2009 Preview Stories, Matt Whitfield, Uncategorized
2009 BIG EAST PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA
September 3, 2009 by nbesports · Leave a Comment
Questions on the offensive line aside, Mountaineers will be in BCS bid hunt in 2009
by Matt Whitfield
The Pat White era is over in Morgantown. However, before Big East defensive coordinators begin dancing in the streets, they will have to contend with White’s understudy, Jarrett Brown.
After four years watching White have a record-breaking career at West Virginia, the 6-foot-2, 220-pound fifth-year senior takes the reigns of the offense. Brown is a true dual-threat QB that has taken full control of the offense since the spring and finished off a great preseason camp, easing the minds of the WVU staff heading into the season.
Brown has shown he is a capable alternative in big games before, so he is not an untested signal caller. His most impressive game came at the end of the season in 2006 where he started in place of the injured White and threw for 244 yards and ran for another 73 in helping the Mountaineers upend Rutgers in what was the unofficial Big East Championship game.
In addition to Brown, the offense will rely on Noel Devine who ran for more than 1,200 yards last season as a sophomore, leading the conference with an average of 6.3 yards a carry. Devine also caught 35 passes out of the backfield.
Brown has a group of exciting receivers as the Mountaineers under second-year head coach Bill Stewart plan to throw the ball more this season, working with slot receiver Jock Sanders, wide receivers Alric Arnett, 6-foot-8 Wes Lyons, Bradley Starks and exciting freshmen Logan Heastie, who shunned offers from Penn State and Miami, and Tavon Austin.
Sanders, who caught 53 passes a year ago, missed spring practices due to disciplinary reasons. Arnett caught six touchdown passes a year ago, including two in their Meineke Car Care Bowl victory to close the season.
Mountaineer fans hope that Brown is not running for his life in those attempts to throw as he will be behind an untested and inexperienced offensive line. Only one member of this year’s line, Selvish Capers, will have started more than five games entering the season. Capers, the right tackle, enters his third season as a starter. Eric Jobe finished the season as the starting center and was thought to continue that role in 2009, however a late camp move of Jobe to right guard and redshirt freshman Joe Madsen in at center has been made to solidify Brown’s protection. The success of the Mountaineers could very well depend on highly touted Josh Jenkins returning from injury and holding down the left guard position. The hole to fill at left tackle is also a large one as All-American Ryan Stanchek has graduated and Don Barclay will fill the vital role of Brown’s backside protector from opposing pass rushes.
One of the more over-looked factors of the Big East season could be the return to health of Mountaineer linebacker Reed Williams. The WVU leading tackler and MVP of the 2008 Fiesta Bowl returns after missing last season with a shoulder injury to headline the defense. All-BIG EAST Second Team selection Scooter Berry, a two-year starter at defensive end, also returns and teams with veteran nose tackle Chris Neild to anchor the defensive line in the WVU 3-4 scheme.
Other key defenders to watch this season is linebacker Pat Lazear, who moves to the outside after being one of last year’s starter on the inside, and hard-hitting safety Nate Sowers who finally found a positional home last season with WVU in the defensive backfield. JT Thomas was also an all-Big East linebacker last season. The defensive unit should be very strong for WVU this season as many starters return from a group that got better and better in 2008 as the season progressed.
Summary
The first half of the Mountaineers schedule is relatively easy, with the exception of the Auburn road game. This should give Brown time to adjust to his starting role and gel with his starters. The ladder half of the schedule is treacherous with the last three games coming against Cincinnati on the road, Pittsburgh at home, and on the road versus Rutgers. If the offensive line holds up and Brown pans out to be the next great West Virginia Quarterback it is foreseeable that the Mountaineers could start the season 7-0 or 6-1, and possibly be ranked coming into the South Florida game. What happens from there could be anyone’s guess. Most experts see the Big East as a fairly open conference, yet all the programs thought to be contenders the Mountaineers still must play.
