Ready for fall

BLUEFIELD — The current hot topics in sports — the possibility of Big Ten expansion, the future of LeBron James, and the apparent NBA finals matchup of the Lakers and Celtics — are of no interest to Bill Stewart.

He will be glad when the conversation turns to his favorite sport.

“Once they tee it up in September, college football is the most exciting game in town,” said Stewart, West Virginia’s third-year head coach. “It is more exciting than any other sport, professional or college.

“That is just my opinion, but I think it is going to be an outstanding 2010 season, I really believe that.”

West Virginia football was a hot topic on Wednesday night at the Bluefield Elks Club, as the Mountaineer Athletic Club made its annual stop in Mercer County, with Stewart serving as the headliner for the event.

“It’s always a pleasure to come down here in the southern part of the state,” Stewart said. “Bluefield has been a very, very great supporter for many years of Mountaineer athletics, the allure, the history, and the school and the tradition.

“It’s just wonderful people. We just come down here and talk Mountaineer football, tonight. Hugs (WVU men’s basketball coach Bob Huggins) has been here in basketball, other coaches are coming tonight to speak, to just share the Mountaineer news. It is really a fun time.”

That news revolves around Sept. 4 when the Mountaineers open the 2010 football season in Morgantown against Coastal Carolina.

There’s much to decide before then, specifically the starting quarterback for West Virginia. Oft-injured Geno Smith, who missed spring drills with a broken foot, is the leader to replace the departed Jarrett Brown, but the position is open to competition.

Smith, who has broken his foot twice, played in five games last season, completing 65.3 percent (32-of-49) of his passes for 309 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

“He has an overall great concept of what we are doing offensively,” Stewart said. “He is a sharp guy, he throws the ball well, he runs well enough. He’s kind of a tweener, he’s a tweener between Patrick White and Jarrett Brown.”

Another White, Coley — Pat’s younger brother — impressed in spring drills, and definitely put his name into consideration in Smith’s absence.

“Coley got better each and every outing, I thought Coley finished very strong,” Stewart said. “He was not near the player at the beginning of the spring as he was at the end so he got better.

“That was great to see. Any time you see a young man grow and get better and become more competitive, that is just a feel thing. He got a feel of the offense and on the 15th day, he looked pretty good.”

Stewart also expects incoming freshmen Barry Brunetti and Jeremy Johnson to compete for the spot.

“Geno is the leader right now, that is not to say he is going to be the guy that starts, but right now going into camp he will line up number one,” Stewart said. “Then we’ll see how the two freshmen too, Brunetti and Johnson, and then we will make a decision on Coley, whether we put Coley at quarterback or put him at slot receiver.”

Two positions that aren’t in question are West Virginia’s top offensive weapons, tailback Noel Devine and receiver Jock Sanders. Stewart hasn’t stopped smiling since that duo decided to return for their senior seasons and let the NFL wait another year for their talents.

Devine ran for 1,465 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, while Sanders snagged 72 passes for 688 yards and three scores.

“Having players like Noel and Jock coming back, it just speaks volumes about our program,” Stewart said. “The trust the players have with the coaches, the trust we have with them, for those two young men to turn down possible draft opportunities in the NFL — and believe me, both would have been drafted — just speaks volumes about what they want to do.

“They want to go through the four years, they want to become seniors, they want to become leaders of this football team, and with those two guys leading our football team, the season should be exciting.”

While offense sells tickets, it’s been said that defense wins championships. West Virginia should have a good one, with nine starters returning, including the entire interior line.

“We have a chance, we have some veterans back. Last year we had no senior defensive linemen, this year we have three so that is good to see,” said Stewart, who expects most of the Mountaineers to be back in Morgantown on June 7 to begin summer workouts. “We’ve got some depth at linebacker and the safeties are getting better and better.

“We should be a more savvy football team, we should be a more experienced defense and we should be a defense that I think people are going to have fun watching us play, I really do.”

Not all the questions to Stewart on this night made him happy. He was asked about a less-than-thrilling non-conference home slate that includes the Chanticleers, Nevada-Las Vegas and Maryland.

Stewart said that even a Mid-American Conference school wants big money to make the trip to Morgantown.

“We can’t pay MAC schools to come in,” said Stewart, whose ‘Eers will travel out of conference to LSU and Marshall this season. “It all sounds good. The fans, it’s not their fault, they just don’t have any idea.

“A Mid-American school is seven figures, I can’t get a Mid-American school to come to Morgantown, we don’t have enough money to pay them. That is just the budget, that is why we need seven home games. We don’t have the money to pay some of these teams, that is the best we can do.”

He was also asked about renewing the series with Virginia Tech, or starting a rivalry with Virginia. Neither seems to be on the horizon.

“Can’t get them to play us,” Stewart said. “I’d love to play Virginia Tech and Virginia every year. You’ll have to talk to Virginia Tech and Virginia people because it’s on their plate, not on ours.”

Stewart also didn’t have much to say about expansion, currently a hot topic, especially in the Big Ten, and the possibility that league could invade the Big East for a team or two.

“I don’t have any idea, I’m not worried at all,” Stewart said. “We’re members of the Big East and I have already made a statement on that some months back. We’ll just play the hand we’re dealt.”

West Virginia last won a Big East title in 2007. He thinks this team could challenge, much like last year’s squad, which lost to league champion Cincinnati 24-21. The Mountaineers thought they had forced a fumble at the goal line by the Bearcats’ Isaiah Pead, but instant replay showed the ball had crossed the plane for a touchdown.

That didn’t go over well with Stewart, who still thinks about that play.

“I hope so,” said Stewart, of returning to first place and a BCS bowl. “We want to challenge every year, and hopefully we can do it on the field, not out of a video booth.”

Stewart, who was joined in Bluefield by West Virginia assistant men’s basketball coach Erik Martin, and selected officials with the Mountaineer Athletic Club, was pleased to see a large crowd on hand, including Princeton mayor and avid West Virginia fan Dewey Russell.

“This is neat. I asked Mr. Russell and he said there is going to be close to 300 people and I think that is powerful and that is really neat,” said Stewart, whose Mountaineers finished 9-4 last season, losing to Florida State in the Gator Bowl. “It just shows the love that the folks in Bluefield and the Princeton area and the fans down in the southern part of West Virginia has for the Mountaineers.”

West Virginia gymnastics coach Linda Burdette was unable to attend.

— Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

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