--West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said they got beat by a better team and were out played and out coached Saturday. Defensively was the best they played in the first half outside the big pass play. They played really well against the run. The first half on offense they moved the ball well outside the interceptions, but second half was poor. Arizona they are excited to get out there. The quarterback is a play maker and he's been special for two years and they have a big time wide receiver. Defensively they play a lot of man coverage and are aggressive up front with a lot of attacking.

--Wyatt Milum too early to tell on playing this weekend, same with Garrett Greene. Jahiem White they feel good about playing for West Virginia. Jaden Bray will be out. Aubrey Burks will not be available and Ayden Garnes they are hopeful.

--Nicco Marchiol didn't play well. He's going to get a bunch of reps. It's too early to tell on Garrett Greene they are playing it by ear.

--It's a non-starter on whether Greene shouldn't be the starter.

--Brown said they got fortunate that the television people were good to them and they're playing at 7 p.m. eastern. They will fly out of Pittsburgh.

--Each situation you have to be careful not to restrict yourself but they aren't going to put anybody out there that is not ready. All the injuries are on an individual basis, but it's difficult to play with no practice time. It's too early in the week.

--Arizona uses a 4-2-5 but uses a bear front and mixes things up. They give you a lot of different looks and man coverage and they are talented in the back end.

--Ryder Burton will move up to two. He's a young player and had a good career at Colorado in prep. He can run but not somebody you're going to call a run play for. He is good enough to protect himself.

--Johnny Williams has played against Penn State and is getting better. He's getting better and he still has to get stronger but if he's called upon to start he will function at a higher level.

--Marchiol would have to do a good job of blocking out the noise if he's the starter given the fact he played high school ball in Arizona.

--Brown said it doesn't change. Every Monday regardless what happens they have an own it phase and you put the previous game to bed and get ready for the next. Second half they got their tails kicked against Kansas State. They didn't score a touchdown at the end of the half, on 4th and 5 there was a clear holding call that they didn't call and then they get the first down and scored from there.

--If West Virginia plays well on special teams like they did against Kansas State and stop the run they did they could have success. But they need to stop the pass. They need to get the guys that are capable of playing healthy.

--You try to go to a left handed play calls with Marchiol. They run all their pass concepts with their young players to get live reps against a defense. Brown said they didn't run block up front but they pass protected. They have to be better against man coverage and quarterbacks have to do their drops and anticipate throws better and get their eyes in the right windows. Hudson Clement and Traylon Ray won a few times, but they didn't do things to win against man on Saturday.

--Greene took some hits in that game and some that he shouldn't have.

--Would West Virginia miss Wyatt Milum? Yes, but they will have a good plan and they think Johnny Williams is ready.

--All different with head injuries. Two of them occurred on freak plays. A lot of them happen by the ground.

--Brown said they've tried to simplify their drops and hitting their landmarks with zone coverage. West Virginia sold out to stop the run, but if Kansas State was going to beat them it was going to be passing but they made easy completions and they did a nice job post catch. They have to be able to mix some things up and have some answers. The personnel is what it is but they have to evolve so they aren't the same thing every week.

--The pass defense hasn't been good, but the run defense has been very good.

--Brown talked up Beanie Bishop and his night last night and said that he needed a good moment and that was a good moment.

--Preston Fox has had some injury issues so they wanted to get him some touches at kick return and they blocked those really well.

--Brown said they aren't getting as many explosive runs and which isn't allowing them to set up plays down the field in passing.

--West Virginia has played good receivers, but they haven't played anybody like Arizona's wide receiver. They're not going to line up and play one-on-one on him.

How much of a role will he have on this year’s team? His interview is great. Instant favorite.

In no particular order, I would be ok with any of these coordinators as our HC

Andy Kotelnicki - PSU OC
Chip Kelly - OSU OC - probably expensive, but this is a wish list
Kirby Moore Mizzou OC
Garrett Riley OC Clemson - I think hes pretty good
Glenn Schumann DC Georgia - Appears he is a good one
Brennan Marion OC UNLV

A staff is so key with this too. Can we afford any of these guys, I have no idea, but I like what they are doing where they are right now. I do think we could keep a couple from our current staff.

Neal Brown, I sure hope he moves a lot faster than he did in hiring Devries.

Really is time for a change...

Neal stinks in October... I don't think he saves himself this year folks.

A defensive guy for our next HC?

And an oc who is in the box

I'm assuming GG is out this week and Nicco gets all the QB1 reps and prep for a homecoming in Zona this weekend.

I posted this in November 2022 after it was announced that Brown was returning. Two years later and nothing has changed. Wren Baker is letting down the fans and more importantly families across WV, as shown by this thread, everyday he lets this continue.

I use to believe that Mountaineer Field was special.

It was a belief that I carried with me from watching games with my father as a child in the 80s. Those experiences together in Morgantown became the foundation for our relationship as adults.

I believed that on any given Saturday that if I cheered a little louder and made just a bit of extra noise, along with 60,000 of my best friends and more importantly my family, that we could make a difference,

I believed that the Mountaineers could win any game at home. No matter the strength of opponent.

I believed that the fans could carry the Defense to a 3rd down stop with our energy. That we could help create that momentum changing turnover. That our collective will could open a hole for our running back to secure a big run.

Those beliefs are gone. It started to fade under Dana. And Neal evaporated it.

When we get loud on 3rd down and the bell tolls, all it means is that a first down is coming.

When the roof is ready to blow because of a late game Mountaineer touchdown, there is going to be a big kickoff return by the opposition.

When the game is in our reach, someone is going to commit a dumb penalty or a costly turnover.

