Musings Of A Mountain Man: September 15, 2011

A 55-12 win to give the 'Eers a 2-0 season start usually would have us salivating about the offense and eagerly awaiting them answering the bell for game three.

Usually, we say, but there was something unusual about last Saturday's seeming blowout of Norfolk State.

The point spread was big, but instead of bringing rampant anticipation, the way the game took shape brought discomfort to many of us and made the upcoming Maryland game as scary as those flying monkeys in "The Wizard of Oz."

*****

WE WERE ONLY JOKING last week when we commented that we knew the Mountaineers couldn't stop Norfolk State, we just hoped that it could contain them.

Nyuk, Nyuk, Nyuk.

Hardy Har, Har, Har.

Good musing, Mountain Man.

Well, don't know about you, but we weren't laughing at halftime when Norfolk State was ahead, 12-10. The joke was on us.

Our words seemed to be prophetic -- make that pathetic.

*****

IT REALLY WAS NOT FUNNY watching the visiting Spartans from Virginia's Tidewater area outplaying WVU.

They moved the ball well offensively, piling up close to 200 yards in thefirst half.

The only thing keeping the halftime score from being a lot worse was that the Mountaineer defense kept NSU out of the end zone, forcing it to settle for field goals on four drives deep or fairly deep into WVU territory.

The Spartan defense made the WVU running game inconsequential throughout the first half, something the 'Eers offensive line and running backs aided in a collective effort of missed blocks by the line and running backs not finding running space when it was created.

*****

FORTY-FIVE SECOND-HALF POINTS and only two more Norfolk State first downs later, we felt a lot better about things and the stream of text messages and phone calls we receive during Mountaineer games became increasingly less angry, yet still a little wary about the Maryland game coming up.

The consensus opinion seems to be that if WVU comes out in the first half against Maryland even close to the way it did against Norfolk State, the Mountaineers likely will dig themselves in too deep of a hole to win.

We ask:

If Norfolk State can shut down WVU for a half at home, what will Maryland do on the road?

If not Maryland, what will the upstanding gentlemen of top-three-ranked Louisiana State University do the next week in Morgantown?

Good questions.

*****

WE THINK SATURDAY'S CONTEST AT MARYLAND is a pivotal one that will answer a number of questions and probably give a glimpse of what is in store the remainder of the season.

This is nothing new for WVU football. The Maryland game has long been a harbinger of what will be in a particular season.

Historically, a loss to Maryland often is a hint that a so-so or poor season is on the way.

A win over Maryland, on the other hand, indicates at least a successful Mountaineer season.

WVU has five consecutive wins over Maryland dating back to 2004 and in that time, it has not had a record less than 8-4.

*****

THE MARYLAND GAME has additional importance his year, because LSU follows.

If WVU gets by Maryland to go 3-0 and perhaps rise as high as the top 15 in the college football polls, we can rest assured that Morgantown will be at a fever pitch when the Tigers prowl into town.

The prospect of beating SEC power LSU and likely rising into the top-10 would have the Mountaineer team and its fans drooling.

Beat Maryland and then beat LSU and this season becomes very promising, indeed.

*****

A DISAPPOINTING LOSS TO MARYLAND would take major wind out of WVU's sails and interrupt a dream sequence before we even started dropping coins into the wishing well.

The subsequent loss of mojo energy also would increase the probability of a loss to LSU, which could happen under the best of circumstances.

So pardon us if we take WVU's somnambulant state against Norfolk State in the first half a little too seriously. We have a lot of mojo of our own invested in the Mountaineers.

Anyone or anything that can lift us up or let us down the way WVU sports can has the ability to scare us a little.

Right now, worrying about Maryland and all that a win or a loss entails is a monkey on our backs.

*****

THE BELIEF HERE is that a focused WVU will have too much offensive firepower for Maryland over the course of 60 minutes.

Maryland had its moments on offense and defense in its opening-game win against a deservingly depleted Miami team.

Somewhat like WVU, however, we don't know how good the Terps are based on the Miami win because we don't yet know how good is Miami.

We do know that Maryland sophomore quarterback Danny O'Brien completed 31 of 44 passes for 348 yards and a touchdown against Miami and that he apparently has a group of capable receivers.

We also know that first-year Maryland head coach Randy Edsall has experience playing WVU.

*****

THAT SAID, Edsall's knowledge of WVU will be abated some by his unfamiliarity with new WVU head coach Dana Holgerson's methods.

This game may be a tussle, but in the end we feel that WVU and quarterback Geno Smith -- who passed for 371 yards and four touchdowns against NSU -- will produce enough points to prevail as WVU's defense holds O'Brien and company enough in check to win.

To help the cause, we have an idea:

How about WVU mustering up a rushing game that surpasses the 71-yard-per-game average it has compiled in its first two games?

Big back Shawne Alston's return to the team after a prolonged neck injury can only be a benefit in that regard.