Karl Joseph With the HUGE Interception

Former West Virginia Mountaineer Karl Joseph just made a huge play in the 4th quarter of the AFC Divisional playoff game featuring the Cleveland Browns and the Kansas City Chiefs. Chiefs' quarterback Chad Henne, who substituted for the injured Patrick Mahomes, inexplicably threw a bomb to the end zone and Karl Joseph was there for the interception! Check out the big play below: https://twitter.com/Browns/status/1350937104306593797?s=20 The Browns are currently down 22-17 with just under 5 minutes left in the game.  If Cleveland wins, they will advance to the AFC Championship Game against the Buffalo Bills.

Outlet Names Potential Replacements for Neal Brown and Shane Lyons

Morgantown, West Virginia - With Shane Lyons out as the director of athletics at West Virginia, it is only a matter of time before West Virginia Head Coach Neal Brown follows suit. Sitting at 21-24, it is expected that Brown will be relieved of his duties following the 2022 season, regardless of the outcome of the team's final two games. The Athletic, a very well known outlet nationwide, has listed potential replacements for both Lyons and Brown respectively. Here is their list of replacements: Shane Lyons  Pat Chun - Washington State AD  Troy Dannen - Tulane AD Eddie Nunez - New Mexico AD Matt Borman - LSU Athletic Foundation President It should be noted that none of these candidates have any real ties to the state of West Virginia and have not been mentioned by any other outlets. Neal Brown Jason Candle (52-30 at Toledo) Sean Lewis (23-30 at Kent State) Jeff Monken (61-49 at Army)  Scott Satterfield (24-23 at Louisville)  Rich Rodriguez (7-2 at Jacksonville State) Candle, Lewis and Monken are highly-regarded coaches, but West Virginia will likely pursue a more proven head coach at the Power 5 level, particularly after the past four seasons under Brown. Rodriguez is almost certainly too divisive among the West Virginia fanbase to be hired and Satterfield's 24-23 record at Louisville is less than impressive. Overall, these five potential candidates don't appear to be outstanding replacements for Brown at West Virginia. If the university wants to fix the current situation within the football program, they will need a proven leader who has a history of turning around programs and being successful at the highest level of competition.

WATCH: Nicco Marchiol Sings Country Roads After Big Win

Morgantown, West Virginia - West Virginia’s quarterback of the future, four star recruit Nicco Marchiol had another big night for his Hamilton High team, this time snapping rival Chandler High School’s 45 game winning streak, winning  21-14. Marchiol now has 2,265 yards passing (226.5 per game) on 169 of 230 for a school record-breaking 34 touchdowns and only 1 interception this season, and his team is now 10-0.  With numbers and success like this, Marchiol has put himself squarely in the mix for the National Player of the Year conversation. Following the game, Marchiol gave a huge shoutout to West Virginia by singing Country Roads.  Check it out below! https://twitter.com/claudiafcollins/status/1459386430166159361?s=21 You’ve just got to love this kid!  Let’s Go Mountaineers! https://twitter.com/justchilly/status/1459375213364203527?s=21

FDA Approves COVID-19 Test That Could Be Huge for Fall Sports

Today, we received some very encouraging news in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic. https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1294654256763609090?s=21 According to Andy Slavitt of the “In the Bubble” podcast, the FDA approved a new COVID-19 test that gives you results based on your saliva. The test was funded by Yale University and the NBA, and is expected to be available within the next few weeks. What makes this breakthrough so significant is how cheap the test will be. Slavitt would also state that the test costs around $4 dollars to make, and will be $10 dollars to the general public as opposed to the usual $100 dollars for the current test. https://twitter.com/aslavitt/status/1294663081403047937?s=21 The test is also said to give results within minutes. Pete Thamel of Yahoo Sports spoke to one Power 5 athletic director, and this director would plead with Thamel that this is a big game-changer for fall college athletics. https://twitter.com/petethamel/status/1294703024049356800?s=21 “This is a big deal. If you can really get a real-time test that’s reliable, that’s a big difference maker.” Not only will this reduce the cost of testing for football programs in particular, but it will also give them the opportunity to test their players more frequently than they have been in recent weeks. This could allow schools to test their players all the way up until game day, reducing the risk of an outbreak during a game between two schools from different regions of the nation. This could potentially be what helps college sports proceed this fall, and it comes just in time as we are only four weeks away from many teams opening the season around the country.  