Mountaineer Field is no longer a difference maker. Mountaineer Field is no longer special.

And it breaks my heart. 💔💔💔

.....would you have called for his firing?

Braydon Hawthorne

--West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said they got beat by a better team and were out played and out coached Saturday. Defensively was the best they played in the first half outside the big pass play. They played really well against the run. The first half on offense they moved the ball well outside the interceptions, but second half was poor. Arizona they are excited to get out there. The quarterback is a play maker and he's been special for two years and they have a big time wide receiver. Defensively they play a lot of man coverage and are aggressive up front with a lot of attacking.

--Wyatt Milum too early to tell on playing this weekend, same with Garrett Greene. Jahiem White they feel good about playing for West Virginia. Jaden Bray will be out. Aubrey Burks will not be available and Ayden Garnes they are hopeful.

--Nicco Marchiol didn't play well. He's going to get a bunch of reps. It's too early to tell on Garrett Greene they are playing it by ear.

--It's a non-starter on whether Greene shouldn't be the starter.

--Brown said they got fortunate that the television people were good to them and they're playing at 7 p.m. eastern. They will fly out of Pittsburgh.

--Each situation you have to be careful not to restrict yourself but they aren't going to put anybody out there that is not ready. All the injuries are on an individual basis, but it's difficult to play with no practice time. It's too early in the week.

--Arizona uses a 4-2-5 but uses a bear front and mixes things up. They give you a lot of different looks and man coverage and they are talented in the back end.

--Ryder Burton will move up to two. He's a young player and had a good career at Colorado in prep. He can run but not somebody you're going to call a run play for. He is good enough to protect himself.

--Johnny Williams has played against Penn State and is getting better. He's getting better and he still has to get stronger but if he's called upon to start he will function at a higher level.

--Marchiol would have to do a good job of blocking out the noise if he's the starter given the fact he played high school ball in Arizona.

--Brown said it doesn't change. Every Monday regardless what happens they have an own it phase and you put the previous game to bed and get ready for the next. Second half they got their tails kicked against Kansas State. They didn't score a touchdown at the end of the half, on 4th and 5 there was a clear holding call that they didn't call and then they get the first down and scored from there.

--If West Virginia plays well on special teams like they did against Kansas State and stop the run they did they could have success. But they need to stop the pass. They need to get the guys that are capable of playing healthy.

--You try to go to a left handed play calls with Marchiol. They run all their pass concepts with their young players to get live reps against a defense. Brown said they didn't run block up front but they pass protected. They have to be better against man coverage and quarterbacks have to do their drops and anticipate throws better and get their eyes in the right windows. Hudson Clement and Traylon Ray won a few times, but they didn't do things to win against man on Saturday.

--Greene took some hits in that game and some that he shouldn't have.

--Would West Virginia miss Wyatt Milum? Yes, but they will have a good plan and they think Johnny Williams is ready.

--All different with head injuries. Two of them occurred on freak plays. A lot of them happen by the ground.

--Brown said they've tried to simplify their drops and hitting their landmarks with zone coverage. West Virginia sold out to stop the run, but if Kansas State was going to beat them it was going to be passing but they made easy completions and they did a nice job post catch. They have to be able to mix some things up and have some answers. The personnel is what it is but they have to evolve so they aren't the same thing every week.

--The pass defense hasn't been good, but the run defense has been very good.

--Brown talked up Beanie Bishop and his night last night and said that he needed a good moment and that was a good moment.

--Preston Fox has had some injury issues so they wanted to get him some touches at kick return and they blocked those really well.

--Brown said they aren't getting as many explosive runs and which isn't allowing them to set up plays down the field in passing.

--West Virginia has played good receivers, but they haven't played anybody like Arizona's wide receiver. They're not going to line up and play one-on-one on him.

Our defense is so bad and has been so bad Neal went to a power offense "to help sustain drives" and do something a little different in our league ..... that only works until it doesn't. It almost seems as if he restrains us in play calling at times....

I do like the idea of "being a little different" in our league on offense or defense.... but he really isn't that different and his restraint in calling plays might be the issue. We look so much better in 2 minute for example.

Speaking of restraining --- Neal overanalyzes everything.... I know they believe in analytics but it has become paralysis by analysis and its plainly obvious...

Neal (and apparently Spouse) think some of our issues are WV owned (inability to recruit I presume --- funding levels etc). I'd say maybe some half truth in that -- even Don Nehlen used to tell the story about flying over Ohio and seeing roof tops and flying over WV and seeing trees (less roof tops less kids). That said recruiting is better than some of the jokers we have lost too. Recruiting for Neal has been maybe a notch up from other Coaches who have won here and he isn't winning.... He hasn't show the ability to overcome those challenges....

Player regression is a real problem under Neal.....

He has been lucky our fans like to party in the stadium lots ---- if both those last 2 games are Noon kicks I suspect you are looking at attendance of 35-40k..... Certainly for UCF when the students are gone.

His time has come and gone. We will need patience though cause I suspect given portal realities we lose a lot of guys (and were going to even if he stayed with graduations). Next year likely to be a struggle....

I wonder how far this will go?

Before we start, try to stay focused on the question. We don't need you to remind us of Neal's record or how many years he's been here. 😅 KSU and Iowa State could be flipped

My list

PSU
KSU
Iowa State
Pitt
Oklahoma State
Kansas
Albany

TTU, Rutgers, and WVU. It goes to show that just "being ranked" is not that difficult to do and that just beating a team that happened to get ranked for 1-2 weeks of the season is not a huge accomplishment on that metric alone. Second, it shows that despite it being so common that in 5.5 years 64 other programs have done it, WVU cannot accomplish it.