WVU-Syracuse: Better Coach Comes Out on Top

Frustrated? Of course.

Surprised? Not in the least.

You can trace today's WVU loss to Syracuse to Jan. 4, 2008—the day former AD Ed Pastilong and W.Va. Gov. Joe Manchin conspired early in the morning following an emotional Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma to hire Bill Stewart.

Today, Syracuse coach Doug Marrone proved how a good coach prepares his team for a game and has a signature win. Today, Stewart proved once again he's way in over his head and doesn't get that WVU should be a Top 20 team every year.

Facing a less talented team, the Mountaineers (two touchdown favorites) didn't dominate in front of the home crowd. Instead, the offense sputtered again as OC Jeff Mullen couldn't put together a reasonable game plan that worked to his unit's strengths.

Mullen relies way too heavily on short passes. Everyone knows this is coming, and they defend it well. WVU entered the game 5-1 and looked like a lock to win the Big East. Now WVU fans are burning couches in Morgantown over frustration—not jubilation.

WVU fans have never warmed up to Mullen, who scripts plays and sticks with them, even as the Orange defense was zone blitzing him to death.

The most shocking stat of the day? WVU converted just 4-of-17 third downs.

QB Geno Smith had one of his most disappointing performances with three interceptions, and he took too many sacks, including two big ones in the final drive that could have given the Mountaineers a victory.

RB Noel Devine hasn't been quite himself either. He's not breaking tackles and defenders are catching up with him when he should be getting loose in the secondary. Maybe he's not 100 percent after the foot injury at LSU. Or maybe he's just not the same player any more.

Give Syracuse credit. The Orange are improving and came in prepared for the 20th-ranked Mountaineers. It would be easy to think following Syracuse's blowout loss to Pitt last week that the Orange didn't stand a chance.

But WVU and Pitt are two totally different teams. The Panthers like to line it up and run you over, while WVU still plays a finesse game with an offensive line that can't block. Just look at the way Syracuse sold out with the blitz and how it confused West Virginia's offensive line.

What makes this loss even tougher to accept is the Mountaineers' defense once again played extremely well. There were a few lapses, and overall they played well enough to expect a win. DC Jeff Casteel may be the only redeeming quality of this coaching staff.

Every program has that era it would like to forget. Ohio State has the John Cooper years. Syracuse has the Greg Robinson years. Louisville has the Steve Kragthorpe years.

WVU has the Stewart years.

West Virginia's new AD Oliver Luck was in the press box Saturday at Mountaineer Field. Luck is a smart guy who is witnessing what the rest of are seeing. He can see the talent on the WVU team and has to see the only thing holding this team back is inferior coaching.

It's definitely time for Mullen to move on. Stewart? He can't be far behind.