Submit your WVU football question

Thanks much for your participation in the West Virginia football Q&A.

It is your job to ask the questions; my job to answer them -- so keep them rolling in. I will answer them as I get them each day throughout the season and through whatever bowl game the Mountaineers go to, as well as through signing day in February. Please remember to include your last name in submissions.

You can follow the Mountaineers daily here and at 'Eers to the Ground, a blog devoted to West Virginia football.

Also, take time each week to find your way into my live chat, it is each Thursday at 2 p.m.

Q: Do you think we will ever play Penn State in the regular season again?

S. Kosanovich, Fairmont, W.Va.

DUNLAP: Funny you should ask. I had this conversation with someone inside the West Virginia football program last week. Their answer was that, although the Mountaineers would love to play Penn State, it seems the Lions have a booked schedule and there are some other issues roadblocking such a game.

It is my personal belief, though, that as long as Joe Paterno is the coach at Penn State, he wouldn't play West Virginia and, more to the point, give them a one-for-one deal. It is imperative the Mountaineers' program, as a self-sufficient entity from a monetary standpoint, remain with seven home games.

If Penn State won't play a one-for-one, giving West Virginia the return home game, it makes zero sense for them to go to Happy Valley, and get one paycheck for one away game.

This can be revisited when Joe Paterno is no longer the head coach at the Pennsylvania State University, but as long as he is there, don't hold your breath on these teams playing.

And now some questions from avid Q&A submitter and 'Eers to the Ground follower WVMule of Fairmont, W.Va. ...

Q: You mentioned several times that the hit on JB was legal; but Coach Stew and others have said that at least one MooU player lead with his helmet. So which was it ... legal or illegal?

DUNLAP: I am a beat writer, I write fact. There was no flag thrown and there was a clash of heads. That said, for my reporting purposes, it was legal hit that involved helmets coming together. On Sunday's conference call, coach Stewart -- who rarely dodges a question -- didn't want to get into the legality or "dirtiness" of the hit. That should tell you all you need to know about his feeling of the blow that felled Jarrett Brown. And "MooU"? I knew you'd get a dig in on Marshall, I just knew it.

Q: Big East officials seem to be the worst in NCAA football? Why do they seem to be consistently the worst officials around?

DUNLAP: Have you ever seen Pac-10 officials, particularly in non-conference games?

Q: Geno Smith seems to have the "it factor" some presence about him -- command of the huddle -- whatever it is Geno has it. How much does WVU lose when Geno comes into the game in place of JB? Five games of experience as a starter?

DUNLAP: At this point, and I agree with you that Geno is a tremendous talent, West Virginia still has an exponentially better chance at winning with Jarrett Brown in the game. Geno, in my eyes, will be a fabulous quarterback for the Mountaineers and maybe, just maybe, one of their best ever. But, his time will come. For now, and we saw it with a bit of a slow start Geno had, Jarrett Brown is a better offensive player and a better leader. Geno will grow into that -- and have three years to show people how much of a talent he is. Let him come along and you will see the throw he made to Alric Arnett might have just been a glimpse of greater things to come.

Q: What happened to Brandon Hogan? Did he finally wake up or was his performance on Saturday do to the fact that MooU doesn't have any receivers other than Cody Slate.

DUNLAP: Ahh, MooU, had to get another one in, didn't you? I knew that was coming and I am sending your e-mail address to former Marshall player Bob Ando, who lives in Pittsburgh -- and he's going to come looking for you.

To your point, Hogan had a fine game and, as I talked to him after the game, I think what you referred to in the first portion of your statement is what happened. Brandon said that the proverbial light bulb sort of went off and he realized he needed to start going harder, making plays and getting results. We all saw that against Marshall. Will it continue? That is the true measure as to Brandon Hogan's play.

Q: So Ryan Clarke was out? Why didn't we see Shawn Alston in his place?

DUNLAP: Because Will Johnson is a baller, that's why. By the way, Clarke had a pinched nerve in the neck area and should be back for the UConn game this weekend. Stewart said it was his decision to hold Clarke out and, I would guess, Clarke wanted to play against Marshall and him not getting in there was more precautionary than anything else.

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