Gary Jennings And Ka'Raun White Add Physicality To West Virginia's Receiver Corps|West Virginia Hot Topics|Team BattleGround|College BattleGround

Having some bigger receivers working certain areas of the field, coupled with the fleet pass catchers the Mountaineers have on the flanks, can put more pressure on the defense and that’s exactly what West Virginia needs this season.

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Football:

Dana Holgorsen is mostly known for the “system” wide receivers he’s been involved with through the years, smaller guys such as Danny Amendola, Patrick Edwards and Wes Welker at other places, as well as the current guys Tavon Austin, Stedman Bailey and Mario Alford that he’s had at West Virginia. But if you more closely examine Holgorsen’s history, you will notice that he’s also had lots of success with bigger, more physical pass-catching targets as well.

Strong safety Jarrod Harper had an in-house view of West Virginia’s brutally poor 2012 and 2013 defenses that ranked 108th and 101st nationally. He doesn’t buy the comparisons to this year’s unit.

The touch pass the Mountaineers used to wreck the Clemson Tigers in the Orange Bowl may never return to West Virginia’s playbook, but that’s not a bad thing.

Former West Virginia offensive lineman Rick Phillips, a second-team AP All-American in 1988 when the Mountaineers played for the national championship, died Wednesday after a two-year fight with pancreatis and liver disease.

West Virginia Athletics:

Olympic gold medalist and Mountaineer shooter Ginny Thrasher came up one shot short of making the finals in her second Olympic event Thursday morning. The Mountaineer rifle team will still be well represented in the finals later today as former WVU shooter and All American Petra Zublasing, shooting for Italy, finished first in the qualifier with a score of 589. The finals started at 11 a.m.

The No. 6-ranked West Virginia University women’s soccer team is the unanimous No. 1 pick in the 2016 Big 12 Conference Soccer Preseason Poll, released Wednesday by the league office.

Around The Big XII:

With no shortage of high-flying passing attacks in the Big 12, OK State’s James Washington has lots of company in the receiving-talent department. West Virginia’s Shelton Gibson comes in at No. 4, by ESPN’s estimation.

Around The NCAA:

Tennessee has methodically improved in Butch Jones’ first three seasons, and now the Vols are experienced, deep, and facing significant expectations. Are they ready to close out games?

Today’s Miss Throwdown is a Swedish bikini model. CLICK HERE for Anna Nystrom’s Instagram.

A photo posted by Anna Nyström (@annanystrom) on Aug 6, 2016 at 3:16pm PDT