My Fiver on WVU's loss to Pitt Saturday:
1. $%!@%$!%$#@%$#@%^$#^$#%^%$$%#!!!!!
1(a). This sequence in the 3rd quarter about did me in:
- 3rd & 9. Garrett Greene screen pass to Kole Taylor for 6 yards.
- 4th & 3. Oliver Straw takes off running for a first down on a fake punt when Pitt's return unit went full dumbass.
- 2nd & 6. Greene throws a 50-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Clement. FLAG. HOLD on Wyatt Milum. It was not a hold.
- 4th & 11. Punt block TD for Pitt, down 24-17.
It was at this moment when I knew it was over. It was the most WVU thing I've seen since the end of 2nd quarter sequence vs. Penn State. I get the fact that the call on Milum was B.S. However, under this head coach, we are always bemoaning a head-scratching travashamockery event which causes a game to spiral out of control. Whether it be our own player spearing our punt return man, giving up two kickoff returns for TDs in a single quarter, snapping the ball over the QB's head for a 21-yard loss on a key play (2021 at OU), Hail Mary Houston, etc. etc. It's beyond frustrating.
2. Players make plays. Playmakers bring victories. And right now, no one on this team is making plays - with the lone exception of Justin Robinson's miraculous TD catch on a ball thrown into double-coverage. After trading punts to start the game, WVU sailed down the field and scored to go up 7-0. Predictably, we allowed Pitt to storm right back down the field because we are allergic to 2 touchdown leads in big games under this coach. On 1st down from the WVU 13, Pitt QB Eli Holstein stared down their TE Gavin Bartholomew and fired a pass across the field in his direction. Dontez Fagan, who is quickly becoming one of my least favorite WVU DBs of all time, broke on the pass and stepped right in front of Barhtolomew. But instead of snagging the pick and heading in the other direction, Fagan batted the ball away like it was a scalding hot cast iron skillet. Players make plays. Aaron Beasley would've turn that into 6 points for WVU. Ditto Rasul Douglas. Heck, Pat Miller even would've. But, we lost a hell of an opportunity there. Instead of 14-0 WVU, it turned into 7-3. It was a 10-point error on Fagan's part.
3. We lost because Eli Holstein outplayed Garrett Greene down the stretch. Players make plays, and Holstein was a Player. When WVU took over, still up 34-31 with 3 minutes to play, Greene had his chance to put the game away. He had the chance to be a playmaker. But, WVU's offense went backwards 7 yards and punted. We knew what was about to happen, and there was no chance to get that chance to win back. Holstein made the plays to win.
4. It's mind boggling to lose a game where you completely dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and:
- hold Pitt's offense scoreless for 34 consecutive game minutes
- sack Pitt's QB 5 times
- hold Pitt to 4 total yards for the first 25 game minutes of the 2nd half
- hold Pitt to 78 yards rushing on 29 carries (2.7 ypc)
- while rushing for 188 yards and scoring 34 points.
The key here were the three turnovers and finishing -3 in TO Margin. This team cannot force turnovers, and find ways to give the ball back to the other team in mind numbingly stupid fashion (i.e. snap hitting a WR in motion vs. PSU, blocked punt vs. Pitt). Again, it goes back to the top and it's something we've endured for quite some time. When you have a team in 2nd & 30, and out of pure desperation, their freshman QB heaves a Hail Mary into triple coverage, YOU TAKE THE BALL AWAY AND END THE GAME. Somehow, someway, they scored on that ill-advised pass on 2nd & 30, and we all had the same feeling of inevitability...we knew what was coming.
5. Neal Brown. I agree with overall sentiment of most if not all WVU fans at this time, that it is time to move on and go in a different direction with our head coaching position. The only way I can see Brown as our HC in 2025 is if we finish this season 8-1 or better. And that is not going to happen. We are actually more likely to go 1-8, than 8-1. This year, like 2022 was a barometer year, when WVU had enough talent on both sides of the ball to succeed. Like 2022, 2024 has been a failure. Unlike 2022, there will be no move to backup QB over the final 3 games and refurbishing of an offense to give fans just enough hope that something better is coming. We have talent, and we are lacking. For the 2nd WVU head coach in a row, he will be ushered out to hopefully greener pastures mainly because of horrible play on the defensive side of the ball. And to add to that, it's the accumulation of the aforementioned mind numbingly stupid plays on all sides of the ball, and questionable decision making on offense, which have further cemented Neal Brown's demise.
I do trust Wren Baker to make this next hire. But, this is not going to be easy. There are major financial consequential decisions to be made, as hiring a head football coach in the era of NIL, Transfer Portal and conference realignment turmoil is a huge decision. Wren must nail this hire, like he did with Mark Kellogg, like he seemingly did with Darian DeVries. If Wren and Company make a bad hire here, the downward spiral will accelerate, much as it has for Florida State, Florida, UVa., UCLA, Virginia Tech, and others who have come up snake eyes on the coaching carousel.
Ultimately, there is a young and eager candidate out there who can return WVU to a level of play that we are accustomed to seeing and appreciating. Competitive football, in and out of the top 20 annually, competing for conference championships. I do believe that the profile for a successful head coach at WVU is there for Wren to see -- Look no further than the hires of Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez. You go find a relatively young coordinator who is hungry, energetic and ready to prove himself and set the world on fire (and knows to not use the WVU job as an excuse to party and get thrown out of casinos). That's your template.
