SB Nation Pittsburgh - WVU Vs. Syracuse: Geno Smith Is Not Pat Whitehttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/48827/pitt-fv.png2010-10-26T18:59:41-04:00http://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/rss/stream/15325232010-10-26T18:59:41-04:002010-10-26T18:59:41-04:00More Thoughts On Losing To Syracuse
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<p>It was homecoming this past Saturday and lots of old friends were in town. The weather was beautiful and the leaves in West Virginia are at a perfect display of Fall Splendor. The tailgate I went to served up Pork Chops that were as big as my head....</p>
<p>...and those are the only nice things I have to say about Saturday.</p>
<p>After looking like the class of the Big East during the first half of the season, all of a sudden the Mountaineers look like the team with more questions that answers. This is what I took away from Saturday's performance:</p>
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<a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84138/geno-smith">Geno Smith</a> is <i>not </i>Pat White. Mountaineer faithful stopped having any doubts about their sophomore quarterback after he led back-to-back ninety yard drives against Marshall but that proved to be a bit premature, don't you think? Smith threw three awful interceptions in the first half leading to 9 points by the Orange and the offense dug a hole early they they could never get out of. While one of the interceptions wasn't Geno's fault, the other two were borderline-inexcusable moments where the young QB tried to force the ball into tight coverage. I felt, watching the second half, that Geno was a bit rattled and he had trouble making decisions. Unable to choose a receiver down-feild Smith held the ball too long, getting sacked four times in the second half and twice on the final drive. All of which was made possible by....<br>
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<li>The no-good, awful, very bad play of the offensive line. This line has had issues all year, that much has been evident. Saturday, they faced the best prepared front they've seen all year and withered in the autumn sun. Now, the Orange defense doesn't have the players LSU had, but the zone blitz scheme they implemented to harass Smith worked over and over and over again. The line couldn't suss out who was coming and who wasn't, and generally looked confused as Syracuse sent a myriad of defenders into the Mountaineer backfield. The great question to me is where's Josh Jenkins? Sure, he's out there, but he's far from the savior we were sold on before he got to campus. This line has plenty of experience but they just don't play like it. The dirty truth of this Mountaineer team is that the play of the offensive line is, well, offensive.</li>
<li>Where were the adjustments? Right now in West Virginia the only people more divisive than would-be US Senators Joe Manchin and John Raese are Bill Stewart and offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen. Everybody and their uncle has an opinion as to what's ailing the Mountaineer offense, but it often boils down to "Playcalling! Bad!". I think that's too simplistic and not at all accurate. That said, Stew and Jeff still have blood on their hands for their failure to address where WVU was getting beaten like a drum, namely on the offensive line. The 'Eers would have benefited from a few plays out of a max-protect package, but Mullen never went there. Instead he had Geno constantly dropping back trying to read the blitz and decipher four and five receiver sets at once. Run a couple of one and two receiver plays and I think the Mountaineers move the ball better. There's obviously speed on the outside to get open, so exploit it. Instead, unable to complete first down passes led to second and third and long and the Syracuse D just teed up and went after Smith making him look like the sophomore that he is. Inflexible in-game decision making can only lead to bad things. WVU is a talented team, but not so talented that they can simply show up and exert their will. Often the game will be decided by how the Mountaineers adapt to the situation presented, and Saturday was a perfect example of what happens when they don't.<br>
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<p>So, in a nutshell, with better offensive line and quarterback play and a couple of halftime adjustments, WVU could have won this game going away. Instead, the Mountaineers suddenly find themselves playing catch-up with the rest of the conference. A conference title is still a great possibility, but no longer seems like a probability. That's unfortunate, but no reason to give up on the 2010 Mountaineers just quite yet.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/west-virginia-mountaineers/2010/10/26/1776193/more-thoughts-on-losing-to-syracuse-wvu-football-west-virginiaAaron Hawley2010-10-23T17:46:22-04:002010-10-23T17:46:22-04:00Morgantown Feels Sting Of Defeat After Poor First Half Leads To Loss
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<p>Homecoming came to Morgantown, and it was <i>not </i><i></i>good. After looking like the class of the conference, <span class="caps">WVU</span> stumbled out of the gates this afternoon and couldn’t put together the small number of plays it would have taken to win this football game.</p>
<p>Unfortunately, the first half found <span class="caps">WVU</span> wunderkind QB <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84138/geno-smith">Geno Smith</a> throwing three interceptions, leading to scores each time. In the second half, the sidelines called it conservative, and the tires spun in the mud.</p>
<p>As most of WVU’s second halves have been this year today was a defensive stalemate. Unfortunately for the old Gold N’ Blue, the hole that was dug in the first half was too much to get out of. While Noel Devine broke a few good runs here and there, the offense and run game in particular couldn’t move the chains. When faced with third and long, as the ’Eers were for the entire second half, the line broke down and Geno was pressured or sacked or worse.</p>
<p>On a gorgeous day at Mountaineer Field, the Mountaineers lost a game they should have won. With more talent than the Orange, the Mountaineers should have controlled things from the get-go. But they didn’t. Now, with a 1-1 Big East record, they fall back to the pack. It’s any body’s conference, and the way things are going ... it’s going to get ugly in the Big East. Stay tuned. I’ll ruminate more on this tomorrow, but there’s no looking around it: this is bad. It’s going to be a long and dirty conference slate from here on out. All of the teams in the conference still think they can win this thing, let’s hope Stew and crew can right the ship ...</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/west-virginia-mountaineers/2010/10/23/1769916/theres-no-joy-in-motownAaron Hawley2010-10-23T15:49:46-04:002010-10-23T15:49:46-04:00Syracuse Halftime Lead Holds Up, Orange Shock Mountaineers 19-14
