soBC - The WVU coaching is almost comical. First, Bill Stewart lets 35 seconds run off the clock with 1:12 to go. Then, they call two plays to get the ball on the sidelines, when they have timeouts to spare. And then, a sack.
WVU ran only TWENTY plays in the entire first half. The Auburn drive had 15 straight running plays. They were 8 of 10 on 3rd downs.
This game is a microcasm of WVU's entire football identity. A defense that gives up long drives and can't stop 3rd downs. An offense that shoots itself in the foot. Their one good player (Devine) has a few carriers (5...FIVE) for a ton of yards (80). And the majority of WVU players dont look ready to play. Onside kick. Missed tackles. Big kickoff return by the other side. Mental lapses.
If this is as good as the coaching gets, WVU is going to be absolutely brutal next year when the OL is full of underclassmen. I'm a huge Noel fan, and I truly feel bad for him because his coaches can't get his team focused and ready to play on every snap.
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soBC - It amazes me how Mullen won't run more with Devine from the I-formation. Look at his big runs, like the 92 yarder he just had and the TD against OU last year. Watch the run he just had and you'll see 8 guys in the box, but Devine gets to the corner and turns it before the defenders can get to the sideline.
When they put everyone in the spread, it spreads out the defense and it's all about blocking one-on-one, which WVU has shown they can't do. The OL can't get out to their blocks quick enough, and the WR's are worthless trying to block. But put them in the I and all the defenders are bunched up and have to fight traffic to get to the corner. If the WVU lineman can just keep people out of the backfield, and the WR can hold his block on the corner, then Devine will beat everyone to the sideline and then you get what just happened....touchdow n.
Unfortunately, WVU is just not that good. Their OL has been the most disappointing to me this year. They can't get to their blocks, they hold, and they frequently end up on the ground. And they're all juniors and seniors. I shudder to think what its going to be like for Noel next year. He'll see 9 in the box every single play.
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Scout - Once again, the Mountaineers didn’t look much like a team that is quite ready to defend its Big East title. For the second straight week, however, they found a way to win, thanks to another strong effort from the West Virginia defense and some late-game heroics by sophomore tailback Noel Devine.
Devine rushed 18 times for 188 yards and a win-preserving 92-yard touchdown run as the Mountaineers defeated Big East doormat Syracuse by a final of 17-6. It was West Virginia’s seventh straight win over the Orange, an all-time high for the 56-game series....
Times-West Virginian - Coaches put in a lot of time and effort into designing plays that they believe will work against a certain team on a given down and distance. If they feel they can beat an aggressive interior defensive lineman, they may devise a series of trap plays intended to take advantage of his aggressiveness. If they feel they can make a cornerback bite on a double-move route, they’ll throw those plays into the game plan. Then along comes a player like West Virginia University’s Noel Devine.
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Fort Myers News Press - The last time ESPN visited North Fort Myers High it aired the matchup between the Red Knights and Fort Myers High. But it was the talents of North graduate and current West Virginia University running back Noel Devine that brought them to town. On Tuesday ESPN returned to North. And once again, it was because of Devine....
soBC - As a WVU fan, I thought that WVU's offensive line was the most disappointing, with the play-calling a close 2nd. Go back and watch some of Devine's runs in slow-motion. You'll see OL making mistakes one after the other. Even the ESPN guys were commenting on it. Guys would give away their assignment by lining up wrong, miss blocks, or two would block the same guy leaving one free to get to the ball. I saw more than one Devine run to the outside where, as he was being tackled, you could see 4-5 CU guys in his vicinity and more than one WVU lineman on the ground. I also saw lineman running out to block safeties while linebackers ran right by them and made the tackle. They looked slow and unsure of themselves.
The most galling play to me was the 3rd and goal in overtime. Who gets the ball? Not Noel Devine, who's on the sidelines. Not even White, but Jock Sanders. Nothing against Jock, but Noel (or Pat White for crying out loud) needs to get the ball when the game is on the line.
And the end-around trick play? GREAT call...except the guy couldn't throw it. Did you see him on the sidelines after the play? He looked afraid. Totally bug-eyed like a dear in headlights.
WVU looks totally mediocre to me. White and Devine are top-shelf playmakers, but they can't do it alone. The defense doesn't seem to have a single playmaker amongst them. They better get their act together before Auburn comes to town, because the SEC is not like playing against Colorado.
