Slaton10's musing season ending edition..

[Slaton10]

Okay...lets get to it..

Well in a minute...thought I would end the year with the last installment of cheerleaders of the week..and who should it be...but of course...your Wv University Cheerleaders!

West Virginia Mountaineers Cheerleaders 2017: Hottest Photos


Okay a little uncomfortable posting those girls...one of them is one of my good friends Daughters!


The game...after processing over the weekend...I would tell you than no one is to blame..Not Dana, Not Gibby, Not Spavital ( Well, maybe he should have turned Chugs loose only 13 pass attempts through almost 3.5 quarters) ..no one.( Well maybe the DL Coach) ..I would suggest and I know we have unrealistic expectations as homers but the team was OUTCLASSED by OU who has likely the Heisman Trophy winner and Mackey Award winner and likely 4 other kids that will be making All American teams...

Its the difference of what a bunch of 5 star recruits can do if playing together as a team against a team with an average of 3 star kids...OU was on a mission and impressive..I thought Wv did one thing well on the back end and that was at least play fast and they all looked like they were stuck in the mud...

What I was surprised about in the game is how effective the run was...and as I have been saying for weeks now #4 should have been starting the for awhile..#25 ran out of gas it feels like in the 3rd game of the season...But remember I'm saying its not their fault for THIS GAME ONLY..


So an overall assessment. It was glaring to me since the TT game how undersized this team is in the trenches on both sides of the ball...#55 is the only legitimate FBS starter...

Defense

BBW texted me and I agree with his assessment..the CB's and SS's regressed as the year went on...I know the coach was brought in because he can recruit Georgia..but he can't coach.same dumb shit these kids did game in and game out..never making progress.and this team needs a high level FOOTBALL COACH at every position..

I would suggest that Askew Henry went from a mid round draft choice to FA status..he had a horrific year..1 interception all year...against Delaware State...so to me that doesn't even count..51 total tackles 2 for a loss...

#8 The runner up to MVP on the team... he will be missed.

LB's the highlight of the year...#3 and #11 played their guts out...both will make NFL rosters with #11 in a position when he's done to be a top 3 round pick. Tonkery got a ton of snaps he played as well as you could hope for a kid in this defense...this program has got to hope Ferns is ready to make a contribution next year...

DL - This is another group that never got better as the year went on #46 was a liability on the field..Can't understand why they kept trotting him out there..other than there is no one else to throw in there ( Scary), the others..totally undersized, completely manhandled almost all of the time..easily the biggest reason this team failed on defense this year...that Coach should be FIRED.

Offense

QB
I am not saying they would have one by any stretch, but I would have loved to see how Grier played in this game...could have been a shootout...as I mentioned, would have liked to have seen Chugs turned loose, but there is a possibility he was hurt...he was short on passes all day long...I digress...Will Grier will be a Heisman Front Runner next year and SHOULD be Wv 's first HEISMAN WINNER! It will be fun to see how Israel is used next year...he's got to get reps he has only two years of eligibility left since he red shirted ..which means Chugs drops on the depth chart. All in all the highlight of the year Grier easily the MVP..

Offensive Line...no depth...I would say by the OSU game they began to wear down against bigger Defensive Lines...stats would say different but if anyone but Grier is back there the stats would have been worse...it was a rebuilding year for this group, hopefully Wickline will have them in a better place next year.

WR/RB: What can you say about the WR's White/Sills/Jennings still finish with 1000 yards a piece ( White and Sills both need 20 yards each) ..no depth there with Durante transferring out...and they all held up..I would suggest that Jennings was the surprise out of this group...tough kid..

RB's: Never really understood all year the rotation ,,if there ever was one..I think it cost them down the stretch..#25 became a turnover machine with too many carries..I think going in Dana/Jake were committed to #25 no matter the cost...even though ad nauseum I have messaged and believed #4 was an all around better back..and always thought #32 should have gotten 8 to 10 totes a game..
Embarrassing that #25 can't catch the ball out of the backfield...but I guess it didn't matter since the screen game was never part of this offense..


