Young Guns
October 05, 2005 10:37 AM | General
By John Antonik for MSNsportsNET.com
October 5, 2005
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is hoping freshmen running backs Steve Slaton and Jason Gwaltney can jump-start his offense this weekend against an improving Rutgers team.
The coach announced earlier this week that both would see extensive action against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.
“We’re going to go with the young guys,” said Rodriguez Tuesday.
Slaton was West Virginia’s most effective offensive player in last weekend’s 34-17 loss to No. 3 Virginia Tech, running 11 times for 90 yards – both season highs. Slaton, a Levittown, Pa., resident, is the only WVU tailback averaging better than four yards per carry.
But Slaton’s first carry against Virginia Tech was an adventure to say the least. He dropped Adam Bednarik’s pitch in West Virginia’s end zone, and had to do his best to get out.
“I just wanted to get north-south and get positive yards and make up for my mistake,” he said.
Rodriguez called Slaton’s run ‘The Longest Yard.’
“He was going here and there and did his best Burt Reynolds impersonation,” Rodriguez laughed.
That run aside, Rodriguez believes that Slaton gives West Virginia a home-run threat at tailback. Besides quarterback Pat White, Slaton is probably the only other offensive player with the explosive speed to take the football the distance.
“If he gets a little bit of a crease it could be over; he’s a guy that can take it 70 or 80 yards,” Rodriguez said. “We haven’t had that guy – we’ve had quick guys and the powerful guys. He gives you a chance to break a long one and I hope it’s soon.”
Running backs coach Calvin Magee has no reservations playing either Slaton or Gwaltney this Saturday.
“You have some ideas of what you thought might happen but you can’t rush and do it; you’ve got to do what’s best for the team,” Magee said. “You’ve got to make sure the guys are ready to do all those things.”
Magee says the biggest thing holding back young running backs is what they do without the ball. He’s now satisfied that both Slaton and Gwaltney are getting a better handle on that -- particularly Slaton.
“I always thought he was a guy that could make some big plays and be consistent and do the things we want him to do,” Magee said. “He’s got big-play ability but his thing was (playing) without the ball but he’s there now. He understands what to do and he understands how to pass protect.”
Gwaltney, a high school All-American last winter, is also coming around. The Long Island native says he’s been battling through a sore ankle and some homesickness.
“Actually this is the best I’ve been feeling,” Gwaltney said. “I heard a couple of compliments from the coaches that I look a lot faster and I’m starting to get over this injury. I’m alright now and I’m ready to roll.”
Gwaltney’s most impressive performance came in the Maryland game when he ran for two touchdowns including a 14-yard run in which he ran over two Maryland defenders before spinning into the end zone.
Gwaltney has carried 39 times for 129 yards and a 3.3 yards-per-carry average. However, most of his attempts have come in short-yardage situations.
“I’m just working with the opportunities that I have,” Gwaltney said. “I can’t complain about anything. (Short yardage) is one of my specialties … I like to pound it in there and put people on their back.”
Gwaltney admits he would like to see what he can do with a few more carries to try and get into a rhythm.
“A basketball player gets into a game and shoots one three it’s going to be hard for him to make it,” Gwaltney explained. “You get into a rhythm and get hot when you play like that. But right now I’ve got to do the best with the one carry that I get in short yardage situations and if I get more than that’s even better.”
While Gwaltney is considered the more powerful of the two, Slaton showed his ability to break tackles on a 44-yard run last Saturday against Virginia Tech. Although Slaton is just shy of 190 pounds Rodriguez says he’s deceptively strong. Slaton isn’t sure where his power comes from.
“I think it’s just wanting to run and wanting to score,” he shrugged.
If Slaton gets the starting nod Saturday, he would undoubtedly would like to duplicate the performance he had in his first start as a high school freshman at Conwell-Egan when he ran for 298 yards.
“I was very shocked coming straight from middle school and playing high school,” Slaton said. “This is a different level but I’ll try.”
Briefly:
Rodriguez plans on utilizing a couple of more true freshmen this week on defense. Six-two, 220-pound linebacker Johnny Holmes from Rockledge, Fla., is going to have his redshirt lifted.
