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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
2 | GAMEDAY EDITION
Friday October 31, 2014
WVU secondary a must against No. 1 scoring squad By Dillon Durst Sports Writer @Dailyathenaeum
Heading into Saturday’s colossal Big 12 matchup between No. 7 TCU and No. 20 West Virginia, there might not be a hotter unit in the nation than the Horned Frogs’ offense. After scoring 82 points and racking up 785 yards, including 480 passing yards, the Mountaineers’ defensive backs figure to have their hands full Saturday afternoon. However, this isn’t the first time this season West Virginia’s defense has faced an elite offensive attack.
The Mountaineers’ secondary held then-No. 4 Baylor’s top-ranked offense to just 318 total yards of offense and figure to come out with the same intention Saturday. “TCU has a lot of versatile players across the field, and they have a lot of playmakers,” said junior safety Karl Joseph. “It’s going to be a tough matchup, so we just have to be ready to come play. As far as Baylor and TCU, they both score fast, and that is something that we have to keep our eyes on.” West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, who was a receiver a
year ago, might be the most improved quarterback in the nation. “Probably – well, not probably – he is the most improved player in college football,” Holgorsen said. Last weekend against Texas Tech Boykin completed 22 of 39 attempts for 433 yards and seven touchdowns. The Horned Frogs’ offense scored so many touchdowns at home against the Red Raiders that they ran out of fireworks for the season. “(Boykin) is going to throw the ball out there, so we are going to have to play sound in the secondary,” Joseph said. “Every man is go-
ing to have to do their job. He is also a good runner, so we are going to have to contain him in the pocket, as well.” The Mountaineers’ secondary has been holding their own so far this season, surrendering a feasible 218.4 passing yards per game which is No. 3 in the Big 12. Although West Virginia’s secondary didn’t blink when starters Daryl Worley and Terrell Chestnut went down with injuries against Baylor, Holgorsen said he’d be “incredibly disappointed” if Chestnut isn’t ready to play Saturday. “He hasn’t been cleared
yet. We will see how he responds (Tuesday),” Holgorsen said. However, if Chestnut can’t go, backups Ishmael Banks and Ricky Rumph have been playing great down the stretch and are more than capable of filling the void. West Virginia defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said TCU is known to run trick plays. They even beat the Mountaineers in 2012 in overtime on one such play. “What you have to do is play sound and you have to play your assignment,” Gibson said of defending trick plays. “That’s where we can’t have guys, especially when
a kid like Boykin breaks away, we can’t come out of coverage. “We have to make sure we do our job, whether you are responsible for a third, a half or that man then you have to stay on him.” dasports@mail.wvu.edu
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Entering Week 10, No. 20 West Virginia is faced with an array of challenges for both the offense and defense as it takes on No. 7 TCU. With a Horned Frog offense that is averaging 50.4 points per game, good for No. 1 in the nation, the Mountaineers’ defense – and the defensive line, specifically – understand they have their hands full. First-year defensive line coach Tom Bradley said the Horned Frogs bring so many dynamics to the playing field that the challenges are extremely evident for WVU going into Saturday’s matchup. One of the Horned Frogs’ most lethal weapons is junior quarterback Trevone Boykin, who has 2,306 passing yards on the year along with 21 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Bradley said in addition
to his explosive numbers, Boykin’s biggest challenge for the Mountaineers is his speed, agility and ability to make people miss, which can make a huge difference. “Wow, you always have to know where he is and keep him on your inside shoulder,” Bradley said. “It’s one of the things you have to be very disciplined at. I think that’s the part that’s hard. “You can’t be as reckless as you may want to be. There’s a fine line between being aggressive and not being very smart.” Redshirt junior defensive lineman Kyle Rose said as the season has progressed, he’s seen tremendous improvements out of the defensive line and knows one huge key for West Virginia Saturday will be getting after Boykin, who has been sacked 12 times this season. “Pressure on the quarterback,” Rose said. “Just getting to the quarterback with three, that really has allowed us to drop eight
and play coverage, and if we can stop the run and get home with three, that’s an advantage for us.” Bradley also said as a whole, the Horned Frogs’ style of play, which includes an element of the option, will come as a challenge to the Mountaineers. “It’s a very different style,” he said. “In fact, that’s the hardest thing is to be able to duplicate that kind of speed they have back in the backfield. “We don’t run the option here, so we have to really manufacture that in practice and be able to get the kind of look, and it’s going to be difficult to get that look.” Bradley made one thing clear when speaking about TCU as a whole. “It’s a tough challenge ahead,” he said. “The thing that’s really going to be difficult for us is they’re hitting on all cylinders right now. It will be a tough afternoon.” apecoraro@mail.wvu.edu
THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Friday October 31, 2014
GamEDAY EDITION | 3
Trickett embracing ‘game manager’ role this season
kyle monroe/the daily athenaeum
WVU quarterback Clint Trickett prepares for a play during the Texas Tech game earlier this season.
