The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

College Sports

November 9, 2012

Geno outlines winning script for Mountaineers

By Mickey Furfari For The Register-Herald

MORGANTOWN — Quarterback Geno Smith has come up with a script for West Virginia’s football game Saturday night at Oklahoma State.

He said, “We just have to go out there with the mentality that we are going to score. We have to be confident.

“We have to play fast, and we have to play hard. Things haven’t changed for us.”

This will be the first ever meeting between the two schools. Saturday’s kickoff is set for 3:30 p.m. OSU is a 7 1/2-point favorite. ABC is televising the action.

The Mountaineers (5-3, 2-3 Big 12) are attempting to end a three-game losing streak. The Cowboys are 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Big 12.

Smith said, “I still think that we have a really good offense. We are making progress, working guys in and out of the rotations as far as receivers, backs and offensive linemen.”

He noted that WVU is going to have fresh bodies out there and will be ready to play. That includes personnel for most positions.

Geno thinks last Saturday’s 39-38 double-overtime loss to TCU was at least a step in the right direction.

“For the most part, we were able to sustain drives and put together some really good drives,” Smith said.

“Overall, I think we did a pretty good job at just keeping the ball in play and moving forward. We did not have many negative plays.”

Smith, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound senior, is No. 2 among passers in the league with 324.4 yards per game. He has completed 249 of 346 passes in eight games for 2,677 yards and 29 touchdowns.

OSU has been using two quarterbacks. J.W. Walsh is fifth and Wes Lunt is No. 8 in passing. Walsh, a freshman, has made 102 of 134 passes for 1,467 yards and 10 TDs, while Lunt has completed 80 of 128 for 1,096 yards and six scores.

OSU’s Joseph Randle is the Big 12’s top rusher with 175 attempts for 934 yards and nine touchdowns. WVU’s Andrew Buie is fourth in rushing with 593 yards on 125 carries and five scores.

Senior Tavon Austin of WVU leads the conference in receptions per game with 85 catches for 899 yards and 10 TDs. He also is No. 2 in receiving yards per game.

Geno is No. 2 in total offense (2,760 yards) and Walsh is fifth (1,721).

Both Stedman Bailey and Austin rank among the top four in scoring (TDs) in league play.

Oklahoma State owns an edge in most major statistical categories.

Offensively, WVU is averaging 40.8 points per game to the Cowboy’s 42.5; first downs 201 to 219; total offense per game 480.4 to 579.5; rushing average 139.3 yards to 220.0; passing yards per game 340.9 yards to 355.9.

Defensively, scoring average per game 39.8 to 25.8 per game; first downs 188 to 165; and total offense average per game is 480.4 yards to 377.5.

Each team has six interceptions, and WVU recovered seven fumbles and OSU three.

WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen said, “It’s crazy that the Big 12 has teams that are having difficulty winning home games this year. To know that the home team has lost more is crazy.

“There are a lot of good teams in the Big 12. We enjoy playing on the road. We enjoy the travel and being with each other.”

Text Only
College Sports
  • Huggins says WVU could be very good team

     Coach Bob Huggins admittedly feels much better about the West Virginia men’s basketball team as it prepares for the 2013-14 season.

    June 17, 2013

  • Bloop hits hurt Miners in first game of twin-bill with Paints

    Chicks may dig the long ball, but on some nights just a few well-placed bloop hits can spell more damage than home runs.

    June 15, 2013

  • Huggins says transfers not isolated case

    Coach Bob Huggins will tell you that losing four players to transfer mode from his West Virginia men’s basketball squad was not an unusual or isolated case.

    June 15, 2013

  • 012612 Bolen.jpg Bolen named assistant coach at East Tennessee State

    When Mountain State University lost its general accreditation last year, head basketball coach Bob Bolen was among many that were left without a job.
    However, as expected, he landed on his feet.
    The lifelong Beckley resident and former head coach at MSU has officially been named an assistant coach at East Tennessee State. The move, which had been rumored for weeks, was announced by the school Friday morning.

    June 14, 2013 5 Photos 1 Story

  • 061413 miners Just who are the 2013 Miners?

    A look at the Propsect League standings gives a clear picture of just how important today’s doubleheader between the Chillicothe Paints and the West Virginia Miners at Linda K. Epling Stadium will be for both teams.

    June 13, 2013 1 Photo

  • 061313 Miners.jpg Miscues cost Miners

    If only earned runs counted, the West Virginia Miners and the Slippery Rock Sliders may still be playing at Linda K. Epling Stadium.

    June 13, 2013 1 Photo

  • Geno in close battle with Sanchez for Jets’ QB spot

    If Geno Smith isn’t the starter this fall with the New York Jets, West Virginia University’s all-time leading passer won’t necessarily be holding a clipboard on the sidelines.

    June 13, 2013

  • 061213 Miners Miners win third straight

    Normally, Dale Davis would have batted left-handed in his seventh-inning at-bat against Slippery Rock reliever Kevin Becker-Mendito. But because of the right-hander’s sidearm motion, the switch-hitting Davis attacked from the right side.

    June 12, 2013 1 Photo

  • Prosecutor says handling of WVU FOIA requests OK

    It wasn’t until about a week ago that I found for certain who is responsible to make sure that the Freedom of Information of Act law is enforced in West Virginia.

    June 12, 2013

  • WVU grad makes donation to OKC tornado relief

    Arizona Diamondbacks managing general partner Ken Kendrick has made a donation of $200,000 to the Mountaineer Athletic Club in the name of the WVU baseball program to the Oklahoma City tornado relief effort.

    June 12, 2013