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Big 12 teams have feasted often on West Virginias defense since the Mountaineers entered the league in 2012, and this season could spell another long one for a unit that must find nine new starters.In a pivotal year for embattled coach Dana Holgorsen, the Mountaineers return plenty of playmakers on offense, leaving it up to defensive coordinator Tony Gibson to keep that side of the ball from becoming the teams weak spot.The challenge got a lot tougher when junior safety Dravon Askew-Henry, the lone returnee among the top six tacklers, was lost for the season with an injury to his left knee sustained during practice Wednesday. Askew-Henry had started all 26 career games.This is a tremendous loss for our football team, Holgorsen said in a statement Friday. Without a doubt Dravon was one of our leaders on and off the field.All three linebackers and four of the five starters in the secondary are gone. Senior Nana Kyeremeh is the most experienced returning cornerback with one career start.The good news is the backups from a year ago were part of a 3-3-5 formation that came up with some stops after the Mountaineers got knocked around in their first three seasons in the Big 12. Despite allowing an average of 45 points over a four-game conference losing streak, West Virginia allowed the fewest touchdowns (33) and had the most interceptions (23) among Big 12 teams in 2015.Last year there was a lot of optimism because of what we had coming back defensively, Holgorsen said. This year there is not quite as much optimism but we have equally as much coming back offensively. That kind of made us mad offensively last year and it makes us mad defensively this year. I think there is a little bit of a chip on our shoulder and we are anxious to put in the work to get us to game day.West Virginia has shored up the secondary with four junior college transfers along with Iowa graduate transfer Maurice Fleming and Miami transfer Antonio Crawford, both at cornerback.One defender looking for a breakout season is third-year starting lineman Noble Nwachukwu, who recorded team highs in sacks (8.5) and tackles for loss (13).When he gets one on one with anybody in the country I think he is good enough to beat them, Gibson said.On offense, quarterback Skyler Howard will have a veteran line and wide receivers to try to feed off the momentum of last years Cactus Bowl, when he threw for a bowl-record 532 yards and five touchdowns in a 43-42 win over Arizona State.Other things to know as West Virginia battles for respectability in the Big 12:RUN IF YOU CAN: Gone is Big 12 rushing leader Wendell Smallwood, leaving most of the running responsibilities to senior Rushel Shell, who will look to reach 1,000 yards for the first time since transferring from Pittsburgh after his freshman season. Holgorsen will also have to lean on freshman Kennedy McKoy and junior college transfer Justin Crawford.NEW BLOOD: The Mountaineers made wholesale changes among their coaching staff. The newcomers are former Texas assistant Joe Wickline as offensive coordinator; wide receivers coach Tyron Carrier, an offensive graduate assistant at Baylor last year; ex-Miami Dolphins assistant Blue Adams at cornerbacks; and former Arizona assistant Matt Caponi with the safeties. Former standout wide receiver Stedman Bailey is joining the team as a student assistant coach.KEY GAMES: Among West Virginias seven home games are dates with perennial league contenders TCU on Oct. 22, Oklahoma on Nov. 19 and Baylor on Dec. 3. The season could hinge, though, on an Oct. 29 visit to Oklahoma State.PREDICTION: The Mountaineers arent expected to challenge for the Big 12 title but might have to make some noise in order to save the job of Holgorsen, who is 36-28 in five seasons. WVU could ride a solid start over the first five games and hope to become bowl eligible for a fifth time under Holgorsen. A 7-5 finish sounds about right.SEASON OPENER: Missouri, Sept. 3, in Morgantown. The Tigers beat the Mountaineers 34-31 the last time the teams met in the 1998 Insight.com Bowl. The Mountaineers have lost five straight against Southeastern Conference opponents. Shoes NZ 2020 . Manuel was offered a position the day he was fired. He accepted earlier this week and the team made the announcement Friday. Shoes NZ Sale . The native of Mont-Tremblant, Que., captured a World Cup downhill event Saturday, his second this year and fifth career victory on the circuit. https://www.shoesnzonline.com/ . The 28-year-old from Calgary matched his career