By Dillon Durst Sports Writer @DailyAthenaeum
Former Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, who won two national titles, bristled at the idea of being labeled a “game manager.” West Virginia redshirt senior quarterback Clint Trickett, on the other hand, embraces the role. “Obviously the quarterback is the manager, and there has been a lot of talk about that over the last several years on whether that is an insult
or not,” Trickett said. “It’s not. That is the quarterback’s job. It’s part of the position, and if you are doing a good job, then you should take that as a compliment.” “I didn’t say he was just a game manager,” said West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen. “He’s a pretty darn good quarterback, too. He’s a very smart kid.” The Mountaineers’ senior signal caller has been an instrumental part of the nation’s No. 9 passing offense. Trickett’s 2,763 passing yards and 17
touchdowns is No. 5 nationally, while he continues to complete more than 60 percent of his passes. Holgorsen said the biggest difference between Trickett this year and last year is the awareness of his surroundings. “There are a lot of guys who are good players who are completely unaware of their surroundings, regardless of what position it is,” he said. “He’s very aware of his surroundings. He knows what the mood is with the guys. He knows when to pick them up. He knows when to challenge
them. He knows when to slow things down. “He’s a pretty intuitive kid, and he’s extremely aware of his surroundings and what it takes to be successful.” Heading into arguably the biggest game of his career, Trickett will face one of the nation’s most well-coached defenses led by TCU head coach Gary Patterson. Although the Horned Frogs are surrendering an average of 239.6 passing yards per game, their defense has done a great job of getting to the quar-
terback this season and is averaging 3.14 sacks per game. “They are a good defense,” Trickett said. “Coach (Gary) Patterson is one of the best defensive-minded coaches out there. I put him up there with coach Saban and all the other great ones that are known. They do what they do, and they do it well. “They are good on third downs, but so are we. It will be a great test for us.” Despite having one of the best receivers in the nation in Kevin White at
his disposal, Trickett also has a very deep and talented group of running backs to lean on, making West Virginia’s offense one of the most dynamic in the nation. “Last year, we had to depend on the run game a lot because that’s where our best player was. This year, we have a diverse offense, and depending on what the defense is giving us, we don’t have to stick to the running game,” Trickett said. “Like we said before, pick your poison.” dasports@mail.wvu.edu
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Friday October 31, 2014
