Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.
ROAD TEST
WVU gets their first real measuring stick tomorrow when they head to Athens to take the defending MAC champions in one
of the tougher Group of Five venues in the country.
Rich Rodriguez and several staffers already had Ohio on their radar while finishing out last year’s bowl prep at Jacksonville State, so there’s some familiarity with what the Bobcats like to do. That won’t lessen the challenge, but it does give WVU a bit of a head start on scouting, especially with Cam Vaughn and Jarod Bowie both torching Ohio in that one and now suiting up for the Mountaineers.
Up front, Hammond Russell has become a glue guy for the Mountaineer defense, not just for his presence in the locker room but for the way he set the tone in the opener. His breakout performance gives Zac Alley’s unit an anchor to build around, and Saturday will show if that disruption holds up against a step up in competition.
Win on the road, and WVU looks like a team with momentum heading into the Backyard Brawl.
MOUNTAINEER ROUNDUP
- The latest bowl projections aren’t showing WVU much love. After last week had CBS sending the Mountaineers to the 68 Ventures Bowl and USA Today slotting them in the Independence Bowl, both have now dropped them out. ESPN, Athlon, and College Football News all still have West Virginia missing a bowl, same as last week.
- WVU volleyball stayed perfect with a five-set win over North Dakota to open the West Virginia Invitational. Cassidy Tanton piled up 17 kills, 28 digs, and 5 blocks, while Nina Horning added 15 kills. Laila Ibrahim notched her 250th career block, and the Mountaineers move to 4–0 with Liberty up next tonight at the Coliseum.
MOUNTAINEER PROS
- JJ Wetherholt might finally be on the verge of a call-up. With the Cardinals fading out of the playoff picture and just 21 games left, Sports Illustrated’s Patrick McAvoy predicts St. Louis could bring up their top prospect for the final 10 games. Wetherholt has done everything he can at Triple-A — hitting .322 with nine homers and a .597 slugging percentage in 38 games.
- Zach Frazier knows the weight of playing center for the Steelers — following names like Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, and Maurkice Pouncey. Frazier earned Pittsburgh’s Rookie of the Year award last season and heading into Year 2, he’s looking to carry on a tradition of Hall of Fame-caliber centers in black and gold.
- Colton McKivitz is heading into a contract year with the 49ers, and unlike most guys who brush off the money talk, he’s not hiding it. The former WVU lineman has come a long way since early struggles, improving in 2024 while locking down the right tackle spot. With recent deals showing how much even “solid” tackles are getting paid, McKivitz knows a strong 2025 could mean a major payday.
- Dante Stills popped up on Arizona’s injury report Thursday with a heel issue after practicing the day before. His status for Sunday’s opener in New Orleans will come down to today’s workout.
AROUND THE LEAGUE (AND BEYOND)
- The Big 12 rolled out two very different partnerships this week. Allstate is now the presenting sponsor of every Olympic sport championship and will award a new Commissioner’s Cup that factors in athletics, academics, and community service. Meanwhile, Brett Yormark gave Barstool a “blank canvas” to embed themselves across league events and media. Both moves show the Big 12 doubling down on brand power, one through corporate backing and the other through Barstool’s reach.
- The NCAA is looking to shrink the transfer portal to a single 10-day window in January starting in 2026. That would eliminate the spring period, cut December chaos, and give coaches more roster stability — though it could draw pushback for limiting player movement.
- Marshall opened the Tony Gibson era getting smacked around in a 45-7 loss to Georgia, and now they’ll try to regroup against Missouri State at home on Saturday. Gibby says the Herd had their “best practice yet” this week, though they’re still sorting out who’s actually going to start at quarterback.
- UNC has banned the Patriots’ staff from accessing the program under Bill Belichick. When ESPN reached out for comment, Tar Heels GM Michael Lombardi told them “Good luck” and hung up the phone. NFL scouts say access is tight all around — they can only watch three periods of practice and aren’t allowed to talk to coaches, which is far more restrictive than most schools.
- College hoops is finally coming back to consoles — but not from EA. On the same day reports surfaced that EA pulled the plug on their game, 2K announced it’s rolling out a college basketball title in 2027 with more than 100 programs. It’ll be the first 2K college game since 2007.
- I don’t know who’s asking for this, but Mike Tyson and Floyd Mayweather have agreed to an exhibition fight next spring. Tyson is 59, Mayweather is 48, and there aren’t any details yet on where or when it’ll happen.
- Caitlin Clark announced Thursday she won’t return this season after reaggravating a groin injury. She played just 13 games in a Fever season defined by injuries, with Indiana still clinging to playoff hopes despite a decimated roster.
VIDEO(S) OF INTEREST
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