Rodriguez says Holmes adds an explosive element to the linebacker corps, possessing a little more speed that could make him a factor on blitzes.
“We’re going to force-feed him this week and see if we can get him ready,” Rodriguez said.
The coach also plans on working Charles Pugh in at cornerback. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound freshman from Kissimmee, Fla., has been playing mainly on special teams.
“He’s played safety, he’s played spur and bandit and he’s also practiced some at corner,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a bigger, more physical guy. A lot of those freshmen get excited and he probably feels he can play anywhere. That’s the attitude we want: we want them to be a little more aggressive.”
If Holmes does get into the game he will become the eighth true freshman this year to see action and 18th overall including redshirt freshmen.
With Slaton and Gwaltney moving up on the depth chart, Rodriguez says Jason Colson will see more reps at slot receiver. Rodriguez believes Colson can give the Mountaineers a little bigger target in the slot and he has the ability to break tackles and get extra yardage after the catch.
“He’s still going to play tailback, too, but we’re working him more in the slot this week,” Rodriguez said.
The coach noted on Tuesday that he isn’t sure cornerback Anthony Mims and wide receiver Vaughn Rivers will be available for Rutgers, although both practiced Monday and Tuesday. The coach says quarterback Adam Bednarik is much better than he was last week heading into the Virginia Tech game.
“Adam couldn’t even practice on Monday and Tuesday last week,” Rodriguez said.
Defensive end Andrae Wright got about 12 snaps against Virginia Tech last week, according to Rodriguez, and the coach hopes Wright will be able to give them more reps this weekend at Rutgers. Wright has been slowed with a hip pointer sustained in the East Carolina win.
Despite being two of the younger coaches in college football, Rich Rodriguez and Greg Schiano are now the two deans of Big East coaches in their fifth seasons.
“We’ve both seen a lot these last five years in the league,” Rodriguez said.
Coach Rod mentioned that redshirt freshman Ryan Stancheck will probably once again get the nod at left guard this week. “Even though he made some mistakes (against Virginia Tech) he was awful physical,” Rodriguez said. “He had nine knockdowns and he battled in there with some big guys.”
In past years West Virginia usually had a good number of New Jersey players on its roster, but this year the Mountaineers travel to Rutgers with only two in Akeem Jackson and reserve quarterback Markell Harrison.
“We’re not as heavy there because we’re stretched a little thin to go out into other areas,” Rodriguez said. “New Jersey is heavily recruited because there are a lot of good football players in the state. It’s a case where everybody goes in there.”
West Virginia’s game at Rutgers on Saturday will not be shown on ESPN Game Plan and MSG will black out the game outside of the New York City area. Fans outside the area can watch the game on their computer through Game Plan. Fans can also follow Saturday’s game on Sirius Satellite radio channel 146.
October 5, 2005
 |  | |
| Gwaltney | Slaton |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez is hoping freshmen running backs Steve Slaton and Jason Gwaltney can jump-start his offense this weekend against an improving Rutgers team.
The coach announced earlier this week that both would see extensive action against the Scarlet Knights on Saturday.
“We’re going to go with the young guys,” said Rodriguez Tuesday.
Slaton was West Virginia’s most effective offensive player in last weekend’s 34-17 loss to No. 3 Virginia Tech, running 11 times for 90 yards – both season highs. Slaton, a Levittown, Pa., resident, is the only WVU tailback averaging better than four yards per carry.
But Slaton’s first carry against Virginia Tech was an adventure to say the least. He dropped Adam Bednarik’s pitch in West Virginia’s end zone, and had to do his best to get out.
“I just wanted to get north-south and get positive yards and make up for my mistake,” he said.
Rodriguez called Slaton’s run ‘The Longest Yard.’
“He was going here and there and did his best Burt Reynolds impersonation,” Rodriguez laughed.
That run aside, Rodriguez believes that Slaton gives West Virginia a home-run threat at tailback. Besides quarterback Pat White, Slaton is probably the only other offensive player with the explosive speed to take the football the distance.
