Colorado Preview
September 15, 2008 02:58 PM | General
September 15, 2008
GAME NOTES
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – After a week of getting back to basics, West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said this week the Mountaineers are going to get back to what has made it so successful the last three seasons: running the football.
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| Sophomore Noel Devine has had just 30 total touches in West Virginia's first two games against Villanova and East Carolina.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks photo |
The one bright spot in West Virginia’s disappointing 24-3 loss at East Carolina on Sept. 6 was the Mountaineers’ ability to run the ball. West Virginia averaged 5.0 yards per carry with quarterback Pat White and running back Noel Devine each nearly putting up 100-yard performances.
Stewart is looking for more option and zone reads from White, a two-time 1,000-yard rusher who is still on pace to establish the NCAA rushing record for quarterbacks. White is 334 yards shy of becoming only the second quarterback in NCAA history to rush for more than 4,000 yards for his career. Missouri’s Brad Smith owns the NCAA record with 4,289 yards produced from 2002-05.
In the 2008 season opener against Villanova, West Virginia relied on White’s passing arm with the senior completing 25 of 33 passes for 208 yards and five touchdowns. Against East Carolina, White had a tougher afternoon locating open receivers and eluding pressure. He completed 11 of 18 passes for 72 yards with most of those completions coming at the line of scrimmage. West Virginia’s longest passing play against East Carolina was just 13 yards.
“To run the ball you’ve got to knock them off the ball and when you pass protect you can’t get knocked back into the quarterback,” Stewart said.
West Virginia’s other big offensive weapon Noel Devine managed 94 yards on 12 carries. Devine had 15 total touches against East Carolina (three receptions for nine yards) and shows 30 total touches in two games despite professing his willingness to carry the football 20 times per game. West Virginia coaches have been concerned about Devine’s sleight build (170 pounds) and a lack of depth at the running back position behind him.
“The great ones have got to have it,” Stewart said. “I’ve been around some great tailbacks and they’ve got to have the football – 18 to 22 times a game.”
Devine is averaging 6.7 yards per rush while averaging only 5.1 yards per pass reception, all coming on either swing passes or bubble screens.
Because the Mountaineer offense had difficulty sustaining drives against East Carolina, that compounded the difficulties a young defense has experienced trying to work in nine new starters. The Mountaineers permitted the Pirates to gain 386 yards of offense and allowed them to convert 50 percent of their third down tries. Twice, starting the game and beginning the third quarter, ECU had 80-yard drives that ate more than six minutes off the clock.
West Virginia will encounter another well-schemed offense Thursday night when it faces 2-0 Colorado. The Buffs have scored more than 30 points in both wins this year against Colorado State and Eastern Washington, outscoring their opponents 27-3 in the fourth quarter.
“They’re fun to watch when you don’t have to play them,” Stewart said.
Quarterback Cody Hawkins, the son of Coach Dan Hawkins, has completed 71.6 percent of his pass attempts for 475 yards and four touchdowns. Scotty McKnight is Hawkins’ favorite target, catching 11 passes for 157 yards and a touchdown.
“He knows where to go with the ball and he knows what the offense is all about,” Stewart said of Hawkins. “The young man does a great job of keeping within the frame work of his father’s offense.”
Freshman Darrell Scott is Colorado’s leading rusher with 93 yards but Rodney Stewart has been the most effective ball carrier, averaging 5.9 yards per carry.
“No. 1 we have to stop them on first down,” Stewart said. “They can’t get six and seven yard gains on first down.”
Defensively, Colorado has forced five turnovers, six sacks and 19 total negative yardage plays in two games. The Buffs have allowed just 118 yards rushing and an average of 2.5 yards per carry so far this year.
“Defensively they will be a lot like what we faced against East Carolina,” Stewart said.
Linebackers Jeff Smart and Brad Jones leads Colorado with 31 combined tackles. Jones has also added a pair of sacks and two tackles for losses.
Ryan Walters, Cha’pelle Brown, Shaun Mohler and D.J. Dykes have all picked off passes in the first two games.
Colorado is in year three with Hawkins, who had great success at Boise State posting a 53-11 record in five seasons with the Broncos. Overall, Hawkins shows a 102-40-1 career record including a 10-17 mark at Colorado. Hawkins’ first year at Colorado resulted in a 2-10 mark before posting a 6-6 record season record and facing Alabama in the Independence Bowl.
“I’m a big fan of what Dan has done,” said Stewart. “He’s an exceptional football coach.”
Hawkins already owns a big home victory over Oklahoma last year, upsetting the No. 3-ranked Sooners, 27-24. The offensive-minded Hawkins has never been shut out in 143 career games.
Colorado is planning a “Black Out” for Thursday night’s game. The student-led initiative is requesting that all Colorado fans wear black to the game. The last “Black Out” was against Florida State in 2007.
West Virginia is making its first trip to Colorado to play a football game in 28 years; the Mountaineers ran away with a 52-24 victory at Colorado State on Sept. 13, 1980. West Virginia is 10-8 all-time against schools from the Big 12 Conference with its last victory coming against Oklahoma in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.
Thursday night’s game will kickoff at 8:30 pm ET and will be televised nationally on ESPN.
Briefly:
“I left it up to him and the medical people and they feel like he’s ready to go,” Stewart said. “It’s great to have Reed back out there.”
“He will run those orbit sweeps and will also catch the ball and run,” said Stewart. “He’s the most exciting returner in the country.”
Pinning Smith in and getting him to the ground will be a big key in Thursday night’s game for the Mountaineers.
“Our kickoff and punt teams will really have to strain to keep this young man in check,” Stewart said. “I showed the team tape of him returning the ball and our players were impressed. We will have our hands full with the return team.”
Colorado needed a 24-point second half to overcome a 21-7 halftime deficit in defeating Eastern Washington on Sept. 6.