WEST VIRGINIA
NAME Shelton Gibson Edward Muldrow Brandon Golson Dreamius Smith Skyler Howard Wendell Smallwood Mario Alford Nana Kyeremeh Dravon Henry Daikiel Shorts Rushel Shell Daryl Worley Karl Joseph Dontae Thomas-Williams KJ Dillon Clint Trickett Jordan Thompson Nana Twum Agyire Kevin White Ronald Carswell Khairi Sharif Andrew Buie Sean Walters Paul Millard Ricky Rumph Logan Moore Terrell Chestnut William Crest Jr. Al-Rasheed Benton Storm McPherson Marvin Gross Austin Hensley Chris Parry KJ Myers Brandon Napoleon Jarrod Harper Mike Molina Jacky Marcellus Keishawn Richardson Jeremy Tyler Eric Pittman Travis Bell Scott Levine Daejuan Funderburk Maurice Zereoue Elijah Wellman Dustin Garrison Justin Arndt Isaiah Bruce Carlton Nash Jared Barber Hunter Brown Ishmael Banks Nick Kwiatkoski Shaq Petteway Wes Tonkery Shane Commodore
POS WR LB LB RB QB RB WR CB CB WR RB CB S RB S QB WR CB WR WR CB RB LB QB S QB CB QB LB QB S QB WR WR CB S PK WR CB S RB CB PK S RB TE RB LB LB S LB LB CB LB LB LB S
HT 6-1 6-3 6-2 5-11 6-0 5-11 5-8 5-11 5-11 6-1 6-0 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-1 6-2 5-8 6-0 6-3 6-0 5-9 5-9 6-2 6-2 5-11 5-11 5-10 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-4 6-2 5-9 6-2 5-10 6-0 5-7 5-8 5-9 5-11 5-8 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-8 6-2 5-8 5-11 6-2 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-1
WT 188 212 230 216 200 200 178 188 185 196 210 198 196 221 210 175 168 194 209 180 160 192 225 230 190 200 188 210 228 210 205 185 160 196 185 210 170 175 175 205 180 188 198 180 195 240 185 215 232 186 232 210 185 235 226 218 205
‡ &RPSOLPHQWDU\ ,QWHUQHW ‡ 5RRP 6HUYLFH ‡ .LWFKHQHWWHV ‡ +RWHO 5HVWDXUDQW ‡ )LWQHVV 3RRO ‡ 6KXWWOH ‡ )UHH 3DUNLQJ (YHU\WKLQJ 5LJKW ZKHUH \RX QHHG LW 6XQFUHVW 7RZQH &HQWHU 'ULYH ‡ 0RUJDQWRZQ :9 ‡ ZZZ PRUJDQWRZQ KJL FRP
RK FR JR SR SR SO SO SR SO FR SO SO SO JR FR JR SR JR JR SR JR JR JR SO SR JR SR JR FR FR FR SO FR FR JR SO SO FR FR JR SO FR SR FR FR SR FR JR SO JR FR SR FR SR JR JR SR FR
NO 38 39 39 41 42 42 44 45 46 46 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 56 57 58 59 60 63 64 65 66 67 69 70 71 72 72 74 77 78 79 81 82 84 85 86 87 88 89 89 89 91 91 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
NAME Cameron Nash Malik Greaves Chai Smith Alex Brooks Garrett Hope Houstin Syvertson Hodari Christian Eric Kinsey Billy Kinney Nick Meadows Michael Molinari Darrien Howard Yodny Cajuste Walter Rauterkus Tanner Grose Xavier Preston Dayron Wilson Jewone Snow Adam Pankey Amanii Brown Stone Underwood Zack Johnson Michael Calicchio Mark Glowinski Tyler Orlosky Jonathan Haynes Quinton Spain Tony Matteo Brandon Jackson Tyler Tezeno James Gayeski Brendan Willis Sylvester Townes Marcell Lazard Marquis Lucas Grant Lingafelter Vernon Davis Devonte Mathis Lamar Parker Ricky Rogers Josh Lambert John DePalma Cody Clay Darren Arndt Darien Bryant Russell Haughton-James D.J. Carozza Nick O’Toole Jon Lewis Kyle Rose Austin Fields Christian Brown Jaleel Fields Noble Nwachukwu Tyree Owens Dontrill Hyman
