Coach Bill Stewart, to whom many cynical fans appear ready to attach the adjective beleaguered just three games into his inaugural West Virginia season, didn't talk about clock management yesterday.

He didn't talk much about the particulars behind his offense's short-yardage woes Thursday night at Colorado beyond one short summation: "It stinks. It stinks."

Yet, in his first public comments since the moments after a 17-14 overtime loss to a Big 12 program expected to finish fourth in its six-team division, he did take time to praise the Mountaineers' effort, defense, rushing game and special teams.

In short, he found high points in the Rocky Mountain low, his Mountaineers dropping from the polls after 46 consecutive rankings, dropping consecutive games for the first time in 40 contests, dropping to 1-2 for the first time in five years.

"Saw very, very, many positive things," Stewart said as his team began preparing for Marshall (3-1) at 3:30 p.m. Saturday at Mountaineer Field. He admitted, however, it was a loss "that will forever stay in our minds."

Among the memorable minuses:

• Stewart said he ordered the offensive staff to keep the football in the hands of quarterback Patrick White (148 yards rushing), tailback Noel Devine (133 yards) and slotback Jock Sanders, who was stopped for a 2-yard loss on a third-and-1 at the Colorado 4 in overtime. In hindsight, Stewart said, "We probably didn't push the ball downfield [passing] as much as I'd like to. ... Our plan was good. Outside of the third-down conversions, we played a tremendous football game.

• About those third downs: West Virginia failed to convert on seven consecutive attempts and 10 of its final 12, six of 3 yards or less. Two of those plays came in the final 22 seconds of regulation, when Stewart opted to use just one of his remaining timeouts. While relying upon three runners who average 185 pounds apiece, Stewart said there is no burly fullback on the roster ready to play in such situations, meaning redshirts are likely for freshmen Ryan Clarke and Terence Kerns. "We'll put Will Johnson and Ricky Kovatch back there and slam it in. It's something we're not good on. ... Very concerned about that. We'll figure something out."

• The man who coaches the special teams, while praising returner Ellis Lankster and coverage teams that put the clamps on Colorado threat Josh Smith, still had no explanation for the 23-yard, overtime plunk off the left upright by Plum's Patrick McAfee, who missed such a short-range attempt from the same left hashmarks in the Pitt debacle Dec. 1. "I feel so bad for Patrick McAfee. I looked at the film over and over on Friday. I looked at it over and over with the staff. ... The snap was good, the foot placement was good, the ball just hit the upright."

"They really played their hearts out at Colorado," he continued of the team. "We'll see if we can come back and play as inspirationally [Saturday] as we did in Boulder."

NOTES -- Outside linebacker J.T. Thomas suffered "cobwebs-like" symptoms after being knocked unconscious on the second play from scrimmage, but "he will be playing Saturday," Stewart said. Thomas wanted to return so badly Thursday, the coach said, "We had to hide his helmet." ... Stewart singled out the return of middle linebacker Reed Williams, who, after missing two games while recovering from shoulders surgery, lasted 52 of the 78 defensive snaps and "played like a man possessed."