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our middle linebacker...

KeatonsCorner

All-American
Nov 5, 2012
17,229
6,731
578
has 10 solo tackles in 5 games.

only 19 total for the season including assisted tackles.


That's nearly a single-game box score for David Long. I know that we have guys hurt right now, and we also have complete busts in Hensley and Sandwisch at linebacker (it seems)............ but we better hope these freshmen in 2019 can come in and play immediately or we need to hit the JUCO market hard before February
 
Tonkery's performance is down this season. Maybe it is learning a new position or a lingering injury. Disappointing to date.
 
This is what happens when you don't fill all 85 schollies. Or have to back fill with "deserving" walk ons because you haven't recruited kids that stick with the program.
 
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from a statistical perspective, MLB is a stat-filler usually.

But last season, our other 2 starting LBs accounted for 186 tackles and our current MLB gathered 46. And that is with Long missing multiple games with injury.
 
This is what happens when you don't fill all 85 schollies. Or have to back fill with "deserving" walk ons because you haven't recruited kids that stick with the program.

Every school goes thru this. Its not JUST a WVU program or specifically a Holgorsen problem...
 
Now that's funny. One of things the DH lover crowd bitched about with BS was he didn't fill out the scholarships. Now with Holgorsen facing the same situation it is nothing big?

Bill Stewart has passed away.
 
We will be fine next year.
Two words: Vandarius. Cowan. Dude is a man. Plus Long should hopefully come back, Charlie Benton, Josh Chandler, Hensley doesn’t look bad. Tonkery will play better. He doesn’t belong at mlb. He’s not a run stopper. Kind of not fair to him to have him out of position.
Expect we’ll bring in another transfer too.

has 10 solo tackles in 5 games.

only 19 total for the season including assisted tackles.


That's nearly a single-game box score for David Long. I know that we have guys hurt right now, and we also have complete busts in Hensley and Sandwisch at linebacker (it seems)............ but we better hope these freshmen in 2019 can come in and play immediately or we need to hit the JUCO market hard before February
 
has 10 solo tackles in 5 games.

only 19 total for the season including assisted tackles.


That's nearly a single-game box score for David Long. I know that we have guys hurt right now, and we also have complete busts in Hensley and Sandwisch at linebacker (it seems)............ but we better hope these freshmen in 2019 can come in and play immediately or we need to hit the JUCO market hard before February

What about our DB's? Or are you just going to focus on the local WV boy and hate on him? Like you did Wesco.....
 
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Tonkery is going to be fine. He’s a better outside LB. We need him and he will be a 4 year starter here.

The NC LB recruit decomitted. NC has not delivered much to WVU in 10-15 years recruiting that state. It’s been epic fail really.
 
has 10 solo tackles in 5 games.

only 19 total for the season including assisted tackles.


That's nearly a single-game box score for David Long. I know that we have guys hurt right now, and we also have complete busts in Hensley and Sandwisch at linebacker (it seems)............ but we better hope these freshmen in 2019 can come in and play immediately or we need to hit the JUCO market hard before February


I have this same argument with a friend of my mine. Tonkery isn't very good and he was meant to be a backup to Ferns but injuries have forced him to play more snaps than he should be involved in. I've seen him get sucked into the d-line far too often and have a running back run right by him because he can't shed a block consistently. He's our guy and I hope he turns it around because I'm certainly a WVU fan but I'm sure he has it in him. He's here because he's a WV kid and because his brother was on the team before him. Gibby wants him to succeed like crazy but if you got some truth syrum in him, he'd probably confirm the low ceiling for the kid's D1 football ability.
 
Bill was hired by for fear of Pat White going pro. Pat made his views on Stew's status and his future at WVU well known. Pat was the dangling carrot and the boosters bit.

Stew's perpetual habit of bringing in short classes and under performance in a weak league are what got him fired. WVU should have ran through that league like a knife through butter, but not under Bill. He left Dana so shorthanded WVU was years in recovering. At least we have quality players up and down a plus 80 roster. In Stews day's scholarship numbers were in the mid-upper 60's The Ghost of Bill Stewart looms large over WVU's early lackluster performances in the B-12.

Want to go back to losing to the likes of Cincy, Louisville, and East Carolina with good ol' Stew? Feel free.
 
And why specifically? (And please don't resort to the old "good old boys club" crap.)

The guy was handed the job without an interview. Pat White maid the decision for the university. Governor just happened to be there with Pastilong and they buckled handing BS the job.
 
has 10 solo tackles in 5 games.

only 19 total for the season including assisted tackles.


That's nearly a single-game box score for David Long. I know that we have guys hurt right now, and we also have complete busts in Hensley and Sandwisch at linebacker (it seems)............ but we better hope these freshmen in 2019 can come in and play immediately or we need to hit the JUCO market hard before February

He is playing out of position, he should be an outside linebacker but was pressed into service because of injuries. Doesnt have the weight for the middle to take on 300+ inside linemen head on.
 
Bill was hired by for fear of Pat White going pro. Pat made his views on Stew's status and his future at WVU well known. Pat was the dangling carrot and the boosters bit.

Stew's perpetual habit of bringing in short classes and under performance in a weak league are what got him fired. WVU should have ran through that league like a knife through butter, but not under Bill. He left Dana so shorthanded WVU was years in recovering. At least we have quality players up and down a plus 80 roster. In Stews day's scholarship numbers were in the mid-upper 60's The Ghost of Bill Stewart looms large over WVU's early lackluster performances in the B-12.

Want to go back to losing to the likes of Cincy, Louisville, and East Carolina with good ol' Stew? Feel free.