POS RB S WR LB TE LB LB DL PK LS PK DL DL OL LB LB S LB OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL OL DL OL DL OL OL OL OL OL WR WR WR WR PK LS TE DL TE OL DL P DL DL DL DL DL DL DL DL
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HT 5-6 6-2 5-10 5-11 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-2 6-4 5-11 6-2 6-2 6-6 6-6 6-0 6-3 5-11 6-2 6-6 6-5 6-4 6-3 6-9 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-5 6-5 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-5 5-10 6-1 5-9 6-1 5-11 6-5 6-4 6-2 6-4 6-6 5-10 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-3 6-4
WT 175 210 198 225 245 220 226 267 205 221 210 290 270 286 212 220 204 230 305 285 298 291 315 310 303 290 332 301 340 319 262 270 290 310 310 300 172 212 170 198 212 245 251 250 230 290 285 220 255 298 245 290 286 275 260 285
RK FR FR SO FR JR FR FR JR FR FR SR SO FR FR SR FR JR SR SO FR JR FR SR SR SO FR SR SO JR FR JR FR JR FR JR FR SO SO FR FR SO JR JR JR JR JR FR JR FR JR FR SO FR SO FR SR
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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Friday October 31, 2014
NO 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 6 6 7 9 10 11 11 12 12 13 14 14 15 15 16 16 17 17 18 19 19 19 20 21 22 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 28 28 29 30 31 31 32 33 33 34 34 35 35 36 37 38 39 39 40
NAME Chris Hackett Emanuel Porter Trevone Boykin Corry O’Meally Brandon Carter Shaun Nixon Jordan Moore Kenny Iloka Bram Kohlhausen Kolby Listenbee Josh Doctson Desmon White Zach Allen Ranthony Texada Kolby Griffin Foster Sawyer Ty Slanina Keaton Perry David Porter Cameron Echols-Luper Steve Wesley Matt Joeckel Torrance Mosley Sam Carter Grayson Muehlstein Nick Orr Cyd Calvin Travis Hanes Ian Moser Deante’ Gray Kyle Hicks Aaron Green B.J. Catalon Ryan DeNucci Trevorris Johnson Michael Downing Kevin White Colten Christensen Derrick Kindred Travoskey Garrett Geoff Hooker Patrick Zeller George Baltimore Denzel Johnson Ridwan Issahaku Devin Killpatrick Travin Howard Robert Lewis Jaden Oberkrom Preston Miller Daniel Walsh Sammy Douglas Phil Taylor Rahmaan Patterson Ethan Perry Connor Osborne Stacy Boyd Justus Canfield Philip Armendarez
POS S WR QB CB WR RB WR S QB WR WR WR QB CB CB QB WR QB WR WR S QB CB S QB CB CB WR WR WR RB RB RB PK RB S CB RB S CB S WR S S S WR S CB PK WR WR LB WR WR P WR RB WR PK
HT 6-2 6-4 6-2 6-1 5-11 5-10 6-3 6-2 6-2 6-1 6-4 5-7 6-3 5-10 6-0 6-5 6-0 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-0 6-5 5-10 6-1 6-4 5-10 6-1 5-11 6-2 5-10 5-10 5-11 5-9 5-10 5-11 5-11 5-10 5-9 5-10 6-1 5-10 6-0 6-0 6-2 6-1 5-11 6-1 5-11 6-3 5-9 6-2 6-3 5-11 6-1 6-4 5-10 5-5 5-11 6-0
