Football Notebook
December 19, 2006 09:55 AM | General
December 19, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez says there are no secrets to bowl preparation. The difference in preparation before last year’s 38-35 victory over Georgia in the Nokia Sugar Bowl and the Mountaineers’ three prior bowl losses? None whatsoever, says Rodriguez.
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| Georgia Tech coach Chan Gailey and West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez share a laugh at the Toyota Gator Bowl press conference in Jacksonville, Fla., on Thursday Dec. 7.
AP photo |
“It helps to play better at the beginning,” the sixth-year coach remarked. “If you looked at our Gator Bowl plan from two years or three years ago and you looked at our Sugar Bowl plan from last year it’s just about identical.
“The practice preparation, what we did in practice, the routine during the week … it was all the same,” Rodriguez said. “Our kids were pretty focused in the last several bowls. We just happened to play better and got some confidence in the last game.”
West Virginia’s last trip to the Gator Bowl in 2005 was much more respectable than its 2004 meeting against Maryland when the Mountaineers lost 41-7.
“In the last Gator Bowl we played pretty solidly at times against Florida State that was a very talented team. We just didn’t make a few key plays,” Rodriguez said. “I wasn’t as upset with how we played in that game as much as I was at the other two before that because we didn’t even give our best shot. I think at least against Florida State (30-18 loss) we gave a better shot and obviously last year we played better.”
The secret, according to Rodriguez, is how your team plays on game day.
“As long as your solid and you’re not doing anything crazy a lot of that is overrated,” noted Rodriguez of trying new things. “It’s more about how you play.”
Having a bad bowl performance sets the tone for the start of a new year.
“You try to learn and then forget,” Rodriguez said. “I did tell the team last January, February and March were a lot more enjoyable than the January, February and March in the other years. I think they remember that. (Strength and Conditioning coach) Mike Barwis is still going to do the same things but there is a happier tone.”
Briefly:
“The chance to finish in the Top 10 in the country, to win 11 games, to win a Gator Bowl which we’ve never won … and how (is the team) going to remember the game?” he answered. “I’ve been to plenty of bowls and you remember the game more than you remember the festivities. It’s not like you’re going to a parade every day.”
“Patrick is a little limited but he’s doing most of the stuff in practice,” Rodriguez said. “Toward the end he gets a little sore so we rest him but he will be fine for the bowl game.
“Owen Schmitt is still limited a little bit,” Rodriguez said. “Jeremy Bruce strained a hamstring but hopefully by the time we get to the bowl site they will be OK.”
“Defensively, Quinton Andrews for a first-year starter has been pretty solid really all year,” Rodriguez said. “He’s had a game or two when he wasn’t at his best but I think he’s had a really solid year for a redshirt freshman playing for the first time.”
“It’s a great honor and it’s neat to have one consensus All-American,” Rodriguez said. “You don’t have that every year. To have two in the same year that’s unprecedented in school history. I’m really happy for those guys and their families.
“We’ve got other guys that are just as worthy,” Rodriguez said. “Patrick White has had an All-American type of season. You can’t argue with (Heisman Trophy winner) Troy Smith but it was neat to see (White) get player of the year in the league.”
“This is the best (weather) I can remember,” Rodriguez said. “The biggest thing is you can go out and practice and do everything without being limited because of space indoors. It’s been a blessing. Whether it translates into playing well we’ll find out. I know that we will get a lot better work in here than we’ve done in previous years.”
“It really works out better that way,” he said. “I think it’s important that they go home for a couple of days and see their families. It’s a lot easier traveling on Christmas than it is after Christmas. We can leave on the 26th but I don’t know if we can get everybody there in time to practice.”
“I was able to bring some of our guys,” Rodriguez said. “It’s hard to play more than one. The Hula Bowl is on the 14th and the Senior Bowl is a week after that or something like that (Jan. 27).”
