Random Thoughts
November 23, 2004 02:19 PM | General
Tuesday, November 23, 2004
Who steps up to fill the void left by the Chris Henry suspension? That’s the question of the week as the Mountaineers continue to prepare for Pitt.
Senior John Pennington has received the bulk of work in practice over the last week. The George Washington high school product certainly proved last season he can make the BIG catch against the Panthers.
Redshirt freshman Dwayne Thompson and sophomore Joe Hunter have also received the majority of practice work. Seniors Eddie Jackson and Miquelle Henderson remain questionable due to injuries. Don’t be surprised to see sophomore Rayshawn Bolden streaking for a long ball. Bolden has shown the ability catch the deep pass in workouts and is physically bigger than Henry.
For those resolved to think that WVU stands no chance of winning without its leading pass receiver, keep this in mind: WVU only attempted ten passes on its last trip to Pittsburgh and left Heinz Field with a victory.
The boys that follow Doppler Radar for a living predict real football weather Thursday night. We’re talking wind, cold, and possibly snow. A sloppy field could favor the Panthers since it will negate WVU’s overall speed advantage. However, the wind could also affect the flight of quarterback Tyler Palko’s passes. The sophomore signal-caller has averaged 42 pass attempts in the last three games.
You can be guaranteed that Pitt’s entire defensive game plan will be to stop West Virginia’s running game. In the last two encounters, the Mountaineers have rolled up 538 rushing yards. Without Chris Henry, Pitt will load the box with eight and nine players all night long.
On paper, Pitt holds all the intangibles in this game. The Panthers are coming off a great performance at Notre Dame, it’s their final home game, the squad is trying to prove embattled coach Walt Harris should be given a new contract, throw in the ‘ole revenge motive and you can make the case that there’s no reason Pitt shouldn’t win. But, you and I both know that this game has a history of improbable results that defy conventional wisdom.
The Mountaineer basketball team plays two straight road games this week beginning Wednesday night at Duquesne. On Saturday, John Beilein’s squad plays at LSU. It may be early in the season, but wins on the road now will pay huge dividends when tournament time comes in March. Mountaineer center D’or Fischer needs just 24 blocks to crack the NCAA’s top-25 all-time in blocked shots. Fischer, who began his college career in Louisiana, would love to have a big day swatting shots on Saturday. More than 300 of D’or’s career blocks came during his playing days at Northwestern State. Big ‘D’ collected 124 blocks last season for the Mountaineers.
WVU senior guard Yolanda Page turned in a great performance on Monday night against Northwestern. She set a school record 18 assists in the victory and scored her 1,000th career point. Meg Bulger followed her season-opening 29-point outburst with a 24-point game against the Lady Wildcats. Fourth year coach Mike Carey has assembled a team that plays hard, possesses depth, and is just fun to watch.
Some random thoughts as we get ready for the 97th annual Backyard Brawl Thursday night in Pittsburgh …
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| Quarterback Rasheed Marshall makes his final regular season appearance in his hometown of Pittsburgh Thursday night.
AP photo |
Conversely, WVU quarterback Rasheed Marshall has averaged 17 rushing attempts over the last three games. Look for the senior from Pittsburgh to run early and often against the Panthers.
Have a great Thanksgiving.
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