MORGANTOWN - It goes without saying that Bill Stewart would like to have seen a bit more offensive production from his West Virginia football team during Saturday's final practice of preseason camp.
Then again, he has no one but himself to blame for running 79 plays without a touchdown.
That's because the No. 1 offense on Saturday didn't include Noel Devine or Jock Sanders. The tailback with the first group, Zach Hulce, might be no better than No. 4 on the depth chart and the slot receivers, Carmen Connelly and Jack Crow, are not to be confused with Sanders and Dorrell Jalloh. The No. 2 offense was stripped of Jarrett Brown. Bradley Starks didn't play a down at either quarterback or wide receiver.
Is it any wonder that the only points that came of those 79 plays were two field goals by Pat McAfee and a third by Chris Glenn?
Stewart wasn't concerned at all.
"No, because we scored a bunch all spring,'' Stewart said. "I know this: If we put [Pat White and Devine] in there and just run the belly option all day we'll score more than one touchdown.''
The idea of keeping so many key elements of the offense out of the scrimmage was, naturally, to make sure that when the season begins in two weeks Stewart will have the option of doing just that. White, the Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback, played throughout the scrimmage, but with a no-contact gold jersey on. Devine and Sanders had the same jerseys on for the drills portion of the practice, but didn't even line up for the scrimmage.
Brown and Starks, meanwhile, were given the scrimmage off just to make sure they didn't aggravate previous hamstring injuries.
The absence of Devine and Sanders changes the entire complexion of West Virginia's offense, removing the star tailback (Devine), the most dangerous slot receiver (Sanders), the backup tailback (Sanders again) and the lethal 1-2-3 punch of lining up a backfield of White, Devine and Sanders. When the Mountaineers tried that on Saturday, the combination was a considerably less-threatening White, Hulce and Connelly.
"Both can play. Both are good. Both are mad at me,'' Stewart said of Devine and Sanders, the two 5-foot-9 sparkplugs. "That's OK. I can handle those two little munchkins. It would be like watching midget wrestling.''
The absence of all of those regulars did, of course, serve an invaluable service in giving a few others a chance to make a mark, particularly at tailback, where the Mountaineers are desperately searching for a backup to Devine but seem committed to using Sanders in that role until and unless someone else steps up.
Well, someone did on Saturday, but it was neither of the candidates who have been vying for the spot all through camp - junior college transfer Hulce and true freshman Terence Kerns. Hulce was given the tailback spot with the No. 1 offense Saturday and didn't make any major mistakes, but nor did he jump out. Kerns worked with the No. 2 offense and seems mired in an ongoing exercise to master his assignments.
There is apparently a new candidate, though. True freshman Mark Rodgers, who was sent to work with the slot receivers for most of the preseason, has been given more and more work with the tailbacks of late and on Saturday had the longest play of the scrimmage - a 30-yard run with the No. 1 offense that led to a 32-yard McAfee field goal.
Almost ironically, a few plays later Kerns fumbled a handoff from freshman quarterback Coley White, further pushing him into the background.
"The guy that really caught my eye today was Mark Rodgers,'' Stewart said. "You see a couple of big runs he made? That was special. We've got to see that.''
Stewart later said that if the season were to start today, Rodgers would probably be the first tailback to get a chance after Devine and Sanders. The idea is to ultimately have the winner of that battle for No. 3 step into the backup role and allow Sanders to play full time in the slot.
"We've got two weeks to go, but right now Rodgers would probably be the guy,'' Stewart said. "We'll move him over there [to tailback during practice] and see what he can do.''
All in all, Stewart said, he was pleased with the way the two-week preseason camp ended and figures his team is in perfect position as classes begin Monday and the opener with Villanova creeps up on Aug. 30.
"We're where we need to be,'' Stewart said. "We have two weeks to get ready for our first opponent. That's where our focus is and that's where it should be.''
BRIEFLY: Jalloh missed the final workout after developing an infection in his foot and ankle. ... Tight end Tyler Urban might not just play as a true freshman, he appears very likely to start as the first true tight end on the field. He worked with the No. 1 offense Saturday, as did walk-on tight end-fullback Ricky Kovatch, playing in place of injured Will Johnson. ... Freshman Robert Sands got some work with the No. 1 defense at free safety during pass skeleton drills, but Eain Smith was the starter during the scrimmage. ... Devine and Sanders appear to be all but sure things as the No. 1 kickoff returners, backed up by Eddie Davis and Ellis Lankster.
Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
MORGANTOWN - It goes without saying that Bill Stewart would like to have seen a bit more offensive production from his West Virginia football team during Saturday's final practice of preseason camp.
Then again, he has no one but himself to blame for running 79 plays without a touchdown.
That's because the No. 1 offense on Saturday didn't include Noel Devine or Jock Sanders. The tailback with the first group, Zach Hulce, might be no better than No. 4 on the depth chart and the slot receivers, Carmen Connelly and Jack Crow, are not to be confused with Sanders and Dorrell Jalloh. The No. 2 offense was stripped of Jarrett Brown. Bradley Starks didn't play a down at either quarterback or wide receiver.
Is it any wonder that the only points that came of those 79 plays were two field goals by Pat McAfee and a third by Chris Glenn?
Stewart wasn't concerned at all.
"No, because we scored a bunch all spring,'' Stewart said. "I know this: If we put [Pat White and Devine] in there and just run the belly option all day we'll score more than one touchdown.''
The idea of keeping so many key elements of the offense out of the scrimmage was, naturally, to make sure that when the season begins in two weeks Stewart will have the option of doing just that. White, the Heisman Trophy candidate quarterback, played throughout the scrimmage, but with a no-contact gold jersey on. Devine and Sanders had the same jerseys on for the drills portion of the practice, but didn't even line up for the scrimmage.
Brown and Starks, meanwhile, were given the scrimmage off just to make sure they didn't aggravate previous hamstring injuries.
The absence of Devine and Sanders changes the entire complexion of West Virginia's offense, removing the star tailback (Devine), the most dangerous slot receiver (Sanders), the backup tailback (Sanders again) and the lethal 1-2-3 punch of lining up a backfield of White, Devine and Sanders. When the Mountaineers tried that on Saturday, the combination was a considerably less-threatening White, Hulce and Connelly.
"Both can play. Both are good. Both are mad at me,'' Stewart said of Devine and Sanders, the two 5-foot-9 sparkplugs. "That's OK. I can handle those two little munchkins. It would be like watching midget wrestling.''
The absence of all of those regulars did, of course, serve an invaluable service in giving a few others a chance to make a mark, particularly at tailback, where the Mountaineers are desperately searching for a backup to Devine but seem committed to using Sanders in that role until and unless someone else steps up.
Well, someone did on Saturday, but it was neither of the candidates who have been vying for the spot all through camp - junior college transfer Hulce and true freshman Terence Kerns. Hulce was given the tailback spot with the No. 1 offense Saturday and didn't make any major mistakes, but nor did he jump out. Kerns worked with the No. 2 offense and seems mired in an ongoing exercise to master his assignments.
There is apparently a new candidate, though. True freshman Mark Rodgers, who was sent to work with the slot receivers for most of the preseason, has been given more and more work with the tailbacks of late and on Saturday had the longest play of the scrimmage - a 30-yard run with the No. 1 offense that led to a 32-yard McAfee field goal.
Almost ironically, a few plays later Kerns fumbled a handoff from freshman quarterback Coley White, further pushing him into the background.
"The guy that really caught my eye today was Mark Rodgers,'' Stewart said. "You see a couple of big runs he made? That was special. We've got to see that.''
Stewart later said that if the season were to start today, Rodgers would probably be the first tailback to get a chance after Devine and Sanders. The idea is to ultimately have the winner of that battle for No. 3 step into the backup role and allow Sanders to play full time in the slot.
"We've got two weeks to go, but right now Rodgers would probably be the guy,'' Stewart said. "We'll move him over there [to tailback during practice] and see what he can do.''
All in all, Stewart said, he was pleased with the way the two-week preseason camp ended and figures his team is in perfect position as classes begin Monday and the opener with Villanova creeps up on Aug. 30.
"We're where we need to be,'' Stewart said. "We have two weeks to get ready for our first opponent. That's where our focus is and that's where it should be.''
BRIEFLY: Jalloh missed the final workout after developing an infection in his foot and ankle. ... Tight end Tyler Urban might not just play as a true freshman, he appears very likely to start as the first true tight end on the field. He worked with the No. 1 offense Saturday, as did walk-on tight end-fullback Ricky Kovatch, playing in place of injured Will Johnson. ... Freshman Robert Sands got some work with the No. 1 defense at free safety during pass skeleton drills, but Eain Smith was the starter during the scrimmage. ... Devine and Sanders appear to be all but sure things as the No. 1 kickoff returners, backed up by Eddie Davis and Ellis Lankster.Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or dphickm...@aol.com.