“If he gets a little bit of a crease it could be over; he’s a guy that can take it 70 or 80 yards,” Rodriguez said. “We haven’t had that guy – we’ve had quick guys and the powerful guys. He gives you a chance to break a long one and I hope it’s soon.”
Running backs coach Calvin Magee has no reservations playing either Slaton or Gwaltney this Saturday.
“You have some ideas of what you thought might happen but you can’t rush and do it; you’ve got to do what’s best for the team,” Magee said. “You’ve got to make sure the guys are ready to do all those things.”
Magee says the biggest thing holding back young running backs is what they do without the ball. He’s now satisfied that both Slaton and Gwaltney are getting a better handle on that -- particularly Slaton.
“I always thought he was a guy that could make some big plays and be consistent and do the things we want him to do,” Magee said. “He’s got big-play ability but his thing was (playing) without the ball but he’s there now. He understands what to do and he understands how to pass protect.”
Gwaltney, a high school All-American last winter, is also coming around. The Long Island native says he’s been battling through a sore ankle and some homesickness.
“Actually this is the best I’ve been feeling,” Gwaltney said. “I heard a couple of compliments from the coaches that I look a lot faster and I’m starting to get over this injury. I’m alright now and I’m ready to roll.”
Gwaltney’s most impressive performance came in the Maryland game when he ran for two touchdowns including a 14-yard run in which he ran over two Maryland defenders before spinning into the end zone.
Gwaltney has carried 39 times for 129 yards and a 3.3 yards-per-carry average. However, most of his attempts have come in short-yardage situations.
“I’m just working with the opportunities that I have,” Gwaltney said. “I can’t complain about anything. (Short yardage) is one of my specialties … I like to pound it in there and put people on their back.”
Gwaltney admits he would like to see what he can do with a few more carries to try and get into a rhythm.
“A basketball player gets into a game and shoots one three it’s going to be hard for him to make it,” Gwaltney explained. “You get into a rhythm and get hot when you play like that. But right now I’ve got to do the best with the one carry that I get in short yardage situations and if I get more than that’s even better.”
While Gwaltney is considered the more powerful of the two, Slaton showed his ability to break tackles on a 44-yard run last Saturday against Virginia Tech. Although Slaton is just shy of 190 pounds Rodriguez says he’s deceptively strong. Slaton isn’t sure where his power comes from.
“I think it’s just wanting to run and wanting to score,” he shrugged.
If Slaton gets the starting nod Saturday, he would undoubtedly would like to duplicate the performance he had in his first start as a high school freshman at Conwell-Egan when he ran for 298 yards.
“I was very shocked coming straight from middle school and playing high school,” Slaton said. “This is a different level but I’ll try.”
Briefly:
 |  | |
| Holmes | Pugh |
Rodriguez says Holmes adds an explosive element to the linebacker corps, possessing a little more speed that could make him a factor on blitzes.
“We’re going to force-feed him this week and see if we can get him ready,” Rodriguez said.
The coach also plans on working Charles Pugh in at cornerback. The 6-foot-1-inch, 205-pound freshman from Kissimmee, Fla., has been playing mainly on special teams.
“He’s played safety, he’s played spur and bandit and he’s also practiced some at corner,” Rodriguez said. “He’s a bigger, more physical guy. A lot of those freshmen get excited and he probably feels he can play anywhere. That’s the attitude we want: we want them to be a little more aggressive.”
If Holmes does get into the game he will become the eighth true freshman this year to see action and 18th overall including redshirt freshmen.
“He’s still going to play tailback, too, but we’re working him more in the slot this week,” Rodriguez said.
“Adam couldn’t even practice on Monday and Tuesday last week,” Rodriguez said.
Defensive end Andrae Wright got about 12 snaps against Virginia Tech last week, according to Rodriguez, and the coach hopes Wright will be able to give them more reps this weekend at Rutgers. Wright has been slowed with a hip pointer sustained in the East Carolina win.
“We’ve both seen a lot these last five years in the league,” Rodriguez said.
“We’re not as heavy there because we’re stretched a little thin to go out into other areas,” Rodriguez said. “New Jersey is heavily recruited because there are a lot of good football players in the state. It’s a case where everybody goes in there.”
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Tuesday, May 12
