2007 Statistics

QUARTERBACK
New offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen wants a more balanced attack. This makes sense, but saying it could prove much easier than actually achieving as much. With four-year starter and Heisman candidate Pat White still at QB, expect the shotgun formation to be the prevalent formation with White using his dazzling feet to abuse defenses relentlessly. Do not be surprised if another signal caller sees the field in more than just mop-up duty, namely Jarrett Brown, a former starter at times due to injury who returns now to the football team after helping the basketball squad to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament. Since putting on the pads, Brown has been throwing the football like a bull's-eye dart. Head coach Bill Stewart has already hinted at plans to get Brown on the field. "I don't know who's going to be quarterbacking, but they [White and Brown] will be on the field together," claims Stewart. If balance is to be the key, which means more passing, then such a statement coming from the big cheese should hold some water. Over the years White has proven to be an "effective and efficient" passer at times, yet he has yet to show he can line up and beat someone solely with his arm. But make no mistake: this is the Pat White Show. His ground skills do not fall short when compared to the all-time greatest running QBs.

RUNNING BACK
The talents of RB Steve Slaton are gone now (NFL), but the good news is that his incumbent, phenom Noel Devine, is proving to be worth the hype. His famed prep skills as a ball carrier from Fort Myers, FL earned Devine early praise as one of the best recruits former coach Rodriguez ever signed. He rushed for 627 yards as a true freshman in '07 while playing mostly as a creative wrinkle out of the backfield. So the question now becomes, can he be the team’s every-down back at 5'7, 170 pounds? This is a solid concern as depth at RB is extremely thin - Ed Collington was dismissed from the team and Eddie Davis has moved to the defensive side of the ball. The back up for now, Michael Poitier, has not shown any of the brilliance of his predecessors. Hopes are that Terence Kerns out of Frederick, MD, one of the top rated signees from the past two seasons, can finally produce the necessary test scores to earn admission this summer. In the mean time, significant carries are likely going to come from Jock Sanders, another top flight Florida recruit (St. Petersburg Catholic) who spent most of his freshman year as a slot receiver. In this offense (like many these days), the similarities between how they use WRs and RBs make them hard to tell apart. At times, RBs line up in the slot and receivers are found in the backfield. The slot receivers at times are used in quick screens, which prove to be nothing more than another version of the toss sweep. Seeing Devine line up in the slot while guys like Sanders line up in the backfield is going to continue to be a variable/factor that works.

RECEIVER
Who actually runs in patterns down field is another story. Everyone knows the “go to” guy in this offense has been Darius Reynaud, and he, too, has decided to skip off to the NFL. At this point, there is no “go to” guy. If there is that type of receiver still on this roster, senior Dorrell Jalloh has to be that guy. He’s the team's leading returning receiver, but Jalloh only pulled in 24 catches last fall for 272 yards. Still, those are par statistics for WVU's lesser-used passing game. Much like years past, however, there are roughly seven to eight names that, if given the chance, could succeed on the outside like 6'8 Wes Lyons. The youngster, however, has yet to put his spring practice promise in motion on fall Saturdays.

OFFENSIVE LINE
What really make this offense hum are the unsung heroes up front. This year's version may be the pinnacle of the newly found OL tradition. Every single starter returns to help pave the way for an offense that finished third in the country in '07 for rushing while inversely finishing fifth in the country for sacks allowed…for an offense that, in '06, finished second in the country for rushing while sixth in the country for sacks allowed. See the costly pattern? These numbers are certainly worth noting, for the veterans currently on the OL depth chart are complicit in making them. Four of those starters are seniors. The lone junior is NationalChamps.net Preseason All-American Greg Isdaner at left guard. Beside him is the second Mountaineer All-American from our preseason list, left tackle Ryan Stanchek. Calling the assignments at center is senior Mike Dent. What a line up!

The talent is here, albeit a bit thin at RB, to create another smoking hot offense...but without the guy who put it all into motion still pulling the proverbial strings, it remains to be seen if what looks good on paper translates into the same number of yards/wins.

In Morgantown, there is much work to be done on the defensive side. It starts with having to replace two key performers on the DL and a major contributor at LB while having only one starting DB return from a secondary that utilizes five.

DEFENSIVE LINE
At this juncture, the DL is one big question mark. Adding to the uncertainty is the health of returning starter Scooter Berry, who has been battling a chronic knee problem for the past two seasons. The new names are massive NT Chris Neild, who has proven to be a worthy run stuffer while giving last year's starters some rest, and DE Zac Cooper, a former outside linebacker turned lineman. His size at 225 pounds comes into question - can Cooper contend with some of the larger tackles he will face? This off-season has appeared to be full of growth for Cooper as coach Stewart claims he has been unstoppable at times. The progress of linemen like JUCO transfer Larry Ford will be crucial to maintain some form of a rotation.

LINEBACKER
The best unit on this side of the ball is easily the linebackers. This group will be the one that holds the fort while the rest attempt to grow. Reed Williams and Ivy Mortty are the team's top two leading returning tacklers. MLB Williams will be sidelined all spring following off-season surgery to repair a torn labrum in his left shoulder, but should be ready once August practice begins. The player making the biggest move this off-season may be J.T. Thomas from the outside. Thomas wreaked havoc all spring with just about every formation the offense attempted to utilize. Thomas gives the front seven something it desperately needs in the speed department. Also adding to the mix is the storied recruit Pat Lazear from Wheaton H.S. in Maryland, who finally made it to Morgantown.

DEFENSIVE BACK
Now for the glaring weakness…no one defensive unit had as much turnover as this five-member secondary. The cupboard appears relatively bare for the new CB coach, alum David Lockwood. Out of a group of five players battling for playing time, only one (Richardson) has started a game at corner. Coaches will continue to use the two-deep installed last season. Quinton Andrews, a former Freshman All-American, is the lone returning starter and has the ability to play free or bandit safety. This will help keep quarterbacks from checking the location of the free safety or challenging corners deep because of a lack of help. None of the spots are etched in stone and every position in the secondary will be on the open market apparently from now until fall.

New terms and a slightly modified scheme are going to test the coaches as well as the new faces trying to operate within them. With all the coaching changes, one of the mainstays is D-coordinator Jeff Casteel. Some aspects of the defense will change. Under Casteel, this 3-3-5 alignment has been mostly a three-man front with someone different blitzing on most every play. Look for some more four-man fronts mixed in with the new version.