Mountaineer News and Notes

It’s been a busy weekend in the university city. WVU football team continued to roll, conference talk never seems to end, and award need handed out. Lots of news to catch everyone up on, so here we go.

News 

*QB Geno Smith has been named a Manning Award “Star of the Week” for his four touchdown, 450-yard performance against UConn! Click on the link to cast your vote for Geno; voting closes on Thursday at 10 a.m. (ET).  Link: www.allstatesugarbowl.org

*For the second week in a row, a Mountaineer has been nominated for the Capital One Cup Impact Performance of the Week! Quarterback Geno Smith looks to make it back to back wins for WVU. Dustin Garrision won this last week for his performance against Bowling Green.  Link: http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/feature/index?page=caponecup

*WVU receiver Stedman Bailey’s two touchdown, 178-yard performance against UConn has been nominated for Receiver Performance of the Year! The Receiver Performance of the Year is part of a four month competition that lets fans determine which individual performances reign supreme during the 2011 college football season.Voting ends on Sunday, Oct. 16 at 10:59 a.m. Link: (www.facebook.com/AllStarFootball

*West Virginia University will held it’s 21st Sports Hall of Fame induction on Saturday prior to the WVU-Connecticut football game. The inducted in the 2011 class: Warren Baker (basketball), Canute Curtis (football), Joseph Harrick (football, baseball, wrestling, track), Jim Heise (baseball), Pat Itanyi Williams (women’s indoor and outdoor track) and Steve Newberry (football).

*A goal by midfielder Uwem Etuk with nine minutes remaining in regulation pushed the No. 25 West Virginia men’s soccer team to a 1-0 victory over No. 13 Georgetown on Saturday evening at Dick Dlesk Soccer Stadium. WVU is now (6-4-1).

*The West Virginia University volleyball team defeated DePaul at the WVU Coliseum 3-0 (25-19, 25-19, 25-13) to win its second Big East match of the season. The Mountaineers are now (4-12, 2-3).

*Mountaineer icon Jerry West will be in Morgantown on Monday, Oct. 24, to take part in the David C. Hardesty Jr. Festival of Ideas. The event will be interview style with WVU Athletic Director Oliver Luck asking West questions onstage. West will speak on his new book West by West: My Charmed, Tormented Life.

*The West Virginia University Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will conduct a Mountaineer Madness Gear Sale on Friday, Oct. 14, from 5:00 to 7:30 p.m. in the Shell Building adjacent the WVU Coliseum. The sale will feature a limited number of authentic men’s Nike and Champion basketball jerseys, women’s Nike and Champion basketball jerseys, shorts, shooting shirts, baseball jerseys, DVDs and former pictures and displays from multiple facilities including football, basketball and wrestling.

Conference Talk

Big East had a AD/President conference call today. Among discussions will be raising exit fee to $10 million. Some say the Big East is targeting Navy, Air Force, Temple, Central Florida, and long shot Boise State as possible additions.

Rumors continue to flow on where WVU will end up when the dust settles. Will the Mountaineers end in the powerful SEC? Could they head west to the Big XII and play the likes of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, and Texas? What about remaining in the Big East can being the main attraction for the league? What about the ACC?…..

Recruiting

WVU was host to some elite talent from Florida this weekend. Miramar High School was represented well in Morgantown. The Miramar pipeline has treated WVU well in the past. Geno Smith, Stedman Bailey, Josh Taylor, and Ivan McCartney all attended Miramar.

UCONN Award Winners

Offensive Champion – Stedman Bailey

Defensive Champion – Bruce Irvin

Special Teams Champion – Michael Molinari

Offensive Scout Champion – Lucas Henn

Defensive Scout Champion – Rob Kressler

Big East Award Winners

Sophomore wide receiver Stedman Bailey has been named Big East Offensive Player of the Week, while junior quarterback Geno Smith and redshirt freshman linebacker Jewone Snow have been named to the Big East Weekly Honor Roll for their performances against Connecticut on Saturday.