While West Virginia fans may be ready to full turn the page to basketball season, there’s still football to be played and things we can learn regarding the present and future of this football program. As the Mountaineers get ready to play their first game at home in nearly a month, let’s look at some of the major storylines as we countdown to kickoff on Saturday night.
1. Coal Rush Environment
The second-annual 'Coal Rush' game featuring the Mountaineer’s black uniforms as a tribute to the coal mining industry in the state of West Virginia is this Saturday night against TCU. Though it came in a loss against Iowa State last season, the atmosphere in Morgantown was special as part of this tribute.
Now, with a reeling team that has lost four games in a row to begin Big 12 play by a combined score of 172-61. It’s hard to predict exactly what the atmosphere of game day will be like in Morgantown. While the Coal Rush may draw fans in, how many will remain if the game gets out of hand early as they have the last several weeks? Will their be boos if the team plays poorly? Will the team feel supported regardless?
2. Intensity & Culture Building
Coach Rodriguez has a way of running a program that is different from other stops that current WVU players have had throughout their collegiate careers. Rodriguez was not happy with his team’s effort and intensity level to start the game against UCF last week. While it takes time to build and establish a preferred culture, how are the players going to respond? Rodriguez has already hinted at the fact that certain players may be getting more reps. Keep an eye on whether or not we will see more fight from the Mountaineers in terms of effort on Saturday night.
3. Changes Along the Offensive Line
While every position group has had its fair share of struggles, none have been more recognized than those of the WVU offensive line. This unit has been scrutinized for their performance each game this season. Rodriguez indicated once more this wk that two reserve offensive linemen will likely see more time on the field in Donovan Haslam and Malik Agbo. Quite frankly, any changes made along the offensive line are welcomed at this point because the personnel units we have seen have not been able to figure out, particularly in pass blocking. WVU gave up seven sacks and eight tackles for loss in the UCF loss. Keep an eye on these two players seeing more reps on Saturday.
4. Offensive Changes Beyond Personnel
Yes, Rich Rodriguez is one of the great offensive minds that college football has seen over the last 20+ years. Coach Rodriguez is known for his invention of the zone read and his utilization of the spread offense. His run-heavy, no-huddle attack is designed to get playmakers the ball in space.
While Rodriguez is certainly not the only to blame, his offense has struggled this season and they're still struggling in the same ways, with the same mistakes. While injuries have hampered this team immensely, there are still capable playmakers on the field for West Virginia – most notably, Cam Vaughn and Rodney Gallagher III. The coaching staff has struggled to get both Gallagher and Vaughn involved in the offense during conference play. These two wideouts have had a combined 17 touches (including a few Gallagher runs) over the last 3 games.
If you are Rich Rodriguez and the coaching staff with a desire to win football games this season, you must find a way to get the football in the hands of your playmakers. What they’ve done through conference play as far as game plan and scheme is concerned, simply isn’t working. Earlier this week, Rodriguez indicated his staff wont "be insane here and try the same thing and hope for different result" and that he and his staff need to "adapt quicker to certain situations." He also indicated he can't just change the entire offensive scheme, but expect him to have some tricks up his sleeve.