West Virginia University Preview
By Kevin Kinder
Blue and Gold News

In the 1980s, West Virginia built its national reputation on strong defense and a punishing running game. The arrival of alumnus Rich Rodriguez in 2001 hailed what many thought would be a wide open offensive attack, but Mountaineer highlight films have been more "Back To The Future" than "Top Gun." That figures to continue in 2005, as a loaded running game and a veteran defense, combined with a new quarterback and an inexperienced receiving corps, will have the Mountaineers pounding the ball on the ground much of the time.

Led by returnees Jason Colson and Pernell Williams, WVU could exceed last year's run-pass ratio, which saw the Mountaineers keep the ball on the ground 70% of the time. That's probably not a bad choice, either, as the Mountaineers should have another powerful offensive line to help fuel the ground attack. Newcomers at running back, including Jason Gwaltney, Steve Slaton and Jetavious Best, will make for a competitive situation in the West Virginia backfield.

The passing game, long a sore spot, faces new challenges. Rodriguez will spend the first couple weeks of camp identifying a replacement for departed quarterback Rasheed Marshall. Further complicating the development of an aerial attack is a group of wideouts that, collectively, had just 11 receptions a year ago.

The defense, despite the loss of stalwarts such as PacMan Jones, could be better than last year. Overall team speed is up, and a number of new faces made significant contributions during the spring. West Virginia will be stingy against the run, and the pass defense could be improved if the Mountaineers can improve on their total of 24 sacks of the season past.

Perhaps the deepest unit is the defensive line, where no fewer than eight players could earn significant playing time. Led by the anticipated starting unit of Keilein Dykes, Craig Wilson and Ernest Hunter, this could be the best group in the conference. Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel was pleasantly surprised by the improvement of the linebackers during the spring, although speed may be an issue.

The back end of WVU's 3-3-5 defense could be the best in the young Rodriguez era. Eric Wicks and Mike Lorello, pairing at the strong safety positions, provide an excellent combination of size, speed and football savvy, while four returnees could make the cornerback position better overall than last season, despite the loss of Jones.

Mountaineers Season Keys

Key Big East Game:
Louisville, Oct. 15
The Cardinals will travel to Morgantown as conference favorites, looking to establish their credibility with a win in the league's toughest venue.

Key out-of-conference game:
at Maryland, Sept. 17
Since 1980, WVU has won this game 13 times, and in those seasons has gone to 11 bowl games. In the 12 seasons in which the Terps won? Just four WVU bowl appearances.

Top newcomer:
RB Jason Gwaltney
WVU won a recruiting battle with Southern Cal and Ohio State for Gwaltney. He won't waltz into the starting job, however, as running back is the deepest position on the team.

Player on the hotseat:
WR Brandon Myles
In the effort to create a balanced offensive attack, junior wide receiver Brandon Myles is the player that will have to make it happen. Injuries and a lack of confidence have hampered him.

Offensive gamebreaker:
QB Pat White
The QB candidate and Alabama native has all the speed of Rasheed Marshall, along with four times the moves.

Defensive gamebreaker:
S Mike Lorello
Almost one-sixth of his stops were behind the line of scrimmage in 2004, and he hits like an inside linebacker. He'll line-up in different spots to take advantage of his aggressiveness.