[regularguy]

I thought a thread might be in order, to hear some thoughts on this game.

I am thinking there might be some value in the home underdog in this one. I know Colorado is not national champion material ... but ...

Colorado's defense is not bad. They have a relatively stout defensive front. WV has not been running the ball worth a damn. Under their new coach, they are trying to move to more of a spread out passing offense, and it has not been working so well. It takes time for such a transition to take hold, and it simply hasn't yet. The Mountaineers did not score a TD against E. Carolina.

On the other side of the ball. Colorado's QB, Cody Hawkins, the coach's son (and watch out for that combo), has completed 75% of his passes. Their running game has not been much, and that might be a problem. But on the other hand, they might not need to run much in this game. West Virginia’s secondary has been shredded in their first two games. Pat Pinkney of ECU completed 22 of 28 passes for 236 yards, mostly to wide-open receivers; Villanova completed 21 of 37 passes for 266 yards in the opener. West Virginia’s defense has been especially lame on 3rd down. Villanova and East Carolina converted 15 of 30 third-down plays.

I personally think that West Virginia's ranking at 21st is overly generous. They are limping into a tough game against an improving mid-range Big 12 team. Watch out.

[LT Profits]

Nice write-up and I can't argue. My only comment would be that is is better to tale the Money Line than take less than +3.

[teaserpleaser]

Im taking WVU I think they bounce back in a major way, I've read everything Pat white and Noel Devine said about the ECU game ... They were quoted basically saying that WVU overlooked ECU because they owned ECU up to that game (WVU was 17-2 against ECU). I think this humbled WVU they'll be okay. like i said on another thread I cant see WVU going 1-2 on the season. I really like WVU coming off of a embarrasing lose to ECU, A bye week!! and I cant pass on this one IF WVU beat ECU they would be double digit Chalk in this game. I will take the legit national title contender that stumbled vs A Colorado team that is 1-6 in its last 7 games vs non conference BCS teams (losing by 16 points per game) WVU has won 14 of 17 of the last regular season road games. good luck

[awhitejackson]

Last year WVU loses to Pitt and then goes on to destroy Oklahoma in Fiesta bowl.... The truth is the easier bet against West Virginia is usually in conference games.... Last three bowl games were pretty decisive victories over non conference opponents including Georgia, GT, and OKla. Im biased but then again I NEVER bet on my team and I'm going in pretty big on this one.....Lets go Mountaineers!

[sweetpete57@]

Colorado really isn't very good. E. Wash. got 350 yds against them and led by 2 TD at the half. But, if WV gets off to a slow start, they could lose confidence pack it in like in the ECU game. I'm banking on a huge rebound and big win on the road. They just have way to much talent to lose again.

[teaserpleaser]

Reed williams (2007 fiesta bowl defensive mvp) will also see his first action of the season at middle linebacker for WVU.

[bearmz]

West Virginia (No. 21 AP/No. 22 USA Today/Coaches Poll) (1-1) travels to Boulder, Colo., to face Colorado (2-0) on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2008, at Folsom Field (53,750) at 8:30 p.m., ET.

WV will depart for Boulder right after Tuesday’s practice in order to give the Mountaineers an extra day to become acclimated with the time change. Despite being known as the Mountaineers, the elevation of West Virginia's campus is at 1,000 feet. Stewart isn't worried about how his players might perform at 5,400 feet in Boulder. "A football play lasts an average of four seconds, with the longest one being six seconds," Stewart said. "All you have to do is bust it for six seconds and then you'll have 35 seconds to rest." Still, there are issues to be dealt with in playing a mile above sea level, especially for those who have never done it, which accounts for virtually everyone on West Virginia's roster.

Col HC Hawkins already owns a big home victory over Oklahoma last year, upsetting the No. 3-ranked Sooners, 27-24. The offensive-minded Hawkins has never been shut out in 143 career games.

WVU’s defense has allowed only six 100-yard rushers in its last 40 games.

WVU is 14-1 when Pat White rushes for at least 100 yards.
The Last 100-Yard Opponent To Rush For 100 Yards In Boulder? Kansas State’s Alan Webb had 24 carries for 103 yards on Nov. 13, 2004.

Hawkins & Bye Weeks. Hawkins is 7-1 in games following bye weeks, not including bowls (1-1 at Colorado, 6-0 at Boise State). At Colorado, the 1-1 mark is against Nebraska, as CU lost 37-14 at Lincoln in 2006 and won 65-51 in Boulder in 2007.

East Carolina broke a seven-game losing streak to No. 8 West Virginia by defeating the Mountaineers 24-3 at Dowdy-Ficklen Stadium.
The loss broke West Virginia’s 14-game no conference winning streak and eight-game road non-conference winning streak.
First half stats were revealing as the Pirates controlled the ball eight minutes more than the Mountaineers, ran 14 more plays and gained 86 more yards.
Final totals showed West Virginia with 179 yards rushing and 72 passing for 251 yards of
total offense. White’s longest pass of the day, a 13-yarder, was in the fourth-quarter.
East Carolina passed for 243 yards and rushed for 143 to finish with 386 yards of total offense. Time of possession was also critical in the game, and ECU won that battle by 11 minutes, while running 17 more plays than the Mountaineers.

