First WVU spring game pleases Stewart
By Bill Beckner Jr. | VALLEY NEWS DISPATCH
Sunday, April 20, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- West Virginia football coach Bill Stewart played a cruel joke on his players after Saturday's Gold-Blue spring game at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium.
After a grueling workout before the second-largest crowd (estimated 18,000) ever to watch a spring game at WVU, Stewart told his players it was only halftime and that they had to go back out for Oklahoma drills.
Jaws dropped.
"We believed him at first," said sophomore running back Noel Devine. "Then we laughed. That was just coach being coach."
Said Stewart: "It was my April Fools joke. I tell them, if I don't take the Cub and Boy Scout honor with things, then don't trust me."
Stewart trusted his offense yesterday, particularly the passing game.
Senior quarterback Pat White completed 12 of 16 passes for 133 yards and a touchdown to lead the Gold team to a 59-15 win in the 80-play, controlled scrimmage.
The game used a modified scoring system which awarded points for first downs and defensive stops.
WVU's offense racked up 336 yards.
"There were some mistakes here and there," said redshirt senior linebacker Mortty Ivy, a Gateway graduate. "But we all worked hard, and that's what matters."
The run-first Mountaineers went to the air to move the ball effectively.
"It was a pretty special performance overall," said Stewart, who replaced Rich Rodriguez at the end of last season and guided WVU to a Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma. "I think we showed how fast our defense is and that we have the best kicker/punter in the country in Pat McAfee."
McAfee, a senior who graduated from Plum, kicked four field goals, the longest coming from 47 yards. McAfee plans to hone his punting skills over the summer.
"I am going to go to some camps and learn how to punt," McAfee said. "I think this team has really come together as a unit. We're a close-knit group, maybe more so than last year."
Sophomore slotback Jock Sanders caught six passes for 71 yards. Brandon Hogan caught six balls for 49 yards.
Devine, who is the likely replacement for Steve Slaton as the feature back, carried the ball only six times for 39 yards. He did have a 21-yard gain on which he showed his tremendous speed burst.
Backup quarterback Jarrett Brown was 10 of 15 for 65 yards and a score.
Brown joined the team late because he also plays basketball for the Mountaineers.
"I think we mastered some motion and movement things, but we made some penalties," Stewart said. "I was very pleased with how we pass blocked."
Stewart didn't reveal too much, though.
"There were a lot of films out there," he said. "We didn't want the whole world to see our new attack."
Around the game
Springboard: Sophomore slot receiver Jock Sanders appeared in 13 games last season and will look to become one of Pat White's main targets. The same is true of 6-foot-8 wideout Wes Lyons (Woodland Hills).
Battle: With the graduation of tough-nosed Owen Schmitt, the fullback position appears wide open. Maxwell Anderson, Thor Merrow and Greg Antill are battling for the starting spot.
Fall back: Redshirt freshman Bradley Starks, another versatile athlete who seems tailor-made for the spread offense, has moved from quarterback to receiver, where he should see playing time.
Fresh face: Josh Jenkins, a 6-5, 305-pound offensive lineman, who was the top prep recruit in West Virginia, should push for playing time right away. He is out of Parkersburg High.
Issue: Changes abound with key players and coaches gone. How will the Mountaineers handle a slightly modified system put in place by first-year coach Bill Stewart and his staff?
This article appeared in the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review on Sunday, April 20, 2008.
