Fresh Faces
September 07, 2006 08:26 AM | General
September 7, 2006
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. - With a bevy of newcomers playing in the Mountaineer defensive backfield and with West Virginia never being threatened in its season-opening 42-10 victory over Marshall, fans saw plenty of fresh faces running around Milan Puskar Stadium last Saturday afternoon.
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| Tito Gonzales caught two passes for 61 yards including a 45-yarder in the fourth quarter in last weekend's Marshall win.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
Perhaps the biggest impact by a newcomer came from redshirt freshman defensive back Quinton Andrews. The Opa Locka, Fla. native, known more for his crushing hits than his coverage skills, intercepted a Bernie Morris pass to halt a third quarter drive by the Thundering Herd.
“I noticed that their quarterback was locked onto his receiver pretty hard and I could tell it was going to be a crossing route across the middle,” Andrews said. “I got a good read on him and just made my break and it turned out to be a good break.”
Andrews says that because he traveled with the team last year, his first game experience wasn’t nearly as overwhelming as it might be for some freshmen.
“Honestly everything felt like last year because I traveled and dressed for every game,” Andrews said. “During warm-ups everything felt the same but as the game began to start I began to get a different feeling because I knew I was going to play this year. I started to get really excited.”
Charles Pugh, predominantly a special teams player in 2005, earned his first start in the Mountaineer defensive backfield on Saturday. The sophomore strong safety believes that while the secondary had some success, they still have a lot to work on in the coming weeks.
“After watching film we did do a lot of good things but it is just the first game, we’re going to have to make a lot of changes and adjustments to our defense and that has already started,” Pugh said.
Pugh says that his biggest shock in his first collegiate start was the adjustment to a much faster pace.
“I was impressed by the speed of the game. I knew the speed of the game was going to be fast but it was faster than I thought it was going to be,” Pugh said. “I was well prepared though. I feel like we go against one of the best offenses in the nation everyday in practice so I was prepared.”
The Orlando, Fla., native was active, recording seven tackles against the Herd.
“That’s my game, I love football. If I’m on the field I’m going to try to be in on every play and try to be wherever the ball is,” Pugh said. “That is part of my game, hard-nosed, fast football.”
Pugh admits that he is a very emotional player and sometimes, as was the case on Saturday, it can be a challenge to harness his exuberance and to channel it in a positive way.
“My passion for the game definitely carries onto the field but at this level you definitely need to know how to control it or you get penalties and personal fouls,” he said. “You can miss assignments and you can let it overtake you. I think my mentality helps more than it hurts but I just need to control it a little bit more.”
Maxwell Anderson had the rare opportunity to play in his first-ever game at West Virginia as a true freshman. The Morgantown, W.Va., resident and Morgantown High product tried to compare his experience of playing in four Mohawk Bowls at Mountaineer Field to running out of the tunnel for the Gold and Blue.
“There is no comparison,” he said. “I had more fun just this one game than I had all four years in high school. The fans and the whole atmosphere, even if you don’t get in the game, it’s just electrifying.”
Anderson recorded one pass reception for five yards, which set up Jarrett Brown’s fourth quarter touchdown run.
“Everyone wants to talk about the catch. If I had a penny for every time someone told me I should have jumped, I’d be a billionaire,” Anderson joked. “I was just happy that I caught the ball and did what I could with it.”
Anderson, who was all set to attend Georgetown before the financial aid numbers they had promised him didn’t add up, says that in the end, things could not have worked out better for him. The walk-on was put on scholarship in the preseason and he has been on cloud nine ever since.
“I’m so happy I don’t think I have stopped smiling on the inside since they put me on. It was really big,” Anderson said. “I went home and spent the night with my family that Saturday because I wanted to share it with them. It was one of the greatest days of my life.”
Greg Isdaner is another newcomer that was thrown into the fire early in the Marshall game. Isdaner, who had been practicing as a backup left guard, was called on to play when left tackle Damien Crissey was injured on the third play of the game.
“I was a little nervous at first and when I first got out there. We called a pass play thank God and I couldn’t mess that up,” Isdaner said. “After the first play we scored a touchdown and that was such a great feeling. I got to come back to the sidelines and compose myself to get ready to go back out there. The next couple series we marched down the field and put some more points on the board. As the game went on I got more and more comfortable out there with those guys.”
Redshirt freshman quarterback Jarrett Brown, sophomore wide receiver Tito Gonzales and true freshman linebacker James Thomas all contributed as first-time players against Marshall. Brown had one carry for a seven-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter while Gonzales netted two receptions for 61 yards, including a 45-yarder. Thomas recorded one tackle and one assist.
All of these young players have something to build upon when the Mountaineers face Eastern Washington this Saturday.
Kick off at Milan Puskar Stadium is set for 1 pm.
