The Football Brainiacs

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Happy Friday one and all!  I wanted to get this out to you guys today so we could have a few things to look for from a WVU O-Line standpoint.  Overall they’re a very big, athletic group.  Most of these guys were recruited by Coach Bedenbaugh when he was the O-Line coach there, so understandably their offensive line is full of guys who are built a lot like ours.  They average about 6’4 1/2″ and around 312 lbs.  Quinton Spain is their most seasoned player at left guard, and he is their largest at 6’4″ 332.  Without a doubt this will be the best offensive line we’ve faced to this point.  They’re technically sound, and they are equally adept at both run and pass blocking.

I went back and watched the WVU/Bama game to see how they matched up against a really talented front.  Given some execution mistakes they made with some dropped passes late in the game, they still gave Alabama all they wanted on that opening weekend.  It was on a neutral field, so neither team really had the advantage of the crowd.  For us to go in there tomorrow night and dominate defensively will be a tall task.  Granted, Alabama doesn’t blitz nearly as much as we do. And they rely more on winning one-on-one match-ups while playing a base defense that depends a lot on adjustments and ‘out-athleting’ you at every position.

Meanwhile, Monty and Stoops want to win one-on-one match-ups too, but they’ll overload a side and do a lot of zone blitzing. Plus, I believe our linebackers are better than Bama’s and we also have some special players across our front in Phillips, Tapper and Chuka has really come into his own this year as well.  A’Shawn Robinson is the nose for Bama and while he’s a good player, Phillips is the guy this will all come down to tomorrow night.  If Phillips can occupy a couple of guys inside and keep our backers clean, we’ll be able to shut down their run game.  If we can do that, then Striker and Geneo will have a field day as well as some safeties like Hayes who we’ve used a lot in the blitz game to this point.

What’s crazy is that as I type this, how often in the past few years have we been able to say our defensive front is better than Alabama’s?  Our ability to have five people on the line of scrimmage against most fronts, with Striker and Geneo on the outside, gives us a lot of versatility to play the run and blitz from a lot of different angles.  Like K said this week, if their run game isn’t working then it will be a long night for them.  They depend a lot on the screen game and deep crosses that isolate your safeties.  Pressure will be the key to this game, but it’s not going to come easily.  This offensive line is physical, athletic, and nasty.  Just what you’d expect from players that Coach B recruited.

We saw Clint Trickett a few years ago as a true freshman back in 2010 against FSU when we knocked E.J. Manuel out of the game.  He’s grown up a lot since then and can play some good ball.  He’s going to get the ball out quickly, so Striker and Geneo will need to change directions quickly in the flats to help with the bubble screen game and conventional screens.  Julian Wilson and Zack Sanchez are going to have to tackle in space really well and if we can do that, we’ll be okay.  I expect Kevin White, who goes 6’3″ 210, on the outside at receiver to try to test Sanchez’s shoulder early.  He’s a big receiver much like Sammy Watkins who played for Clemson.

One of two things is going to happen.  We’re going to come out and play clean, get some stops/turnovers early, and force them to be reliant on the pass game. Which if that’s the case, we’ll win in long yardage and known passing downs.  But I tell you what, if we come out not getting stops and let them score a few times then it’s gonna be a dog fight.  West Virginia is a heck of a lot better than they get credit for.  That O-Line is a good one and we will be tested.  If we dominate this team, then we’ll know we are a truly special unit.  If we don’t…it’ll be a nail-biter down to the end.  Our O-Line will have to out perform theirs and keep them off the field to allow our defense rest.  Some sacks, three and outs, turnovers will be what they need.  If West Virginia has a weakness, it’s Trickett wanting to hold the ball to long if his initial read isn’t there.  That’s not good for them.  I’m ready for kickoff.