The Charleston Gazette Wrote:Curiosity adds dimension to new Mountaineer season
By Mitch Vingle
Sports Editor
August 29, 2008

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- For Mountain State football fans, this time of year is like New Year's Eve in the Big Apple.

There's excitement because the ball is about to drop.

Too, this season it's a little different in regard to WVU's team. With a new coaching staff, fans and reporters alike possess a healthy dose of curiosity.

We wonder what the Mountaineers will look like offensively when they run onto the field Saturday against Villanova.

Specifically, a wonder is if there's a Will. And if so, is that the way?

The reference is to the story of West Virginia's spring drills: Will Johnson, the hybrid who at times found himself in the backfield with Pat White and Noel Devine.

Johnson missed some of the summer camp with a foot injury and true freshman tight end Tyler Urban became the splash. It will be interesting to see how new offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen uses the pair now that Johnson is back.

"Physically, Will has been given the green light,'' Mullen said Thursday. "He looks well and he's been practicing. He's taken every rep in practice the last week and a half.''

The coordinator said mentally Johnson "has always been fine.'' He's caught up nicely, thank you.

So now we'll see how Mullen uses the H-back (Johnson) and tight end (Urban). Owen Schmitt, the man, the myth, the departed legend, was an H-back/tight end/fullback/slot receiver/tackle/guard/you name it. Replacing him may just take two men.

It's a given that Johnson, a converted wideout, can catch the ball. He's strong enough to block to some degree. He's just not an inside runner.

So it will be interesting to see how much Johnson will be used. A lot? A little? Will Jock Sanders, the slot man, be in the backfield more? Will Urban get the bulk of the time while Johnson sits? Will both play a lot?

WVU has gone against a boatload of defenders in the proverbial box. Going with two backs and a tight end, another blocker, makes sense. Need to spring Devine. Kind of a necessity for this offense, eh?

It will also be interesting to watch what Mullen does with the promised motion. Former coach Rich Rodriguez was not a big motion guy.

But when you have an H-back and a tight end and you're trying to get numbers with the speed of Devine and White, that added dimension of motion could prove lethal to opponents.

Oh yes, and the new 40-second play clock also adds intrigue to WVU's season.

In case you missed it, the NCAA rules committee voted to implement a 40/25-second play clock similar to what the NFL uses. Instead of using a 25-second clock that doesn't start until officials mark the ball ready for play, college football will now use a 40-second clock that will start at the end of the preceding play. The 25-second clock will continue to be used on the first play following a change of possession, as well as after penalties, measurements and timeouts.

The thought from here is that could really help West Virginia. A lot.

Under Rodriguez's hurry-up system, with the freeze/check-with-me setup, the 40-second clock may have had little bearing on the Mountaineer offense.

But Mullen has a chance here to really use the football intellect of White, a senior. The QB will be able to quickly set his team and then study the defense. It also allows him to control the tempo of the game, depending on the score. White can speed up the tempo to throw off the defense or he can milk the clock if WVU is ahead.

Should be fun to watch. The way Mullen uses Johnson and/or Urban. The way he uses Sanders. The way motion is integrated into the offense. The way White uses the new play clock. How about that vertical passing game? Fact or fiction?

On Saturday, we'll begin to learn about it all.

Drop the ball.

Reach Mitch Vingle at (304) 348-4827 or mitchvingle@wvgazette.com.