LATEST

With Trey Lowe’s announcement of entering the transfer portal, many are speculating where the former Mountaineer signal-caller may land. While all potential new homes for Lowe are purely speculation right now, there is one landing spot that would make sense for the Tennessee native. Jake Spavital was a big influence in getting Lowe to WVU. His prolific offense was a major attraction for the unfortunately underused quarterback to come to Morgantown. After the 2018 season, Spavital accepted the head coaching position at Texas State. Throughout the 2019 season, Spavital’s quarterbacks struggled statistically. According to ESPN, the Bobcat quarterbacks finished with a 17-20 TD-INT ratio. This could leave way for a Spavital to land a transfer that could potentially be a better fit for his offense. What a better fit than Trey Lowe? Only time will tell if there will be a reunion in Texas between the two former Mountaineers. Lowe would be a perfect fit for the offensive mastermind in the Sun Belt. Spavital could look to Lowe to boost his resume to advance his coaching career. What could have been a match made in Heaven in the mountains, could soon be heading south.

Pro Football Focus recently released early accolades for the Big 12 Conference with the start of spring practice. In a completely ignorant and biased turn of events, Texas Quarterback Sam Ehlinger was named “the best returning player in the Big 12 Conference.” While Ehlinger is a superb quarterback, ignoring a player like Chubba Hubbard of Oklahoma State is uncalled for. Last season, the Cowboys running back ran for over 2,000 yards. This is a feat that only a handful of players have ever accomplished in a single season. To ignore this is a blatant sign that the folks at Pro Football Focus may not be as knowledgeable about football as they appear to be. Though it cannot be changed, it must be noted that Hubbard was snubbed. Not only is the Oklahoma State the best returning player, but he is the best overall player. Ehlinger will have a successful season, but nowhere near the caliber of what Hubbard will accomplish this season. https://twitter.com/texasfootball/status/1237204113093525504?s=21

The 2020-21 WVU men’s basketball team will be heading into the season with lofty expectations. Virtually every contributor from last season returns, with Oscar Tshiebwe expected to lead the charge. https://twitter.com/marchmadness/status/1291747549129441280?s=20 Tshiebwe was given high praise on the March Madness 365 podcast. Andy Katz released his top returning players on the show, and the Congo native found himself ranked the 19th best in the nation. Last season, Tshiebwe was named second team All-Big 12 and a unanimous selection to the All-Big 12 freshman team.

During his press conference this morning, WVU head Coach Neal Brown made a heart wrenching announcement in regards to one of his players. https://twitter.com/wvufootball/status/1294677818975100929?s=21 Brown would announce that true sophomore Nicktroy Fortune is not with the team currently as he is taking an absence after the death of his mother in Thursday morning. We with The Voice of Motown send our love and prayers to Nicktroy. Please keep him in your thoughts and in your prayers.

Yesterday was quietly a big day for College Football. After a five month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fox and ESPN began drafting what games their networks would broadcast during the upcoming 2020 season. https://twitter.com/mulvihill79/status/1298052754045198336?s=21 According to Michael Mulvihill of Fox Sports, the selections on Monday for Fox were limited to the network’s “shared Big 12 rights,” meaning the high-profile games for each week during the season were likely being discussed. Brandon Marcello of 247Sports would also release a report on the situation, stating that kickoff times for at least week one in the Power 5 could be released “over the next week to two weeks.” The announcement could also include games beyond week one in all conferences. A Big 12 spokesperson would also tell 247Sports that television times for the “first wave” of Big 12 games are “imminent.” Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown as we will bring you updates as soon as kickoff times are released.

This morning, the WVU Sports Twitter account shared images of the officially under construction, brand new video board at the WVU Coliseum. https://twitter.com/wvusports/status/1302968896002105344?s=21 The new video board was announced in July, and is also set to have more than two times the LED’s that the previous board had. The Coliseum is finally getting a much needed facelifts, including brand new seats for spectators.

Moments ago, Jeff Borzello of ESPN broke the news of the NCAA’s official start date for their 2020-2021 College Basketball season. https://twitter.com/jeffborzello/status/1306348405497749505?s=21 According to Borzello, the NCAA will begin the 2020-21 College Basketball season in November 25th. Despite this announcement, it is only a framework for each conference. Each individual conference will decide what their start date will be, and will make adjustments based on limited traveling, and non-conference games. Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown for updates.

