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With Grier, experienced WVU tackles high expectations
Jerry Larson
FILE – In this Oct. 21, 2017, file photo, West Virginia quarterback Will Grier (7) throws a pass in the first half of an NCAA college football game in Waco, Texas. Grier, a former transfer into the league, has gone from being a top Big 12 newcomer as a junior last season to a preseason player of the year as a senior in 2018. Grier, the former Florida QB, threw for 317 yards per game last season in 11 games for the Mountaineers before a season-ending hand injury. (AP Photo/Jerry Larson, File)
Rod Aydelotte
FILE – In this Oct. 21, 2017, file photo, West Virginia wide receiver David Sills V, left, scores past Baylor cornerback Grayland Arnold and safety Taion Sells, right, in the second half of an NCAA college football game in Waco, Texas. West Virginia will play Utah in the Heart of Dallas Bowl Tuesday, Dec. 26. (Rod Aydelotte/Waco Tribune-Herald via AP, File)
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With preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year Will Grier at quarterback and top wide receiver David Sills V also back, West Virginia is considered one of the league’s favorites. Mountaineers head coach Dana Holgorsen knows that will lead to plenty of questions about handling expectations.
“We welcome expectations. Heck, you want ’em to talk about you,” Holgorsen said. “I don’t care where you’re picked. Doesn’t matter, there’s pressure everywhere, pressure to live up to the expectations or pressure to create expectations, and I think our guys are old. I think our coaching staff has tremendous continuity, been around.”
Grier, the former Florida quarterback, threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns at WVU before breaking the middle finger on his throwing hand when diving for the end zone in the 11th game last season. Sills had 60 catches for 980 yards and a nation-best 18 touchdowns.
Holgorsen didn’t hesitate giving his blessing to a Heisman Trophy campaign for Grier. The coach said that he “would never approve a campaign unless I felt like a player can handle it.”
Holgorsen says spring football showed the game slowing down for Grier and that he “knows that he’s got a lot of good players around him and that he doesn’t have to go out there and be Superman.”
Having a bunch of older, more mature players is rare for a football team. And WVU them in abundance this year. The Mountaineers’ roster is full of players with senior, redshirt senior, redshirt junior next to their names.
“Just from an overall maturity standpoint, this team is light years ahead of any of the teams I’ve had since I’ve been here,” Holgorsen said.
West Virginia heads into the season with a plethora of weapons – 38 returning lettermen, including 20 starters (seven on offense, six on defense and most of its specialists) from a year ago.
Holgorsen’s best recruiting job probably took place last December when he secured the services of Grier, Sills and offensive tackle Yodny Cajuste for another year. Add to them senior wide receiver Gary Jennings, three other starters on the offensive line and a stable of running backs and offensive coordinator Jake Spavital has the ingredients for a record-setting offense that should not be short on yards or points.
Last year, the offense finished No. 13 nationally in passing, No. 20 in total offense, No. 22 in scoring offense and No. 25 in first-down offense and yards per completion.
In the backfield, juniors Kennedy McCoy and Martell Pettaway and redshirt freshman Alex Sinkfeld will share the carries. McKoy rushed for 596 yards and seven touchdowns a season ago.
Led by All-American junior linebacker David Long Jr., senior safety Dravon Askew-Henry and senior lineman Ezekiel Rose, the Mountaineers’ defense returns 18 lettermen.
Long Jr. is the top returning tackler and had the a team-high 16.5 tackles for loss. He had a school record seven tackles for loss against Oklahoma State.
Askew-Henry has started every game in his career (39) and was the fourth-leading tackler last year. Rose led the Mountaineers’ defense with 4.5 sacks.
“We understand we have a very mature group. There is a lot of excitement within us. There have been times when I really didn’t want vacation to end, and we were all excited when vacation ended this year,” Holgorsen said. “We were all ready to get to work.”
Holgorsen, in his eighth season, believes the Mountaineers not only have talent but the passion, experienced leadership and work ethic to challenge for the Big 12 title and make noise on the national stage.
“We have a dozen or so old guys that I feel really good about. They have a very strong presence and they’re going to make sure this team does what they need to do,” Holgorsen said. o