WT 195 190 205 170 186 196 221 209 203 183 190 150 194 170 200 220 193 185 197 190 175 237 160 215 210 166 175 207 192 175 200 202 190 195 221 175 174 185 210 190 186 200 205 205 180 165 190 165 187 170 180 205 188 200 230 170 150 185 195
TCU RK JR FR JR JR SR FR JR JR JR JR JR FR FR FR JR FR SO FR SR SO FR SR FR SR FR FR FR FR FR JR FR JR JR SR FR FR SR SR JR JR SR FR FR SO FR JR FR JR JR SO SO SO JR SR JR SO SO FR SR
NO 40 41 42 43 44 46 47 48 49 49 50 51 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 59 60 61 63 64 65 66 68 69 70 71 72 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 93 93 94 95 96 97 98 99
roster| 5
BBruceton Wellness Center
NAME James McFarland Jonathan Anderson Ty Summers Cliff Murphy Paul Whitmill Femi Awe Paul Dawson Blake Henningsen Garrett Kaufman Peter Okonofua James Power Demetrion Amie Austin Schlottman Trey Elliott George Cullen Marcus Mallet Joey Hunt Frank Kee Davion Pierson Patrick Morris Tayo Fabuluje Russell Williams Thomas Walsh Michael MacCrory Garrett Altman Matt Pryor Brady Foltz Cole Novak Joseph Noteboom Aviante Collins Lloyd Tunstill Matt Boggs Bobby Thompson Halapoulivaati Vaitai Ryan Griswold Chad Childs Jamelle Naff Ty Barrett Luke Benuska Buck Jones Ja’Juan Story Charlie Reid Keaton Duhon Dominic Merka Corey McBride Bryson Burtnett Griffin Gilbert Nathan Hernandez Andre Petties-Wilson Terrell Lathan L.J. Collier Bryson Henderson Michael Mosharrafa Mike Tuaua Josh Carraway Aaron Curry Chucky Hunter Chris Bradley Casey McDermott Vai Tevin Lawson
POS DE LB LB TE LB DE LB LB LB LB LS DE C OL LB LB C G DT OL OT DE OL G C G G OT OT OT OL LS G OT OT G G OL OT TE WR WR WR TE WR TE WR WR WR DT DE DT DE DE DE DT DT DT DE DT
HT 6-3 6-3 6-2 6-4 6-0 6-3 6-2 6-0 6-1 6-2 6-3 6-4 6-6 6-4 6-0 6-1 6-3 6-4 6-2 6-3 6-7 6-4 6-3 6-1 6-4 6-7 6-4 6-6 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-0 6-6 6-6 6-5 6-5 6-4 6-5 6-6 6-4 6-4 6-4 6-0 6-4 6-1 6-5 6-5 5-8 6-1 6-5 6-4 6-4 6-3 6-3 6-4 6-1 6-1 6-2 6-4 6-4
WT 248 227 211 288 230 248 230 205 225 240 235 250 280 275 210 227 295 330 305 288 340 275 295 275 272 350 320 240 295 295 305 205 310 308 255 300 325 316 295 255 208 225 180 230 180 237 220 160 195 280 245 245 210 253 250 280 305 255 250 280
RK JR SR FR SR FR SR SR FR FR SR SR FR FR FR FR SR JR JR JR SO SR SR FR SO FR FR JR FR FR JR JR FR JR JR FR SO JR FR JR SO JR FR FR JR FR FR SO SO FR JR FR FR SO JR SO JR SR FR FR SO
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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
6 | GAMEDAY EDITION
Friday October 31, 2014
If it’s not one, it’s the other for WVU receivers
andrew spellman/the daily athenaeum
WVU senior receiver Kevin White catches a touchdown against Oklahoma State last Saturday.