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soBC - 9 carries? 9? Unacceptable.
However...lets not forget that WVU's defense was just plain awful. Missed tackles. No intensity. Guys standing in front of the play, waiting for someone else to make the tackle.
Add to that missed blocks in the running game. A crucial fumble. Dropped passes. Put it all together and you get a decent high school football game. Noel probably felt like he was back at North High....
ESPN - That's a scary thought because Noel Devine is not a drop-off from Steve Slaton as the featured tailback. In fact, Devine is an upgrade from the shell of Slaton that Slaton became by November....
ESPN - Noel Devine could be one of the fastest guys in college football, but does that mean he's the "NEXT" big thing in sports?...
FoxSPorts - With Steve Slaton in the West Virginia backfield last year, Devine was mostly limited to kick-return opportunities to show his speed. Now that Slaton's gone, Devine will be given the chance to use his breakaway speed on a much more regular basis, leaving Big East defenses in his wake. He may be small at just 5-foot-8 and 170 pounds, but that just adds to his ability to avoid tackles. Watch him if you can.
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Charleston Daily Mail - So, here was Noel Devine on ESPN2 on Thursday morning, being asked how the sophomore West Virginia running back might like to be in New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
Then, the technical gods took over, making this "First Take" segment from the Puskar Center the only take, crashing the cell phone hookup, ending the interview (which was curiously accompanied by on-screen graphics that included a Pitt logo?)....
ESPN - Last season, college football fans saw a glimpse of what West Virginia's Noel Devine can do on the football field.
The speedy sophomore averaged 8.6 yards on 73 carries and 23.3 yards on 22 kickoff returns. He dazzled West Virginia fans by running for more than 100 yards against Maryland -- on his first two carries of the game....
Charleston Daily Mail - To be as dynamic as the reputation that precedes them as the nation's eighth-ranked team, the Mountaineers must give a majority of their plays to quarterback Patrick White, running back Noel Devine and slot receiver Jock Sanders, whose value is doubled, at least early on this season, as the backup running back.
"What I want," Coach Bill Stewart said, "is to see someone cover them in the open field."...
Bluefield Daily Telegraph - Noel Devine is usually the smallest player on the field. He may also be the most exciting. That’s saying a lot for someone who plays in the same backfield as Heisman Trophy candidate Pat White....
Sports Illustrated - The subject of the most-viewed YouTube sports clip of all-time, in a rather boring revelation, is the world's most-popular sport. The video is entitled Comedy Football. It's a montage of soccer bloopers set to Malcolm Arnold's The River Kwai March, and it has been watched 16.8 million times since it was posted on March 5, 2007. The most highly played sports clip that originated in the U.S. checks in at a respectable 9.1 million viewers; it's footage of an All-Star Weekend dance-off between Shaquille O'Neal, LeBron James and Dwight Howard....
Bleacher Report - The legend of Noel Devine began as a prep phenom at North Fort Meyers High School, and continued last season at West Virginia. Devine's game-breaking speed and electric moves make him one of College Football's most exciting players....
Yahoo! - Running back Steve Slaton left early for the NFL, but few in Morgantown are fretting. That's because Slaton's departure has created more touches for sophomore running back Noel Devine....
The Times West Virginia - Perhaps the best lesson you learn from a job such as the one that has consumed this adult life is that you learn to wait before passing judgment on people....
ESPN - With Noel Devine becoming the every-down tailback, and the offensive line returning nearly intact, the Mountaineers should again be explosive on offense. Stewart's challenge is rebuilding a defense that lost seven starters, including both interior linemen and three defensive backs....
Fort Myers News Press - The 53 children, ages 7 to 14, ran forward and backward. They sprinted to and from cones. They ran with the resistance of parachutes strapped to their backs. They also ran with the eyes of Noel Devine, Quenton Washington and other local college football players watching them....
Bleacher Report - As a freshman, Devine only averaged 6.6 carries in eleven games, with 57 yards and 0.5 touchdowns. Devine ran all around Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl, picking up 108 yards on 13 carries, with two scores from 17 and 65 yards. Noel can catch and run as well, with a long reception from earlier in the season for 90 yards....
Charleston Gazette - He's had a tremendous spring,'' Stewart said. "He's so fast. He's 175 pounds and he bench-pressed - bench-pressed! - 405 pounds. He didn't do sets of five that you equate. He took 405 down, off his chest, paused and blew it up....