The Perfect Replacement

As reported earlier, West Virginia's Wide Receiver Coach Xavier Dye left for the same position at the University of South Florida.  Head Coach Neal Brown was quick to thank Dye for his contributions to West Virginia and said the search for a replacement would begin immediately. “I want to thank Xavier Dye for his contributions to WV football over the last 10 months.  We wish him the best as he reunites with close friend and mentor Jeff Scott.  Our search has already begun as we seek to find a dynamic teacher to lead our talented young WR core.” https://twitter.com/NealBrown_WVU/status/1208440753153814528?s=20 Dye was an outstanding recruiter and fantastic coach for the Mountaineers, and him leaving the program would typically be a big loss for the football program.  However, there is a former West Virginia football player out there that would make the transition to a new wide receiver's coach seamless. Stedman Bailey.  Bailey, a former first team Big East selection, first team All-American in 2012, who finished his college career at West Virginia University with the gaudy 210 receptions, 3,218 yards and 41 touchdowns in three seasons, would make the absolute perfect replacement for Dye as the new wide receivers coach for the Mountaineers. Bailey set the Mountaineer single season record for receiving yardage (1,279 yards) and tied the school record for most touchdown receptions (12) in a single season.  His career receiving yards rank 13th in Division I football all-time.  Bailey went on to be drafted in the 3rd round by the then-St. Louis Rams. Bailey's NFL career was cut short after he was shot multiple times in the head while sitting in a car with his family.  Although the assailants were never apprehended, Bailey survived the attack and eventually attempted an NFL comeback.  Although this attempt came up short, Bailey is a survivor and the newly open wide receivers coach position is the perfect opportunity for him to get back into football. Born and raised in Miramar, Florida, Stedman Bailey would immediately re-open the Miramar to West Virginia pipeline that brought the Mountaineers Geno Smith, Ivan McCartney, Yodny Cajuste, as well as Bailey.  Bailey knows Florida football and at only 29 years of age would be relatable to young players. Not only is Bailey one of West Virginia's best wide receivers ever, he will also make an outstanding recruiter and representative of our university.  Although there are likely many great potential replacements out there (see: Clint Trickett, current tight ends coach at FAU and former WVU quarterback), Neal Brown should be on the phone with Stedman Bailey to make him the new Wide Receivers Coach at West Virginia University immediately.

West Virginia Lands Talented Local Recruit

Morgantown, West Virginia - Moments ago, Fairmont Senior High School defensive back/wide receiver Evan Dennison committed to play for the West Virginia Mountaineers! Dennison, the #1 ranked defensive back in the state of West Virginia, was an all-state defensive selection and won 3 state championships with the Polar Bears. Dennison, who accepted a preferred walk on offer from West Virginia, had the following to say to The Voice of Motown about his commitment to the Mountaineers: “I’ve grown up here all my life, have always watched and went to the games. There’s no place like home.” https://twitter.com/evandennison8/status/1491483199062650885?s=21

3 Areas the Mountaineers Must Improve in This Spring

With spring practice comes the opportunity for improvement. The Mountaineers ended 2019 on a high-note, but left it with much to be desired. Over the next seven weeks, it will be interesting to watch for improvements in these 3 specific areas. Here are the areas for the Mountaineers where improvement is a must: Avoiding Negative 1st Down Plays: Constantly throughout the 2019 season, the Mountaineers would gain momentum on offense just for it to be taken away with negative yardage on first down. This was primarily due to poor offensive line play hindering the running game. For West Virginia to improve on offense, better play as well as better play-calling on early downs is a must. Keep an eye out for changes that Neal Brown could possibly have made when it comes to the sequence of play-calling on early downs. Field Goal Accuracy: While it was by no means a terrible year for Evan Staley, his previous career field goal percentage of 81.4% took a significant hit. The Romney, West Virginia native finished his junior season hitting 11 of 17 field goals, a made percentage of 64.7%. There are undoubtedly worse kicking situations around the country, but this is a stat that could help the Mountaineers prevail in tight games if improved. Look for Staley to clean up his sloppy kicking efforts in 2019 with a strong spring session. Red Zone Defense: West Virginia’s red zone defense was among the worst in the conference in 2019. When teams would make it inside the 20 against the Mountaineers, points were almost a guarantee. Teams scored on 42 of 47 red zone trips against WVU, a miserable 89.3% for Koenning’s unit. With 30 of those 42 scores being touchdowns, it was simply a season that side of the ball wants to forget. If this area is to be cleaned up, West Virginia will make huge strides on the defensive side of the ball. Look for this to be an area of attention with the great minds of Neal Brown and Vic Koenning working together.

