MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Picked to start the season inside the Top 25, West Virginia’s football team has plenty of hype to live up to this season. With a Heisman Trophy candidate at quarterback, one of the nation’s top receiving corps and an experienced defense, the Mountaineers open camp this week amid a host of expectations.
As Dana Holgorsen leads his team onto the field for his eighth season, let’s take a look at some top storylines heading into the 2018 campaign.
CAN GRIER TAKE IT ALL THE WAY?
Revered by fans as West Virginia’s savior, Will Grier faces what may be the biggest mountain of expectations for any player on this Mountaineer team. Sure, West Virginia has had Heisman Trophy candidates before like Geno Smith, but the argument can be made that no Mountaineer has ever had this much hype.
Grier, though, seems poised to handle those expectations.
The redshirt senior quarterback says the right things and by all means makes the plays to back it up on the field. He’s a coach’s son who works well with his offensive coordinator. By his own admission, his sole focus this offseason has been to break down film and fix mistakes made from a year ago.
That’s said every season, I know. But you get a feeling that Grier means it.
This offense will live and die by No. 7. Trust me, there’s no one behind him on the depth chart who can make anywhere near the impact that he will have running the show. He’s shown the ability to make plays with his feet when things break down, and he’s shown patience in the pocket. And, of course, he loves to sling it deep.
The Big 12 is lacking superstar quarterbacks like Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph. Offensive firepower surely won’t be at a premium in the offense-heavy league, but Grier gives West Virginia the chance to lead the way.
There’s a very good chance West Virginia meets Oklahoma at the end of the season without a single blemish on its record if it can find a way to get past Bill Snyder’s technically sound Kansas State team and Gary Patterson’s hard-nosed TCU squad.
Again, the Mountaineers live and die by Grier in my book.
CAN THE OFFENSIVE LINE THROW ITS WEIGHT AROUND?
There’s a bigger group up front this year for West Virginia, and on paper that seems like a positive. But weight means little more than just being a big body to push through if the aggressiveness doesn’t match up.
West Virginia has a stable of running backs that could certainly flourish behind these big bodies with a solid one-two punch of Kennedy McKoy and Martell Petteway. As mentioned, Grier has been able to show scrambling capability when he needs to, too. But keeping all of those guys healthy will be the task of an offensive line that has oftentimes been pushed around.
The hogmollies up front will be the key to offensive success in the long run. Grier will find ways to keep plays alive, and the running backs are bound to create their own space, but it’s much easier, obviously, to sustain long-term success over the course of a long season in the Big 12 when the big men have your back.
KEY TO THE DEFENSE? GET TO THE QB.
West Virginia’s secondary has oftentimes looked like swiss cheese against pass-heavy offenses in the Big 12. But that’s not always to blame on the guys in the defensive backfield.
The Mountaineers inability to get to opposing quarterbacks has a lot to do with that. I think that could change this season.
With the addition of big-name transfers Jabril Robinson and Kenny Bigelow among the defensive line, West Virginia has a chance to wreak havoc on opposing signal callers this season. Add players like Ezekiel Rose, Reese Donahue and Darius Stills into the mix and it could be a recipe for defensive success for West Virginia.
CAN SPECIAL TEAMS FINALLY BE SPECIAL?
It’s no secret West Virginia has struggled in just about every facet of special teams as of late except for maybe punting the football. There hasn’t been a dead-eye kicker since Josh Lambert walked away from the team in 2016, and coverage issues along with lack of return yards have plagued West Virginia for awhile.
Face it, there’s no Tavon Austin on this team.
But, Holgorsen says he’s committing more of his time to taking care of those issues. Oftentimes an overlooked aspect of the game, special teams have cost West Virginia in plenty of big losses over the years, so getting it right would go a long way.
The Mountaineers still have Billy Kinney at punter, so they’re in good hands there. But kicker? All you need to know is that the current roster has five kickers listed.