Jan. 14-20 Blog
January 14, 2008 01:55 PM | General
We’re changing things up a little bit. For the past four years Campus Connection has kind of been like a weekly blog full of tidbits, notes, commentary, quasi-opinion and weak stabs at humor that have sometimes hit the mark and at other times completely missed. Well, to keep up with the Jones', we’ve decided to turn Campus Connection into a daily blog. If we miss a day then you know we’re struggling.
Hope you enjoy it ...
Dykes in East-West Shrine Game
Posted By John Antonik: January 19, 2008 (10:33 am)
Our department super sleuth Tim Goodenow has informed me that defensive tackle Keilen Dykes will be playing in today’s East-West Shrine Game for the East team coached by Dick Vermeil. The 83rd edition of the game will be played at the University of Houston. It will kick off at 6 pm and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
Although final rosters for the Senior Bowl will not be announced until Jan. 20, it is believed that fullback Owen Schmitt and safety Ryan Mundy will receive invitations. The game will be played on Saturday, Jan. 26, and will be televised by the NFL Network.
Pump up the Volume
Posted By John Antonik: January 17, 2008 (12:17 pm)
If you are planning on coming to tonight’s St. John’s game be prepared to yell. West Virginia coach Bob Huggins is looking for some more noise at the Coliseum.
“I would like it to be louder than what it is,” Huggins said Wednesday afternoon. “The people have been great but I think to have a really true home court advantage noise is important.”
Huggins admits his team’s performance has a lot to do with that.
“We’re going to have to play better and we’re going to have to play harder,” Huggins said.
The coach pointed out a play John Flowers made against Syracuse last Sunday that ignited the crowd.
“The loudest this place has gotten was the other day when John Flowers made a great hustle play and made a block from behind,” Huggins said. “I think people appreciate that.”
A large student turnout is expected for tonight’s game. At halftime the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl champion Mountaineer football team will be recognized on the court.
Quality Wins
Posted By John Antonik: January 16, 2008 (10:35 am)
The West Virginia women, coming off its 56-50 victory over nationally ranked Notre Dame on Sunday afternoon, have a four-game stretch of winnable games coming up including tonight’s match up against 9-6 Marquette at the WVU Coliseum in a contest that will be televised statewide on WVPBS.
However, Marquette has won both previous meetings with West Virginia including an 80-75 victory in Morgantown in 2006 after the Mountaineers had the Golden Eagles down by more than 20 points early in the second half.
The No. 14-rated Mountaineers have an RPI of 29 this week according to College RPI.com, and are searching for more quality wins to add to their NCAA tournament resume.
That boost will come soon with four of West Virginia’s next six games coming against RPI top 100 teams including tonight’s match up against No. 94 Marquette.
West Virginia (12-3) also finishes the season with a brutal stretch of seven consecutive games against RPI top 100 foes with four of its last seven coming against RPI top 25 teams.
And when West Virginia faces Rutgers on January 29 at the Coliseum, the Mountaineers could complete the trifecta of facing the nation’s top three RPI teams in Tennessee, Connecticut and the Scarlet Knights.
The Mountaineers’ best non-conference win came at No. 102 Oakland on Dec. 17, an 84-65 victory.
TV Ratings
Posted By John Antonik: January 14, 2008 (2:35 pm)
The good news is West Virginia’s Tostitos Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma was the highest rated BCS game televised by FOX with the exception of the national championship game. The bad news is this year’s game drew a 7.7 rating which was down 8 percent from last year’s Fiesta Bowl, according to the web site Sports Media Watch.
The Orange and Sugar bowls drew ratings of 7.4 and 7.0 respectively, making them two of the five lowest rated BCS bowls of all time. And the Orange Bowl actually saw its viewers increased by 6 percent over last year’s game between Wake Forest and Louisville.
The All State BCS National Championship Game pitting LSU against Ohio State drew a 14.4 national rating, making it the third-lowest rated BCS national championship game in history.
The four BCS games on Fox drew an average national rating of 9.1, down from its 10.5 rating of a year ago.
The Rose Bowl featuring USC and Illinois drew an 11.1 national rating on ABC.
West Virginia’s 7.7 rating made it the eighth-most watched football game in school history. No. 1 on the list was the 1989 Sunkist Fiesta Bowl between Notre Dame and West Virginia that had a 17.0 rating on NBC.
Two other WVU football games earned double-digit ratings: the 1981 Syracuse game on ABC that drew a 13.8 and the 1982 Gator Bowl against Florida State that had a 13.3 rating.
The 2006 Nokia Sugar Bowl game against Georgia that aired on ABC had a 9.0 rating.
Most Viewed Mountaineer Football Games
1. Fiesta Bowl 1989 (17.0)
2. Syracuse 1981 (13.8)
3. Gator Bowl 1982 (13.3)
4. Syracuse 1983 (9.4)
5. Sugar Bowl 2006 (9.0)
6. Pitt 1983 (9.0)
7. Miami 1986 (7.9)
8. Fiesta Bowl 2008 (7.7)
RPI Boost
Posted By John Antonik: January 14, 2008 (1:55 pm)
West Virginia got a small RPI boost from its 81-61 victory over Syracuse on Sunday. The Mountaineers (12-4, 2-2) are now ranked No. 32 according to today’s College RPI.com.
WVU is 4-4 against RPI Top 100 teams having beaten No. 16 Marquette, No. 27 Syracuse, No. 45 Duquesne and No. 97 Winthrop and losing to No. 3 Tennessee, No. 46 Louisville, No. 48 Notre Dame and No. 50 Oklahoma.
West Virginia has games coming up in the near future against No. 10 Pitt, No. 22 Georgetown, No. 31 Providence, No. 34 Connecticut and No. 43 Villanova.
WVU’s best non-conference wins have come against No. 45 Duquesne, No. 97 Winthrop, No. 123 UMBC, No. 129 New Mexico State and No. 164 Auburn.
Marshall, West Virginia’s opponent in Charleston on Wednesday Jan. 23, has an RPI of 168 heading into this week’s action.
