The Smoking Musket
Changing The Culture Of West Virginia Sports
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WVU vs UT Martin Game Thread
Streaming consciousness of some unhinged M0untaineer fans during the UT Martin game. Come hang out!
The Tailgate Tape: West Virginia vs. UT Martin
Alright Mountaineer Nation, 1-0 and it feels good, doesn’t it? If you missed last week, this is The Tailgate Tape, the thing I’m gonna do every Saturday to get you ready for the game. Where to watch, what time to show up, who we’re playing, who to keep your eyes on. Basically what I’d tell […]
What We Need to See Against UT Martin
The West Virginia Mountaineers opened up the season 1-0 after a 31-24 victory of the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. After a LONG offseason and even more roster turnover, we got to see a Mountaineer win. A win is a win right? Yes it was a tale of two halves, and yes the fact the Mounatineers only […]
Musket Meter Week 2 Results
The Musket Meter week 2 results are in and it’s clear that the 2nd half of the CCU overshowed a nearly flawless first half. If you’re not familiar with the Musket Meter process: I ask WVU fans on Twitter/X the day after a game to gauge their excitement level from 0-100 and the number you […]
Okay, WVU Women’s Soccer Really Is This Good.
Photos by Emma Lentz Well, I guess we can keep overreacting. Last week, I asked if WVU women’s soccer was really THIS good. The Mountaineers responded by beating Marshall 1-0, moving to 5-0 and giving me absolutely no reason to stop getting excited about this team. So, thanks for making my job easy. WVU is […]
Let’s Grade That Win Over Coastal Carolina by Position Group
Hope everybody enjoyed the holiday the right way. Grill going, family around, maybe a cold drink in your hand, and a win in the books to talk about while you do it. That’s the good life. Before we get too deep into the cookout, let’s talk about what we saw Saturday, because there’s a lot […]
Ex-Georgia DB JaCorey Thomas Commits to WVU – What You Need To Know
Today we received news that JaCorey Thomas committed to WVU. He has received a temporary restraining order against the NCAA in order to get a 5th year of eligibility. I break down everything you need to know about this confusing, but much needed defensive back commit. Who is he? JaCorey Thomas played 4 seasons with […]
WVU vs Coastal Carolina Game Thread
A stream of Mountaineer consciousness. Enter at your own risk.
The Tailgate Tape: How to Watch West Virginia vs. Coastal Carolina
Welcome to the first edition of The Tailgate Tape. Every Friday this season, We’re gonna break down everything you need for that week’s Mountaineer game before you fire up the grill. Where to watch it, what time to be in your seat, and who on the other side you need to keep an eye on. […]
Year Two Of RichRod 2.0 Needs To Show Progress
Well, here we are. After ten months without West Virginia football we have made it to another season. What’s everyone’s excitement level? Here at the Smoking Musket, we have some high hopes for this season! Why shouldn’t we? After a 49-0 defeat in the season finale against the Red Raiders of Texas Tech, the coaching […]
The Smoking Musket Staff 2026 WVU Football Predictions
Week 1 Coastal Carolina Al – This is about as clean a way to open a season as you can draw up. Coastal is dealing with a brand new coaching staff still trying to figure out its own identity, and we get them in Morgantown with a home crowd that’s going to be locked in […]
Wait… Is WVU Women’s Soccer Really This Good?