Special Teams: As a group I thought Dana was them in better position and played better as group than we have seen for quite awhile nothing glaring really except execution by the kickers....I WILL NOT MISS MOLINA OR ESPECIALLY KINNEY!

I wish them nothing but success in whatever they do in life outside of ever wearing a WV uniform again.

Coaching:

Offense:

Jake Spavital: Regurgitating, but I never thought he had the best Tail Back on the field..he never seemed to sprinkle in something new during the year until the very last game of the season when he used a Wild Cat formation..I think Grier made him look smart a lot and I say this off of the small sample size of what he would allow Chugs to do...the offense looked predictable at times...no adjustments...we all saw it when this team could not score second half points down the stretch.. I have to believe he takes this offense even to a higher level next year..I think he's a smart coach and will learn a lot from this year

Wickline: I think BBW made a comment on another thread about Pass Protection..I also think they did a great job for the majority of the year ( B+)...the one thing I never got the feeling..no nastiness to this group...never played with attitude...not sure if that had to do with youth?

Carrier: Guy's an up and comer...what can you say about the receiving corp ..out side of #8 who was always good for at least 2 drops a game... and the group as a whole had some devastating drops this year..see VT...but I like Carrier...

Tony Dews...meh..he's a recruiter..

Defense:

Tony Gibson: I am sure you all will give me shit..but I have had my ah ha moment..if this team can't get more bigger ass's on the DL it's time to move away from the 3-3. It was really hard to tell this year with #46 getting his ass handed to him every game...but what I really noticed more this year than in the past is this defense can't set the edge. They tried with #8 but he's totally out of position when he moves into the box..but on a regular basis once the DE has collapsed its over...If I were the HC I would move to a 4-2-5 defense as the base...and if they were to take Ol Slaton's advice that would mean firing the DC....

BTW screw the injury's ..no matter what the experience was on the field...Bud Foster would have found a way to cobble a credible group together..

Bruce Tall: Dana has to make a move....and this is an easy one...

Matt Caponi/Doug Belk - Safety's had their worst year...and DB's? What exactly did Belk do to make them better?...They looked no different from game 1 of the season to game 12..matter of fact they went backward...Battles..horrible...Daniels not far behind....

Mike Joseph: This team wore down and had too many injury's this year...and it seems like the story for the last 3 years in some form or fashion...time to move in a different direction.





Dad you are probably going to get ready to fall out of your chair....

Head Coach: I believe in sample size...and Like I have with other Coaches including your beloved Bill Stewart..5 years should tell you where or what your is program.

I am concerned about the recruiting...I don't really care what its ranked..I am concerned about how undersized this team is...I thought with the success they have had running the ball the past couple of years they would start recruiting bigger bodies..if KSU and TT can do it ..Wv should be able to...and I feel even more strongly about the DL...they just can't compete..or maybe they just can't compete in this defensive scheme...

This staff needs re-assess ..like right away....who and what they are recruiting for...this team needs thicker players...they need kids with attitude..they need to recruit the Mike Compton's of the world..and I think its lost on this staff...this game has never changed....the game is won in the trenches..not out on the perimeter..

After watching a ton of football this weekend it was amazing to me just how much next level teams have a ton of gas left in the tank at this point in the season..how crisp they are running offense or defense..( see Auburn/Clemson).watching Wv turn the ball over multiple times in multiple games it told me how much they didn't...to me that speaks to depth and conditioning.



No matter why....I can except a loss....but as a fan...a supporter of this program, there should never be a loss that embarrasses this program..Saturday more than Qualified..it said a lot

The team is set for a big run next year..OU, TCU and OSU graduate a lot of kids...its WV's time to win the Big12...anything short of that WV should fire Dana and move on...

