August
13, 2008
By
Todd Helmick
Site
Owner Todd Helmick maintains an Official Heisman
Vote.
Is
Pat White the best running quarterback you have
ever seen? In comparison, what about some of the
great Cornhusker ball carriers lining up behind
center like Turner Gill (1980-83), Steve Taylor
(1985-88), Tommy Frazier (1992-96), Eric Crouch
(1998-2001), Jammal Lord (2000-03)? Some of the
great Oklahoma wishbone teams put up some impressive
numbers with guys like Steve Davis (1973-75) and
Jamelle Holieway (1985-88). Others that come to
mind may include Charlie Ward at Florida State
(1989-93), Woodrow Dantzler at Clemson (1998-2001)
or even Major Harris (1987-89), who also came
out of this same Mountaineer program as White.
Well, when comparing the rushing numbers, none
of these names has cracked the Top Five list of
all-time NCAA rushing QBs.
Former
WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez came to Morgantown
and implemented his famous version of the run-first
spread offense. Three- and four-receiver sets
are predominately in place to create open spaces
for ball carriers. Rodriguez has made legends
out of other talented dual-threat QBs –
namely Clemson’s Dantlzer and Shaun King
at Tulane (who set the QB efficiency record in
1998 under RR’s tutelage with a 183.3 rating)
- utilizing his schemes. Despite the fact Rodriguez
has moved on to take the Michigan job, do not
expect much to change in Morgantown with new offensive
coordinator Jeff Mullen, who was the quarterback
coach at run-heavy Wake Forest the previous four
seasons. And why would the new regime make a change?
West Virginia is 26-4 with White starting, and
they’ve won or shared the Big East championship
the past four out of five seasons.
Adding
more fuel to the fire, White is only one of four
quarterbacks to have won three straight New Year's
Bowls as a starter.
Quarterbacks
Who Have Won Three Straight New Year’s Bowls
As A Starter
Pat White - West Virginia
2006 Sugar Bowl vs. Georgia (Won 38-35)
2007 Gator Bowl vs. Georgia Tech (Won 38-35)
2008 Fiesta Bowl vs. Oklahoma (Won 48-28)
David
Green - Georgia
2003 Sugar Bowl vs. Florida State (Won 26-23)
2004 Capital One Bowl vs. Purdue (Won 34-27)
2005 Outback Bowl vs. Wisconsin (Won 24-21)
Peyton
Manning - Tennessee
1995 Gator Bowl vs. Virginia Tech (Won 45-23)
1996 Citrus Bowl vs. Ohio State (Won 20-14)
1997 Citrus Bowl vs. Northwestern (Won 48-28)
In
Morgantown at last Saturday's scrimmage, White
took the snap from center in the second series
and ran 50 yards down the sideline to put the
first team offense in scoring position. "What
people have to understand is that you can account
for the wide receivers and the running backs.
But there is no accounting for Pat White,"
said WILL linebacker J.T. Thomas. "Truthfully,
I don't know what other defenses [will] do to
stop him."
Taking
a cue from the South Florida Bull's defensive
playbook, the lone team that has beaten WVU the
past two seasons by slowing down this offense,
defenses have no choice but to dedicate an extra
man inside the box. You need speedy corners who
can lock down one-on-one with receivers so the
men up front can play aggressively while attacking/hurrying
White. Sitting back in a base defense and waiting
for White to make the first cut will never work.
Pat
may not win the Heisman Trophy in this his final
season. His passing numbers aren’t as effective
and just don't hold up well when compared to the
top QB contenders. But there certainly is no better
running QB in all of college football this season.
Based on the record-breaking numbers when 2008
is all said and done, there will not have been
a better running quarterback in the history of
college football.
WVU
FOOTBALL NOTES:
With
the early departure of RB Steve Slaton to the
NFL this past April, WVU was left with highly
touted true sophomore Noel Devine as the lone
feature back. Slot receiver Jock Sanders has also
been lining up in the backfield to add depth to
a very shallow unit.
NAME
TO WATCH: The best news in Morgantown this past
month was the addition of four-star running back
Terence Kerns out of Thomas Johnson High School
in Frederick, MD. Kerns was a former 2007 recruit
that did not have the necessary academics to enroll.
After one year of prep school at Hargrave Military
Academy, Kerns is now eligible and practicing
with the team. Kerns rushed for 1,900 yards his
senior high school season. He played in just 8
1/2 games before injuring his knee. At Hargrave
he ran a 4.33 40-yard dash and benched 225 pounds
32 times. Considering the NFL Combine's max bench
was 225x37, Kern's stat is worth noting.
Back-up
QB Jarrett Brown has tweaked his hamstring, which
now means redshirt frosh Bradley Starks has been
lining up at the No. 2 spot. The problem is that
both Brown and Starks are a big part of the passing
game…as receivers! Wes Lyons, a 6'8 receiver,
underwent knee arthroscopy earlier in the week
to remove particles from his torn meniscus cartilage.
His brother Devon, a transfer from Ohio State,
has left the team. The second team receivers are
now a pair of walk-ons.
Earlier
in the spring it was thought that senior LB and
team leading tackler Reed Williams might take
a medical redshirt as he fought through off-season
surgery on both shoulders. Williams has decided
to play, and the decision as to whether he will
be available for the August 30 opener against
Villanova will come down to the final week of
summer camp.
True
freshman Robert Sands is working with the first
group in this rebuilt secondary. He and redshirt
frosh Eain Smith are battling for the starting
job at free safety. Sands could become the first
true freshman to start at safety for WVU since
Jahmile Addae held the position back in 2001.
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