Photos by Emma Lentz I don’t want to overreact four games into the season. Actually, never mind. This is West Virginia sports. Getting excited early is basically part of the deal. WVU women’s soccer is 4-0, ranked No. 7 in the country and has given Mountaineer fans plenty to be excited about already. The Mountaineers […]
Official WVU Football Depth Chart for Coastal Carolina
There is a lot of ORs in here, but it’s better than nothing. The biggest takeaway for me is that there will be several Freshman that will have a big impact on this team. Kevin Brown stands alone at the Left Tackle spot. Amari Latimer is 2nd in the Running Back room. Cam Torbor (Redshirt […]
Why West Virginia has the Best Fans in the Country
We asked followers of The Smoking Musket Twitter/X account to respond with a number between 0 and 100 that represented their excitement level for the upcoming football season. This is the result: I didn’t know what to expect when I started this poll, but I have to say I’m surprised that the number was this […]
Get the best of The Smoking Musket on the new SB Nation app
It’s a big day for The Smoking Musket. Today, the SB Nation app is live, and it’s the best way to follow the Mountaineers. You can download it by searching SB Nation for iOS or Android. A year ago we made some big changes to our community, including offering fewer ads and the addition of […]
It’s Finally Game Week
After months of camp reps, depth chart speculation, and way too many hours spent theorizing about backfield rotations, it’s here. It’s officially game week. West Virginia opens the 2026 season Saturday at noon against Coastal Carolina at Milan Puskar Stadium, and I don’t think I’m the only one who’s had this date circled for a […]
Mountaineer Memories
There’s something in the air when August comes around. Is it hot humid weather? Maybe it’s the sounds of the insects, or birds, or the angle of the sun? But it’s something. The memories come flooding back. Two-a-days, sweating, those god-awful morning conditioning runs. I thought I had gone out for track! 8-220’s, 4-440’s, 2-880’s […]
Coming Home: Alexis Bordas is ready to represent West Virginia
There is always something a little different about seeing a West Virginia kid put on the Old Gold and Blue. And for Alexis Bordas, that opportunity is finally here. The Wheeling native is coming home after spending her freshman season at Duquesne, where she quickly showed she could score at the college level. Now, instead […]
10 Reasons to be Optimistic for the 2026 Football Season
The Year 2 Bump In Rich Rodriguez’s entire head coaching career he has only had back to back losing seasons twice: Glenville State in 1990-1991 and Michigan in 2008-2009. His average win total for Year 2 in all of his coaching stops combined is 7. In his first stop at WVU, he went from 3-8 […]
A Season We Will Remember
Mountaineer fans, I don’t say this lightly: this is the year. Not “the year we might sneak into a bowl game” or “the year we’re building something.” This is the year you tell your kids about someday. Let me tell you why. The Backfield Nobody Wants to Face Let’s start with the obvious. Cam Cook […]
A New Era for The Smoking Musket
For nearly two decades, The Smoking Musket has been a home for Mountaineer fans to celebrate the wins, agonize over the losses, debate the coaching hires, and share in all the chaos that comes with being a WVU fan. Now, just in time for an undefeated, “Return the Glory,” “They Know What’s Coming and Still […]
The Smoking Musket is looking for a new site manager and writers
If you’re reading this, we’re assuming you love West Virginia. We are looking for a new site manager at The Smoking Musket, as well as additional writers. If you already spend a good amount of your days talking about West Virginia athletics, then this might be a perfect opportunity to take that passion to the […]
West By Pod — A WVU Football Podcast: Mountaineers Open the 2026 Season Against a Coastal Carolina Team in Complete Rebuild Mode
We’re kicking off our EDGE analysis series — our breakdown of every team on the West Virginia schedule, starting with the opener: Coastal Carolina. The EDGE framework: Exodus (who left), Dudes (who’s back), Gains (who they added), Expectations (what the vibes are heading into the season). Powered by RedCircle In this episode Listen on Apple […]
It’s So Hard To Say Goodbye
Nineteen years ago, someone decided to start a blog about the West Virginia Mountaineers. Today, after a decade as site manager, I’m writing my last post for the site that grew out of that decision. I’ve been sitting on this for a while, trying to figure out how to say it. The path forward for […]
West By Pod — A WVU Football Podcast: Big 12 Media Day Takeaways, the 2026 Schedule, and Everything Else We Missed
We’re back. It’s been about six months since we recorded an episode — and there’s a lot to catch up on. Powered by RedCircle In this episode Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, and all major platforms. Follow us on Twitter @smokingmusket, @wvstatsguy, and @GameDayShorts. If you’re interested in sponsoring West By Pod, drop […]
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