West Virginia’s Stunning Lack of Players Drafted into the NFL Draft

Morgantown, West Virginia - During the 2022 NFL Draft, the West Virginia Mountaineers football program had zero players drafted. Leddie Brown signed an undrafted free agent deal with the Los Angeles Chargers and Sean Mahone did the same with the Jacksonville Jaguars, but otherwise, West Virginia was once again under-represented at the draft. Since Neal Brown has taken over as the head coach of the Mountaineers, only three players - Kenny Robinson, Colton McKivitz and Tony Fields - have been selected and all three were picked in the 5th round of their respective drafts. This, of course, is a problem for the West Virginia football program. High school players entering college ultimately want to play professionally and West Virginia - at least recently - does not have a very good track record of developing and producing NFL-ready players. To compare, Pitt and Virginia Tech have each produced nine drafted players since 2020. That's three times what West Virginia has done during the same time period. Not only has West Virginia struggled on the field, finishing 17-18 since Brown has been the head coach, but they also have failed at getting players ready to play at the next level. Those blaming former West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen for the lack of NFL-ready players may want to consider that he produced 27 drafted players during his 8 seasons in Morgantown.  In addition, Holgorsen has had seven players drafted at Houston in the three seasons since he took over as the Cougars' head coach. To be fair, Neal Brown has been working with Holgorsen's former players at West Virginia and this year will be his first season with his own players, but looking at the current roster of the Mountaineers, there doesn't appear to be many players that will be drafted in the 2023 NFL Draft either. Dante Stills, Charles Woods, Zach Frazier, Wyatt Milum, Kaden Prather, JT Daniels and Nicco Marchiol all have potential to be drafted, but certainly nothing is guarateed with any of them. West Virginia must make preparing players to be ready to succeed at the next level a real priority, or future potential Mountaineers will go elsewhere with a better track record of getting players drafted in the NFL Draft.

EKU Looks HORRENDOUS Against Marshall

For those of you who tuned-in to the EKU-Marshall game expecting good football, you are likely very disappointed right now. The Herd currently has a 38-0 lead going into halftime, and are on cruise control to a 1-0 start to the 2020 season. Eastern Kentucky has looked flat and out of sync since the beginning, particularly on defense. Redshirt freshman Grant Wells has had a field day against the Colonels — completing 13 of 20 passes for 280 yards with four touchdowns and no interceptions. The Herd has also added 80 rushing yards and had a rushing touchdown added by stud running back Brenden Knox. Reserves are likely to receive playing time in the second half, pending a monumental comeback by the Colonels. If Eastern Kentucky shows up to Morgantown like this, Jarret Doege’s day may be finished fairly early next Saturday. The Colonels simply look horrendous, and any worries that you may have as a fan should just be left in the dust. Should the Mountaineers struggle against EKU, we are in for a long season.

WATCH: Country Roads Played at International Game

Today, the Seattle Seahawks and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers got together in Germany for a matchup on the gridiron. Prior to the ending of the game, which saw the Buccaneers win 21-16, the crowd sang together. What song were they singing? None other than John Denver’s Take Me Home, Country Roads! https://twitter.com/hannaholiveto/status/1591844672615645189?s=46&t=sssA3-AMJHjNAvLqrY8bdQ https://twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1591843937702281217?s=46&t=sssA3-AMJHjNAvLqrY8bdQ This is even more unique considering former Mountaineer Geno Smith is the quarterback for the Seattle Seahawks! It is West Virginia’s song, yes, but Country Roads is a lot more known worldwide than you may think! Let’s Go Mountaineers!