Deploying a four-man rush almost routinely, East Carolina got enough push to harass quarterback Patrick White, who was sacked three times and took off running on a minimum of 17 other instances when he dropped back. Meantime, the vaunted rushing offense gained barely one-third its normal output the past three seasons, at 215 yards. The maligned line also was the recipient of one of West Virginia's four penalties, an illegal procedure incurred by Isdaner. All that may explain why the Mountaineers failed to score a touchdown for the first time in 82 games, dating to mid-2001.

Colorado defensive tackle George Hypolite is hype-heavy. This 290-pound senior isn't merely named on one to two defensive-award watch lists, or even three to four, but inhabits no fewer than five at this early juncture: Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski (player), Ronnie Lott (impact), Lombardi (top lineman/linebacker) and Outland (best interior lineman). He has four quarterback pressures.
Defensive tackle Brandon Nicolas, a fellow 290-pound senior who is two inches taller than Hypolite at 6-3, owns one of the defense's six sacks, while backup defensive end Marquez Herrod possesses two. The 4-3 defense's leading pass rusher, strong-side linebacker Brad Jones, is credited with two sacks, for a team-high 18 yards in losses, and six hurries.


The one bright spot in West Virginia’s disappointing 24-3 loss at East Carolina on Sept. 6 was the Mountaineers’ ability to run the ball. West Virginia averaged 5.0 yards per carry with quarterback Pat White and running back Noel Devine each nearly putting up 100-yard performances.

WV OL Dent pointed out that Colorado's defensive linemen are big and strong and come off the ball very well. He said, "They use their hands well, and I think they've got a lot of experience in their defensive line and also in the linebacking corps.
"They're not quite as big as ECU was, but those guys are quick and they come off the ball very well. I hope we have more speed than they do. We'll find out Thursday night."

Offensive Coordinator Jeff Mullen does not think West Virginia University's inconsistent offense needs to improve on anything other than just taking better care of the football.
Mullen readily admits that WVU would like to regain a highly productive rushing attack, but that it was forced to throw early and often against both Villanova and East Carolina, which now is ranked No. 14 in The Associated Press poll.
Both of those teams loaded up the box with nine defenders. But Mullen served notice that WVU will continue to try to establish the run.

The Buffs have allowed just 118 yards rushing and an average of 2.5 yards per carry so far this year while playing Col ST and Eastern Washington.

The Buffs have been most susceptible to the pass where they have allowed 490 yards through the air against Colorado State and Eastern Washington.

Colorado needed a 24-point second half to overcome a 21-7 halftime deficit in defeating Eastern Washington on Sept. 6.

Because the Mountaineer offense had difficulty sustaining drives against East Carolina, that compounded the difficulties a young defense has experienced trying to work in nine new starters. The Mountaineers permitted the Pirates to gain 386 yards of offense and allowed them to convert 50 percent of their third down tries. Twice, starting the game and beginning the third quarter, ECU had 80-yard drives that ate more than six minutes off the clock.
The unit has spent a lopsided amount of time on the field in the first two games, and with eight new starters has been plagued by missed tackles and blown assignments.
One of the many aspects under scrutiny is the secondary. Opponents have converted 26 first downs passing against the Mountaineers.

Hawkins on the vertical passing game: “I love the long pass. As I’ve come along in this game, I’ve learned you’ve got to pound it and launch it.”

Bill Stewart said Tuesday that Reed Williams is going to dress and play Thursday night against Colorado. Williams was held out of the first two games after undergoing off-season shoulder surgery. Williams, the defensive MVP of the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, brings an immediate upgrade to the middle of the Mountaineer defense. It also enables senior Mortty Ivy to move back to strong linebacker.

For Brandon Hogan, a sophomore at West Virginia, he's playing cornerback a year after coming to campus as an All-State quarterback and moving to receiver. He's learning, literally on the run, how to handle the risks and the repercussions. Stewart has been a champion of Hogan's switch and was outspoken in supporting him after the recent errors, but he was stern, too, and said more mistakes would cost Hogan his spot.

The Mountaineers are 10-8 against schools which hail from the Big 12 Conference, and Colorado is 1-1 against teams from the BIG EAST. In WVU’s last meeting against a Big 12 school, the Mountaineers defeated Oklahoma, 48-28, in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2, 2008.

The Mountaineers are 5-1 in Thursday night games since 2005 when Pat White became the
starting quarterback. They are also 3-1 in away Thursday night games with White as the starter.

There have been nine Mountaineers who received the first start of their career in one or both of the first two games this season, including Franchot Allen (DB), Alric Arnett (WR), Zac Cooper (DE), Sidney Glover (DB), WIll Johnson (FB), Ellis Lankster (DB), Pat Lazear (LB), Eain Smith (DB) and J.T. Thomas (LB).

