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COLLEGE PREVIEW
WVU looks to keep pace despite quarterback change
West Virginia's Jarrett Brown, left, drops back to pass as Syracuse's A.J. Brown (17) defends during the third quarter of an NCAA college football game Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008 in Morgantown, W.Va. West Virginia won 17-6.
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia fell short of expectations in coach Bill Stewart's first full season and the challenge will be even greater in the post-Pat White era.
Stewart is counting on running back Noel Devine and longtime backup quarterback Jarrett Brown to help soften White's departure to the NFL and keep the Mountaineers in the chase for a third Bowl Championship Series berth in five seasons.
West Virginia could easily become mediocre after the graduation of White, the most prolific rushing quarterback in NCAA history who went 34-8 as a starter, including 4-0 in bowls. But recent history shows the Mountaineers have found a way to replace one marquee playmaker with another.
After running back Amos Zereoue and then record-setting passer Marc Bulger left for the NFL in the late 1990s, Avon Cobourne rewrote many of Zereoue's rushing records. Quarterback Rasheed Marshall was the Big East offensive player of the year in 2004. Steve Slaton eclipsed many of Cobourne's marks and became an all-American in 2006.
White surpassed them all.
"How do we replace Patrick White?" Stewart said. "Sooner or later, graduation was going to get us. Graduation did what our opponents couldn't do -- stop Patrick White. It's inevitable, but it's a good thing, too, because it keeps new blood in the program and brings about new adventures."
It promises to be an adventure with Devine, a junior looking to add to last year's rushing total of 1,289 yards, the eighth best in school history. He's the league's top returning back with Connecticut's Donald Brown and Pittsburgh's LeSean McCoy off to the NFL.
But Devine will have to tiptoe his way around an offensive line that returns only three players with starting experience.
"All I can do is help my team out and everything will fall into place," Devine said.
Brown has appeared in 24 games, including two starts. He's both struggled at times and shown brilliance, completing 65 percent of his career passes with five touchdowns and four interceptions. He's averaged 5.7 yards per rushing attempt and scored seven times on the ground, including a 51-yard TD.
"This is Jarrett Brown's football team," Stewart said. "I don't have a concern other than the fact I'd love to keep him healthy."
That philosophy didn't work with White. The Mountaineers were a Top 10 team in the 2008 preseason but started 1-2 and White spent much of the season injured. Cincinnati earned its first Big East title and West Virginia ended up 9-4 and in a three-way tie for second place, a disappointment in a year of national championship hopes.
Stewart has tweaked the spread offense and plans to occasionally use big backs and tight ends in the I formation, especially in short yardage situations. He wants to throw the ball more on first down to take the focus off Devine.
"Are we going to turn into the BYU of the East? Absolutely not," Stewart said.
The coach also doesn't want Brown feeling the need to hurry his throws or complete every pass.
"I told him, it's OK to punt," Stewart said. "I don't want him turning the ball over. If we don't do that, we'll have a chance."
Putting points on the scoreboard in White's wake isn't the main concern for Stewart. Ball control is.
Opponents held the ball nearly two minutes longer each game last year. The Mountaineers converted only 42 percent of the time on third down and 31 percent on fourth. Stewart is counting on sophomore tight end Tyler Urban and fullback Ryan Clarke to contribute in that regard.
"I want to make sure those third downs we missed last year, those fourth downs we missed, we've got to get them," Stewart said.
West Virginia's defense returns nine players with previous starts, including linebacker Reed Williams, the team's leading tackler in 2007 who redshirted last season with shoulder injuries. Stewart plans to blitz more and hopes to cut down on allowing long drives.
Special teams could be the biggest question mark. Pat McAfee, the school's all-time points leader, has graduated and his kicking and punting duties are being split up among several candidates.
Stewart also wants to improve tackling on kickoffs. West Virginia ranked 117th in the Football Bowl Subdivision by allowing 28 yards per kickoff return last year.
The Mountaineers' schedule has six teams that went to bowl games, five from the Big East. There are key conference road games at South Florida, defending league champion Cincinnati and the regular-season finale at Rutgers. A Nov. 27 showdown with preseason favorite Pittsburgh could help decide the league championship.
"The groundwork's been laid," Stewart said. "We just want to maintain what we established last year and grow on that."