In brutal, frustrating fashion, WVU loses their sixth straight game to the Oklahoma State Cowboys, 27-13. The offense could not execute when needed. Time and time again, Doege and company drove into Cowboys’ territory but could not turn it into points. The offensive line was better, but had shades of the 2019 season surface with several loss plays. Doege barely had any time to throw, and would miss several open receivers deep down the field - to no fault of his own. WVU led the Cowboys in total yards 352 to 342. Jarret Doege finished 20-for-37 passing with 285 yards and one touchdown. WVU finished with only 81 rushing yards, but sacks cost the Mountaineers several yards. Leddie Brown tallied 26 carries for 103 yards. WVU plays Baylor in Morgantown next Saturday. Kickoff is set for noon.

The past couple of weeks haven’t been easy for Jarret Doege. After getting the life beat out of him against Oklahoma State, the Bowling Green transfer would turn the ball over three times against Baylor. Although he would finish the game with two total touchdowns, each turnover gave the Bears excellent starting field position. Many fans have been hard on Doege, and some are even beginning to whisper that it may be time for Garrett Greene. Despite all of the things that have gone wrong, Jarret Doege is not the problem with the offense. Not even close. When a signal-caller is facing constant pressure by opposing defenses, accuracy will be affected. The offensive line has struggled mightily in pass protection, and Doege has paid the price for it. Baylor obviously saw something in the Oklahoma State tape and would often send the house at Doege. He had virtually no time in the pocket and would be forced to throw to his check down. Not only the line, but his receivers have occasionally let him down as well. His receivers have dropped wide open passes in all three games. It has not been a single culprit, but multiple guys in the receiving corps have not been able to hang onto a perfect pass from Doege. That is not his fault. He did all he could do on those plays, and even hit his receivers in their number. At that point, that becomes the fault of the receiver. Whether that be a lack of concentration or fear of a defender right on their tail, it doesn’t matter. To sum up the argument, the offense’s struggles are not all on Doege. He cannot help that he is given no time to pass, nor can he catch the ball for the receivers. Yes, he is going through somewhat of a tough stretch. But the whole offense is too. This was an offense that was absolutely horrible in 2019, and we can’t expect an overnight fix. The offense is far better statistically so far, showing gradual improvement. Jarret Doege isn’t the problem, the entire unit is. With time, things will get better and the offense will only continue to gel together better. Quit putting the blame all on one person.

According to FanDuel, the Mountaineers have officially opened as a -22.5 point favorite over the Kansas Jayhawks this Saturday. The Jayhawks (0-3, 0-1 in Big 12) are still uncertain if Head Coach Les Miles will be able to make the trip due to his positive COVID-19 test. If he is unable to make the trip, we should expect this line to increase by kickoff. West Virginia (2-1, 1-1 in Big 12) is coming off of a bye week, but was able to beat Baylor, 27-21, in double overtime a week prior. Leddie Brown and Alec Sinkfield will be expected to have a big day against what is the worst rush defense in the conference. The Mountaineers and Jayhawks kickoff at noon. The game is being broadcasted on FS1.

Honestly, where would we be without Jarret Doege? After transferring from Bowling Green, Doege is now 5-2 as the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback. He has also compiled a 15-6 TD-INT ratio, and has passed for at least 200 yards in six of his seven games.   At times during 2020, Doege has struggled. However, it has been to no fault of his own. Many times his line has let him down, and his receivers have flat out dropped passes they should have caught. Clean up those two areas and we have ourselves a pretty solid quarterback statistically. But here we are, coming upon week eight, and the passing game has yet to fully hit its groove.   While sometimes a quarterback change can help an offense, it most certainly cannot in this case. Not even close. Jarret Doege is easily the best quarterback option for the Mountaineers right now. He has the most experience in the whole position room, has been in the offense nearly just as long as Austin Kendall, and hasn’t done anything to lose his starting job.   While anyone with football knowledge could see this, our fanbase obviously cannot. Instead, many all across social media are calling for Doege to be benched in favor of true freshman Garrett Greene. How about we discuss why this is a horrendous idea, shall we? Greene has yet to gain any significant experience at the FBS level. His only playing time came against FCS Eastern Kentucky. One of, if not the worst defense WVU will face all year. Sure he looked solid, and yes he brings talent to the table, but throwing him out in the meat of WVU’s Big 12 schedule would just be idiotic.   Now that we have discussed Greene, let’s talk about why Doege has done nothing to lose his job. How about we start with his 71% winning percentage? In seven outings, he has found a way to win five of them - including one on the road against a nationally ranked Kansas State squad in 2019. If you completely eliminate Oklahoma State, Doege is undefeated at this point.   His 15-6 TD-INT may not be Heisman worthy, but it is still solid. After all, his backup, Austin Kendall, did have a 12-10 ratio last season. For every five touchdown passes, Doege only throws two interceptions. Sure it could be better, but it is certainly the best on the team. Finally, Head Coach Neal Brown has exhibited all of the confidence in the world in Doege. Last week during his weekly radio show, Brown even stated he expects Doege’s “breakout game to come soon.” This doesn’t sound like a head coach concerned with his signal-caller, now does it?   His stats are fine, and Neal Brown sees him improving moving forward. So why does Mountaineer Nation continue to complain about him? Jarret Doege is the best quarterback on this team, and will be the answer at the position until his time in Morgantown comes to an end. Until then, just keep coaching this team from your couch. Someone’s crazy Uncle Harry will agree with your position on social media sooner or later.   QUIT COMPLAINING ABOUT JARRET DOEGE...   It could ALWAYS be worse, and it’s not even bad now.