Why Darius Stills Should Return for ONE MORE SEASON at West Virginia

Morgantown, West Virginia - A recent decision by the NCAA declaring that student-athletes can play a full season of football this year and not lose any eligibility, opened the doors for many, many possibilities. Darius Stills, the senior defensive lineman who was the Big 12 Conference Preseason Player of the Year, considered leaving West Virginia after last season to enter the draft before ultimately deciding to return to play for the Mountaineers. In his announcement that he would return, Stills said the following: “These past 3 years having the opportunity to live out my childhood dreams of playing football and being able to showcase my talents for West Virginia University holds a special place in my heart.  I wouldn’t trade it for the world.” Stills said it best.  What could be better for him than playing for his hometown team, alongside his brother Dante, 20 minutes from where he grew up?  While he has an NFL future, playing for the Mountaineers with his brother is as good as it’s going to get for Darius Stills.  All the money and fame in the world won’t be able to match it. Make no mistake about it, Stills is ready to play in the National Football League.  He will absolutely go on to have a tremendously successful career playing football professionally.  But what he will give up by going to the NFL after this season is immeasurable. Stills can not only help his draft position with an extra year, he will have an opportunity to get even more ready physically, while perhaps breaking some West Virginia records and bringing a Big 12 Championship home to Morgantown. Stills’ father, Gary Stills, is 2nd all-time in West Virginia history with 26 career sacks.  While Darius Stills has only 8 career sacks, he had 7 of them last year and has worked hard to become even bigger and better during the offseason.  18 sacks in two seasons would tie his father and 19 would put him at #2 all-time in Mountaineer history.  Canute Curtis’ 35 career record for sacks seems out of his reach, but Stills could certainly challenge his father for 2nd all-time. Even more important than individual accomplishments, the Stills brothers have the opportunity to be the most dominant defense in the Big 12 and bring home a conference championship to West Virginia University.  Again, Stills won’t do anything more meaningful in the NFL than what he could do for his Mountaineers.

The Two Hottest Seats in College Football

MORGANTOWN, West Virginia -- The two head coaches who have the hottest seats in college football are without a doubt Neal Brown and Jimbo Fisher. Fisher, the head coach at Texas A&M, is one of the highest paid coaches in football with some of the best recruits in the country and the A&M fans have massive expectations for their program. However, Fisher led his team to a 5-7 record last season and the Aggies have started 1-1 this season, with a brutal loss last week against Miami. With a top salary, the best facilities and one of the most talented rosters in college football, Fisher has not produced the results that were expected. Despite his incredible previous success - he has a 123-45 record and a national championship at Florida State in 2013 - Fisher is squarely on the hot seat and fans want the school to pay his nearly $77 million buyout to move on from him. In fact, unless Fisher quickly turns things around in College Station, he will almost certainly be fired before the end of the season. If/when that happens, Fisher would instantly be the most sought-after head coach in college football based on his previous accomplishments. If Neal Brown continues to underachieve in Morgantown, it just could be the perfect storm for Fisher to return home to coach the Mountaineers. Remember, last season, Jimbo Fisher said three words that gave long-suffering West Virginia fans real hope: "Home is home." Fisher, 57, is originally from Clarksburg, West Virginia and when asked if he would ever consider returning to coach the Mountaineers later in his career, Fisher said the following: "You don’t ever say never in this business. Home is home. I love West Virginia and it’s very near and dear to my heart. I love them and have always rooted for them my whole life. You never say never in this business where it takes you. I’m happy where I’m at and I love where I’m at, but home is home.".  It would be difficult financially for Texas A&M to fire Fisher; however, the contract is extremely one-sided, allowing Fisher to leave the Aggies for another job under no financial penalty for his future employer should he so choose. In other words, although he would certainly demand a higher salary than Neal Brown, West Virginia would not have to worry about paying Texas A&M anything if Fisher wanted to return home before his contract ends. Neal Brown currently makes approximately $4 million a year and Fisher makes $7.5 million per year. While Fisher would have to take a paycut to coach the Mountaineers, coaching his home team with the possibility of taking them to new heights would almost certainly be very appealing to someone like Jimbo Fisher, who loves the state and has been a fan of the football program his entire life. Right now, Jimbo Fisher returning to West Virginia to coach the Mountaineers is a bit of a dream, but it's a very realistic possibility and is a dream worth dreaming.

