The #6 Mountaineers took on Pitt in Morgantown Wednesday night. The Mountaineers never trailed and came out the 19 point victor of yet another hard fought rivalry game. Top WVU performers were: DaSean Butler (18 Pts, 5 Reb), Kevin Jones (16 Pts, 6 Reb), and Devin Ebanks (7 Pts, 16 Reb). The Mountaineers also saw the debut of Freshman center Deniz Kilicli, a stand-out prospect who sat out the preceding 20 games of the season due to NCAA regulations for playing on a team that included a professional player. He contributed 9 points to the West Virginia victory and seemed to be an instant fan favorite. Read the rest of this entry »

After national signing day, the Mountaineers are ranked 26th with 22 commitments (Scout.com). With the addition of ESPNU Top 150 Receiver, Ivan McCartney, WVU has one of the best recruiting classes in school history. WVU signed two quarterbacks, one running back, four wide receivers, two offensive linemen, two defensive ends, three linebackers, two defensive backs, one free safety, and two strong safeties. The class broke down evenly with 11 offensive additions and 11 defensive. WVU fulfilled their needs of 3 linebackers, wide receivers, and a safety, and, in fact, signed far more players than they needed to get by. Read the rest of this entry »

West Virginia was able to end their four-game losing streak against the Louisville Cardinals with a score of 77-74, in a game full of runs. Both teams were able to push their once holding leads to double digits, but never managed to hang on to it.

West Virginia managed to come out the gates firing and scorching on Louisville’s defense scoring the first 13 points, which was the largest lead of the game. The Cardinals (13-8, 4-4 Big East) was able to maintain the Mountaineer’s first half rally by knocking down seven three-pointers. Peyton Siva accounted for three of the seven made.
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WVU traveled to Chicago Tuesday night to take on the 8-12 Depaul Blue Demons. A strong showing from the Mountaineers led to a 62-46 win. Top performers for the Mountaineers were: DaSean Butler (14 Pts, 6 Reb), Wellington Smith (14 Pts, 5 Reb), Devin Ebanks (14 Pts, 9 Reb), and Darryl Bryant (14 Pts, 5 Assists).
The Mountaineers face Louisville in Morgantown at 12:00 Sat.

With the January 26th commitment of Dante Chambers (WR-Miramar, FL), WVU has achieved a 26th place recruiting class according to Scout.com. Despite a few recent decommitments, the Mountaineers are showing signs of another impressive class. Notables for the class of 2010 include: Bruce Irvin (DE-JUCO Walnut, CA), Latwan Anderson (S-Cleveland, OH), Jeremy Johnson (QB-Silsbee, TX), Quinton Spain (OT-Petersburg,VA), and Barry Brunetti (QB-Memphis, TN). With national signing day just around the corner, significant interest in WVU is being shown by a number of high caliber prospects, including wide receiver Ivan McCartney, another stand-out athlete from Miramar H.S. Campus visits for two more high profile prospects are scheduled for January 30th and WVU could easily climb into the top 20 recruiting classes with a few commitments from these interested prospects. Regardless, Mountaineer fans can expect good days ahead with another solid recruiting class to add to an already great team.

Da’Sean Butler and the Mountaineers roadblocked revenge for the Ohio State Buckeyes in a much closer game than last years 76-48 contest. West Virginia was able to overcome a 12-point halftime deficit to rally back and win with a final score of 71-65. The Mountaineers trailed by as many as 14 in the game in yet another slow start.
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RB Mark Rodgers stated Wednesday, January 20, that it was time for him to leave and enroll into a school closer to home. The Lawndale California natives role was mainly used on special teams returning kickoffs, recording 619 yards on 27 returns.

Rodgers time in the backfield was limited while backing up West Virginia’s star Noel Devine. The sophomore’s offensive stats includes 7 carries for 9 yards and one reception for 4 yards.
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It has been confirmed that Freshman QB Geno Smith has injured his foot while participating in agility drills. It is said that he broke a bone in his foot.

The Freshman played in 5 games this season, including the bowl game. Smith threw for 309 yards on the year, completing 32 passes on just 49 attempts.
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Offensive Lineman Marquis Wallace is set and ready to begin his college football career at West Virginia University. Wallace was recruited by Coach Chris Beatty, along with teammate Trey Johnson.

The 6″4 285 lb Wallace is said to be a “nasty and tough OT with very strong hands, quick feet, and an aggressive style of play” according to maxpreps.com. Wallace verbally committed fairly early to the Mountaineers on March 17, 2009. Wallace was also named first-team all-district and second-team all-state as a senior.

Wallace, who is a three-star prospect according to rivals.com, has been said to be a “linebacker-playing-offensive tackle” from his High School coach at Varina High School in Richmond, VA.

Bleed Gold and Blue caught up with Marquis and got the chance to ask him some questions.

BGB: What are your expectations going into your freshman year?

Wallace: “first i have to get on the field and work my up to starting b4 the season and getting bigger and stronger”

BGB: What do you plan on majoring in?

Wallace: “business management”

BGB: What interested you the most in your visit to Morgantown?

Wallace: “The fans and the inner city of morgantown”

BGB: Who was your lead recruiter?

Wallace: “coach beatty”

BGB: What is the main thing that you feel that you need to work on to play at the next level?

Wallace: “My technique thats what coach johnson is for”

BGB: How early should we see you on the field?

Wallace: “hopefully by my freshmen year i feel im what the o line there is missing”

BGB: What made West Virginia standout more among the other schools that you were considering?

Wallace: “The fans coaches players and the city of morgantown”

BGB: In your opinion, what are your strengths and weaknesses in your game?

Wallace: “my strength is my aggressiveness speed and athleticism as n o linemen my weaknesses i will say hand power and punches”

BGB: Are you excited about possibly being able to block for a great RB like Devine?

Wallace: “hell yea noel cool plus he b all over the field setting up killer blocks 4 linemen”

BGB: What is your main reason that made you decide that you wanted to become a Mountaineer?

Wallace: “Opportunites and playing time”

Junior RB Noel Devine and junior WR Jock Sanders both decide to turn down the NFL Draft to return to school for their senior seasons.

5″8 and 176 lb Devine was the one who people were holding their breath for as he was the the more likely one of the two to turn pro. Devine rushed for a career high 1,465 yards on 241 carries for 13 TD, averaging 6.1 yards a carry.

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