Photo by: All Pro Photography/Dale Sparks
Guys Up Front Key For Explosive Mountaineer Offense
August 30, 2018 02:00 PM | Football, Blog
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There are lots of things to watch out for on Saturday when 17th-ranked West Virginia faces Tennessee in the 2018 season opener at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina.
Of course, at the top of everyone's list is how Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier and possibly the deepest and most well-rounded pass-catching corps in WVU history fares against a Volunteer secondary that will have at least one freshman starting at corner.
The reports from fall camp indicate Grier and his receivers are like hand in glove when it comes to being on the same page, and whenever that has happened with Dana Holgorsen-coached football teams, it's truly a sight to behold.
We've also been hearing good things about West Virginia's four tailbacks, all of whom possess slightly different skill sets and abilities. All four have had their moments so far, including true freshman Leddie Brown, which has forced the coaching staff to continue the competition for the starting job right into Saturday.
And it probably won't end once the Tennessee game is over.
There are lots of things to watch out for on defense, too, such as how that much bigger, much more athletic defensive line performs against a downhill-running, smash-mouth SEC offense, or how an older, more experienced secondary is able to complement playmaking outside linebacker David Long Jr.
It doesn't take too long to see that this group is a much more skilled unit than the one last year that gave up 31 ½ points and nearly 450 yards per game.
All of these things are worth keeping an eye on Saturday.
But for me, the binoculars will be focusing on West Virginia's five guys blocking up front. Aside from the obvious drop-off offensively when Grier missed the Mountaineers' last three games of the season, the team's offensive line play really struggled down the stretch - even before Grier was lost for the rest of the season with a broken finger in the first quarter of the Texas game.
Do you remember the Kansas State game when Grier looked like Fran Tarkenton out there, dodging oncoming rushers and scrambling like a whirling dervish making plays and throwing touchdown passes?
With the exception of Iowa State and Oklahoma, the guys up front really had a difficult time moving people once WVU began Big 12 play last season.
That was illustrated by the rushing totals the Mountaineers put up in games against some of the more stout defensive lines they faced last year such as Texas Tech (44 yards), Oklahoma State (62 yards), Texas (56 yards) and Utah (29 yards).
The Utah performance in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl last December was the O-line's low point of the season when the Mountaineers managed just 29 yards rushing on 21 attempts.
Obviously, that's not going to cut it, even with such a prolific passer in Grier.
Earlier this week, Holgorsen indicated his pleasure with the progress his guys up front made during camp, especially his veteran outside players Yodny Cajuste and Colton McKivitz.
"The tackle spots, with Yodny coming back for his fifth year at left tackle and Colton being a three-year starter at right tackle, that allows me to sleep a little better at night knowing we're going to be able to protect Will back there," he said.
In the middle is where Holgorsen said depth was needed, and they've got more of that now with the return of injured center Jacob Buccigrossi and the addition of the Brown brothers, Joe and Michael from Eastern Arizona Community College, at guard.
Joe, the older of the two, weighs almost 360 pounds and uses all of it to his advantage when he's going forward.
"He moves people," veteran offensive line coach Joe Wickline noted last week. "He's what you are looking for there. He's got a great body for an inside guy. He's got a great demeanor. He's physical. He hasn't learned the offense completely yet, and sometimes it looks like he's a little off keel, but that's part of the process."
Wickline also feels a lot better about his other guards Josh Sills and Isaiah Hardy, as well as his two centers Buccigrossi and Matt Jones.
"They're neck and neck, flip a coin," Wickline said of Buccigrossi and Jones. "We evaluate the guys every day. We'll film it and evaluate it as a staff and we'll make adjustments accordingly. It's never over. It's never-ending, whether it's competition for the travel team, a third guard, a third tackle or even a series here and there. You are always competing."
We're not going to get all of the answers this Saturday against Tennessee, but we'll get some of them because the Volunteers return a veteran defensive line and linebacker corps that possesses typical SEC size.
Both of their interior guys are 300-plus pounds, the two edge guys weigh more than 250 and the three linebackers all weigh more than 230 pounds.
Can West Virginia's remodeled offensive line move them?
Can it protect Grier's backside, and, his frontside?
Can it cover up defenders on the first, second and third levels?
Can it handle the things defensive-minded head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer throw at it?
Wickline is interested in seeing it all.
"There is no question we've got our hands full," he said. "They are a typical SEC defense. They've got guys that can run and play, and all of the top defenses in the nation have got players like that. They've got skilled guys, they're thick and they've got a bunch of depth."
Wickline added, "When we try and set our feet I want them all fitted up. When we call a run play I want them all knocked back and I want people covered up on the first level, the second level and the third level.
"There are some expectations game one, well, we've got some guys who need to figure out where they're at," he continued. "We've got some guys that need to be the best they can be because we're still getting it on our end."