WVU Football Has Hurt JT Daniels’ Chances at Playing in the NFL

  Morgantown, West Virginia - JT Daniels was one of the highest recruits out of high school, being the 16th best recruit in the country and the third best quarterback of his class. Now, he is the starting QB of the West Virginia Mountaineers. JT Started his career at USC, skipping his senior year of high school to play college ball. He didn't have the best start, but a solid one, having 14 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, with a rate of 128.6. In 2019, he only played in one game having 1 touchdown and one interception. He decided to transfer to Georgia, after having a season-ending injury there. In his redshirt Sophomore year, he had 10 touchdowns and 2 interceptions and in his redshirt Junior year, had 7 touchdowns and 3 interceptions before being injured again and inevitably transferring to West Virginia. Daniels has 2 years of eligibility thanks to the 2020 COVID year giving every athlete an extra year. So, how has Daniels done at West Virginia? He is about as good as he can be with this coaching staff. He currently has 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions completing 116 of 182 passing attempts and has a Quarterback Rating of 71.5, which is 37th in the country. While this is pretty good (and certainly the best QB play by far we have seen under head coach Neal Brown), it might affect his draft stock either this year or next year (depending on when he puts his name into the draft). West Virginia is currently off to a 2-3 (0-2) start this season with losses to Pittsburgh, Kansas, and Texas. While this is bad, the offense has not played badly under Daniels, but the offensive line has limited his ability to pass the ball. While Daniels has only been sacked 8 times, it has not shown how much it has affected Daniels. Against WVU's first three opponents, the offensive line was less of an issue, due to the fact that these teams did not have much of an offense. Against Virginia Tech, this really started to show, as West Virginia had to kick FOUR field goals, and the pick-six by Jacolby Spells made it appear that West Virginia had more offensive success than they actually did. Going into the fourth quarter, the score was only 16-10 in West Virginia's favor. Against Texas, the offense completely collapsed, with JT Daniels being the prime target on EVERY offensive drive. Even West Virginia's 20 points weren't real points. They were just cheap fourth-quarter points when Texas decided to put in their second and third-string defenders. So, what will being a member of the West Virginia Football Team do for JT Daniels? In all honesty, not a whole lot, unless the offensive line issues get fixed and the wide receivers limit drops. It will be a long couple of years for JT if he decided to stick around, and our offensive woes really limit his true potential as a star quarterback.

TJ Simmons Confirms He is Not Returning for His Senior Season

(Photo by WVU Athletics) Earlier this year, the NCAA froze eligibility for all players, giving everyone the opportunity for an extra year of eligibility. It has been a prominent question over the last few weeks as to which seniors would return to WVU for an unexpected one final season. Today, Mountaineer wide receiver T.J. Simmons all but confirmed that he has played his last down at Milan Puskar Stadium, indicating that he will not be exercising the extra year of eligibility. https://twitter.com/a_scouts_dream/status/1337115830404980736?s=21 After the cancellation of the Oklahoma game, Simmons tweeted “Didn’t get a senior night in Milan but I can say my last time there was a blast! I love you, West Virginia!” The last time WVU was in Morgantown, Simmons finished with 4 catches for 90 yards and two touchdown grabs in a 24-6 win over TCU. Though he will not play on Mountaineer Field again, he certainly saved his best for last as he stated in his tweet. Simmons becomes the second WVU player to confirm he will not return, along with defensive lineman Darius Stills. We should expect more announcements from other Mountaineer seniors in the coming days.

Bobby Bowden Hospitalized with COVID-19

According to Ralph Russo of the Associated Press, former Mountaineer and Seminole head coach Bobby Bowden has been hospitalized with COVID-19. https://twitter.com/news6wkmg/status/1313841516922703874?s=21   Per Russo, Bowden is said to be “very fatigued,” but is experiencing no other symptoms. Bowden’s wife, Ann, also reported he is scheduled to have a chest x-ray. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown for updates.