best after missing just one shot in his two rounds of shooting in the mens 10-kilometre sprint competition. Smith finished in 23 minutes 15. Shoes NZ From China . -- In one brief spurt, Brazil turned a close game into a rout and proved again it will be a strong World Cup favourite. Shoes NZ Outlet .S. hockey team after paying his dues as an NHL general manager for more than three decades and giving up a lot of his free time to help USA Hockey. STANFORD, Calif. -- New coach Jerod Haase will have plenty of time to bond with his new Stanford team if he hasnt done so fully already while working in recent months to develop a new culture on campus. The Cardinal are headed to China, where they will open the season against Harvard in Shanghai on Nov. 11.This is the second straight year a Pac-12 team has opened the season in China.Its pretty crazy. Ive never been to China. Its pretty amazing where basketball can take you, Stanford senior guard Marcus Allen said. Playing Harvard, playing one game. Anxious to get there and Im ready to play.Washington beat Texas in the first regular-season basketball game played in China.So far, Haase has focused much attention on teaching fundamentals.Its been a whirlwind of close to six months for me and the staff but its been a ton of fun, Haase said. I feel like every day we learn something new about the culture of Stanford, processes around Stanford and the people around Stanford. Every day we leave here a little more impressed with the place.Here are some things to watch for as Stanford begins a new era under Haase :IMPROVED HEALTH: Junior starting forward Reid Travis missed the final 22 games last season with an injured left leg, a blow to the Cardinals starting lineup. Guard Robert Cartwright, a projected starter last fall, was sidelined all of last season with a compound fracture in his right arm sustained in early November.Now, Travis will start fresh after scoring 12.8 points and grabbing 7.1 rebounds before his injury last season. He also was shooting a team-best 55.7 percent from the field.At this point the team is very healthy, Haase said.NAVY SEALS TRAINING: When his players had returned from summer and before classes began, Haase took his team to Lake Tahoe for a couple of days back in September to go through Navy Seals-type training. It involves team bonding, leadership skills and fitness combined into one preseason regimen.It was a great time but it was very tough, Marcus Allen said. It did challenge your willpower, both mentally and physically.These grueling classes have gone mainstream for coollege teams in recent seasons, with Stanford doing a similar camp three years ago.dddddddddddd.It was something I think our guys got a lot of value out of, Haase said. Its something that tries to put them in tough situations but more importantly at the end of the day try to put them in situations where theyre learning lessons about teamwork and leadership.BROTHERLY LOVE: Twins Marcus and Malcolm Allen will cherish their final season together, with Marcus a senior and Malcolm a junior after he sat out his sophomore season on a medical redshirt with a broken wrist.Malcolm is the jokester, according to his brother. Im more laid back. Im not as out there as Malcolm.As far as who wins 1-on-1, Marcus says it depends on the day and they tend to take turns beating each other.SCORING THREATS: Haase hasnt gone through all the game film from last season, rather just watching small clips as needed. He has a decent idea about his team, and much of the work so far has been getting back to the basics of strong fundamentals.He wants to have an up-tempo offense that shares the ball, moves it and looks for the best shot.One of our biggest question marks is our ability to shoot the basketball. We do have a lot of capable shooters. We need to put them into positions and really emphasize quality shots, Haase said. Were just trying to take baby steps every day but really build a strong, strong foundation.STANFORD SUPPORT SYSTEM: Haase knew Stanford was a special place, but he has been thrilled with the support of other coaches on campus -- including Hall of Fame womens coach Tara VanDerveer and football coach David Shaw.Tara is a rock star. Her commitment to our program is just great, Haase said. Coach Shaw has been great.He will certainly lean on them both. Haase knows it will take time for the Cardinal to become a regular contender again. Stanford advanced to the Sweet 16 of the 2014 NCAA Tournament under former coach Johnny Dawkins and NIT championships after the 2012 and `15 seasons. ' ' '