West Virginia...almost hell.

Alright, I'll stop with the West Virginia digs. But it's especially hard considering we lost and all the "fan mail" (I don't have fans, I have "followers"). So all the "follower mail" that had some incredibly inappropriate (and funny) West Virginia jokes. While I'd love to share with you how you can tell brothers and sisters are from West Virginia and the difference between a kindergartener and a resident of the great state of West Virginia, I simply won't. No I won't lower myself to that. I need to give them due credit.

But first, I need to issue a memo to all those offended by the Cincinnati (victory) post.
Dear Cincinnati fans,
Sorry I'm not sorry. It is time to learn how to laugh. At the very least, be happy that if nothing, you hurt my shoulder (sorry, "upper extremity") during the game. But alas, it didn't affect my typing (or sense of humor). And that one game shouldn't affect you either. Chin up kids, chin up.
Truly (and victoriously) yours,
FWG

West Virginia:
You know, if games were 30 minutes long, we'd have been all set. But there are four quarters, not two, and to beat a championship-caliber team you need to play a complete game. That's something we didn't do on Saturday. I said in an earlier post that Pat White makes every play a scoring opportunity. Well, 3rd and 24, they should have settled for a field goal. Instead, he scrambles and was harder to (here's an analogy for our friends south of the Mason-Dixon) catch than a greased pig (Squeal-Pigggyyyy!!!!). I mean seriously, how did he walk in for that touchdown from 30 yards out?

How many UConn Football players does it take to catch a Pat White? The world may never know.

OFFENSE:
I would love to bash West-V but the truth is they played a complete game and we didn't. They adjusted at the half, not schematically but mentally, and that's something that we didn't do. We failed to come out of the locker room with the same Rock-em-Sock-em mentality we had going into the game. We had them dead to rights and couldn't seal the deal. Noel Devine running and cutting so fast all we could see was the flash off his gold-grill and he was gone again (is he the Leprechaun of the gridiron?). Sneaky Irish lads aside, the speed, agility, and scoring threat is unparalleled and very real. Their offensive line was nasty, definitely no lack of mean-streak in them (or gentle-giant syndrome). But I will pay them a compliment (see Final Thoughts below).

DEFENSE:
I'd like to marginalize the importance of the WVU defense. But with all turnovers and field position they created for their offense I have to give due credit and say that they are probably the reason for the win (yes that, and Pat White's legs...and Devine's gold frontz). Scooter Berry (insert Scooter Berry joke here) is a real asset to their D, and along with mainstays such as Morty Ivy, I was impressed.

It's cold outside. Not bitter, wrap-yourself-up cold (this isn't Rochester, people), but cold enough for me to think, "Hey, maybe shorts and flip-flops were a bad idea" and "I really shouldn't be eating ice-cream in this weather should I?". It's also a bye week before Syracuse, so lots of blog posts this week. But now, it's that time again. (What time is it?) Time for some...

FINAL THOUGHTS:

Halloween was a great success (see below):




We celebrated ours a week early and then lost power during our party. Complete blackout. Four hours without power and a house full of (oversized) college kids. The celebration continued. "But how??" you ask. It just confirmed my theory that people between the ages of 18 and 24 will find any excuse to dress up and party. Seriously, four hours by the light of cell phones? Truth be told, it was the perfect night for any marginally good looking gentleman to find a beautiful baby to bunk up with for the night (take note: the haze of glowing cell-phone and Halloween mischief are working in your favor, young men).

Halloween in Rochester (where I was born and raised) is snowed out with great regularity. How emotionally crippling for a child (this blog is proof). I was a ninja for like 8 years. Well beyond the age that it was acceptable for me to want to be a ninja. (You can't get your license and be a ninja in the same year. Lesson learned. Lesson learned.)

The WVU O-Line. I only played one play against them. (Upper extremity injury. Thanks, Cincy.) But I will say that being the hard noses that they are, they are a classy group of individuals at the end of the day. I enjoyed battling Mike Dent (center) all last year and we spoke briefly after the game. He said he missed me (I miss your musk), but he was glad not to see me out there, that it made his day a little easier. I don't know about that, but I appreciate the ego stroke, Mike.

Being injured makes you feel completely useless. Torn between trying to play and not being able to go 100%. You try to weigh the decision from what's best for your team and what's best for you. It's a terrible dichotomy. They say you don't know what you got until it's gone. Standing on the sidelines with the thrill of the gridiron happening in front of you is torture. I can't wait to get out there against 'Cuse.

I saw my girlfriend and her mother on the Jumbo-Tron. I wish I had a picture to link or embed. You can't fully appreciate it unless you saw it. What's that expression though? They say if you wanna know what your girlfriend will grow up to look like, see her mom. (Yeah, I'll be just fine.)