Luck looking for improvement for the football team.

[GoldRusher]

five years from now we will still hear how we are just around the corner and we had to play so many young kids.

no, I disagree 100% here. He might give Dana through the '15 season but if the ship isn't headed in the right direction by then I guarantee you Luck will fire Holgorsen. There is a chance it happens this year imo depending on how the season unfolds. If Dana loses this team and it tailspins to finish the year again then...I think we will have a new coach NEXT season, not 5 years from now.

 

[bbwvfan]

Leaders?

Id say Spain is for the Oline but the entire offense? Prob not

Alford has a chance to put on a show this year but again, no idea what type of leader at all that he is within the team.

I totally agree with you on Spain.

 

[mad2mc]

I totally agree with you on Spain.

While it is nice to have senior leadership on a team, it does not have to come from your senior class. Karl Joeseph, Nick Kwiatkowski, Dustin Garrison are just a few who saw a lot of time as Freshman. Using an eye test, none of the QBs carry themselves as confident leaders. Pat White was not a vocal leader, but he carried himself with swag. Kevin White, who appeared to have hit the weight room, could be that guy. He has the size of some of the better receivers (Michael Irvin, Randy Moss, Justin Blackmon, Dez Bryant) that exuded confidence on the field (and off), but will he cease the moment. Not saying he is going to be as good as one of these guys, but has the size.

 

[DCWV4life]

I am hoping one of these guys at QB1 shows the leadership trait, while others on the team can be leaders QB1 has to play that role to a certain degree.... LETS GO!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[WVUDAD]

You raise some good questions. Are Dana's boys ready to step into leadership positions this year? They're probably comfortable enough to do so since they've been part of the program awhile now.

So… playing well against good teams is a sign of having enough talent to win, but a lack of coaching is responsible for the final records?

What happened in 1984 when WVU was good enough to beat teams like Pitt, PSU and a highly ranked Flutie lead BC squad, but ended up losing to teams like UofV, RU and Temple?

Was that a sign of poor coaching? Or a lack of coaching?

It is a sign of poor coaching, in 1984, we beat sPitt and PSU and the kids as well as the coaches decided their work was done. The coaches slacked off and let the kids slack off because they felt that if they could beat those teams they could just show up and beat the shitty teams. Same as 13-9, poor coaching, letting the kids think they are great leads to over confidence and you will get beat.

 

[WVUDAD]

While it is nice to have senior leadership on a team, it does not have to come from your senior class. Karl Joeseph, Nick Kwiatkowski, Dustin Garrison are just a few who saw a lot of time as Freshman. Using an eye test, none of the QBs carry themselves as confident leaders. Pat White was not a vocal leader, but he carried himself with swag. Kevin White, who appeared to have hit the weight room, could be that guy. He has the size of some of the better receivers (Michael Irvin, Randy Moss, Justin Blackmon, Dez Bryant) that exuded confidence on the field (and off), but will he cease the moment. Not saying he is going to be as good as one of these guys, but has the size.

Indeed, Pat White was the leader on the team for three and a half years, he was a great team leader in the win against UGA his freshman year. Leadership comes from within, not as a result of what the date on your birth certificate says.

 

[GoldRusher]

While it is nice to have senior leadership on a team, it does not have to come from your senior class. Karl Joeseph, Nick Kwiatkowski, Dustin Garrison are just a few who saw a lot of time as Freshman. Using an eye test, none of the QBs carry themselves as confident leaders. Pat White was not a vocal leader, but he carried himself with swag. Kevin White, who appeared to have hit the weight room, could be that guy. He has the size of some of the better receivers (Michael Irvin, Randy Moss, Justin Blackmon, Dez Bryant) that exuded confidence on the field (and off), but will he cease the moment. Not saying he is going to be as good as one of these guys, but has the size.

I agree with you both, doesn't have to be a senior. I was thinking about defensive leaders after I posted those guys above and one I look to step into that role possibly this year is Worley, guy is an All American waiting to happen imo.

 

[aussierugbyfan]

You guys missed the best part of the interview - Bruce asked him if he was insulted by the article that listed Holgs as the one of the 3 most unattractive coaches in the Big12. LOL

PLUS the Clint Trickett tweet "In WV we believe in God, football, alcohol, and 2 way roads only big enough for 1 car"

 

[Mac_Bridger]

It is a sign of poor coaching, in 1984, we beat sPitt and PSU and the kids as well as the coaches decided their work was done. The coaches slacked off and let the kids slack off because they felt that if they could beat those teams they could just show up and beat the shitty teams. Same as 13-9, poor coaching, letting the kids think they are great leads to over confidence and you will get beat.