When WVU rolls up 300 or more yards rushing in a contest like it has in the last eight years, good things happen for the Mountaineers. As proof, WVU is 28-2 since 2001 when reaching the 300-yard rushing mark, including nine consecutive victories when topping that plateau. WVU has also rushed for 300 or more yards in 18 of its last 30 games.

The Mountaineers have not lost two-straight road games since 2003 after dropping a 34-7
contest at Maryland, followed by a 22-20 loss at Miami. The 2003 season also marks the last time the Mountaineers have lost two-straight non-conference games after losing 15-13 to Cincinnati before the Bearcats were members of the BIG EAST and then the 34-7 defeat at Maryland.

Indeed, this is a different team in so many ways. Defensively almost everyone is new. Offensively three of the key components in last year's offense are missing - Steve Slaton, FB Owen Schmitt( a big FB that was key to making the option work) and Darius Reynaud. Perhaps this isn't yet the kind of program that simply reloads.

Defensive Newcomers
The 2008 Mountaineer defense is young compared to an outstanding 2007 season which saw
the unit ranked in the Top 20 in just about every major NCAA defensive category. The proof though is in the numbers.
In the season opener against Villanova, nine players recorded their first tackle and saw action on
defense for the first time. Leading the way was linebacker Najee Goode with four tackles, followed by Eain Smith and Julian Miller with three tackles each.
At East Carolina, safety Sidney Glover saw his first action of the season and responded with six
tackles and 1 TFL. The current West Virginia two–deep depth chart for the Colorado game consists of 10 sophomores and three freshmen, totaling 13 of the 22 spots.

For CU, at six positions, the top two players are either a freshman or a sophomore
(WR, LT, RG, RT, QB, TB and PK).
�� Fewest Seniors. Colorado has 15 seniors on its roster in 2008. Eleven are first-team/starters: FB Maurice Cantrell, WR Cody Crawford, S D.J. Dykes, DT George Hypolite, OLB Brad Jones, DE Maurice Lucas, CB Gardner McKay, DT Brandon Nicolas, C Daniel
Sanders, FS Ryan Walters and WR Patrick Williams. Four others are reserves, S Joel Adams, WR Steve Melton, QB Nick Nelson and P Tom Suazo.

Despite CU’s well documented youth, only two players made their first career start in the season opener against Colorado State: OG Blake Behrens, a redshirt freshman, and DE Jason Brace, a junior. Seven seniors, three juniors and one sophomore started on defense in the opener, countered by six sophomores, one freshman, one junior and three seniors on offense. Three more players made their first start in week two

QB Cody Hawkins, has a 19-to-1 ratio of touchdowns to interceptions in the red zone (three TDs against no picks thus far in 2008). He is completing 71.6 percent of his passes on the season, including 80 percent on third down (20-of-25, 164 yards).

Some trends of Colorado coach Dan Hawkins:
when scoring 20 or more points (0-17 when not) 10- 5
when trailing at halftime (4-0 when tied) 3-12

Scott and Stewart are the leading ball carriers for the Buffs after the first two games, but the ground game overall hasn't functioned at the level coaches and players believe it can. The Buffs have gained 243 yards in two games and are averaging 3.5 yards per carry.

The Buffs changed the offense in the offseason to a system that oper-ates without a huddle and in the shotgun formation a majority of the time. It didn't figure to be running at optimum levels in Week 3. Hawkins said having three young offensive linemen, young tailbacks and being without his starting tight end in the first two games have all been contributing factors.

The defense sacked Colorado State quarterback Billy Farris five times in the season opener. It registered just 19 sacks all of last season.

The Buffs are coming off an ugly outing against Eastern Washington and could use more time on the field together before attempting to solve all the problems the Mountaineers' 3-3-5 scheme presents.
Fortunately, there are probably few coaches around the nation more familiar with getting the 3-3-5 blocked than CU offensive line coach Jeff Grimes. He came to CU in 2007 after three seasons at Brigham Young where he faced the zany New Mexico version of the defense annually.
Grime said he has spent the past week multitasking. He's trying to correct mistakes made against Eastern Washington while spending plenty of time on the Mountaineers. He said the last outing for his group was forgettable.
The Buffs managed only 90 rushing yards and 2.7-yards per carry average. They gave up two sacks, four quarterback hurries and 11 tackles for losses.
Grimes said more guys are in the mix for playing time this week with junior Devin Head back from a one-game suspension and sophomore Keenan Stevens recovered from a minor shoulder injury that prevented him from playing against Eastern Washington.

The problem with putting a spy on White, CU coaches and players say, is that could mean
one fewer defender in position to keep WVU sophomore tailback Noel Devine in their sights. Small (5-feet-8, 173 pounds) but explosive, Devine averaged an amazing 8.6 yards per carry in rushing for 627 yards in 2007 as the backup to Steve Slaton.

Who's cold: The Mountaineers' defense. Never mind the East Carolina game, West Virginia was outgained 399 yards to 354 by Villanova, an FCS (formerly called Division I-AA) member.

[jasont]

Colorado...ML.

Trap game with -2.5 for WVA.