By Anthony Pecoraro Associate Sports Editor @PecoraroWVUnews
For the first time all season, West Virginia’s top wide receiver in senior Kevin White was held in check against the Oklahoma State Cowboys. After starting the 2014 season with sevenstraight games with at least 100 receiving yards, his streak came to an end against the Cowboys as he only had three recep-
tions for 27 yards and a touchdown. His fellow senior wide receiver Mario Alford, however, was able to put up 136 receiving yards on seven receptions and a touchdown. Due to the versatility these two receivers possess, receivers coach Lonnie Galloway said when defenses try to take White away, Alford keeps offensive options available for the Mountaineers. “It’s one of those things
where if you try to take one of them away, hopefully the other one’s game is going, and it just gives, I think, us an advantage (because) which one are you going to try to take away?” Galloway said. Alford said knowing defenders have to choose who to double cover gives both him and White confidence, knowing at least one of them will be able to perform at a high level. “It’s great when you have two good receiv-
ers on the outside. They have to pick and choose, so if they’re doubling him, then that means I’m open (and) if they’re doubling me, that means he’s open,” he said. “It’s a great opportunity.” Utilizing West Virginia’s passing game will be key in Week 11 against No. 7 TCU. The Horned Frogs sit at the No. 1 spot for points scored this season, averaging 50.4 points per game and are only giving up 21.6 points a
game. How e ve r, Ga l l oway said he is not concerned with utilizing White and Alford to the greatest of their abilities if the option isn’t there, because the entire offensive balance the Mountaineers have is going so well now. “Right now I think we have a good thing going. Obviously we’re still going to try to get Kevin the ball, but there’s no need to force the ball to Kevin or Mario – just let
it come,” he said. “We have a good balance going right now and (are) just trying to keep everything going.” Knowing the Mountaineers will have their hands full with TCU coming to town, as they put up a hefty 82 points on Texas Tech Saturday, both receivers are well aware they need to get back to how they’ve been playing all season. apecoraro@mail.wvu.edu
THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Friday October 31, 2014
GAMEDAY EDITION | 7
Array of backs continue to shine throughout season
doyle maurer/the daily athenaeum
WVU running back breaks through tackles during the Baylor game earlier this season. Sports Writer @DailyAthenaeum
How often can a team have its premiere running back limited or injured and still feel confident in its ability to run the ball? For West Virginia, a crowded backfield has allowed the team to keep its finger off the panic button and remain assured that the ground game would be fine even if its starting player went down. During West Virginia’s victory over Baylor two weeks ago, Rushel Shell – the team’s primary back– left the game with an apparent ankle injury and did not return. This allowed backs like Dreamius Smith and Andrew Buie to step in and make an impact.
In the game against Baylor, Smith carried the ball 13 times for 60 yards and scored a touchdown, while Buie handled the ball nine times for 24 yards and also found the end zone. Shell was dressed for the team’s matchup versus Oklahoma State last Saturday but was kept out for precautionary measures. Despite missing Shell for another game, running backs coach JaJuan Seider felt the team could handle business without him. “He was ready last week,” Seider said. “I didn’t think we needed him last week. We had four other guys practice and play.” Between We n d e l l Smallwood, Smith, Buie and Dustin Garrison, West
Virginia is loaded with talent in the backfield. Having this much depth has allowed each of them to lessen the load for Shell and even take on other roles. Smallwood is really coming to form as the season progresses, not only as a running back but at receiver, as well. “We’re starting to see the explosiveness out of him that we’ve been missing all year,” Seider said. “Just moving around so much, but now he’s been able to focus more in the backfield and be a better running back.” While Smallwood only caught one pass for 14 yards against Oklahoma State last weekend, he led the team in rushing with 23 carries for 132 yards. West Virginia is con-
stantly shuffling its running backs, and the continuous rotation keeps all the players in the backfield on their toes. Smith, h o w e v e r, doesn’t really see an issue with the running back carousel. “When your number’s called just go,” Smith said. “You got to know everything so when it’s called you got to go in there and do it.” Smallwood mimicked his teammate, as he, too, is only worried about getting the job done whenever he gets the chance to touch the rock. “Most of the time it doesn’t really matter, I know I’m going to get the chance to make plays,” Smallwood said. “Every opportunity I get, I need to take advantage.”
As West Virginia does to continue its success battle against another against a tough Horned highly ranked team in Frog defense. TCU this weekend, the dasports@mail.wvu.edu running game will look
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THE DAILY ATHENAEUM
Friday October 31, 2014