My Fiver on WVU's Homecoming night loss to Kansas State Saturday....
1. Turnovers. We are once again negative on turnovers (-2), and once again take an "L". We don't force'em, and Garrett Greene gives'em away. Until this is fixed, this team is going to have trouble winning any games this year. 3-9 is not off the table.
2. Turning point. Turning point vs. Iowa State was the missed FG to start the 2nd quarter. Turning point Saturday night was the drive to end the 1st half. 17-10 KSU at the time, as despite playing like relative dog shi*, we are still somehow in the game. We have the ball 2nd and 7 at the KSU 9-yard line and Neal Brown calls a straight QB draw right into the teeth of K-State's defense, and we go backwards 2 yards. On 3rd and 9, we pick up 8, and we're left with a 4th and 1 from the "3". Fourth Down Brown decides to forgo the chip shot FG and go for it...and Garrett throws the ball into the ground. Game, set, match. Take the 3-points there, get into half down just 4 and come out with some renewed energy. Instead, we went into the half just deflated.
3. Garrett Greene has been carrying this team on his back with the QB run game, and now that is gone with him predictably hurt. There is nothing we've seen from our passing game or conventional run game which gives any indication that this offense will be able to move the ball on anyone. In particular, we are downright awful on first downs. Lots of 2nd & 9s, 2nd & 12s, etc. Both of Garrett's INTs came on third and long plays where K-State just dropped back into coverage and dared him to throw. He obliged. Play calling and our offense leaves a lot to be desired, to say the least.
4. My goodness Sean Martin. If you are a 6'5" 290lb NFL hopeful Senior defensive end, don't let a QB shed you like a worn out old overcoat. I can't get over the fact that we gave up 45 points to Kansas State and their QB didn't attempt a single rush.
5. This is just sad and pathetic. One of my earliest memories of WVU football was a party that my Dad's best friend (Dr. Robert Wanker) was throwing at his house to watch the 1983 WVU at Boston College game. BC was ranked, coming off of a big win over Clemson, and WVU was coming off of a big win at Maryland. I was just 7 years old, and the game was on national television and it seemed so enormously big to me. BC had Doug Flutie, they were a media darling, we were in their place...we don't have a chance, right? Nah -- we went up there and just were bigger, stronger, tougher...winning 27-17. Then, we'd beat Pitt the next week to remain undefeated. We'd beat BC again in '84 and Penn State the week after. Our perception of WVU football was forged as Winners. That's how my generation of WVU Nation was raised - we never felt like we weren't good enough, or tough enough. We expect to compete. We expect WVU to win, more often than not. We expect this WVU football program to be something which can be looked upon with pride.
You look at the current state of affairs and it's not the program I once recognized. We're soft. We get pummeled on the reg, not just by Penn State and Oklahoma, but by Kansas State and Iowa State has beaten us 6 out of 7. I mean, c'mon...Ames, Iowa? If I had more money than God I would show up in Morgantown yesterday, cut Neal Brown a check for whatever it takes for him to leave, and start the process to build this thing back to something resembling a tough, hard-nosed football program which is worthy of our investment of time and energy. I know this is a financial thing now, and I get that...but changes are necessary to win. There is a worthy replacement out there somewhere, but it's going to be up to Wren Baker and Co. to figure out how to make the hire and make the finances work.
But I do not accept the fact that we are looking up at Iowa State, Kansas State and BYU. WVU's football program has been something of which we can all take pride in and celebrate for decades. It's currently on life support.
1. Turnovers. We are once again negative on turnovers (-2), and once again take an "L". We don't force'em, and Garrett Greene gives'em away. Until this is fixed, this team is going to have trouble winning any games this year. 3-9 is not off the table.
2. Turning point. Turning point vs. Iowa State was the missed FG to start the 2nd quarter. Turning point Saturday night was the drive to end the 1st half. 17-10 KSU at the time, as despite playing like relative dog shi*, we are still somehow in the game. We have the ball 2nd and 7 at the KSU 9-yard line and Neal Brown calls a straight QB draw right into the teeth of K-State's defense, and we go backwards 2 yards. On 3rd and 9, we pick up 8, and we're left with a 4th and 1 from the "3". Fourth Down Brown decides to forgo the chip shot FG and go for it...and Garrett throws the ball into the ground. Game, set, match. Take the 3-points there, get into half down just 4 and come out with some renewed energy. Instead, we went into the half just deflated.
3. Garrett Greene has been carrying this team on his back with the QB run game, and now that is gone with him predictably hurt. There is nothing we've seen from our passing game or conventional run game which gives any indication that this offense will be able to move the ball on anyone. In particular, we are downright awful on first downs. Lots of 2nd & 9s, 2nd & 12s, etc. Both of Garrett's INTs came on third and long plays where K-State just dropped back into coverage and dared him to throw. He obliged. Play calling and our offense leaves a lot to be desired, to say the least.
4. My goodness Sean Martin. If you are a 6'5" 290lb NFL hopeful Senior defensive end, don't let a QB shed you like a worn out old overcoat. I can't get over the fact that we gave up 45 points to Kansas State and their QB didn't attempt a single rush.
5. This is just sad and pathetic. One of my earliest memories of WVU football was a party that my Dad's best friend (Dr. Robert Wanker) was throwing at his house to watch the 1983 WVU at Boston College game. BC was ranked, coming off of a big win over Clemson, and WVU was coming off of a big win at Maryland. I was just 7 years old, and the game was on national television and it seemed so enormously big to me. BC had Doug Flutie, they were a media darling, we were in their place...we don't have a chance, right? Nah -- we went up there and just were bigger, stronger, tougher...winning 27-17. Then, we'd beat Pitt the next week to remain undefeated. We'd beat BC again in '84 and Penn State the week after. Our perception of WVU football was forged as Winners. That's how my generation of WVU Nation was raised - we never felt like we weren't good enough, or tough enough. We expect to compete. We expect WVU to win, more often than not. We expect this WVU football program to be something which can be looked upon with pride.
You look at the current state of affairs and it's not the program I once recognized. We're soft. We get pummeled on the reg, not just by Penn State and Oklahoma, but by Kansas State and Iowa State has beaten us 6 out of 7. I mean, c'mon...Ames, Iowa? If I had more money than God I would show up in Morgantown yesterday, cut Neal Brown a check for whatever it takes for him to leave, and start the process to build this thing back to something resembling a tough, hard-nosed football program which is worthy of our investment of time and energy. I know this is a financial thing now, and I get that...but changes are necessary to win. There is a worthy replacement out there somewhere, but it's going to be up to Wren Baker and Co. to figure out how to make the hire and make the finances work.
But I do not accept the fact that we are looking up at Iowa State, Kansas State and BYU. WVU's football program has been something of which we can all take pride in and celebrate for decades. It's currently on life support.
