Man in the Middle
December 31, 2006 04:02 PM | General
December 31, 2006
JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The one constant in West Virginia’s transformation into one of the country’s most feared rushing teams has been senior center Dan Mozes.
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| West Virginia's Dan Mozes talks to reporters at Sunday's Gator Bowl press conference in downtown Jacksonville. West Virginia coach Rich Rodriguez and teammate Jay Henry look on.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
Sure, Steve Slaton and Patrick White have had a lot to do with it combining to run for more than 2,700 yards this year. And of course Coach Rich Rodriguez’s ingenious offensive system spreads defenses out, identifies its weaknesses, and exploits them.
But other than Rodriguez, Mozes has been the one guy hanging around campus long enough to make 300-yard rushing games a weekly expectation. When Rasheed Marshall was quarterbacking the team in 2003 and 2004 it was Mozes paving the way.
West Virginia has ranked among the nation’s top 13 in rushing each season since 2003 and this year WVU is second in the nation averaging 302.3 yards per game. For most of the past two years since Mozes assumed the starting center job and began by snapping pop ups to White at Maryland, West Virginia’s offense hasn’t been better. WVU is third in points per game (38.9) and fifth in total offense averaging 463.0 yards per game.
Mozes has earned his fair share of awards: three-time first-team all-Big East, consensus All-America status and Rimington Award winner in 2006, making Mozes the school’s first-ever major award winner in football.
That’s not too bad for a Washington, Pa., native that Pitt didn’t want and other schools didn’t really find out about until his senior year was almost over. On Monday afternoon, Mozes’ fabulous West Virginia career comes to a close.
“Last time I was at Mountaineer Field that was special. Now it’s the last time I’m going to put the uniform on is special all in itself,” Mozes said after Friday’s practice at the University of North Florida.
Mozes recalls the great emotion he felt addressing his teammates on Friday night at the hotel before his final home game against Rutgers and again when he ran out of the tunnel for the last time at Milan Puskar Stadium.
“It was awesome just being the last guy to get up in front of the team and speak, tell them how much you care for them and how much they mean to you,” Mozes said. “To be able to be the last guy announced on senior night and to show all of the emotion I had … that meant a lot to me.”
Mozes admits he will have a variety of emotions when he runs out onto the field at Alltel stadium for the final time in a Mountaineer uniform.
“There will be sadness but at the same time excitement: I just want to go out on top and get that win to become the winningest class in school history,” Mozes said.
Mozes will be playing in his third Gator Bowl and fourth New Year’s Day bowl game overall.
“We’re no strangers to what goes on here. We know where we’re going everyday,” he said. “If we had our own cars I’m sure we could drive to where we need to go.”
Mozes is encouraged by the practices the team has strung together down in Jacksonville and is hopeful the hard work will translate into a great performance in the Gator Bowl.
“Last year at the Sugar Bowl we had two great padded practices and we came out and performed well in the bowl game. Hopefully that will happen in this bowl game,” he said.
That would be a great sendoff to a fabulous Mountaineer career for Dan Mozes.
Briefly:
“That’s not good. Hopefully we can change that,” Mozes laughed.
“They’ve got a great defense – one of the best in the ACC – and in the nation also. We just have to come out and be able to play a physical football game with them,” Mozes said.
Mozes will be locked up against all-ACC defensive tackle Joe Anoai, a 6-foot-3-inch, 280-pound senior who has 12 career sacks. Anoai comes from a family of professional wrestlers.
“Being such a big guy such as him and also to be so athletic and be physical shows that he’s a really good player,” Mozes said of Anoai.
Lewis sustained minor injuries in the accident and Coach Chan Gailey said the decision to play would be up to Lewis.
“I think he’s doing a little better,” Rodriguez said Saturday morning. “Again it’s hard to judge until you see him move around a little bit. He’s been working hard and we’ll see how he responds. He’s still questionable.”
“That’s usually one of the things we cover on our Thursday practice. Depending upon how wet it is you’ve just got to tell your center to make sure he’s snapping a dry ball,” Rodriguez said. “We’ve played some games in rain but we’ve been really lucky this year. I’m just hoping it doesn’t rain a whole lot.”
Rodriguez played in a torrential downpour as a West Virginia player in the Gator Bowl against Florida State in 1982.
“I think it was non-stop and it was a little cool at times with it being a night game,” he said. “I’m sure the field drains well with it being a sand-based field so I’m not too concerned with that.”
“Owen has looked better and Pat has looked better,” Rodriguez said. “Owen is not just a fullback but he’s also a tailback. We’ve missed him at times when he’s been hobbled and it’s good to have him back at full strength for Monday’s game.
“You’d like to have everybody at full strength but that’s part of the game,” Rodriguez said. “I’m excited because Pat is healthier than he’s been in a long time. Injuries are going to happen whether it’s before the game or during the game and teams have to adjust.”
