Football Notebook
August 15, 2006 02:43 PM | General
August 15, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez has been pleased with Ryan Stancheck’s move to left tackle. The coach is encouraged with the sophomore’s progress after his move from left guard last week, and indicated that the switch may turn out to be a permanent one.
“Stanchek is a proven guy but he hasn’t started at tackle before,” Rodriguez said Monday evening. The experiment with Stanchek at tackle has gone well. He’s still adjusting a little bit but I think he likes the fact that he’s in a two-point stance. I think he’ll be able to do the job.
“(Left tackle) is a critical spot. His experience out there and the fact that we have more guard-type candidates on our roster (prompted the move),” Rodriguez said.
Ideally, the coaching staff would like to have eight dependable offensive linemen ready to go for the five starting spots.
“You’d like to have two centers, three guards and three tackles total,” he said. “We’re trying to gear our thought to who those eight guys are.”
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| Redshirt freshman Greg Isdaner is a candidate to win the starting job at right tackle.
Bill Amatucci photo |
Redshirt freshman Greg Isdaner has an opportunity to move into Stancheck’s spot at guard, but has been sidelined with a sprained knee.
“It may be a few more days until we get him back,” Rodriguez said.
Working in that spot has been sophomore John Bradshaw. If the Mountaineers were to play tomorrow it would be senior Dan Mozes at center, senior Jeremy Sheffey at right guard, either Bradshaw or Isdaner at left tackle, Jake Figner at right tackle and Stanchek at left tackle. Senior Damien Crissey is the third tackle.
Rodriguez is also encouraged with the development being made by all of the newcomers, specifically freshmen Eric Jobe, Derek Hayes, Jake Miller and Eric Rodemoyer.
“We really like our younger guys,” he said. “All of those new offensive linemen are going to be really good players. I just don’t think they’re going to be ready this year. We’ll wait and see with that.”
Briefly:
“We have talked about all of the new guys as a staff and we’d like to be able to redshirt J.T. because you don’t want to just put him on one kickoff team,” said Rodriguez. “We think maybe he can help us but even with that we’re not sure he will be the starter there. We’re going to wait and see where J.T. and couple of other freshmen are at the end of the week.
“If it looks like he will be a starter on every special team and play some defense then we will not redshirt him. He’s kind one of those on that bubble right now,” Rodriguez said.
“At the end of last year he was playing as well as any defensive linemen we had,” Rodriguez noted. “He’s a strong guy and a tough guy and he probably epitomizes what our program is about. He hangs in there and battles and when he gets his shot he makes the most of it.
Rodriguez says Liebig is a very valuable performer for the defense.
“In our defense when we have a dominant or outstanding nose guard it makes the whole defense work,” he said. “We’ve been fortunate to have them all the way back to Ben Lynch and if Pat Liebig can bring that to the table for us this year it’s going to make our defense very, very good.”
“The intensity was better, the execution was better on both sides,” Rodriguez said. “Even though we didn’t go live much it was much more physical. We got some work done.”
“The biggest thing we’ve got to do is get our timing down,” he said. “I read somewhere that the NFL has 50 practices and four preseason games before they play one that counts. We’ve got 29 practices and no scrimmage games. It’s a little bit more difficult to get our guys ready and that’s where the sense of urgency comes from with the coaches.”
“I guess he’s kicking some short kicks,” Rodriguez said. “By Wednesday or Thursday the trainers will let him go. They’re being cautious.”