 

[WVUDAD]

I am really disappointed in this season, the teams we beat we're 27-56, attack me as I know you will, but holgorsen is regressing. His first year, wvu destroyed Clemson, with a bunch of players that many said we're a bare cupboard.......not only are we not even close to the championship caliber team luck talked of, we are falling to the dregs of the league.....I am wondering if luck hired holgorsen so that the guy who recruited him wouldn't go down as the worst coach in wvu history.... people are pouring piss on the defense, guess what, if the defense had not stepped up the past month, wvu would have been a four win team

 

[Anotherwvufan]

After 6 years, we are not close to competing for a conference championship, We really have no depth. We have been over matched on both sides of the ball.

No matter how our Defense lines up, we will get blown off the ball in conference play. We need to get big bodies and develop them into good lineman or we will have no chance against the Oklahomas and Texas of the conference. Every year, we get exposed against these opponents. Until that is fixed, we have little chance of success.

Grier could be the best QB WVU has ever produced. However, he needs a team with a Defense if we have any chance of success. Good to see that we will be returning a bunch of talent next year, but none of that is on the O line or D line. It will be a long offseason.

 

[Slaton10]

I am really disappointed in this season, the teams we beat we're 27-56, attack me as I know you will, but holgorsen is regressing. His first year, wvu destroyed Clemson, with a bunch of players that many said we're a bare cupboard.......not only are we not even close to the championship caliber team luck talked of, we are falling to the dregs of the league.....I am wondering if luck hired holgorsen so that the guy who recruited him wouldn't go down as the worst coach in wvu history.... people are pouring piss on the defense, guess what, if the defense had not stepped up the past month, wvu would have been a four win team

Hmm.. I don't know if I am disappointed where they finished..they were picked 6th in the league and finished 4th. The teams that were ahead of them were all picked to finish in the top 3 with a the projection that OU would play either TCU or OSU for the Championship and they got it right..

I am more disappointed that I can't think of one thing outside of Grier that this team can build on...Maybe the LB's?...maybe the OLINE?...I am reaching here since #3 and #5 gradutate.

This team lost a ton on defense..same for the OLINE...I thought that 8 maybe 9 wins in the regular season was a good target..Can't agree with you about how the Defense bailed them out...I am more disappointed how they never seemed to get better as most good teams do during the year.(except for LB play...most of the time) ...the defense started the season and finished right at #111 in the country..giving up 31.5 points per game good enough to finish #93 in the country...that is REALLY bad...when is the last time we saw something like that at WV?

 

[Slaton10]

After 6 years, we are not close to competing for a conference championship, We really have no depth. We have been over matched on both sides of the ball.

No matter how our Defense lines up, we will get blown off the ball in conference play. We need to get big bodies and develop them into good lineman or we will have no chance against the Oklahomas and Texas of the conference. Every year, we get exposed against these opponents. Until that is fixed, we have little chance of success.

Grier could be the best QB WVU has ever produced. However, he needs a team with a Defense if we have any chance of success. Good to see that we will be returning a bunch of talent next year, but none of that is on the O line or D line. It will be a long offseason.

I think they have depth...how good is another question...LB's not sure about depth or DB's..as I mentioned I also believe that they need to size up!..ever since the TT game it stood out like a sore thumb...and OSU just killed them...

The team brings back alot of talent and yes they are losing some playmakers on both sides...but if you look around the conference Wv should be a favorite...keep in mind Snyder is retiring this year so KSU will be in transition...OU loses just about everyone...Texas should be improved..I think....OSU loses everyone...and so does TCU...its WV now or never..

 

[Scapegoat]

After 6 years, we are not close to competing for a conference championship, We really have no depth. We have been over matched on both sides of the ball.

No matter how our Defense lines up, we will get blown off the ball in conference play. We need to get big bodies and develop them into good lineman or we will have no chance against the Oklahomas and Texas of the conference. Every year, we get exposed against these opponents. Until that is fixed, we have little chance of success.

Grier could be the best QB WVU has ever produced. However, he needs a team with a Defense if we have any chance of success. Good to see that we will be returning a bunch of talent next year, but none of that is on the O line or D line. It will be a long offseason.

