The views from here:
If you're examining this Saturday's Frontyard Brawl, you'll note that Darius Passmore is the X receiver for visiting Marshall against West Virginia.
However, call his quarterback, Mark Cann, the X man.
The X factor.
Consider the situation. Most of Marshall's skill players are proven. Passmore. Tight ends Cody Slate and Lee Smith. Even tailback Darius Marshall has become quite the threat. He's the nation's No. 12 rusher with 417 yards and four touchdowns.
But what we'll see out of the Cann, a redshirt freshman, in such a high-pressure game is unknown.
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound QB has played pretty well so far. He's thrown for 824 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
However, two of those interceptions came in front of the largest crowd to see the Thundering Herd. After MU put up quite a first-half battle against Wisconsin, Cann threw two picks at the start of the second half. After that, the Badgers rolled.
Did the large crowd affect Cann? Maybe. Maybe not.
"I'm from a small 1-A school [in Landrum, S.C.],'' said the QB. "There are 450 people in the whole school. So even our first home game [against Illinois State] before Wisconsin was the biggest crowd I'd ever played in front of.
"But [playing in front of big crowds] is why you play. You want to play in a big atmosphere. It's exciting."
For the record, Cann completed 20-of-39 passes for 211 yards and those two interceptions against UW. Blitz pressure and, later, a serious push from the Badgers' front four seemed to affect the QB in the second half.
Against West Virginia he expects to see the defense "move around a lot. We'll see different looks. But we've been preparing all week. We'll be ready.''
And what about being tagged the X factor?
"As far as passing,'' he said, "I've got to get the ball in the hands of our receivers. It's up to me to do that. I've got to make the right reads. I've got to make the throws. Our offensive line has to block."
On WVU's side, meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how the Mountaineer offensive line blocks this Saturday.
I think all will agree that, to this point, Wisconsin has looked much, much better offensively than West Virginia. Yet the Badgers had to turn to the pass to create distance from Marshall.
The Thundering Herd limited All-Big Ten tailback P.J. Hill, who had 210 yards against Akron, to 57. UW redshirt freshman Allan Evridge had to start winging the ball. He ended up with 308 yards passing.
"We wanted to see if [Evridge] could throw the ball,'' said MU coach Mark Snyder. "And he did.''
The views from here:
If you're examining this Saturday's Frontyard Brawl, you'll note that Darius Passmore is the X receiver for visiting Marshall against West Virginia.
However, call his quarterback, Mark Cann, the X man.
The X factor.
Consider the situation. Most of Marshall's skill players are proven. Passmore. Tight ends Cody Slate and Lee Smith. Even tailback Darius Marshall has become quite the threat. He's the nation's No. 12 rusher with 417 yards and four touchdowns.
But what we'll see out of the Cann, a redshirt freshman, in such a high-pressure game is unknown.
The 6-foot-4, 238-pound QB has played pretty well so far. He's thrown for 824 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions.
However, two of those interceptions came in front of the largest crowd to see the Thundering Herd. After MU put up quite a first-half battle against Wisconsin, Cann threw two picks at the start of the second half. After that, the Badgers rolled.
Did the large crowd affect Cann? Maybe. Maybe not.
"I'm from a small 1-A school [in Landrum, S.C.],'' said the QB. "There are 450 people in the whole school. So even our first home game [against Illinois State] before Wisconsin was the biggest crowd I'd ever played in front of.
"But [playing in front of big crowds] is why you play. You want to play in a big atmosphere. It's exciting."
For the record, Cann completed 20-of-39 passes for 211 yards and those two interceptions against UW. Blitz pressure and, later, a serious push from the Badgers' front four seemed to affect the QB in the second half.
Against West Virginia he expects to see the defense "move around a lot. We'll see different looks. But we've been preparing all week. We'll be ready.''
And what about being tagged the X factor?
"As far as passing,'' he said, "I've got to get the ball in the hands of our receivers. It's up to me to do that. I've got to make the right reads. I've got to make the throws. Our offensive line has to block."
On WVU's side, meanwhile, it will be interesting to see how the Mountaineer offensive line blocks this Saturday.
I think all will agree that, to this point, Wisconsin has looked much, much better offensively than West Virginia. Yet the Badgers had to turn to the pass to create distance from Marshall.
The Thundering Herd limited All-Big Ten tailback P.J. Hill, who had 210 yards against Akron, to 57. UW redshirt freshman Allan Evridge had to start winging the ball. He ended up with 308 yards passing.
"We wanted to see if [Evridge] could throw the ball,'' said MU coach Mark Snyder. "And he did.''
Expect a similar approach from Marshall against the Mountaineers.
There's still intrigue left in the Huntington/Charleston area surrounding a couple of football recruits.
C.J. Crawford, the Huntington High quarterback who transferred to Nitro then back, has a couple major college offers on the table.
According to Highlander coach Zach Wilson, Wake Forest and Marshall have offered and Arkansas expressed enough interest for Wilson to send film. Wake's Brad Lambert, once a Marshall assistant and currently married to the daughter of former Capital High coach Jerry "Moe'' Townson, is said to really like Crawford. Lambert, by the way, is now the defensive coordinator at Wake.
Meanwhile, the phone might start ringing for George Washington High lineman Rodney Hudson. One very high major college recruiter called this desk inquiring.
Too, coaches in the area remain stunned the 6-4, 285-pound standout hasn't received big-time offers. One called Hudson "really, really good. Better than [WVU lineman Josh] Jenkins. Better than [Cabell Midland's Cole] Bowers. He has a huge upside.''
When told about the comments, GW coach Steve Edwards sighed.
"If there's a better lineman in our state, I don't know where he is,'' Edwards said. "Every team we play has to double-team [Hudson]. He's strong; he's got good speed; he's good. I don't know what's up.''
Pedro Alvarez, a power-hitting third baseman from Vanderbilt and the No. 2 pick in June's Major League baseball draft, has been in the middle of a squabble between MLB and the players' association.
But now that's over. Alvarez has signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates. And he might be in the middle of Charleston next season - with the South Atlantic League's West Virginia Power.
"He sat out all summer,'' said Power general manager Andy Milovich of Alvarez. "I'd think he'd start [the minor league climb] here ... The only reason he might not is because the Pirates' farm system is a little thin right now. [Pittsburgh GM] Neal Huntington is just getting started there.''
And finally ...
I'm going to square my staff and me with a man named John Eich right here, right now.
As with all businesses, things sometimes fall through the cracks.
Well, the news involving Eich has fallen through time after time. And I'm going to make it right today.
On Sept. 7, John Eich realized a lifelong dream with a hole-in-one on No. 7 at Scarlet Oaks golf course. He used a 6-iron on the 137-yard hole.
Before today, we'd failed to get that in. A ton of times. But there ya go, John.
Congrats.
Reach Mitch Vingle at 348-4827 or mitchvin...@wvgazette.com.
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I think Mr. Passmore, Mr. Slate, and Mr. Marshall might have a little something to say about that tomorrow.