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<p>West Virginia fell behind 19-14 at halftime and that was the final score of Saturday’s game as the second half was a defensive struggle. Despite <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6380/noel-devine">Noel Devine</a>’s big day of 122 rushing yards, the Mountaineers fell a bit short and failed to score after two first-quarter touchdowns.</p>
<p>Even with the offense not effectively moving the ball, the Mountaineers had a chance to win it at the end. The team got down to the Syracuse 20-yard line with about a minute left, but <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84138/geno-smith">Geno Smith</a> was sacked and then threw an incompletion before being sacked again on fourth down.</p>
<p>Aaron will have more on the game later.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/west-virginia-mountaineers/2010/10/23/1769747/west-virginia-vs-syracuse-big-east-mountaineers-orange-noel-devine-geno-smithAnson Whaley2010-10-23T14:46:23-04:002010-10-23T14:46:23-04:00Mountaineers Trailing Orange Heading Into 4th Quarter
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<p>Favored West Virginia is trailing at home against Syracuse in the fourth quarter, 19-14.</p>
<p>The Mountaineers have clearly looked like the best team in the conference, but are struggling mightily so far against the surprising Orange. <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84138/geno-smith">Geno Smith</a> has had his worst game of the year, throwing three interceptions, but RB <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6380/noel-devine">Noel Devine</a> have kept West Virginia in the game with 100+ rushing yards.</p>
<p>Syracuse’s passing game has been similarly awful, but its two-headed rushing attack of <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6276/delone-carter">Delone Carter</a> and <a class="sbn-auto-link" href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/37762/antwon-bailey">Antwon Bailey</a> has put up more than 150 yards.</p>
<p>The Orange are desperately trying to avoid a 1-2 conference start and are playing like it today.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/west-virginia-mountaineers/2010/10/23/1769640/wvu-vs-syracuse-delone-carter-noel-devine-geno-smith-antwon-bailey-mountaineers-orangeAnson Whaley2010-10-23T09:08:06-04:002010-10-23T09:08:06-04:00WVU Mountaineers vs. Syracuse Orange: Mountaineers Try To Move To 2-0 In The Big East
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<p>It's gameday in Morgantown for the third time in 15 days. The Mountaineers will take the field at noon to face the <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/teams/syracuse-orange" class="sbn-auto-link">Syracuse Orange</a> at Mountaineer Field: a place they've been pretty good, winning their last 12 in a streak that dates back to the '08 season. Because of a home-heavy October, three out of the next four (aka, the bulk of the Big East season) will be played on the road. This is an important game for the Mountaineers because in conference, they <i>all </i>are. This team is clearly the best team in the Big East right now but Pitt's 45-14 pasting of the Orange last week means the Panthers could be bouncing back to contend for the conference title. If the ‘Eers can stay perfect, the Big East title could be decided on the Friday after Thanksgiving at Heinz Field. Looking forward to today's match-up, here are some things I'll be looking at:</p>
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<li>How good are the Orange? After last week's blowout to the Panthers, the sheen has come off of the team that has easily been the biggest surprise in the Big East so far. While quarterback Ryan Nassib has been solid so far, this afternoon's game will be dictated by the Mountaineer secondary and what they can force the young quarterback into doing. If Keith Tandy, Robert Sands and company can be as opportunistic as they have been so far this season, it could be a long day for Nassib.</li>
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<li>What's up with <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/6380/noel-devine" class="sbn-auto-link">Noel Devine</a>? The Mountaineers haven't been able to run the ball the way they have over the past decade. This team is seventh out of eight in conference rushing the ball. <i>Seventh</i>! Some folks would point to play-calling, but the real answer may be that Noel hasn't been the same since being injured on a late hit at LSU almost a month ago. I'm looking to see if No. 7 can get back into the groove, not necessarily getting huge gains, but more precisely making quick cuts.</li>
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<li>Can the defense keep rolling? Right now, the Mountaineer defense is what we thought it might be before the season. They're quick, they hit hard, and they create opportunities getting in passing lanes and gobbling up tipped balls like Pac-Man (the video game, not the infamous former Mountaineer). Since victory is expected by all of Mountaineer Nation, the game within the game is how many points the ‘Eer D can hold the Orange to. If things go as they have, I don't expect a whole lot - six, nine max... and that's only if the game's not close. If the game's close, the Mountaineer D won't give up any. Which brings us to....</li>
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<li>Is the offense by design? I've gone back and forth with <a href="http://thecityofmorgantown.com">others </a>who think the low point totals are indicative of failure. Failure to execute. Failure to call good plays. Failure to win the way they think we should win. I tend to think it's by design, scoring early and then taking the air out of the ball in the second half by running the ball and playing defense. Still, it's a great debate and one that hasn't been decided yet. I wouldn't oppose a 60-point Mountaineer victory, but wouldn't be upset if it stays in the teens as long as WVU controls the game. Right now, there's less faith in the offense than the defense but that could change as <a href="http://www.sbnation.com/ncaa-football/players/84138/geno-smith" class="sbn-auto-link">Geno Smith</a> develops into the franchise quarterback he's expected to be.</li>
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<p>I'm off to the stadium and will try to post in the comments. I'll be back after the game, hopefully with a stunning description of how Orange juice is made.</p>
https://pittsburgh.sbnation.com/2010/10/23/2323037/wvu-mountaineers-vs-syracuse-orange-mountaineers-try-to-move-to-2-0Aaron Hawley