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bitcruncher · 08-15-2008 10:34 AM

The Charleston Daily Mail Wrote:WVU football practices travel plans tonight
By Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sports writer
August 15, 2008

MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia's preseason football camp nears its conclusion tonight with the team's mock road trip. Shortly after the afternoon practice, the Mountaineers will travel to Washington, Pa., for an overnight stay designed to simulate the night before a road game.

"It's a dry run," Coach Bill Stewart said. "What we do is take the videographers and all the equipment, take the team and certainly the coaches and managers and have them go through an on-the-road type of situation in preparation for future road games."

WVU opens at home Aug. 30, but plays consecutive road games at East Carolina (Sept. 6) and Colorado (Sept. 18). Six of the final nine games are at home.

"First, they learn how to get on a bus and where people are supposed to sit," Stewart said. "We have an offensive bus, defensive bus and special teams bus with the coaches. They also learn how to act."

"When we go on the road and represent West Virginia University, it's a business trip, not a pleasure-seeking joy ride. We don't go with guts wrenching, all tight and tense, but we don't go like we're going on an eighth-grade field trip."

The Mountaineers then check into the hotel and the coaching staff evaluates the roommate situation to see what works. Meetings and breakfast follow in the morning before the buses depart for Morgantown and the scrimmage at Mountaineer Field.

"It teaches them how to act," Stewart said. "They won't know how to act if we don't teach them."

Camp breaks following the scrimmage and the players are free that night and off Sunday. Practice for the Villanova game begins Monday.

"Scrimmages can only take you so far," Stewart said. "We really need to play a game. We're not ready to play a game, but in two weeks we'll be ready and it'll be fun to watch us play. We'll be healed up and ready to do."

Stewart commended his team's progress and discipline, especially this week, which began with a rough practice Monday. He doesn't want his players to lose focus over the weekend.

At the same point last summer, linebacker J.T. Thomas and cornerback Ellis Lankster were arrested for their part in a theft at a party. They were suspended for the first three games of the season and reinstated after entering a pretrial diversion program.

"The seniors have been talking and I've been talking and I know there's an example now with the people excused from the program," Stewart said. "The tolerance may not be zero, but it's pretty close. It's one if it's not zero. Nothing will interfere with the chemistry of this football team."

"I've said it and I have to back it. I gave my word to the administration, I gave my word to the people of West Virginia and I gave my word to the football team that I'd do the right thing in a classy manner. I gave my word and I'll be a man of my word."

Contact sports writer Mike Casazza at mikec@dailymail.com or (304) 304-319-1142. His blog can be found at http://blogs.dailymail.com/wvu.