MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University's football coaches are getting a jump on preparing for the season's opener against Villanova a week from Saturday at Mountaineer Field.
"We broke down Villanova game tapes this summer, and on Monday we actually put together scout teams and began preparing for the first game," associate head coach Doc Holliday said earlier in the week.
WVU Coach Bill Stewart is giving his team most of the weekend off.
"We're in kind of a 'game week' mode and preparing for Villanova's offense and defense. But we're still trying to get better on both sides of the ball."
Holliday, who is director of recruiting and also coaches the fullbacks and tight ends, said head coach Bill Stewart's staff is spending about 20 minutes of each day's practice having their players work against Villanova's offense and defense as simulated by scout teams.
"The rest of the time we're working on fundamentals and techniques and our hurry-up offense," he said.
They also are still involved in situational scrimmaging designed to improve play-execution.
In spending practice time mostly with the offensive unit coordinated by Jeff Mullen, Holliday said the biggest thing to him is that the younger players have picked up on the schemes and plays pretty well.
"They're lining up properly for scrimmages and not making a lot of mistakes," he said.
"You're never totally pleased. Until you go out and play somebody else, you won't know where you are, team-wise. But I think the kids are executing pretty well, and the quarterbacks are making good decisions."
With nine true or redshirt freshmen on the tentative offense two- and three-deep chart, the veteran coach and former Mountaineer player readily admits that it's not a situation that the coaches prefer. But they're trying to make the best of it.
"Having so many young players on offense is not a situation that you'd like to be in," he said. "You'd rather have a situation where you could redshirt some newcomers. Unfortunately, it's a situation where some freshmen are going to have to play this year.
"So they have to learn quickly You try to get your program into position where you don't have to count on freshmen like this. Of course, when you have a special kid that can come in and play right away, that's a good thing this year."
Since Aug. 2, Stewart and his assistants have been trying to find out among the newcomers who when put onto the field give West Virginia the best chance to win. Holliday thinks redshirting will take care of itself.
The Mountaineers will be excused after this afternoon's practice and given all day Saturday and most of Sunday as time off.
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia University's football coaches are getting a jump on preparing for the season's opener against Villanova a week from Saturday at Mountaineer Field.
"We broke down Villanova game tapes this summer, and on Monday we actually put together scout teams and began preparing for the first game," associate head coach Doc Holliday said earlier in the week.
"We're in kind of a 'game week' mode and preparing for Villanova's offense and defense. But we're still trying to get better on both sides of the ball."
Holliday, who is director of recruiting and also coaches the fullbacks and tight ends, said head coach Bill Stewart's staff is spending about 20 minutes of each day's practice having their players work against Villanova's offense and defense as simulated by scout teams.
"The rest of the time we're working on fundamentals and techniques and our hurry-up offense," he said.
They also are still involved in situational scrimmaging designed to improve play-execution.
In spending practice time mostly with the offensive unit coordinated by Jeff Mullen, Holliday said the biggest thing to him is that the younger players have picked up on the schemes and plays pretty well.
"They're lining up properly for scrimmages and not making a lot of mistakes," he said.
"You're never totally pleased. Until you go out and play somebody else, you won't know where you are, team-wise. But I think the kids are executing pretty well, and the quarterbacks are making good decisions."
With nine true or redshirt freshmen on the tentative offense two- and three-deep chart, the veteran coach and former Mountaineer player readily admits that it's not a situation that the coaches prefer. But they're trying to make the best of it.
"Having so many young players on offense is not a situation that you'd like to be in," he said. "You'd rather have a situation where you could redshirt some newcomers. Unfortunately, it's a situation where some freshmen are going to have to play this year.
"So they have to learn quickly You try to get your program into position where you don't have to count on freshmen like this. Of course, when you have a special kid that can come in and play right away, that's a good thing this year."
Since Aug. 2, Stewart and his assistants have been trying to find out among the newcomers who when put onto the field give West Virginia the best chance to win. Holliday thinks redshirting will take care of itself.
The Mountaineers will be excused after this afternoon's practice and given all day Saturday and most of Sunday as time off.
Its like a woman dating a married man and wants him to marry her. If he would cheat on his wife with her what will stop him from cheating on her if they get contracted up...Michiagn what were you thinking! Rod the fraud! You are just the next in line; WVU should have known better! Rod's history speaks for itself.
wvutim(3:21pm 08-22-2008)
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With the coaching staff we have now and with Holiday leading the recruiting, WVU will field a lot of talented freshman and sophmores the next few years.
ElvisFan(2:09pm 08-22-2008)
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Having true freshman on the field isn't the worst thing when we are recruiting the players with the skill level that they are coming in with now. WVU will be fine without Rod the Fraud as coach....