https://twitter.com/WVUhoops/status/1321512118894682113?s=20 According to Joni Lehmann of WVU, Oscar Thsiebwe has been named to the Preseason All-Big 12 Team. Tshiebwe is coming off of a solid freshman campaign that saw him average 11.2 points per game and 9.3 rebounds, per ESPN. He is expected to be a key piece to success for the Mountaineers in the upcoming 2020-21 season. Oscar was also named to the All-Big 12 Second Team at the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, per WVU. Derek Culver was an Honorable Mention. Here is the All-Big 12 team: Jared Butler Baylor Marcus Garrett, Kansas Austin Reaves, Oklahoma Cade Cunningham, Oklahoma State Matt Coleman III, Texas Oscar Tshiebwe, West Virginia   https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1321513610556956673?s=20 According to Jim Rothstein of CBS Sports, six players were included due to a tie in votes.

Saturday’s contest against Texas is a pivotal game for the Mountaineers. Win it, and they have a legitimate chance at making the Big 12 Championship Game. Lose, and well, it’s just another “rebuilding” year. While we can sit here and talk game plan against the Longhorns all day long, there is one thing that West Virginia must ABSOLUTELY AVOID during the game - that is flashing the “Horns Down” hand gesture. It is no secret, the Mountaineers love some Horns Down. However, with Big 12 referees being quick to call a penalty on a player who flashes the gesture, it is not worth letting them fly. That is during regulation at least. If the Mountaineers plan on bringing home a victory tomorrow, they have to play a clean game. Avoidable penalties such as an unsportsmanlike conduct foul just cannot happen, especially against Texas. The team has to put itself in the best position possible, and handing Texas 15-yards here and there just will not cut it. After the game, if we win (and even if we don’t) players can flash “Horns Down” to their heart’s content. Until then, it’s business as usual, and hopes of a second straight top 25 victory in Austin.

What a year it has been for Leddie Brown. The junior running back was coming off of a 2019 season that saw him, and the entire offense, struggle mightily to run the football. Fast forward one year later, the team, and Brown, have improved significantly in this area. After a 156-yard rushing day against TCU, Leddie Brown now has more individual rushing yards in 2020 than the entire offense did in 2019. On the season, Brown now has 897 rushing yards on 165 attempts. As a whole, the offense totaled only 879 rushing yards on 334 attempts in 2019. An average of 2.6 yards per carry. To top all of this, Brown has even tallied more rushing touchdowns alone this season. He currently has 9 rushing touchdowns on the season (with 2 receiving on top of that). Last year, the offense could only muster 7 rushing touchdowns for the entire season, with the seventh and final coming in game five against Texas. Neal Brown wanted to be the most improved team in the nation coming into 2020, and it appears that the Mountaineers may just achieve that feat - at least with the ground game. Leddie Brown has quickly rose to stardom in the Big 12, and he is just getting started. Brown still has a lot more football ahead of him with the Mountaineers.

https://twitter.com/JonRothstein/status/1331634842426089473?s=20   According to Jon Rothstein of CBS Sports, WVU is expected to play the Gonzaga Bulldogs in the Jimmy V Classic next week. The Mountaineers would be replacing the Tennessee Volunteers, who were dropped due to positive tests within their program, per sources.   Stay tuned to The Voice of Motown for updates.