1. $%!@%$!%$#@%$#@%^$#^$#%^%$$%#!!!!!
1(a). This sequence in the 3rd quarter about did me in:
- 3rd & 9. Garrett Greene screen pass to Kole Taylor for 6 yards.
- 4th & 3. Oliver Straw takes off running for a first down on a fake punt when Pitt's return unit went full dumbass.
- 2nd & 6. Greene throws a 50-yard touchdown pass to Hudson Clement. FLAG. HOLD on Wyatt Milum. It was not a hold.
- 4th & 11. Punt block TD for Pitt, down 24-17.
It was at this moment when I knew it was over. It was the most WVU thing I've seen since the end of 2nd quarter sequence vs. Penn State. I get the fact that the call on Milum was B.S. However, under this head coach, we are always bemoaning a head-scratching travashamockery event which causes a game to spiral out of control. Whether it be our own player spearing our punt return man, giving up two kickoff returns for TDs in a single quarter, snapping the ball over the QB's head for a 21-yard loss on a key play (2021 at OU), Hail Mary Houston, etc. etc. It's beyond frustrating.
2. Players make plays. Playmakers bring victories. And right now, no one on this team is making plays - with the lone exception of Justin Robinson's miraculous TD catch on a ball thrown into double-coverage. After trading punts to start the game, WVU sailed down the field and scored to go up 7-0. Predictably, we allowed Pitt to storm right back down the field because we are allergic to 2 touchdown leads in big games under this coach. On 1st down from the WVU 13, Pitt QB Eli Holstein stared down their TE Gavin Bartholomew and fired a pass across the field in his direction. Dontez Fagan, who is quickly becoming one of my least favorite WVU DBs of all time, broke on the pass and stepped right in front of Barhtolomew. But instead of snagging the pick and heading in the other direction, Fagan batted the ball away like it was a scalding hot cast iron skillet. Players make plays. Aaron Beasley would've turn that into 6 points for WVU. Ditto Rasul Douglas. Heck, Pat Miller even would've. But, we lost a hell of an opportunity there. Instead of 14-0 WVU, it turned into 7-3. It was a 10-point error on Fagan's part.
3. We lost because Eli Holstein outplayed Garrett Greene down the stretch. Players make plays, and Holstein was a Player. When WVU took over, still up 34-31 with 3 minutes to play, Greene had his chance to put the game away. He had the chance to be a playmaker. But, WVU's offense went backwards 7 yards and punted. We knew what was about to happen, and there was no chance to get that chance to win back. Holstein made the plays to win.
4. It's mind boggling to lose a game where you completely dominate the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball, and:
- hold Pitt's offense scoreless for 34 consecutive game minutes
- sack Pitt's QB 5 times
- hold Pitt to 4 total yards for the first 25 game minutes of the 2nd half
- hold Pitt to 78 yards rushing on 29 carries (2.7 ypc)
- while rushing for 188 yards and scoring 34 points.
The key here were the three turnovers and finishing -3 in TO Margin. This team cannot force turnovers, and find ways to give the ball back to the other team in mind numbingly stupid fashion (i.e. snap hitting a WR in motion vs. PSU, blocked punt vs. Pitt). Again, it goes back to the top and it's something we've endured for quite some time. When you have a team in 2nd & 30, and out of pure desperation, their freshman QB heaves a Hail Mary into triple coverage, YOU TAKE THE BALL AWAY AND END THE GAME. Somehow, someway, they scored on that ill-advised pass on 2nd & 30, and we all had the same feeling of inevitability...we knew what was coming.
5. Neal Brown. I agree with overall sentiment of most if not all WVU fans at this time, that it is time to move on and go in a different direction with our head coaching position. The only way I can see Brown as our HC in 2025 is if we finish this season 8-1 or better. And that is not going to happen. We are actually more likely to go 1-8, than 8-1. This year, like 2022 was a barometer year, when WVU had enough talent on both sides of the ball to succeed. Like 2022, 2024 has been a failure. Unlike 2022, there will be no move to backup QB over the final 3 games and refurbishing of an offense to give fans just enough hope that something better is coming. We have talent, and we are lacking. For the 2nd WVU head coach in a row, he will be ushered out to hopefully greener pastures mainly because of horrible play on the defensive side of the ball. And to add to that, it's the accumulation of the aforementioned mind numbingly stupid plays on all sides of the ball, and questionable decision making on offense, which have further cemented Neal Brown's demise.
I do trust Wren Baker to make this next hire. But, this is not going to be easy. There are major financial consequential decisions to be made, as hiring a head football coach in the era of NIL, Transfer Portal and conference realignment turmoil is a huge decision. Wren must nail this hire, like he did with Mark Kellogg, like he seemingly did with Darian DeVries. If Wren and Company make a bad hire here, the downward spiral will accelerate, much as it has for Florida State, Florida, UVa., UCLA, Virginia Tech, and others who have come up snake eyes on the coaching carousel.
Ultimately, there is a young and eager candidate out there who can return WVU to a level of play that we are accustomed to seeing and appreciating. Competitive football, in and out of the top 20 annually, competing for conference championships. I do believe that the profile for a successful head coach at WVU is there for Wren to see -- Look no further than the hires of Don Nehlen and Rich Rodriguez. You go find a relatively young coordinator who is hungry, energetic and ready to prove himself and set the world on fire (and knows to not use the WVU job as an excuse to party and get thrown out of casinos). That's your template.
