MORGANTOWN - While Steve Kragthorpe and his Louisville football team were sloshing around in wet, miserable conditions and losing a game to Cincinnati last Friday night, West Virginia was kicking back and enjoying the final few days of an off week.

So, does that mean the Mountaineers have an advantage - at least from a preparation standpoint - when the teams meet Saturday afternoon in Louisville?

Well, it's hard to tell.

"You can look at it both ways, I suppose,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "We've been [in Louisville's short-week] situation before. Syracuse had an extra week to get ready for us and they did a great job. But sometimes you like to keep playing.''

There seems little doubt the Mountaineers needed a week off before beginning a stretch of games against Louisville, Pitt and South Florida that will determine their bowl fate. Not only was Stewart's team banged up, it was coming off a rather disastrous loss at home to Cincinnati. There might be something to be said for staying in a rhythm, but the Mountaineers didn't have much of one to begin with.

As for Louisville (5-5, 1-4 Big East), Kragthorpe doesn't seem to want to make an issue of the extra time West Virginia (6-3, 3-1) has had to get ready for Saturday's noon game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

"I think there are benefits both ways,'' Kragthorpe said. "You see it week to week, how a team comes off of a bye week sometimes and it's great for you because you get healed up and you get a chance to maybe get some guys back. The flip side of that is that sometimes when you come off of a bye week, you're not in a rhythm as much as you would be coming off of just playing the game.''

Kragthorpe, though, sounds like a guy who would rather have had the extra week.

"I think at this point in the season, it's great to have a bye week simply because this is kind of the time when the injury bug starts to catch up with you just from a bumps and bruises standpoint,'' Kragthorpe said. "It's good to get some time off for some guys to heal up a little bit and make a run at the stretch.''

For both teams, health doesn't seem to be a major issue. West Virginia is expected to get backup quarterback Jarrett Brown back, along with special teams regular Jim Lewis. Stewart said on Monday that center Mike Dent, who missed WVU's last game with a neck injury, will continue to be evaluated.

"Everybody's hurting. That's football,'' Stewart said. "If you're not hurting, you're not playing.''

As for Louisville, perhaps its two most significant offensive players - quarterback Hunter Cantwell and tailback Victor Anderson - were hurt in last weekend's 28-20 loss to Cincinnati, but both should be fine for this week's game.

"Both are fine to go,'' Kragthorpe said. "Victor had to come out of the game for the major part of the second half and Hunter just kind of got banged up on that last play. He took a pretty good shot as he was releasing the ball. But he's fine. Both those guys are back and ready to go.''

Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.

MORGANTOWN - While Steve Kragthorpe and his Louisville football team were sloshing around in wet, miserable conditions and losing a game to Cincinnati last Friday night, West Virginia was kicking back and enjoying the final few days of an off week.

So, does that mean the Mountaineers have an advantage - at least from a preparation standpoint - when the teams meet Saturday afternoon in Louisville?

Well, it's hard to tell.

"You can look at it both ways, I suppose,'' West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. "We've been [in Louisville's short-week] situation before. Syracuse had an extra week to get ready for us and they did a great job. But sometimes you like to keep playing.''

There seems little doubt the Mountaineers needed a week off before beginning a stretch of games against Louisville, Pitt and South Florida that will determine their bowl fate. Not only was Stewart's team banged up, it was coming off a rather disastrous loss at home to Cincinnati. There might be something to be said for staying in a rhythm, but the Mountaineers didn't have much of one to begin with.

As for Louisville (5-5, 1-4 Big East), Kragthorpe doesn't seem to want to make an issue of the extra time West Virginia (6-3, 3-1) has had to get ready for Saturday's noon game at Papa John's Cardinal Stadium.

"I think there are benefits both ways,'' Kragthorpe said. "You see it week to week, how a team comes off of a bye week sometimes and it's great for you because you get healed up and you get a chance to maybe get some guys back. The flip side of that is that sometimes when you come off of a bye week, you're not in a rhythm as much as you would be coming off of just playing the game.''

Kragthorpe, though, sounds like a guy who would rather have had the extra week.

"I think at this point in the season, it's great to have a bye week simply because this is kind of the time when the injury bug starts to catch up with you just from a bumps and bruises standpoint,'' Kragthorpe said. "It's good to get some time off for some guys to heal up a little bit and make a run at the stretch.''

For both teams, health doesn't seem to be a major issue. West Virginia is expected to get backup quarterback Jarrett Brown back, along with special teams regular Jim Lewis. Stewart said on Monday that center Mike Dent, who missed WVU's last game with a neck injury, will continue to be evaluated.

"Everybody's hurting. That's football,'' Stewart said. "If you're not hurting, you're not playing.''

As for Louisville, perhaps its two most significant offensive players - quarterback Hunter Cantwell and tailback Victor Anderson - were hurt in last weekend's 28-20 loss to Cincinnati, but both should be fine for this week's game.

"Both are fine to go,'' Kragthorpe said. "Victor had to come out of the game for the major part of the second half and Hunter just kind of got banged up on that last play. He took a pretty good shot as he was releasing the ball. But he's fine. Both those guys are back and ready to go.''

Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.