MORGANTOWN —
While West Virginia enjoyed a week off this week, Texas Christian did not enjoy an off week, being smothered by Oklahoma State, 36-14, on Saturday.
And now they must come to West Virginia.
“We are a tired team,” Coach Gary Patterson admitted, speaking on the weekly Big 12 coaches conference call. “We didn’t practice yesterday.”
It is a tired team, a hurt team.
“You only can do what you can do,” Patterson said, having lost three of four to fall to 2-3 in the Big 12 and 5-3 overall.
It isn’t like they are getting crushed. Two weeks ago, for example, Texas Tech beat them in triple overtime, 56-53.
But things are not as they might have been, their starting quarterback Casey Pachall having been dismissed for marijuana use and admitted to a rehabilitation center, leaving them without the quarterback they needed and playing a huge number of freshmen, even more than WVU has had to use.
“You play who you have,” Patterson said. “We have to get better at what we do.”
Trevone Boykin has taken over as a freshman quarterback for Pachall and shown promise.
“He did not play well last week on the road,” Patterson said. “We need him to play better, but still, we’re excited about where we’re headed and what we’re doing.”
They understand that they will be coming here Saturday just after the hurricane blew by ... at least that’s the weather report. Whatever the weather, Patterson is ready to play.
“We played Air Force where it was sleeting sideways and minus 6 in a night game once,” he noted. “We will bring heaters. You have to go play and get ready. We’re fortunate it will be an afternoon game.”
ooooooo
West Virginia spent its off week working hard on fundamentals Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday as it tried to put things together after two consecutive losses, then did a lot of recruiting, mostly of junior college prospects across the country.
The fundamental was especially true on defense, where there have been huge problems.
“You have to take advantage of your practice opportunities,” Coach Dana Holgorsen said. “You get so caught up week to week in game planning, what your plan of action will be, you tend to forget a lot of the fundamental things and that’s ultimately how you improve, practicing the technique we ask these guys to play with.”
Texas Coach Mack Brown on media day said that Kansas State veteran coach Bill Snyder is the nation’s best coach.
Nothing has happened since to make him change his mind, as the Wildcats are No. 2 or 3 in the country.
“He’s done the best job of anyone in the country, and I have been on record since the day he left Iowa years ago to come to Kansas State he’s been the best coach in America,” Brown said.
Brown noted that he built K-State into a power, that he left and the program dipped only to have him return and bring them back into national prominence.
“You’ve got to give him credit for what he’s done. He was there and they were good, was gone and they weren’t, now he’s back and they are at the top,” Brown said.
ooooooo
Kansas Coach Charlie Weis has yet to win a Big 12 game this year, but they are pushing most opponents and came within 12 seconds of beating Texas last week.
It’s marked improvement, for sure, but not enough, according to the coach.
“There’s definitely things you can say — getting better here, getting better there. Still, it’s about winning, even if you play close and tough,” he said.
“Are there silver linings? Yes,” he continued. “But you lost a hundred in a row in the Big 12, you have to beat someone so you can move in that other direction.”
He thought he had that win against Texas.
“There’s no hiding it,” he said. “This was the most disappointed we have been all year. That was the feeling walking in the building for practice. I think by the time they left practice they had gotten that out of their system. You can’t spend too much time on Texas when you have Baylor coming up.”
Email Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail.com or follow him on Twitter @bhertzel.
Sports
TCU battered heading into WVU contest
- Sports
-
-
Penguins rip Ottawa, move to conference finals
Eight playoff wins down, eight to go for Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins.
James Neal had a hat trick and the Penguins finished off the lifeless Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Friday night in Game 5 of the Eastern conference semifinals to take the best-of-seven series 4-1. -
Burnett a hard-luck loser; Pirates fall to Brewers
The hard luck remains for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ A.J. Burnett.
Burnett gave up just three hits and two earned runs over seven innings but took the loss as the Milwaukee Brewers held on for a 2-1 victory Friday night. -
Polar Bears vs. Golden Bears postponed to today
It’s a washout in Golden Bear country.
The Fairmont Senior-Oak Glenn Class AA regional final championship game has to wait another day.
The culprit? A toad strangler that dumped gallons of water on the field, which resulted into a muddy mess. -
HERTZEL COLUMN: Jarrod West treasures time with his family
It came along too late to do me any good, but today I want to offer a very warm thank you to Jarrod West, the one-time West Virginia University basketball hero.
-
WVU in eight-team Cancun Challenge field
West Virginia University’s basketball team will be in a field with seven other teams in the 2013 Men’s Cancun Challenge, played at the all-inclusive Aventura Palace resort near Playa del Carmen, Mexico.
-
Kansas pitcher Taylor shuts down Mountaineers
In its first game of pool play against Kansas at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Baseball Championship, the West Virginia University baseball team was defeated, 7-2.
-
Bucs enjoy hockey sideshow after 4-2 win over Cubs
It was hard to tell whether the Pittsburgh Pirates were heading on a road trip or getting ready for a Stanley Cup playoff game after beating the Chicago Cubs 4-2 on Thursday for their fourth straight win.
-
Penguins looking to close out Senators in Game 5
Ottawa Senators captain Daniel Alfredsson isn’t quite ready for the traditional season-ending handshake.
Yet he knows if the Senators can’t find a way to slow down the Pittsburgh Penguins, it’s coming soon. -
Bell ready to make impact in Steelers’ backfield
Le’Veon Bell wants the ball in his hands. Always.
First down. Fourth down. First quarter or overtime. The Pittsburgh Steelers rookie running back figures the best chance for his team to be successful is with the ball tucked under his right arm and his legs churning upfield. -
Polar Bears set for Oak Glen today
Oak Glen is next on the menu for the Fairmont Senior baseball squad.
With the 11-0 win over Braxton County on Tuesday evening, and Oak Glen’s eight-inning 2-1 win over Ritchie County, the two teams find themselves squaring off against one another while fighting for a spot to play in the state tournament. - More Sports Headlines
-
Penguins rip Ottawa, move to conference finals
