I'd like to do this every week, but I don't want to clog up the board with non-KSU analysis. We'll see how it goes. Anyway, here goes week one!
First, the numbers...
Final Score: WVU - 22 Alabama - 33
Total yds: 393 538
Pass yds: 365 250
Rush yds: 28 288
Total plays: 69 82
ToP: 22:13 37:47
T/O: 0 1(Int)
Scoring: TEAM QTR FINAL
1 2 3 4
WVU 3 14 3 3 23
BAMA 3 17 10 3 33
Some important WVU Stats...
Passing: Clint Trickett: 29/45 64.4% 8.1YPA
Receiving: Kevin White: 9/143
Rushing: Rushel Shell: 10/38
Some observations:
WVU came into the game as staggering 26.5 point underdogs, and I imagine most people thought that was a bit high, but not far off. A final score of 33-23 doesn't begin to tell the story. I won't go into a ton I details, but suffice it to say it was just as much Alabama playing poorly as it was WVU playing pretty well. Many mistakes you aren't used to hearing 'Bama make, 'Bama made. False Starts, timeouts to begin drives due to miscommunications, and many others (including what appears after only a one game view of this roster that Alabama is not quite the powerhouse they're made out to be) add up to a somewhat poor showing by the #2 ranked Tide.
Combine that with many good things from a seemingly much improved WVU squad and you have yourself this roller coaster if a season-opener. Some good from West Virginia: first and foremost Clint Trickett looks healthy and is without a doubt the leader he was expected to be after transferring from Florida State. He showed great accuracy and poise, albeit with a few errant throws that proved very costly, as well as an even more costly intentional grounding. Rushel Shel, a transfer from sPitt, showed some great signs even though the numbers don't look like it. Kevin White had an outstanding game, out muscling Alabama's DB's multiple times, including the end zone.
The negatives though, would cost West Virginia a chance at a monumental upset. Dropped passes, at least 5 or 6, swung momentum Alabama's way time and time again, just after WVU would get drives going. A Daryl Worley interception in the second half returned deep into the Tide's territory resulted in zero points. Pinning Alabama in their own reeds one with 3rd and long, only to watch them drive the length of the field to score added to the mounting disappointment.
As disappointing as the outcome may have been, this team seems to have a lot going for it. They just need to put it all together for four whole quarters and allow fewer stupid mistakes.
Ok, all done. Thanks for reading! TSC, and all, right?!
