The Shotgun/Throwdown (11/4/24): West Virginia’s 116th season opens with DeVries debuting against Robert Morris – The Smoking Musket

Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (which we haven’t already talked about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s anything we’ve missed, don’t forget to tell us in the comments.

FOOTBALL

Brown hesitant to bench starter with injury: ‘I don’t think it’s a good practice’ | EerSports
Neil Brown explains his philosophy on determining who will start at quarterback.

The Rivalry Series: The Story of WVU vs. Cincinnati Football | Gold and Blue Nation
In 131 seasons on the field, the West Virginia University football team developed several rivalries that helped forge the identity of Mountaineer football. Former Smoking Musket contributor and current Gold and Blue Nation capital J journalist continues his Rivalry series with a special episode prior to Saturday’s game with Cincinnati.

BASKETBALL

Mountaineers tip off 2024-25 campaign against Robert Morris Monday night | West Virginia University Athletics
West Virginia enters its 116th season in men’s basketball and coach Darian DeVries’ first at the helm on Monday, Nov. 5, when the Mountaineers take on Robert Morris of the Horizon League.

The Mountaineers go into game preparation mode as the opener against Robert Morris approaches | WV MetroNews
More than seven months after being named West Virginia’s head coach, Darian DeVries is set to lead the Mountaineers in their first meaningful action under his watch in Monday’s 7:00 p.m. regular season opener against Robert Morris at WVU Coliseum.

WVU men unveil new look in Robert Morris debut | Blue Gold News
In some cases, the previews of the games are focused more on the “home” team rather than the opponent, with the accompanying thought “this game is more about us than them”. That may not be truer than it is in the eyes of the West Virginia men’s basketball team and its opener against Robert Morris at the WVU Coliseum on Monday night.

WVU’s Sencire Harris is working to expand his game to both ends of the court | Blue Gold News
West Virginia guard Sensir Harris has a reputation as a defense-first player, but he doesn’t want that to be the only part of his game. After his first season at Illinois (2022-23), he decided to redshirt, in part to allow time to improve his offensive skills and become a more well-rounded player.

Women’s basketball lands Class of 2025 4-star shooting guard Maddie Parrish | The Daily Athenaeum
WVU Women’s Basketball has landed a commitment from Class of 2025 4-star recruit Maddie Parrish, she told On3 on Thursday.

2024-25 Women’s College Basketball Top 25 Preseason Teams Ranked & Explained | SBNation.com
The women’s college basketball season begins Monday, and SBNation breaks down every team in the AP preseason Top 25 poll, including the No. 16 Mountaineers in your opinion.

FOOTBALL

Mountaineers drop Heartbreaker in Big 12 quarterfinals | West Virginia University Athletics
The No. 3-seeded West Virginia University women’s soccer team dropped a heartbreaking double-overtime game in the quarterfinals of the 2024 Sprouts Farmers Market Big 12 Championship, falling 1-0 to No. 6 seed Kansas at CPKC Stadium in Kansas City, Mo., on saturday night.

Women’s soccer falls to Kansas in double overtime thriller | The Daily Athenaeum
The West Virginia University women’s soccer team lost 1-0 in double overtime to the University of Kansas Jayhawks in the quarterfinal round of the Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City,

WVU ATHLETICS

McCabe wins third Big 12 cross country title, WVU finishes as team runner-up | WV MetroNews
WVU redshirt senior Ceili McCabe won her third Big 12 Cross Country Championship title Friday morning at Cottonwood Creek Golf Course in Waco, Texas.

West Virginia won four individual titles at the Southeast Open | West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia University wrestling team won four individual titles to close out the season opener at the 2024 Southeast Open on Saturday.

No. 8 Kansas sweeps West Virginia | West Virginia University Athletics
The West Virginia University volleyball team (8-14, 2-9 Big 12) was defeated in three sets, 3-0 by No. 8 Kansas on Saturday afternoon at the Horejsi Family Volleyball Arena in Lawrence, Kansas.

Geno Smith was at his best and worst, and it’s not enough for the Seahawks win | Seattle Times
The Seahawks’ significant deficiencies lead to one straightforward conclusion: quarterback Geno Smith must excel in order to beat the Seahawks. Anything less is deadly.

Geno Smith: I cost us the game on Sunday, I’ll step it up | NBC Sports
Seahawks quarterback Geno Smith did a lot right during Sunday’s game against the Rams, but he also made some big mistakes and focused on them after the 26-20 overtime loss.

Geno Smith’s terrible 4th quarter interceptions cost Seattle dearly in overtime loss to Rams | Yahoo Sports
The Rams were surprised by such an easy interception in their end zone.

Myles McBride rises with the “Grind, Grind, Grind” development in the New York Knicks system | Athlon Sport
New York’s best bench player continues to look like a quality piece for his team’s championship aspirations.

Bryant McFadden wants the Steelers to start Beanie Bishop Jr. vs. Cameron Sutton | Steelers Depot
Former Pittsburgh Steelers CB Bryant McFadden wants the team to start Benny Bishop Jr. over Cameron Sutton when he returns.

Cardinals DL Dante Stills Games 2023 Season Sack Total | WV Sports Now
It took just nine games for Dante Stills to match his 2023 total in a major. The second-year WVU product recorded 0.5 sacks in Arizona’s 29-9 win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday, giving him 3.5 on the season, the same total he posted all of last year.

WATCH: Dante Stills and Zaven Collins sack Caleb Williams | Arizona Cardinals
Cardinals DL Dante Stills and LB Zaven Collins sacked Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams for a 7-yard loss.

SMU back in national spotlight and in control of College Football Playoff destiny | Sports Illustrated
The Mustangs spent decades in the wilderness before landing in the ACC this season to post an 8–1 overall record and go 5–0 in conference play.

Oregon remains atop the AP Top 25 ahead of the first CFP rankings | ESPN
Oregon was the unanimous No. 1 pick in the Associated Press College Football Poll on Sunday, bolstering its bid for the top spot in the College Football Playoff Selection Committee’s first rankings of the season.

SEC fines South Carolina for field storming after Texas A&M win | ESPN
South Carolina was fined $250,000 by the Southeastern Conference for fans who stormed the field after the Gamecocks’ 44-20 victory over then-No. 10 Texas A&M at Williams-Brice Stadium on Saturday night.

There’s never been a better time to hate the Cowboys | SBNation.com
Cowboys are an old 7/11 hot dog at 2am.

Saquon Barkley’s running back for the Eagles immediately became iconic | SBNation.com
It’s safe to say Saquon Barkley is enjoying his time in Philadelphia. After signing with the Eagles in the offseason, Barkley looks like a rejuvenated player wearing green in the NFL’s top five rushing yards. Also, he’s just over here making things up like… BACK CROSS?

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