McKeesport's Anthony Leonard found himself in a new and different place this afternoon: starting in place of Reed Williams at middle linebacker for a West Virginia needing a strong man in the middle, both against Rutgers today and potentially the rest of the season.
Leonard, a redshirt sophomore, became him the fourth different player to start at middle linebacker in five Mountaineers games to date -- Pat Lazear, Gateway's Mortty Ivy (back at strongside linebacker) and Williams were the others.
Williams, the pumping heart of the Mountaineers' defense that has limited opponents to just two touchdowns and two more field goals in his pair of starts, has been scratched from West Virginia’s lineup for Rutgers today because of troubling pain from his offseason surgery to repair labrums in both shoulders. What this means for the remainder of the season is up in the air: He can play one more game this season and still be eligible to receive a medical redshirt and extra year of eligibility, under NCAA rules.
Williams' impact on the Mountaineers' defense in his two-game return? After yielding touchdowns on Colorado's first two drives in his first start since Williams won Fiesta Bowl defensive MVP, the defense clamped down and allowed just two field goals in the ensuing 21 series and 115-plus minutes of gametime. Williams amassed 17 tackles, two tackles for losses, one interception and one pass breakup in less than seven quarters of action since.
4:32 p.m.: Williams has decided to sit out the rest of the season with pain that left him "absolutely miserable," according to roommate Pat McAfee, the kicker form Plum. This middle linebacker from Moorefield, W.Va. -- the Mountaineers only remaining starter from in-state -- will be a fifth-year senior for 2009. Leonard, his replacement for the time being, finished this 24-17 victory with a team-high nine tackles.
Also, quarterback Patrick White left the game with about five minutes remaining in the third quarter with an apparent concussion -- the extent of which Coach Bill Stewart didn't fully reveal afterward. "He's fine," Stewart said, his voice barely above a whisper. White exited the field and headed to the locker room with team medical personnel escorting him, but returned almost five minutes later without his helmet. He exhorted teammates and talked with them from the sidelines, but he didn't address media afterward and teammates declined to discuss the two-time Big East offensive player of the year's ailment.
Posted
Oct 04 2008, 11:07 AM
by
Chuck Finder