Spring is Here
March 17, 2004 03:12 PM | General
March 17, 2004
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – According to West Virginia University coach Rich Rodriguez, his football team will be on national television “at least six times this season.”
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| West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez says there will be plenty of competition for starting jobs this spring. (All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks) |
The coach made those remarks and touched on other topics during a Tuesday afternoon media briefing at the Milan Puskar Center kicking off spring football practice set to begin on Monday, March 23. West Virginia also released its 2004 football schedule Tuesday and will play home games against East Carolina (Sept. 4), Maryland (Sept. 18), James Madison (Sept. 25), Syracuse (either Oct. 20 or 21), Temple (Nov. 6) and Boston College (Nov. 13).
“There are at least six that are on ESPN, ESPN2 or ABC and that’s not including the Virginia Tech game which will probably be on some sort of TV,” said Rodriguez. “There is the possibility of another away game being on TV as well.”
Rodriguez said West Virginia’s annual Backyard Brawl against Pitt will be televised by ESPN on Thanksgiving Day and replaces the annual Egg Bowl featuring Mississippi and Mississippi State.
“That may turn out to be an annual thing,” said Rodriguez.
Even though the Big East Conference is losing Miami and Virginia Tech to the ACC this year, Rodriguez maintains West Virginia’s schedule is as attractive as ever.
“Some people say our football schedule won’t be like it has been the last couple of years but the last couple of year’s schedule has been really challenging and probably more challenging than we’ve had here in a long time,” he said. “Nonetheless, there are at least four bowl teams on there and UConn probably should have been to a bowl game last year, too.
“Just because Miami is leaving doesn’t necessarily mean the opportunity (to win the league) is greater,” Rodriguez added. “It was there last year, too. If we make a play on fourth down and 13 then we win it outright instead of sharing it.”
West Virginia is playing several mid-week games this year which Rodriguez says will help sell his program, “It helps us exposure wise with recruiting and I think that’s good,” he said.
The coach has received good reports from the strength and conditioning staff about the team’s progress during the development season, and Rodriguez believes some of the younger players have now put themselves into a position to contribute.
“A lot of our younger guys have taken the next step as far as getting themselves ready to play at this level,” he said. “And the upperclassmen have done a good job with leadership.”
Rodriguez believes one of the key things to having a successful season is cultivating great team chemistry. The development season helps establish that.
“You’re never quite sure how the chemistry is going to be,” he said. “I feel very good that we will once again have great chemistry because of the senior class that we have.”
West Virginia begins the spring with two workouts in shorts before having its first full-go practice on Friday, March 26. The Mountaineers wrap up spring workouts with the Gold-Blue Spring Game on Saturday, April 17.
“As far as the depth chart goes I’m not real big with that at the beginning of spring,” said Rodriguez. “Now at the end of spring one of our goals is to try and find a semblance of a two-deep in all three phases. That won’t be determined for sure after spring but at least we’ll have an idea.”
The coach noted that several players will either be out or limited for spring practice. Starting linebacker Adam Lehnortt had off-season shoulder surgery and will not be available. Sophomore running back Erick Phillips and sophomore defensive end Pat Liebig will be sidelined while recovering from knee surgeries, senior offensive tackle Tim Brown will be kept out while he recovers from an Achilles Heel injury, and junior safety Jahmile Addae will be limited while still healing from shoulder surgery last fall.
No wholesale changes will be made to either schemes or personnel, although some players may be worked in at other positions.
Rodriguez mentioned that nose tackle Ben Lynch will get some time at defensive end, junior Mike Lorello moves from the bandit to spur safety spot, and some of the wide receivers will rotate positions.
“There is nothing as far as moving someone from offense to defense or the other way around … yet,” he said. “We may look at some of that mid-spring as far as moving someone from one side to the other.”
The coach is excited about the fact that he’s had his entire offensive staff intact for the fourth spring now and his defensive coaching staff remains together for consecutive springs for the first time since he’s been here.
“The program is now in the shape where there is not something new coming up every year,” he said.
Rodriguez is anticipating keen competition for starting spots this spring, “There are going to be some younger players who will challenge some returning starters for positions,” said Rodriguez. “Everything is wide open. That being said, I think we’ve got some upperclassmen that are ready to take the next step. Even though they’ve had some success maybe they can take it to another level.
“When you look at o-line and d-line, running back, receiver, quarterback and secondary we have a lot more competition and I think that’s going to make us a whole lot better, I hope,” he continued.
The coach is happy his team is earning some preseason recognition but he knows that his football program still has a lot of work ahead of it.
“We have to stay hungry and I don’t think that will be a problem because our guys know we have a lot to accomplish yet and a lot to prove,” Rodriguez said. “Getting to a post-season bowl and winning the thing is obviously going to be a major part of that. We’ve talked more about ‘we’ and less about ‘me.’”
