Pokes Report Big 12 Preview: West Virginia
Publisher's Note: This is the first of nine previews on all of the Big 12 teams competing with Oklahoma State during the pandemic season of 2020. Zach Lancaster, Marshall Levenson, and myself will take you through our own virtual Big 12 Media Days in lieu of the Big 12 staging one.
The West Virginia Mountaineers won't be down for long. Oklahoma State fans can remember to last season when late in the year West Virginia plugged in Jarrett Doege at quarterback and Neal Brown had started to get through to his team and Oklahoma State, albeit without Spencer Sanders at quarterback, had to fight to the final play for a 20-13 win on the road. This season the Cowboys will open Big 12 play in the COVID-19 modified schedule with the Mountaineers in Stillwater on Sept. 26. Oklahoma State will have a former Mountaineer on their side in offensive left guard Josh Sills.
How have they handled COVID-19?
The Mountaineers have apparently handled COVID-19 well with their team given the virus it's proper respect and how letting it control the situation would eliminate the chance to play football this season.
Brown is a passionate coach like he was in arguing this official's call last season in the loss to Oklahoma State, but he is a very effective leader.
USA Today Sports Images - Ben Queen
Head coach Neal Brown credited his Director of Football Operations Patrick Johnson, WVU team doctor A.J. Monseau and head athletic trainer Vince Blankenship with the inspiration to do many things that are normally done inside and go outside with them where they could be conducted more safely. The Mountaineers have moved their training room, where they do the pre-practice taping outside where there is more fresh air and more people can be accommodated more safely. The strength staff has also set a smaller weight room under the stands of Milan Puskar Stadium where players can lift in fresh air.
WVU in-stadium weight room
West Virginia University Athletics
West Virginia was practicing in split squads the first two weeks of practice until finally coming together for a full pad and full squad practice on Aug. 21.
Brown preaches, like most Big 12 head coaches, that the onus is on the players to do the right things.
"If the players can act responsibly, the season will be completed successfully. If they can't, there will be problems," Brown said. "It's a right to be on a football team, and you can lose that right," Brown said. "Now, the trust within teammate to teammate is so important, and when these students are coming back, you saw some of the reports of the house parties and the things like that. Our guys have got to be smart because anytime they choose to do something then they're (potentially) bringing that back to their team."
That first week of classes West Virginia did not have a misstep and was able to continue practicing.
"You are asking them to make mature decisions and a lot of these guys are not to that point in their lives, so you're trying to coach them and you really try to get the veterans help them understand why it's so important," he admitted.
Brown said he preaches to his team COVID-19-related issues virtually every day he's with them. He gives them examples and sends them articles about the virus.
He demands they wear masks whenever they are around each other, and every single team activity is done with an emphasis on minimizing the risk of spreading the virus. He has established a practice environment where there is virtually no interaction indoors where the virus has a much greater chance of spreading. As a result, the football complex is probably the safest place for a player to be right now.
But when they leave, that's when personal responsibility takes over and "we" has to take precedence over "I."
"If it gets to a point where we have guys that are repeat offenders or can't follow the protocols then they can't be a part of this," Brown admitted. "We are going to make those decisions week to week and as long as we continue to stay relatively virus-free then we will continue to add players to our roster because we need them from a practice standpoint."
What are the Mountaineers prospects for success?
There are plenty and I predict that West Virginia will be a surprise team in the Big 12 this season. They did have the issue over the summer with defensive coordinator Vic Koenning, who had to leave after being identified by a player as a coach that was not entirely racially considerate. Fair or unfair, Koenning left and WVU has moved on.
Returning running back Leddie Brown.
USA Today Sports Images - Ben Queen
On offense, West Virginia returns plenty of experienced skill talent. We will get to quarterback below, but Leddie Brown Jr. returns at running back and he had 367-yards and a touchdown rushing last season for an offense that struggled to run the ball. Part of that was offensive line play and it should improve this season. By the way, transfer guard Josh Sills at Oklahoma State was part of the problem last season in that he missed it with a shoulder injury.
Three of the top four receivers return in Sam James, T.J. Simmons, and Sam Ryan. Those three combined last season for 113 receptions and 1,351-yards with six touchdowns. Good numbers.
T.J. Simmons makes a catch against Oklahoma State and is tackled by Tanner McCalister last season.
USA Today Sports Images - Ben Queen
"He's playing with a lot of confidence, and he's playing at a high level," Brown said of James. "Our expectations for him, of course, are sky high. I think he's special. I think he's done everything he's needed to do to put himself in a position to have a big year. He's going to be a key player for us. I think he's more of a complete player, and I'm excited to see what he can do. He's put on some weight, he's added strength and I think his ball skills have improved."
The offensive line returns three starters, but needs new influence regardless after blocking for a whopping 2.6-yards per carry and allowing 21 sacks and producing 4.9-yards per play.
