Bet West Virginia Mountaineers – Experience, Devine Puts Mountaineers In The Hunt For The Big East Title

2009 West Virginia Mountaineers Betting Recap

Online betting players never quite knew what to think of the talented Mountaineers, who opened up their 2009 season with wins over Liberty and East Carolina, but then they shot themselves in the foot with six turnovers in a 41-30 loss at Auburn in their first trip away from Morgantown. The Mountaineers won their next four games in a row against Colorado, at Syracuse, and against Marshall and UConn before another tough loss on the road, this time falling 30-19 at South Florida. This kicked off an up-and-down stretch run for the Mountaineers, who beat Louisville, lost a nailbiter at Cincinnati by three points, turned the tables for their own three-point win in a 19-16 upset win over Pittsburgh in another edition of the “Backyard Brawl”, and another three-point win at Rutgers. Finally, the Mountaineers landed in the Gator Bowl, losing 33-21 to Florida State in Bobby Bowden’s last game in charge of the Seminoles (Bowden’s first head-coaching job was at West Virginia).

The Mountaineers’ offense was 24th on the ground, but 90th through the air, so you could say they were a bit unbalanced. Noel Devine was ninth in the country in rushing, while pivot Jarrett Brown was also adept at the option. Defensively, the Mountaineers were 36th in the country, and they were almost as good against the pass (46th) as they were against the run (37th). Only three times did the Mountaineers give up 30 points or more, and all three of those games ended up in losses.

2010 Preview To Bet West Virginia Mountaineers

NCAA football betting players should have high hopes for the Mountaineers this season as their 19 returning starters are the most among any Big East team. Devine is back and he’ll be even more important as the Mountaineers will bleed Geno Smith into the team as the quarterback, and the sophomore has attempted just 49 passes in his career, not to mention, he missed a lot of spring practice with an ailing foot. Look for receiver Jock Sanders to have a lot of balls thrown his way as the Mountaineers aren’t that deep at receiver. The Mountaineers have four starters returning up front, so Smith and Devine should be well protected. Look for Devine to be at the Heisman ceremony in New York in December. The defense also has nine starters back, including lineman Julian Miller, who had nine sacks as a sophomore, and their top six tacklers from last year.

The non-conference schedule could be a handful as the Mountaineers host Coastal California, Maryland and UNLV, along with tricky road trips to Marshall (a state rival) and LSU, where “Death Valley” is always a tough place to play. The Mountaineers begin their Big East schedule with home game against South Florida and Syracuse before heading to UConn, and the closing stretch won’t be easy: a home game against Cincinnati two weeks later, followed by road games at Louisville and Pittsburgh, who will be out for revenge in the “Backyard Brawl”, one of college football’s most underrated rivalries. Finally, the Mountaineers will end the season at Rutgers.

The Mountaineers have all the tools to win the Big East, and most importantly, they have the experience. The main questions are at quarterback, where Smith brings more of a passing threat than Brown ever did, and this could open up the field for Devine, who is one of the most electrifying players in the nation in open space. The quicker Smith gets used to being the starter, the better for West Virginia. The defense has to be steady and consistent all season, because when they were sloppy, the Mountaineers lost. Finally, the Mountaineers have to be better away from home. West Virginia lost three of their five road games last year, and improving on that would go a long way towards winning the Big East crown. There could be a changing of the guard this year as Cincinnati and Pitt could be replaced by UConn and West Virginia, and the Mountaineers will be a serious threat to Cincinnati’s Big East crown this year. They’re worth a bet in your sports betting book.