2006 Statistics

This offense is under the full guidance of QB Pat White, the first of two offensive players (along with RB Steve Slaton) in Morgantown considered a top rated Heisman Candidate. That distinction is important given the vast array of talent at the QB position, three of whom have previous starting experience. The back up is Jarrett Brown, the hero of last fall's important Rutgers triple-OT victory as he admirably filled in for an injured White. Former starting QB Adam Bednarik, who sat out last season recovering from shoulder surgery, was the leading passer in the spring game. Given the depth at QB, Bednarik will move to WR by August in an effort to put him on the field (4.55 sec in the 40). The same holds true for former West Virginia prep Player of the Year Nate Sowers, as he now becomes a full-time receiver. In regards to the people catching the passes, upwards of 13 different players have the possibility of seeing substantial playing time. Coaches have stated as much by declaring that a true depth chart may not take shape until mid-September. Senior Darius Reynaud, last year's leading receiver, is a proven commodity. 6’8 youngster Wes Lyons is making some serious noise with his height advantage. He has some fundamentals to work on, but keep an eye on Wes. This is a proven rushing offense (No.2 last year) based on spreading defenses out and exploiting the defensive matchups, and no one understands how to exploit this better than All-American RB Steve Slaton. His 1,744 rushing yards and 16 ground scores, when combined with White’s 1,219 rushing yards and 25 rushing TDs, are what made this offense so feared as they ranked third in the land for scoring. WVU won't likely mess with what has gotten them this far until opponents show an ability to stop the attack. Big Owen Schmitt is back in the fold to carry the load at either FB or the TB spot. His bones crushing blocks and carries have now become things of legend in Morgantown (has lost only two yards rushing his entire collegiate career). The Mountaineers success is also attributed to a solid offensive line built around smaller, quicker, yet less heralded recruits. This could be one area that demands a special scouting notice since highly regarded OL coach Rick Trickett has moved on to Florida State. Filling his shoes, ironically, will be former FSU center Greg Frey…the Morgantown/Tallahassee coaching merry-go-round continues to circle. Frey comes from South Florida where he successfully served as the OL coach since 2000. Even with the graduation of Rimington Trophy winner (Nation's Best Center) Dan Moses and All-Big East guard Jeremy Sheffey, this group is just as worthy as any other to bunker the Blue and Gold front wall. OT Ryan Stanchek is one of the best anywhere and 2005 Freshman All-American Mike Dent will help ease some of the transition. With so many WRs, this spring saw most of the emphasis being placed on the passing game. Is this a move by head coach Rich Rodriguez to develop the passing ability of White so as to match his running prowess, or is it an attempt to find a set of starting WRs? Probably both, so look for White's passing numbers to increase. This system, built on a unique ground game which opens up lanes for throwing, will finally start to be utilized for its true aerial potential. But if you still see a low number of pass attempts, how could one argue the reasons?

One year ago, the big question was how a completely new set of players would perform in the secondary; the losses were heavy. The results of having such great run stoppers (ranked 13th) were a 109th-ranked pass defense. The entire DB group returns, led by two-time All-Big East selection Eric Wicks. Through the spring, Wicks has been playing all three-safety positions in their unique 3-3-5 alignment. Oft-injured starting spur Ridwan Malik had the best spring according to coaches. 2006 Freshman All-American Quinton Andrews has certainly raised eyebrows from his free safety position - he led the team in tackles. Senior corners Lewis and Rivers have proven their quickness and athletic ability by being top-rated return men. As stated, the results up to this point have been poor, but the pedigree of athletes in this backfield should eventually force drastic improvements. The biggest changes on defense are the moves of John Holmes and J.T. Thomas into the starting outside LB spots since the first day of spring, giving the LB corps a huge boost in depth. Although the changes have been duly noted, experience can be counted on as well with veterans such as Magro, Hathaway and Williams garnering extended playing time. Also keep an eye on rising sophomore Zac Cooper, former West Virginia prep Defensive Player of The Year from three seasons ago. His play earned praise from defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel and was named as having one of the most surprising springs from a back-up role. The Mountaineers can sport early optimism from the fact that senior Keilen Dykes leads this DL. He will be worthy of some post-season accolades. The key will be finding depth, as this unit appears paper-thin. Guys such as Scooter Berry and Doug Slavonic have provided some surprise this spring, but none has proven to be an every down player. This is an area to be concerned about, especially in terms of the injury front. Although, many of these problems are offset by the fact that their hybrid safeties/linebackers provide much of the run support, swarming around the ball. That’s how/why this system works. This will be imperative as the DL struggles to locate those on the roster who can pressure opposing QBs. If some of the newcomers were to find surprise playing time, the DL would provide that opportunity. This unit did pretty well until they ran into some real offenses, and the lessons from how much Louisville exploited them need to hit home if WVU is to take any next steps.