The defense returns both nose tackle and prseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in Darius Stills and his brother Dante Stills. Josh Chandler (weak side) and Dylan Tonkery (middle) return at linebacker where they combined for 108 tackles last season.
Brown is bringing in transfers and, in fact, they are still moving in at this latter date. Where the secondary needs to be rebuilt, Brown has brought in Arizona senior safety and a former Freshman All-American team selection in Scottie Young.
Very productive transfer from Arizona in Scottie Young, who picked off a pass here against Cal.
USA Today Sports Images - Chris Sapio
The 5-foot-11-inch, 201-pounder started all 12 the Wildcats in 2019 when he produced 66 total tackles, broke up four passes and made one pick. In 32 career games, he generated 157 tackles, nine tackles for losses, 12 pass breakups and five interceptions.
"He really made some nice plays (Saturday). I thought he was active and was around the football a lot," Brown said. "I thought his communication skills were really good."
Freshman corner Daryl Porter out of Plantation, Fla. has also been making an impact in practice and could play early and often.
"He's got a chance. He may even be able to break into the lineup," Brown said. "He's definitely going to play. If you keep making plays in practice that's how you are going to earn your way onto the field on Saturdays and so far so good for him."
West Virginia also just added pintsize slot receiver Zack Dobson from Middle Tennessee State. Dobson is 5-8, 165-pounds.
"I think he's dynamic with the ball in his hands," Brown said. "There are some things he's got to get better at. Once he made his decision (to transfer), one of my mentors in the coaching profession is Tony Franklin, who is the offensive coordinator there at Middle Tennessee State and he didn't want him to leave. But once (Dobson) made that decision he really believed in the kid and thought he was special.
"Those type of guys who are dynamic with the ball in their hands … we were limited with what we have in our program, and we felt like offensively and in the return game he can add something for us."
Who could be the Mountaineers diffence maker?
This is the Big 12 and it is a quarterback league. You have to have one in order to be good and I felt that Oklahoma transfer Austin Kendall was just a guy when playing quarterback for the Mountaineers. I felt that in that late game last season that West Virginia woke up on offense and it wasn't easy to do with the lack of a significant running attack.
Doege was 28-of-38 for 307-yards in the 20-13 loss to Oklahoma State last season.
USA Today Sports Images - Ben Queen
Doege's brother played quarterback for Brown when he was offensive coordinator at Texas Tech. Doege is 6-2, 208-pounds and can run the ball a little and has a really good arm. He is still competing with Kendall for the job, but competition is a good thing.
"We threw a lot at them today and for both Doege and Kendall there were some wow moments when they spun it and put it in some tight windows and hit some home runs down the field, and there were some throws that they missed," Brown said early in practice. "I think from a consistency standpoint it was not exactly what we want, but there were some flashes that give you a lot of hope."
Is the new schedule for 2020 better or worse?
As of last Friday, Brown would say his team is not ready to play anybody including the non conference opener on Sept. 12 against Eastern Kentucky.
"If you watched us practice today, it was not impressive," he "Too many guys on the ground and it just looked like we hadn't practiced very much in a physical environment and that's the case. Today was one of the first, real physical days we've had, and we've got to play physical football to have a chance to compete in the Big 12, but it was sloppy today."
Brown would have loved to have the spring like most coaches and he attributes some of the lack of discipline he's seeing to that missing spring football.
"I think that's not just us but probably every football team across the country is dealing with this because you didn't have much of an offseason, so you have a year-long plan to discipline within your program on the football field and it showed today we are not where we need to be from a discipline standpoint," he said. "There were a lot of procedure penalties and just not knowing how to practice."
As for the new conference schedule, West Virginia was supposed to open at home with Kansas State following three non conference games (Florida State, Eastern Kentucky, and Maryland), but now it is a road trip to Stillwater for the opener.
"On Sept. 26 we've got a huge challenge. We go to Stillwater, Oklahoma - a game that came right down to the wire here, and they beat us," Brown said. "We didn't make plays at time and a lot of that had to do with our inability to score in the red zone.
"We are playing the team with probably the most returning talent in our entire conference and once we get into those conference games it's going to be a challenge, but man, just a lot of hope and energy here now that we know the plan. We've got to go attack it."
The next four won't be easy but should give the Mountaineers a chance to build some momentum and confidence. They will host a Baylor team that is not what they were a season ago, not even close. After an open week they host Kansas, travel to Texas Tech, and then host Kansas State.
The final four, especially if the Mountaineers don't have success in the middle, will be tough with a road trip to Texas, home with TCU, an open week, then hosting Oklahoma, and on the road at Iowa State on Dec. 5. That trip to Ames could be rather chilly.
Conclusion:
I think West Virginia will be improved and I think for Mike Gundy and Oklahoma State it will be very good to get WVU early and in Stillwater. The middle is the key as WVU needs to go at least 3-1 in those games and if they do, I predict that West Virginia will finish 5-5, maybe with an upset got 6-4. They will be a better football team.