I'm an outsider looking in. But I'm surprised that West Virginia hasn't been closer to the top spot in the conference on a regular basis. OU has been an elite team for 20 years straight. But Texas has been down, TCU has been good, Kansas State is good(because of Snyder) but the rest of the conference is hit and miss.
I also thought you would have more Texas recruits.

 

[DCWV4life]

If winning 7 in the big 12 in a rebuilding type year is a disappointment then you guys have your sights to high..you guys crack me up, we lose just about our entire defense and offense win 7 games (in Nehlans era 7 wins was a great season) and your talking we can't compete. All of you had OSU and Oklahoma as L's coming into the season and then are surprised when they actually beat us. Our bad L's were to good teams, and we had some good L's to good teams. We would have beat Texas with Grier. A lot of moving parts this year that I think we settle down next year and win some games (if Grier comes back)

The defense sucked this year period, won us games my ass K St offense was 97th and Iowa State 79....anyone with a pulse was putting 30 up on us. What did the defense do against TCU???made a guy look look like a HT winner.

Disappointed to not win a NC yes, but overall this team was right where most people thought they were going to be this year.

WVU should give its own team a tackling and catching clinic this offseason and we gain three more wins.

 

[bbwvfan]

Man Slaton... go get yourself some Zoloft for chrissakes.

You had way too much optimism for this year’s team. Your child love was only going to do so much this year. I told you and everyone on this board just that before the season started.

I predicted a 7-5 season, and this is what happened. If Will doesn’t break his finger against Texas, we finish 8-4. That is a damn good record when you have the 2nd youngest team in the country facing 6 game time ranked teams.

The OL has no depth. The DL is young and inexperienced. Let’s see where both of these lines are in 2 years before we go firing the position coaches for either group.

When Nehlen was coach, his teams had to rebuild... just like this year’s team is a rebuild. When Major and Co were young and inexperienced... they took their lumps. Then... they became special.

Fucking get your shit together you sad assed POS. God... get a grip...

 

[Mac_Bridger]

The year as a whole, I consider a success. When the season opened, Vegas had WVU winning no more than 4 games this year. We're all homers so we expected more, but come on guys, we all knew going in that our defense was a mess and the OL was a bunch of younger kids. The defense was proven to be exactly that, but the OL surprised.

 

[Ojb81]

 

[Slaton10]

I'm an outsider looking in. But I'm surprised that West Virginia hasn't been closer to the top spot in the conference on a regular basis. OU has been an elite team for 20 years straight. But Texas has been down, TCU has been good, Kansas State is good(because of Snyder) but the rest of the conference is hit and miss.
I also thought you would have more Texas recruits.

So did our fanbase! LOL!...When Wv entered the conference the program was breaking in a new HC..there was a need to shift recruiting styles...it took some time...then a transition in AD's left this HC hanging for a couple of years which at Wv is a recruiting killer...WE AIN"T OU!...I hope better days are ahead...they currently have the #16 recruiting class (Rivals) so hopefully better late than never WV takes its place as a top 3 team in the conference going forward.

 

[Slaton10]

If winning 7 in the big 12 in a rebuilding type year is a disappointment then you guys have your sights to high..you guys crack me up, we lose just about our entire defense and offense win 7 games (in Nehlans era 7 wins was a great season) and your talking we can't compete. All of you had OSU and Oklahoma as L's coming into the season and then are surprised when they actually beat us. Our bad L's were to good teams, and we had some good L's to good teams. We would have beat Texas with Grier. A lot of moving parts this year that I think we settle down next year and win some games (if Grier comes back)

The defense sucked this year period, won us games my ass K St offense was 97th and Iowa State 79....anyone with a pulse was putting 30 up on us. What did the defense do against TCU???made a guy look look like a HT winner.

Disappointed to not win a NC yes, but overall this team was right where most people thought they were going to be this year.

WVU should give its own team a tackling and catching clinic this offseason and we gain three more wins.

DCW I agree...we beat Texas with Grier...I think Wv makes it a ballgame against OU with Grier...I don't say they win but it would have been an entertaining shootout because OU's defense was mediocre at best...

