SI.com - Writers - Gene Menez: Early Heisman favorites - Tuesday April 25, 2006 12:05PM

After all of this basketball hoopla let's talk about some football hype...

SI.com - Writers - Gene Menez: Early Heisman favorites - Tuesday April 25, 2006 12:05PM: "Steve Slaton, RB, West Virginia, Soph.

This 5-foot-10 burner broke out last season, rushing for 1,128 yards and 17 touchdowns -- including 204 yards and three TDs against Georgia in the Sugar Bowl -- while starting only the final six games. He or Mountaineers quarterback Pat White could emerge as a viable candidate if voters don't hold playing in the Big East against them."

Beilein Says He's Staying At WVU

The Saga has ended.

West Virginia Metro News

newsobserver.com | Beilein leading candidate for NCSU coach

It's not looking good.

newsobserver.com | Beilein leading candidate for NCSU coach

Scout.com: Beilein: 'No Comment'

Say it ain't so!

Besides the obvious answers (money, money, & more money), why would Coach Beilein leave WVU?

Perhaps some would say, "He'll never be able to match his early success." To that I respond, "Who cares?" WVU fans are a different breed. We do not expect to be a Sweet 16 team year in and year out. Would we enjoy it? Absolutely. But we don't require it.

WVU fans have soaked up every last drop of the accomplishments made by Beilein and our Mountianeers in the last 2 seasons. So much so that we would probably enjoy mediocre success until 2010.

Face it. We learned our lesson following the Bobby Bowden debacle of the late 1970s. Seriously, since he left and began building a successful FSU program. WVU has never fired, or forced out, a football or basketball coach.

We have become the Pittsburgh Steelers (without the Super Bowls) of College Sports. (For those who don't know it, the Steelers have had only two coaches in the past 36 years, Chuck Noll from 1969-91 and now Cowher, who has been in place since 1992) Rich Rodriguez and John Beilein have given us a mountain of memories in a very short time since coming to Morgantown. It would take a major setback (back to back to back well-below .500 seasons) before the Mountaineer faithful would begin to even whisper about replacing these two men.

But then some people would suggest that Coach Beilein has done all he can at WVU and should go where he can accomplish more? His five seniors are gone.

Five years ago I (and perhaps many other Gold and Blue faithful) might of subscribed to this theory. But now, we have seen the promised land. We have thrown aside the pessimism that was standard issue for the Mountianeer faithful. Now I say, give him the most athletic group of young men he has ever coached (thats what I'm hearing about next years squad) and lets start climbing that mountain again.

Don't go Beilein. Stay... just a little bit longer. (fade to black, turn up the Jackson Browne)

Scout.com: Beilein: 'No Comment'

An Absolute Shame

SI.com - NCAA Football - West Virgina student caught spying on rival - Friday April 21, 2006 7:36PM

For those of you living under a rock the last few days you have completely missed out on hearing the latest chapter in the WVU/Marshall Football saga. A WVU student was caught spying on the Thundering Herd's spring practice.

This is sad for a number of reasons:

First of which is the fact that WVU should not need to spy on the Huntington Hopefuls. WVU has been tapped as a preseason contender for the National Championship; therefore, defeating Marshall, which has struggled recently, should not require a covert mission.

Second, IF, and this is a big if, this fellow was actually sent to Marshall by an official member of the coaching staff, I am deeply concerned. Isn't there a better way to spy? I mean come on. This guy was setting in the stands with a stenographer's notebook actively taking notes. Ever heard of being sneaky?

Third, do we really have to encourage the Marshall supporters? Seriously, these people are very annoying without the added material. Beating us two straight years at the Capitol Classic is bad enough. Now we give them more cannon fodder.

Finally, I would just like to say that this little fiasco won't change the outcome of the September 2 matchup one single iota. WVU 35 Marshall 10

The Ninja Went Down To Georgia - Deadspin

Apparently, the students at the University of Georgia are still reeling from the Sugar Bowl loss to the Mountaineers. In an attempt to recover from their depression some of them are playing make believe. This week a student dressed as a ninja was detained by ATF agents for “acting in a somewhat suspicious manner.”

The Ninja Went Down To Georgia - Deadspin

Pat Forde loves WVU

ESPN.com - COLUMNIST/FORDE - Forde: WVU eyeing college football's summit

Let's Go Mountaineers!

WEST VIRGINIA BASEBALL CRACKS NATIONAL RANKINGS

Providence, R.I. - The National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association has West Virginia slotted at No. 29 in its latest national top-30 poll released late Monday, April 3. The Mountaineers had not been nationally ranked since joining the BIG EAST in 1995.
It marks the first time since the preseason that a BIG EAST baseball team has been nationally ranked. Notre Dame, picked to win the regular season conference title by the BIG EAST's head coaches, was ranked as high as No. 22 in the Collegiate Baseball preseason poll in December.
The Irish (17-8, 5-1 BIG EAST) have received votes in the latest NCBWA and ESPN/USA Today Coaches' Poll; the Mountaineers also received votes in the coaches' rankings.
WVU (25-4, 5-1 BIG EAST) had won 17 straight before conference foe Seton Hall snapped the streak in the final game of a three-game weekend series with the Pirates on April 2. Including its doubleheader sweep of Coppin State on Tuesday, West Virginia has won 19 of its last 20 and 20 straight at home.
The 17-game winning streak was the second longest in school history and the longest since 1964 when WVU won 18 in a row.
The Mountaineers as a team lead the BIG EAST in batting average (.354), slugging percentage (.504), on base percentage (.427), runs scored (269), hits (364), RBI (235), doubles (66), home runs (24) and total bases (518). Their pitching staff is ranked second in the league in ERA (3.01), and second in opposing batting average (.237).