Eric Jobe News

In West Virginia's first 10 games of the season, the Mountaineers have used the same five offensive linemen for every meaningful snap.

West Virginia has notched some of the biggest wins for the Big East ever since the league took its current shape in 2005.

The speaker, swollen with pride and wrapped tightly in confidence, aimed his message at offensive linemen everywhere.

West Virginia is still waiting for that one game with solid performances on both sides of the ball.

Early in the week, Louisville Coach Steve Kragthorpe joked that he had a quarterback controversy.

West Virginia University junior offensive lineman Eric Jobe, senior kicker Josh Lider and senior linebacker Reed Williams were named to the ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District Two First Team on Thursday.

It was a Tuesday or a Wednesday, early in this football season, before anything much had taken shape, least of all the West Virginia offense.

Mountaineer linebacker Reed Williams walked into the players' lounge shortly after his team had claimed state bragging rights with a 24-7 win over Marshall, and he saw the attention being paid to true freshman quarterback Geno Smith.

West Virginia remains either uncertain who will start at center against Auburn Saturday night or unwilling to share the secret.

There are a number of things you can say about 88,000 college football fans. a. They drink a lot of beer b. They eat a lot of hot dogs c. They create a helluva traffic jam d. They make a lot of noise Did you hear that? THEY MAKE A LOT OF NOISE!!! And that is a matter of some concern for WVU this week as it travels into Southeastern Conference ...

After struggling offensively for much of last season, it seems the West Virginia offense is back.

Much of this week's talk surrounding the game was revenge for the Mountaineers' 24-3 loss in Greenville, N.C. While coach Bill Stewart said after the game that redemption wasn't a factor, offensive lineman Donnie Barclay said the line took it to heart.

West Virginia lost 129 career starts from its offensive line in the offseason. You'd have never known that from the Mountaineers' 2009 opener.

West Virginia's offense didn't rock on Saturday as it did in the Pat White-Steve Slaton era.

They are Noel Devine's protectors, these hulking gentlemen who make up the offensive line that debuts as a unit for West Virginia University Saturday against Liberty, but they are more than that to this miniature running back with the flying feet.

It's game week of the season opener and time can't pass fast enough as West Virginia waits out the final days of an eight-month break between games.

When he was a young kid - calling him little would probably not be the proper adjective - Joey Madsen was like most of us.

Perhaps it's not the most reassuring admission for the approaching season, but the player most likely to be West Virginia's starting center was once the player least likely to want that job.

This month, West Virginia coach Bill Stewart has definitely asked himself the question, "Can a true freshman lead my football team?" Repeatedly.

You know how your parents would always tell you as you were scrambling around, gathering up your school books, making sure your hair was combed and rushing to meet the school bus that you had to eat your breakfast? "Breakfast," they would say, "is the most important meal of the day." And you'd be going, "Aw, Mom," the toothbrush still in your ...