These are all things well worth watching, for sure.
Of course, at the top of everyone's list is how Heisman Trophy candidate Will Grier and possibly the deepest and most well-rounded pass-catching corps in WVU history fares against a Volunteer secondary that will have at least one freshman starting at corner.
The reports from fall camp indicate Grier and his receivers are like hand in glove when it comes to being on the same page, and whenever that has happened with Dana Holgorsen-coached football teams, it's truly a sight to behold.
We've also been hearing good things about West Virginia's four tailbacks, all of whom possess slightly different skill sets and abilities. All four have had their moments so far, including true freshman Leddie Brown, which has forced the coaching staff to continue the competition for the starting job right into Saturday.
And it probably won't end once the Tennessee game is over.
There are lots of things to watch out for on defense, too, such as how that much bigger, much more athletic defensive line performs against a downhill-running, smash-mouth SEC offense, or how an older, more experienced secondary is able to complement playmaking outside linebacker David Long Jr.
It doesn't take too long to see that this group is a much more skilled unit than the one last year that gave up 31 ½ points and nearly 450 yards per game.
All of these things are worth keeping an eye on Saturday.
But for me, the binoculars will be focusing on West Virginia's five guys blocking up front. Aside from the obvious drop-off offensively when Grier missed the Mountaineers' last three games of the season, the team's offensive line play really struggled down the stretch - even before Grier was lost for the rest of the season with a broken finger in the first quarter of the Texas game.
Do you remember the Kansas State game when Grier looked like Fran Tarkenton out there, dodging oncoming rushers and scrambling like a whirling dervish making plays and throwing touchdown passes?
With the exception of Iowa State and Oklahoma, the guys up front really had a difficult time moving people once WVU began Big 12 play last season.
That was illustrated by the rushing totals the Mountaineers put up in games against some of the more stout defensive lines they faced last year such as Texas Tech (44 yards), Oklahoma State (62 yards), Texas (56 yards) and Utah (29 yards).
The Utah performance in the Zaxby's Heart of Dallas Bowl last December was the O-line's low point of the season when the Mountaineers managed just 29 yards rushing on 21 attempts.
Obviously, that's not going to cut it, even with such a prolific passer in Grier.
Earlier this week, Holgorsen indicated his pleasure with the progress his guys up front made during camp, especially his veteran outside players Yodny Cajuste and Colton McKivitz.
"The tackle spots, with Yodny coming back for his fifth year at left tackle and Colton being a three-year starter at right tackle, that allows me to sleep a little better at night knowing we're going to be able to protect Will back there," he said.
In the middle is where Holgorsen said depth was needed, and they've got more of that now with the return of injured center Jacob Buccigrossi and the addition of the Brown brothers, Joe and Michael from Eastern Arizona Community College, at guard.
Joe, the older of the two, weighs almost 360 pounds and uses all of it to his advantage when he's going forward.
"He moves people," veteran offensive line coach Joe Wickline noted last week. "He's what you are looking for there. He's got a great body for an inside guy. He's got a great demeanor. He's physical. He hasn't learned the offense completely yet, and sometimes it looks like he's a little off keel, but that's part of the process."Wickline also feels a lot better about his other guards Josh Sills and Isaiah Hardy, as well as his two centers Buccigrossi and Matt Jones.
"They're neck and neck, flip a coin," Wickline said of Buccigrossi and Jones. "We evaluate the guys every day. We'll film it and evaluate it as a staff and we'll make adjustments accordingly. It's never over. It's never-ending, whether it's competition for the travel team, a third guard, a third tackle or even a series here and there. You are always competing."
We're not going to get all of the answers this Saturday against Tennessee, but we'll get some of them because the Volunteers return a veteran defensive line and linebacker corps that possesses typical SEC size.
Both of their interior guys are 300-plus pounds, the two edge guys weigh more than 250 and the three linebackers all weigh more than 230 pounds.
Can West Virginia's remodeled offensive line move them?
Can it protect Grier's backside, and, his frontside?
Can it cover up defenders on the first, second and third levels?
Can it handle the things defensive-minded head coach Jeremy Pruitt and his defensive coordinator Kevin Sherrer throw at it?
Wickline is interested in seeing it all.
"There is no question we've got our hands full," he said. "They are a typical SEC defense. They've got guys that can run and play, and all of the top defenses in the nation have got players like that. They've got skilled guys, they're thick and they've got a bunch of depth."
Wickline added, "When we try and set our feet I want them all fitted up. When we call a run play I want them all knocked back and I want people covered up on the first level, the second level and the third level.
"There are some expectations game one, well, we've got some guys who need to figure out where they're at," he continued. "We've got some guys that need to be the best they can be because we're still getting it on our end."
These are all things well worth watching, for sure.
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