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette - On the first day of spring drills, the heir-apparent tailback made defenders grasp at nothing but air, apparently.
"I saw Noel [Devine] break a few ankles," quarterback Patrick White mused last night.
"Noel was quick as lightning," new West Virginia coach Bill Stewart added of the first-year tailback, who was running like that despite a rain-slicked Mountaineer Field. "Guys were falling down just trying to two-hand-touch him."...
Yahoo Sports - The time is now for rising sophomore Noel Devine, who will have to shoulder more of the load without tailback Steve Slaton. Bill Stewart inherits a talented......
Realfootball365 - If there's any team in the country that seemingly doesn't need help with its offense, it's West Virginia -- the Mountaineers averaged 6.2 yards per rush in 2007 and 7.2 per pass en route to averaging 39.6 points a game. QB Pat White and RB Noel Devine were two of the most electrifing individual performers in the country, and both return this fall....
Bleacher Report - It's clear from Coach Stew's statement that WVU will continue to run the spread and, with Pat White and Noel Devine, it will be run-first. Which, given the returning offensive line, is a good thing....
Fox Sports - Noel Devine was arguably the biggest home run hitter in the Big East, and one of the most explosive freshmen in the nation, and it would be generous to say he was given a "supporting" role, because he was not seen nearly as much as the Mountaineer fans would have liked. But with every touch he got, everybody in the stadium would hold their breath....
ESPN Next - There are many ways to gauge a tailback’s worth: yards, touchdowns, 40 time. With Devine, it’s about buzz. Before the 5'8", 170-pound freshman hit the field for West Virginia this season, his prep highlight reel—full of spinning, zigzagging runs—made him a YouTube phenom and the most talked about Florida recruit since Deion Sanders....
The Sporting News - At times in 2007 Noel Devine looked like the best successor imaginable to one of the greatest backs in WVU football history, Steve Slaton....
Bleacher Report - I’m certain my tens of readers have wondered where I’ve been, as I've thus far failed to write on West Virginia’s glorious Fiesta Bowl victory over Oklahoma last Wednesday....
Sunday Gazette Mail - No Rich Rodriguez? No Steve Slaton? No problem. A win over No. 3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl under even the best of circumstances would certainly rank among West Virginia’s biggest wins in a long and storied football history. Wednesday night, the Mountaineers accomplished it under perhaps the most trying of circumstances....
Fort Myers News Press - Rich who? The West Virginia Mountaineers didn't need coach Rich Rodriguez. They had Pat White, and their elusive quarterback led them to a surprising 48-28 romp over No. 3 Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl on Wednesday night....
CNNSI.com - There would be no miracle finishes this time around. No hook and ladders. No Statue of Liberties. No marriage proposals....
Charleston Daily Mail - Among the many motivations floating around the burdened minds of West Virginia's football players on Wednesday night, Noel Devine's was slightly different....
The Register Herald - In the aftermath of the Fraudriguez debacle, the 17 million-dollar question (which is the payout of the Fiesta Bowl) seemed to be: What about Noel Devine?...
Scout.com - That’s what the tailback said Thursday. Devine, a 5-8, 170-pound freshman out of North Fort Myers, Fla., said he initial considered transferring when former head coach Rich Rodriguez announced he was leaving West Virginia for Michigan. Devine said he decided to stay at WVU after weighing all options for two days....
Sunshine Preps - Noel Devine was 15 years old in the photos you see. A 315lb bench and a 225lb incline is impressive for anyone in High School, coming from a 150lb Freshman is rather freakish....
Scout.com - West Virginia’s backfield duo has ripped rival Pitt for 445 and 339 yards, respectively, in the 2006 and ’05 Backyard Brawls. Now, with the No. 2 Mountaineers having added Noel Devine and another dimension to a rushing attack that already ranks second nationally, it might simply be too much for the Panthers to overcome....
Yahoo! Sports - Through one quarter of play, the West Virginia University football teams' rushing offense looked downright ordinary against the UConn defense. On seven rushing plays, the Mountaineers had netted only 16 rushing yards. The only player with positive yardage on the ground was quarterback Patrick White....
Fan IQ - Thanks to The Big Lead ... I have just witnessed the greatest run of all time. This is just plain sick. I'd go so far as to label this video NSFW because you'll be watching it the rest of the afternoon. Remember below where I tabbed Reggie Bush as "much watch television" ... well let's go ahead and reserve a spot for this dude's college games, wherever that may be....
