West Virginia Makes Top Eight List for Five-Star In-State Recruit Isaiah Johnson

Welcome, By-Godders, to The Shotgun/Throwdown, WVU’s best place for sports links, information, sophomoric humor, and daily distractions.

Football

WVU makes Top 8 list for 5-star Bluefield DB Isaiah Johnson

West Virginia’s Neal Brown is making progress with his in-state recruiting. WVU remains in the mix for one of the most heavily recruited in-state players in recent years. Bluefield defensive back Isaiah Johnson released his top eight list and the Mountaineers are still in the running. The other teams remaining include Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Georgia, LSU, Texas A&M, and USC.

Darius Stills Headlines All Big 12 First Team For Athlon Sports

West Virginia senior defensive lineman Darius Stills was listed on Athlon Magazine’s 22-member 2020 All-Big 12 first team. Stills, who had 47 tackles and seven sacks last season, was the only WVU player recognized on the first team.

What Will Sam James Sophomore Season Look Like?

West Virginia wide receiver Sam James was the Mountaineers’ go-to receiver in 2019. What will James do in the 2020 season? Will he break the 1,000 receiving yards mark?

14 years after fake punt to seal Sugar Bowl, Phil Brady is still in the game

Former West Virginia punter Phil Brady helped the Mountaineers seal the win in the 2006 Sugar Bowl with his run on a fake punt. After his WVU playing career concluded, Brady returned to Virginia to teach and coach high school football in the Fairfax area.

Three Guys Before The Game – Jake Kelchner

Nearly 20 years ago quarterback Jake Kelchner helped lead the West Virginia football team to a perfect regular season. On this episode of “Three Guys Before The Game,” Kelchner provides an insightful and colorful chronology of his career.

Unique Grid Season in ‘43 Could Provide Guidance For Football’s Future

In 1943, less than two years after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, college football was in jeopardy of closing up shop until the conclusion of World War II. For those playing football, such as West Virginia, wartime restrictions required games to take place close to campuses and team travel to be severely limited.

Baseball

Two Mountaineers named to Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American team

West Virginia’s Jake Carr and Matt McCormick were announced as members of the Collegiate Baseball Freshmen All-American team on Tuesday. Carr served as the Mountaineers’ Sunday starting pitcher during the abbreviated 2020 season. McCormick ranked second on the team with a .364 batting average.

Davis to Play in Collegiate Summer Baseball Invitational

West Virginia baseball player Austin Davis will participate in the Collegiate Summer Baseball Invitational. In 16 games this past season for the Mountaineers, Davis hit .322 with 11 RBI. The first game for Davis’ team will be televised on ESPN2 at 5:30 p.m. ET today.

Around the Big 12

Big 12 Football 2020 All-Conference Team

The 2020 All-Big 12 teams are led by 18 total selections from Oklahoma, with Iowa State gaining 17, and Texas next with 16 players on the teams. West Virginia was tied with Kansas for the least representation on the All-Big 12 teams, with six Mountaineers being selected.

Big 12 Boss Bowlsby Eyeing Mid-July Reboot

In a matter of days, Big 12 campuses will be coming back to life with student-athletes returning to begin voluntary workouts. Big 12 Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby thinks that normal football activities could potentially resume in the middle of July.

Around the NCAA

Every SEC West team’s worst loss

Every fan can recall the times their team was on the wrong end of an upset or a heartbreaking loss. Here are the worst losses for every SEC West team. The games were evaluated based on the stakes, the opponent quality, and other qualities.

Report: NBA presents plan for restart of season

The NBA has told the National Basketball Players Association that it will present a 22-team plan for restarting the season to the league’s board of governors. The teams that will be going to the ESPN Wide World Of Sports complex on the Disney campus near Orlando, Florida, would play eight games to determine playoff seeding starting around July 31 before the postseason begins.

Have any tips, suggestions or requests for what you want to see in The Shotgun/Throwdown? Don’t hesitate to leave a comment below or contact us on social media.

Follow us!

Twitter: @smokingmusket

Facebook: The Smoking Musket