WVU’s Big 12 standing dependent on force of running game

By Bob Madison - For the Chronicle | Aug 19, 2022

Mathis

SHEPHERDSTOWN — Covered in sweat and wearing knee braces as badges of courage, WVU’s offensive linemen aren’t much noticed or given much recognition.

But for the 2022 edition of Mountaineer football to be relevant within the Big 12, they must become famous for their efficient up-front blocking.

Wyatt Milum, James Gmiter, Zach Frazier, Doug Nester, Brandon Yates, Ja’Quay Hubbard and tight end Brian Polendey have the task of blocking for little-known Tony Mathis, Jr. (312 rushing yards last season) and Justin Johnson, Jr. (90 rushing yards in 2021).

If the Mountaineers (6-7 overall in 2021) can’t effectively run the ball against the imposing teams of the Big 12, it will not be much of a season in Morgantown.

The four-man quarterback derby is an interesting talking point for discussion, but can the Mountaineers run the ball?

Polendey

There is Pittsburgh to be impressed. And then Virginia Tech. And those are non-conference games leading up to Oklahoma, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Baylor, Texas, Kansas State and Oklahoma State.

West Virginia will not surface toward the top of the league with its pass offense, special teams and overall defense.

Opponents believe the Mountaineers will be unable to beat them with an ineffective rushing game. Can the WVU defense prove them wrong by providing field position, getting turnovers and maybe even scoring points with interception returns? When was the last time West Virginia’s special teams ransacked any opponent’s chances?

Is Coach Neal Brown going to show a threadbare depth chart loaded with reserves unable to compete with the numerous best teams on the schedule?

It seems Brown has done well enough with a state with such a small population and so few high schools as compared with border states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia and Maryland. Even Kentucky has a larger population and more high schools than West Virginia.

Yates

Competing for the reasonable players in those states means out-recruiting Penn State, Pittsburgh, Temple, Ohio State, Cincinnati, Virginia Tech, Virginia, Maryland, the Naval Academy, Kentucky and Louisville before even encountering Villanova, Toledo, Miami, Kent State, Ohio U., Akron, Bowling Green, Youngstown State, Western Kentucky, Eastern Kentucky, William & Mary, Richmond, Old Dominion, VMI, James Madison, Liberty, Bucknell, Lafayette, Lehigh, Penn and Robert Morris.

Brown has to be keenly aware of the transfer portal. He can get players from elsewhere if they believe more playing time is immediately available to them. He also will lose players to the transfer portal when they believe they didn’t receive enough playing time or for other reasons known only to today’s college athletes.

There just are not enough quality, difference-making athletes in a state with roughly 1.78 million people and only 113 high schools that play football.

The state of Ohio has 723 high schools that play football and Pennsylvania has 568. The state of Virginia has 356 football-playing high schools, while Maryland has 231 and Kentucky has 223.

To somehow consistently field winning teams West Virginia must do above and way beyond what universities in neighboring states need to accomplish.

Hubbard

If there are actually any sure-fire standouts here, then West Virginia will have to fend off the raiding parties from Marshall and the five bordering states just to begin securing football players.

But the pressure from a litany of sources to win is always there. Always.