ESPN - Before Noel Devine became a YouTube sensation, he lost both his parents to AIDS, witnessed a friend's murder, rejected Deion Sanders' attempts to adopt him and became a father of two....
ESPN - Even after cutting through Maryland's defense for 136 yards on just five carries last week, don't expect to see West Virginia freshman Noel Devine taking any playing time away from star Steve Slaton....
TimesWV.com - Noel Devine, the newest of fourth-ranked West Virginia’s offensive dazzlers, reminded everyone after Thursday night’s 31-14 football victory at Maryland that he’s still learning....
Bleacher Report - After only his second year in high school, Noel Devine was catching people's eyes—and I don't blame them....
ESPN - West Virginia is so deep in talent at running back, a guy who's averaging 15 yards a carry can't crack the starting lineup....
Mr. Irrelevant - Regardless of what position they’re listed as, the Mountaineers have quite possibly the four best running backs in NCAA football on one team with Pat White, Steve Slaton, Darius Reynaud, and now freshman Noel Devine....
The Register Herald - With freshmen off limits to the media and practice open for less than an hour or closed altogether, it’s difficult to gauge exactly what to expect from talented West Virginia freshmen running backs Noel Devine and Jock Sanders....
Pittsburgh Times Review - Historians, take note: The first Noel sighting occurred at precisely 2:15 p.m. Saturday....
CNNSI.com - If it were only about football, Noel Devine would be a household name. Like the cult of nearly 190,000 viewers who have made him a YouTube sensation, you would stare in disbelief at this video (WARNING: Video contains explicit language) as he rips off run after run, unleashing an uncanny elusiveness and speed, and you'd swear those highlights just had to be doctored....
ESPN - A history of Noel's recruiting...
DC Metro Sports - In recent years West Virginia University has been known for its outstanding backfields. Amos Zereoue and Quincy Wilson have made a name for WVU running backs as well as Marc Bulger and Rasheed Marshall at quarterback. But has there ever been a better backfield at WVU, or even in college football than the one that will be taking the field at Milan Puskar Stadium this fall?...
Scout.com - Between junior days and visits for spring practice is in the air for the class of 2008, a member from the class of 2007 stole the show late last week as Rich Rodriguez and his West Virginia Mountaineers officially added a major member to its signing class....
ESPN Recruiting - Running back Noel Devine, the No. 6-rated prospect in Scouts Inc.'s class of 2007, has signed a letter of intent to attend West Virginia University. Devine was highly prized out of North Fort Myers (Fla.) High. The 5-foot-8, 170-pound back finished his senior season with 2,148 yards rushing and 31 touchdowns and set school and Lee County career rushing records with 6,846 yards and 92 touchdowns....
CNNSI.com - Anyone who's seen one of his legendary Internet highlight reels knows well Noel Devine's exploits as a high-school football player. Anyone who saw his 88-yard kick return in last month's U.S. Army All-America Bowl knows of his off-the-charts speed and explosiveness. And the people who evaluate such things for a living speak of Devine with idol-like adulation....
The Sporting News - Noel Devine, a highly touted running back from North Ft. Meyers High School (FL), has verbally committed to WVU. When videos began surfacing on the Internet of this incredible athlete during his junior season, the onslaught of hype began. At the time it seemed like a given Devine was headed to Florida St., to follow the footsteps of his mentor Neon Deion Sanders. As time passed, a school in the Big East was winning Sugar Bowls with a heavily influenced run game that appealed to the young talent, and on February 7, 2007 Noel Devine signed as the newest member of the Gold and Blue....
FanHouse - It wasn't that good of a movie, but it was the first thing to pop into my head when it comes to one of the potentially biggest impact kids in this year's recruiting class. Or he could just be one of the greatest "what ifs?" There are tons of YouTube highlights....
CBS Sportsline - I wasn't really with Noel Devine. Never met the kid. But I watch video clips with the best of them. That means I'm also one of The Converted. The North Fort Myers, Fla., tailback can play right now. I don't care if he is only 5-feet-8, 175 pounds....
ESPN Recruiting Insider - Will Noel Devine be able to sign with a major university this year or will he have to go to prep school like Milford Academy?...
MySpaceTV - Absolutely impossible to knock off his feet, the best balance since Barry Sanders,...
