59-37-3 is Pitt’s all-time record against that school from Morgantown. Don’t forget that.
Naturally with one team looking at a chance to play in the BCS Championship game and ourselves sitting at 4-7, the Mountaineers are the ones who will have their names on ESPN and such.
Scouts, Inc. (subscription, naturally) breaks down the game by positional groups. Plenty of the stylized WV and only one advantage for Pitt, at wide receiver.
Darius Reynaud is not a bad WR for the ‘Eers, but other than him there seems to be very little depth. The combination of Steve Slaton and Noel Devine trump Shady, which is perfectly fine in my mind. The rest is pretty self-explanatory, as if the way each team’s season has unfolded wasn’t enough information.
On Todd McShay’s weekly stock report, he gives love to WVU’s smaller but quicker offensive line.
Speaking of offensive lines, West Virginia’s is the most underrated in college football. Coach Rich Rodriguez’s scheme values mobility over size, which is why this unit doesn’t land many five-star recruits or pipeline many prospects to the NFL. However, there isn’t a more efficient unit in the country right now than the one playing in Morgantown. Positioning and effort are the biggest keys to West Virginia’s offensive success up front.
One matchup to watch will be LeSean McCoy against West Virginia safety Eric Wicks, a Pittsburgh native from Perry HS. Wicks positions himself on the field similarly to the Steelers’ Troy Polamalu — meaning anywhere and everywhere. His pre-snap positioning will definitely be enough to confuse our offensive line for sure. Not only will Wicks face fewer blocks en route to a tackle but the linebackers will also take full advantage of the confusion. Wicks is an “aggressive run stopper” and will be a huge part of the Mountaineers efforts to stop Shady from running wild.
Maybe we’ll at least get to something like this again.
Hope Rhoads throws that idea into the garbage for Saturday. We need all the pressure we can generate.
1924
Pitt 14 West Virginia 7
Rising to dizzying heights to overcome the West Virginia gridiron team and prevent the third successive triumph over the Gold and blue, the Panther football team presented a rejuvinated and inspired squad that no opponnent could well resist. With the memory of the Lafayette defeat still smarting and the thought that if the Mountaineers were to win they would hold three straight decisions over Pitt, Coach Sutherland’s men entered the game fully determined to win; and they did. Taking the places of the disabled Gustafson and Brown, “Ollie” Harris and Joe Schmitt instilled new fight into the hearts of the Panthers, along with the wonderful playing of Marsh Johnson; they also scored the two touchdowns neccessary for a victory. For two periods the best West Virginia team ever sent here and the Panther team hardly recognizable as the same that had floundered the previous week before Lafayette, struggled up and down the field without a score, but with the Sutherlanders gaining a slight edge near the close. with the opening of the second half the Panthers lost no time but proceeded to fight through their opponents for two scores. Bruder, Eckberg and the mighty Nardacci could do very little until the closing minutes of the game, when the panthers minus the services of Johnson and other regulars relaxed enough to allow the mountaineers to score.
1925
Pitt 15 West Virginia 6*
(*this game is listed in several other places as a 15-7 final)
The West Virginia game, threatening several times to be another defeat, was the turning point of the season. Many claim, from a psychological standpoint that the Lafayette defeat indirectly resulted in the success of the season as a whole; it no doubt resulted in the West Virginia victory. At the end of the first half, neither team had scored, in spite of several opportunities each had. The Mountaineers, at the start of the second half, mastered the shifty Spears’ formations, bequeathed to them as part of the system Spears left when he went to Minnesota, and scored on a consistent drive, missing the goal-after-touchdown. Pitt, faced by another defeat, cooly resorted to the forward pass: result, touchdown, with Gustafson kicking goal. West Virginia, relyinmg on Farley, tried the same tactics and took the ball deep into Pitt territory. A score seemed imminent, then Gustafson recovered a fumble and lumbered the length of the field for the last score.
1937
Pitt 20 West Virginia 0
In contrast to their touchdown party the previous week, the panthers were held to six points for three quarters before they were able to unload two quick fourth period touchdowns. Two placement kicks by Elmer Mercovsky, a touchdown by Johnny Urban, and two by Curly Stebbins made the twenty point total for the winners.
Battling against what was reputedly the strongest team to represent W.V.U. in the last decade, Pitt went scoreless until late in the second half, when Urban cut back of left tackle to begin a thirty yard touchdown dash. Prodded by determined Mountaineer offense, Pitt was forced to increase its lead. Result: two more touchdowns and another victory.
MIKE SHERMAN IS VERY QUALIFIED…. They wanted him, and thats all there is too it… What the hell mark? should we interview asians, hispanics, and native americans too??
I love Mark May, but this was a complete joke. Sherman has ties to Texas A&M and he has NFL experience. No shit they take him over Ron English. A&M wanted the more experienced coach.