Only one problem with your argument. You're leaving out some other factors in regards to the low scholarship numbers. You can't cherry pick the history by leaving out the fact that there were NCAA sanctions reducing scholarships. I agree the low recruit numbers along with the reduction left the football program in a bad way. Bill Stewart was more of a care taker kind of HC so ill not down the guy, he unfortunately was in over his head. Great guy but average head coach. Also Rich Rod needs some blame placed on him too for the NCAA sanctions. Let's not forget the "good 'ol boy" network was influencing the situation as well.
 
Tonkery is a very good outside LB that will end up a 4 year starter here. Middle LB is not his thing. He will improve.

NC recruiting has failed. Move on. Stop wasting time there. It’s like bust. Leftover talent in NC is not very good. It’s like Wake Forest level or below. It’s like D2.
 
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I have this same argument with a friend of my mine. Tonkery isn't very good and he was meant to be a backup to Ferns but injuries have forced him to play more snaps than he should be involved in. I've seen him get sucked into the d-line far too often and have a running back run right by him because he can't shed a block consistently. He's our guy and I hope he turns it around because I'm certainly a WVU fan but I'm sure he has it in him. He's here because he's a WV kid and because his brother was on the team before him. Gibby wants him to succeed like crazy but if you got some truth syrum in him, he'd probably confirm the low ceiling for the kid's D1 football ability.
Tonk is not getting it done at MLB. Our dline is what is making this defense right now.
 
A MiLB in this defense needs to have amazing awareness. They have to see literally everything beside them and in front in order to react. If they miss a potential blocker and get sealed, the RB gets an easy 10-12 more yards past him. We unfortunately don't have that person
 
Yes, but the bullshit way he was canned hasn't.

LOL I've been watching this board from afar and was finally compelled to create an account to jump into this madness.

Your hatred of Coach Holgorsen is well-documented around here.

I've had you pegged ever since I saw your first anti-Dana post.

This comment proved me correct.

You're a backwards-thinking West Virginian stuck in the mid-20th century.

Still holding a grudge over something that happened 8-9 years ago - so West Virginia.

Ol' Buddy Bill wasn't the answer. He was simply hired to be a "Yes Man" for Pastilong, Parsons, & Raese. Nothing more.

Get with the times, man.
 
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LOL I've been watching this board from afar and was finally compelled to create an account to jump into this madness.

Your hatred of Coach Holgorsen is well-documented around here.

I've had you pegged ever since I saw your first anti-Dana post.

This comment proved me correct.

You're a backwards-thinking West Virginian stuck in the mid-20th century.

Still holding a grudge over something that happened 8-9 years ago - so West Virginia.

Ol' Buddy Bill wasn't the answer. He was simply hired to be a "Yes Man" for Pastilong, Parsons, & Raese. Nothing more.

Get with the times, man.

Oh hey look Buford and his split personalities are back....
 
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Amen! I was and will remain loyal and a fan of Bill Stewart. It was downright sinful the way Bill was treated. The folks that don't agree............well, ole Warez will pray for you. Warez
I have deep appreciation for Bill Stewart, and I don’t think the way he was treated was right or fair. But before we beatify Stew remember his hands weren’t exactly clean either, and he handled his termination poorly. He was neither fair toward his own staff nor toward the incoming staff. Also, his termination was justified—if poorly conceived and executed. The high point of his recruiting was his first year and dropped off considerably after that. His change in offensive philosophy didn’t work. He struggled with clock management the whole time he was coach. Stew was a great man, a great mentor of young men, and a great coach. He just wasn’t a good head coach. Not every great teacher makes for a great administrator.
 
I have deep appreciation for Bill Stewart, and I don’t think the way he was treated was right or fair. But before we beatify Stew remember his hands weren’t exactly clean either, and he handled his termination poorly. He was neither fair toward his own staff nor toward the incoming staff. Also, his termination was justified—if poorly conceived and executed. The high point of his recruiting was his first year and dropped off considerably after that. His change in offensive philosophy didn’t work. He struggled with clock management the whole time he was coach. Stew was a great man, a great mentor of young men, and a great coach. He just wasn’t a good head coach. Not every great teacher makes for a great administrator.

It was a shit show. It was incredibly stupid of Luck to force the HCIW on Stewart. Just fire him, pay what you owe and move on. I assume Luck felt the plan would force Stewart to resign and save some $$$, but that is a pretty slimy way to handle it.

Instead of forcing him to resign, it compelled him to be a saboteur. That's on Stewart. As bad as the HCIW waiting plan was, Stewart agreed to it. In for a dime, in for a dollar. Stewart should have just told Luck to shove it, and that the only way I'm leaving is if you fire me - I'm not making this easy on you. Im the head coach, I control my staff - period, end of story. If anything leaked out to the press, Stewart could have just told them he was the head coach, the only head coach, and that he will remain head coach until the university decides otherwise. That alone would have tanked the idea. But he agreed to it, which was incredibly odd then tried to subvert Luck and Dana from within.
 
It was a shit show. It was incredibly stupid of Luck to force the HCIW on Stewart. Just fire him, pay what you owe and move on. I assume Luck felt the plan would force Stewart to resign and save some $$$, but that is a pretty slimy way to handle it.

Instead of forcing him to resign, it compelled him to be a saboteur. That's on Stewart. As bad as the HCIW waiting plan was, Stewart agreed to it. In for a dime, in for a dollar. Stewart should have just told Luck to shove it, and that the only way I'm leaving is if you fire me - I'm not making this easy on you. Im the head coach, I control my staff - period, end of story. If anything leaked out to the press, Stewart could have just told them he was the head coach, the only head coach, and that he will remain head coach until the university decides otherwise. That alone would have tanked the idea. But he agreed to it, which was incredibly odd then tried to subvert Luck and Dana from within.
I think we said the same thing—though I said it more artfully. :smiley:
 
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