Damn right. Should have fired Don Nehlen in 1984!

 

[bbwvfan]

It is a sign of poor coaching, in 1984, we beat sPitt and PSU and the kids as well as the coaches decided their work was done. The coaches slacked off and let the kids slack off because they felt that if they could beat those teams they could just show up and beat the shitty teams. Same as 13-9, poor coaching, letting the kids think they are great leads to over confidence and you will get beat.

I think the coaching staff probably worked harder after the PSU win than they did up to that point in the season.

Coach Nehlen mentioned in his autobiography that the '84 team was wiped out by injury following the PSU game. Lack of depth and playing young, inexperienced kids resulted in the disappointing ending to the season.

As we saw in the Bluebonnet Bowl, once the kids had time to heal... they played at a pretty high level.

 

[DCWV4life]

I think the coaching staff probably worked harder after the PSU win than they did up to that point in the season.

Coach Nehlen mentioned in his autobiography that the '84 team was wiped out by injury following the PSU game. Lack of depth and playing young, inexperienced kids resulted in the disappointing ending to the season.

As we saw in the Bluebonnet Bowl, once the kids had time to heal... they played at a pretty high level.

Yeah but that is nothing like what has happened here the last two year!

 

[Slaton10]

Why has THIS coach, in his three years FOUND leaders? The Juniors are Holgorsen's, Where are the leaders? The Sophs? There is talent on this team as we see when WVU plays OU and Texas, coaching is what is lacking, Holgorsen is just like Snyder was at Marshall, five years from now we will still hear how we are just around the corner and we had to play so many young kids.

Really..they are his kids?..If I am not mistaken he came in as the OC his first year and then thrown into the HC job when Stewart crapped the bed.....................................

 

[Slaton10]

Indeed, Pat White was the leader on the team for three and a half years, he was a great team leader in the win against UGA his freshman year. Leadership comes from within, not as a result of what the date on your birth certificate says.

Pat White was the beneficiary of playing in a new style of offense..wonder how that would have worked out now that every team in the country is playing it.................................................................................................

 

[WVUDAD]

Pat White was the beneficiary of playing in a new style of offense..wonder how that would have worked out now that every team in the country is playing it.................................................................................................

He would have been a leader regardless, that quality is from within, Pat White would have been a leader whether he was playing football or chess.

 

[Mac_Bridger]

Pat White was the beneficiary of playing in a new style of offense..wonder how that would have worked out now that every team in the country is playing it.................................................................................................

Eh, I don't put much stock in that "new offense". It was a Veer with 4 WRs.

 

[Slaton10]

He would have been a leader regardless, that quality is from within, Pat White would have been a leader whether he was playing football or chess.

He was #2 on the depth chart...he played due to injury.........

 

[Slaton10]

Eh, I don't put much stock in that "new offense". It was a Veer with 4 WRs.

I would disagree.....there is no zone blocking in the veer...there is a pitch option....there are mis-direction or counter plays....the Veer is more like the Wing T...... Rich's offense was zone/read...

 

[WVUDAD]

He was #2 on the depth chart...he played due to injury.........

He was a freshman...........come on Slaton, By the end of his freshman year he was the clear leader of the team. Leadership is not defined by age, it is defined by character , actions, and attitude.

 

[Slaton10]

He was a freshman...........come on Slaton, By the end of his freshman year he was the clear leader of the team. Leadership is not defined by age, it is defined by character , actions, and attitude.

I wouldn't go as far as saying he was a leader in his first year...I would categorize him as a raw talent that had a ton of upside..he was a quiet kid...it wasn't until his Junior year he became the voice of the offense..

 

[WVUDAD]

I wouldn't go as far as saying he was a leader in his first year...I would categorize him as a raw talent that had a ton of upside..he was a quiet kid...it wasn't until his Junior year he became the voice of the offense..

Where would that 2005 Sugar bowl winning team have ended up without Pat White running the offense? In the UL game where he came in due to injury he showed leadership. WVU was down 24-7 when Pat White entered the game, scored 17 unanswered points to tie, and won in triple OT, hardly raw, the team fell in behind him and he led and was the face of WVU football for the next three and a half years.