Scout.com - He is just 18, way too young to have gone through the kind of heartaches and tragedies that crush hardy souls or turn survivors old long before their time. Noel Devine's baby face doesn't offer any hints that life has been oh so hard but when you look into those soulful eyes, there is no question that he's seen far more pain that a kid should have to bear....
St. Petersberg Times - Largo and North Fort Myers offered the equivalent of two cyclists pedaling furiously downhill, two rafts bouncing wildly downstream, two teams that glared into each other's eyes, took 10 paces, whirled - and ran the football at each other....
ESPN Insider - The only thing better than a Friday night high school football game on ESPNU is a Friday night rivalry game on ESPNU. Many will tune in at 8 p.m. ET Friday on ESPNU for the Fort Myers vs. North Fort Myers game to see Noel Devine, the nation's No. 3 overall prospect, in action. While Devine has shown he alone can be worth the price of admission, don't lose sight of the fact that this will be a hotly contested battle between to close rival schools....
NY Yankee Fans - The answer is the most explosive player in Florida H.S. history.. Many are scared off by his troubled past.. He is only 18 years old and already has a daughter.. Here is an excerpt from an arcticle....
Naples Daily News - A good number of D-I coaches and scouts are sure to be watching when the North Fort Myers sensation begins his senior season Friday night at Estero...
The Sporting News - Noel Devine is a legend already, as much because of the mystery that surrounds him as the jaw-dropping talent he displays on the football field. The North Fort Myers High School star has done few interviews and is shielded from the press like a rock star from his groupies. He has been burned in the press far too often, and only a select few are allowed access these days. This past week, I was one of those select few allowed to enter the inner circle; it was surprising, enlightening and a bit saddening....
North Fort Myers News Press - Noel Devine’s MySpace.com page lists more than 800 friends. Some stop by just to “show some love” to the North Fort Myers senior running back. Others come with an agenda — touting the merits of their favorite college program and bashing rivals in an attempt to help him decide his football future....
New York Times - Noel Devine is great. People tell him that all the time. He is great at football, specifically. A senior at North Fort Myers High School in Florida, he might be the top high-school running back in the country, the most gifted talent since Reggie Bush, last year’s Heisman Trophy winner, or maybe even since Barry Sanders. He’s that good. He hears it all the time....
Scout.com - Florida superstar Noel Devine is just as hard to catch off the field as he is on the field. Your best bet may be to head on out to the local fishing hole. If you read all the internet hyperbole about the talented youngster, you are likely to have a misinformed opinion of him. Unless, of course you take the time to talk to the man who knows him best, North Fort Myers head Coach James Iandoli....
GatorBait - This is definitely the year of the running back in the state of Florida. The Sunshine State boasts a half dozen elite prospects but based on his scouting video Noel Devine has no equal. The buzz since his amazing video highlights hit the Internet over a year ago is that he is headed to either FSU or Miami. However, at this point the North Fort Myers superstar isn't thinking that far in advance. Spring football just ended so Devine will now spend more time focus on recruiting, something he's been dealing with since he was a freshman....
Naples News - Noel Devine scored three touchdowns in the first quarter to lead North Fort Myers to a 62-6 triumph over winless Ida Baker in the District 5A-12 debut for both teams Friday night....
WFAA - The kid that Deion is taking in won't see strong competition at Prosper or wherever he's gonna go to school. Will this affect has status as one of the nation's elite running backs? Will it affect where he can go to school? I think he's a junior....
WFAA - One of Florida's most highly touted high school football players said Friday he is moving to Texas to live with Deion Sanders....
GatorBait - You've read the talk on the message boards about the sophomore running back who's been shredding defenses in Florida. You might have even seen the highlight clips yourself floating around that leave people in awe. Yet, the biggest question still remains – who is Noel Devine?...
Naples News - All week long, the Estero Wildcats said they'd have to force someone other than Noel Devine to beat them....
ESPN - Quick update on Noel Devine, the kid from No. Fort Myers, Fla, who became something of a Internet cult hero when his dazzling highlight reel was forwarded onto virtually every school's fan site around the country last spring...
ESPN - The kid's name is Noel Devine, and up 'til about two weeks ago, he was a little-known prep tailback from southwest Florida. Sure, the people around the town of Fort Myers knew of him. After all, Devine had built up quite a rep running wild in Pop Warner ball for the Cape Coral Junior Dolphins smashing touchdown records, evoking comparisons to Fort Myers' original game-breaker, Deion Sanders....