The only games I look back on outside of Texas..should have won either the Va Tech game or TCU to make an 8 win season...9 with a bowl win... that would have been successful in my eyes...and if they win 8 in a resounding way to build from then I will see this year as a moderate success..along with a #16 ranked recruiting class which could get better with all the coaching changes in the SEC...

 

[Slaton10]

Man Slaton... go get yourself some Zoloft for chrissakes.

You had way too much optimism for this year’s team. Your child love was only going to do so much this year. I told you and everyone on this board just that before the season started.

I predicted a 7-5 season, and this is what happened. If Will doesn’t break his finger against Texas, we finish 8-4. That is a damn good record when you have the 2nd youngest team in the country facing 6 game time ranked teams.

The OL has no depth. The DL is young and inexperienced. Let’s see where both of these lines are in 2 years before we go firing the position coaches for either group.

When Nehlen was coach, his teams had to rebuild... just like this year’s team is a rebuild. When Major and Co were young and inexperienced... they took their lumps. Then... they became special.

Fucking get your shit together you sad assed POS. God... get a grip...

Okay...got a grip! Thanks for the slap in the face!

I kind of can't beleive I am hearing you defend the 3-3 since I know how much you have said you loved it for all these years! I finally come around to your line of thinking and I get punched in the mouth for it!

I think maybe it is time that Wv think about a 4-2..if not at least have it in the play book...

Woke up this morning to see Wv on a roll with possibly its best recruiting class (16th) in its history...that certainly will help set the table for years to come..

 

[bbwvfan]

I don’t really know where I stand on the 3 man stack. I see merit in it since I had a chance to talk to Coach Shafer when he was head coach up here at the ‘Cuse. He is a defense guy. I met him at a dinner meeting... and, you know me... I had to poke the bear. So, I ask him how he liked being forced to run the 3 man stack for Rich when he worked with him for 1 yr at UofM.

You could tell he was careful in his response because he was answering in front of 24 other people, but his response hit home. He simply said, it doesn’t matter what scheme you run. Any defense can work well if its taught and executed properly. He said it doesn’t matter if you run 4-3 or 3-4 or 3-3... they all work. Scheme doesn’t matter.

I’ve been a changed man ever since...

 

[Mac_Bridger]

The key with any alignment or formation is to have the personnel to run it properly. Don't run a wishbone if you don't have a lot of solid RBs! A 3 man front requires excellent DL play, in particular a NT that will draw double teams. If the NT can't pull two OL out of every play, you're not going to do well.

 

[Slaton10]

I guess I just had an epiphany...I didn't watch the game until I got home was driving back from Pittsburgh...and the OU broadcasters were calling the game on XM...and one of the play by play guys was a former coach and he specifically said what he didn't like about the 33 Stack...you can't set the edge..sure enough watching the game it was clear as day...at least I think..( again 46 just can't hold down that RDE position) but Wv could not set the edge on either side of the line...and going back to the games I attended and thinking about it...I agree...its difficult to set the edge on a team that likes to bounce outside of the tackles unless you have superior LB and Safety players and the right defense called

 

[bbwvfan]

Isn’t it interesting though that setting the edge may have been a glaring weakness for this year’s team, but most of the heavy damage done by opponents was using power in the A & B gaps. Over pursuing... not filling the gap quickly enough... not getting help by the NT eating up 2 blockers... all major contributors.

But, power football is where men are separated from the boys...

 

[Slaton10]

Isn’t it interesting though that setting the edge may have been a glaring weakness for this year’s team, but most of the heavy damage done by opponents was using power in the A & B gaps. Over pursuing... not filling the gap quickly enough... not getting help by the NT eating up 2 blockers... all major contributors.

But, power football is where men are separated from the boys...

Well again it goes back to my comment of the DE's collapsing.. #46 and you can say the rest of the DL just could not shed blocks and were easily moved out of the way..and when the OL can control the direction of you NT..well your screwed