Bold Predictions Follow Up: Marshall

Well, the staff of HailWV.com all rightly picked that WVU would win big over in-state opponent Marshall. None of us thought WVU would put up 10 touchdowns, but we all thought the Mountaineers would win by at least 3 scores.

Our bold predictions were hit and miss.

Ken Durbin ‘s Prediction: McCartney will go for 100 yards receiving and a touchdown. If this pick had been J.D. Woods, I would have been golden (75 yards and a touchdown). I obviously did not expect Woods to be a prominent option for Smith this year. McCartney did have one great catch for 52 yards and a key block on Austin’s touchdown in the second quarter. Otherwise, he was the same old McCartney, struggling to pull in relatively easy passes. However, since he appears to be the fifth receiver, that speaks volumes for how deep the receiving corps is this season.

Brandon Miller: Isaiah Bruce will register 2.5 sacks and give WVU a new reason to chant “Bruuuuuce.” Well, Isaiah Bruce might not have recorded any sacks, but he had a heck of a game. He was around the ball all game and recorded 7 solo tackles (and 16 total tackles) and a tackle for loss. He also turned in one of the most exciting plays of the game, recovering a fumble and returning it 43 yards for a touchdown. All in all, he was very impressive and looks to be a new star on the defense. And yes, the fans did chant “Bruuuuuuuce” when he ran into the end zone!

Alan Searles: Thompson will have 80 yards receiving. Well that was a great prediction wasn’t it? Jordan was able to contribute lightly on a couple plays, but the preseason darling didn’t quite get on track. Fortunately for the Mountaineers, J.D. Woods and the combined running game of Alston and Buie came as quite a pleasant surprise. When Thompson does make his presence known, we will hear the collective groan from defensive coordinators throughout the southwest.

Patrick Pishko: Joseph will net 6 tackles, a pass break up, and a sack. Albeit, Joseph failed to register any pass defenses or a sack, but he still put out a stellar performance in his first game for the Gold n’ Blue.  I had anticipated him being involved in at least six tackles, which I’m glad to say he surpassed with 7 total (5 solo, 2 ast.)  Look for this Floridian to evolve as the season continues to play out, thus giving the defense time to become more cohesive.  These two elements will provide the young safety with the opportunity to get some pressure on opposing QB’s for the front line of the 3-4 scheme will be more acclimated to their roles at game speed.