This whole issue is bullshit. Give me a break on the race shit. White, yellow, black, red, or purple i think every team in the country is going to hire the guy that is best for their program.
Please don’t mention “chaser” around anybody from a Bob Huggins coached team.
And wow, our wide receivers are better than WVU’s? I’m not amazed that ours are better, I’m just shocked because I didn’t know that West Virginia actually had wide receivers on the roster!
Anyone but me notice his face-time on ESPN went up exponentially this season?
I hate to look ahead with such a great game coming up but our defensive backfield on paper looks very good to great in starters and depth for years to come. Aaron Berry****, Jovani Chappell***, Elijah Fields***, Dom DiCicco***, Ricky Gary***, Lowell Robinson***, Sherod Murdock***, Anthony Jackson***, Ronald Hobby***, Antuan Reed***, etc. etc. This is a very impressive list that keeps growing. We also are starting to build some very good quality depth at DE, RB & OL. We are watching a really good team come together. I’m very excited about where this team is heading.
“I know I’m not going to coach 15 more years or 10 more years. But maybe three, four, five more years as long as the good Lord keeps me healthy.”
Looking at next year, Paterno made a bold prediction: “I think we’re going to be right in the thick of things for the national championship.”
Well, he’s not getting any less senile…if by “national championship” he means “middle of the road in the pig televen,” then yes, they will be right in the “thick of things.”
I think we will play better than Uconn did against WVU.
… leave me alone, I want to be Rich Rod for a bit and whine about this.
Talent is great, but it’s the coaching! Wanny has taken Pitt to the next level alright, he has run our program into the ground, they are 4-8, the future looks like shit, next year they will be lucky to go 6-6!
We will not play better then UConn, remember UConn kicked our ass, they made us look like shit!
WVU is going to score and score and score! Our defense is good but our offense beside McCoy just sucks, Bostick cannot throw consistently down the field. He is slow physically and mentally! His defensive reads are pathetic! He is fat and out of shape with a candy arm.
WE ARE DOOMED!
Any wagers on who Pitts next coach is?
Wanny doesn’t take them to a bowl game in 2008 he is out!
One last fact, how many draft choices are still on the Dolphins roster that Wanny hand picked when he was head coach in Miami?
We get it already: if you don’t win in 3 seasons you never will, fire the whole staff. Can you please shut the fuck up now and quit reposting the same arguments over and over and over again. Bring at least one new sentence. Seriously, enough with the copy and paste, on every last fucking topic.
^^That is a great friggin\’ line.
Our problem is that the sum is not only greater than our parts, it’s a negative number.
Note Stuart I’m NOT assessing blame on anyone for this…maybe it’s just Feng Shi (sp?)
Mark May is only pointing out that certain schools (A&M, and Ole Miss) are not following the NCAA Guidleines. The rule states that they have to interview a minority candidate. Neither schools did.
Also Jake stop being delussional and wake up- White, yellow, black, red, or purple i think every team in the country is going to hire the guy that is best for their program.” Not true!
BTW- I am not getting into any political debate about race. It is lose/lose. Mark May stated that the NCAA rules state that schools are suppose to interview ONE minority candidates. Did A&M or Ole Miss comply? No. So… why have rules?
Please don’t mention “chaser†around anybody from a Bob Huggins coached team.–Jimbo Covert\’s my Dad
^^That is a great friggin\’ line.
You are not suppose to agree with me. I am stating the facts- Ole Miss nor A & M followed did not follow protocol. Period. Why did Shula get Hired over Croom at Alabama. Why is not Mich Defensive coordinator getting the Hype like Bo Pelini gets?
I dont want to get into a debate about this topic because this a Blog for Pitt fans about pitt sports.
I do have a question for you Please name me the following- What Five star white athelete signed with a Black coach for Football or Basketball Please note tubby smith at Kentucty did not get ONE WHITE McDonalds All American at Kentuckty?
I will give you three and you can add on
Ty Willimgham- signed Brady Quinn and current QB Lockner.
The other is Spencer Hawes signed at Washington Huskies and now is in the pros.
JT III-coached at Princeton.
Hey lets talk about Pitt sports and about the UPSET this weekend.
Adam- it is what it is.
Here is a nice article to answer your questions about DW, JJ and player personnel at the Dolphins
NCAA teams hire the guy that is best for their program.
I am saying right here and right now that if we have to interview blacks then we have to interview every other minority in this nation. Ohhhh and women.
That is why this is such a huge problem. Hire the guy you want colleges. Screw anything else. This isnt communism.. YET
Alright.. im done with the political stuff.
you are correct about The Rule- it applies to the NFL not college athletics. I stand corrected. Thank you.
Adam states “Hire the guy you want ” – 9.6 out of 10 times you want the minority players but not the minority head coach.
BS
hail to pitt beat WVU (atleast they gave a minority coach a chance)
