The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

October 24, 2008

Back on the WVU bandwagon

By Carl “Butch” Antolini

MORGANTOWN — Impatient, spoiled Mountaineer football fans can put away the Greyhound bus for another week.

On a crisp October evening in Morgantown with Auburn, the Heisman Trophy, Lou Holtz and a standing-room-only crowd all present and accounted for, WVU stepped back onto the national football stage with yet another victory over a Southeastern Conference opponent.

WVU is now 5-2, still squarely in the hunt for a Big East title, and the critics of head coach Bill Stewart and offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen — yes, those thousands of our neighbors and you all know who you are — should stick a dirty, smelly sock in their mouths.

If the usually reliable Pat White doesn’t come out and uncharacteristically toss two early interceptions, the Mountaineers conceivably would have beaten the visiting Tigers and their highly touted defense by four touchdowns.

I’ve heard about all of the griping and moaning I can handle. Incessant whining since the beginning of this season. If they don’t beat Auburn …

So now what? Everybody back on the bandwagon.

West Virginia faithful need to step back, pull out a dictionary and look up what faithful means.

Sure, 2008 Mountaineer football didn’t start out the way anybody wanted or expected, but there is a bowl game in the future and a legitimate shot at a BCS bowl is still within reach.

Not many moons ago, West Virginia fans would have signed on immediately for such prospects.

But the expectations have changed, and maybe not for the better.

Sleep well, coach Stewart, your detractors have been put back into their doghouses. The bus they’ve been trying to throw you under is out of gas. Flattened by a Gold Rush.

There is nothing, absolutely nothing, wrong with a record of 10-2, 9-3, 8-4, whatever it may be.

If you don’t think so, get rid of your gold and blue and go root for Marshall or Virginia Tech.

— E-mail:

bantolini@register-herald.com

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