland was slated to take on West Virginia in Morgantown on September 19, but the game is now canceled. The matchup would have been the first between the Mountaineers and the Terrapins since 2015.
Milan Puskar Stadium Turns 40 in September
Forty years ago, this September, West Virginia University celebrated the opening of what was then known as “new Mountaineer Field.” It was perhaps the most significant moment in the history of WVU football and maybe even the University’s history. Here’s the story behind how Milan Puskar Stadium became the home of the Mountaineers.
Basketball
Athletics Postpones Women’s Basketball Workouts
The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics, in consultation with its medical officials, has postponed women’s basketball team workouts for 14 days following the most recent COVID-19 test results. Six Mountaineers on the team have tested positive for COVID-19.
Orioles name John Means starter for Opening Day
John Means, the first-ever MLB All-Star from West Virginia will be on the mound for the Baltimore Orioles to start off the 2020 season. Means will be the starter as Baltimore goes on the road to face the Red Sox in Boston.
Around the Big 12
Big 12 Places 10 on Chuck Bednarik Award Watch List
The Maxwell Football Club has selected 10 Big 12 defensive players to its watch list for the 26th annual Chuck Bednarik Award. The conference has produced three previous winners, with the most recent being Oklahoma linebacker Teddy Lehman in 2003.
Around the NCAA
Here is where each Power Five conference stands as decisions are being made
Uncertainty looms ahead of the 2020 fall athletic season as conferences across college sports are making changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This is where each Power Five conference stands ahead of the fall sports season.
New Helmet Face Shield Touted as a Means to Help Protect Players From Exposure to COVID-19
It certainly won’t ensure that college football will be played this fall, but a new product manufactured by Schutt Sports called the “Splash Shield” might help protect players from exposure to the coronavirus during competition.
SEC considering multiple scheduling formats for 2020
In the wake of the Big Ten and Pac-12’s decisions to limit their 2020 football games to conference only, the SEC’s athletic directors are working to determine the shape of their league’s fall schedule. Several options are on the table but, for now, the conference desperately wants games to happen.
The Minimalist Schedule: SEC Edition
What would happen if each college football team could only play two games in a season? Check out which games would take precedence for the teams in the SEC based on rivalries and national interest.
Does the NFL’s schedule format help foster rivalries?
What impact does the NFL’s scheduling protocol and playoff structure have on league rivalries? It looks like playing teams twice a year is a recipe for rivalry.
A Tradition of Speed! #HailWV pic.twitter.com/cY5fk1b3kR
— WVU Football (@WVUfootball) July 13, 2020
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