MAILBAG: QB1 at TCU, A 'Bust' Transfer?, What's Wrong With the Offense? + More

From @Mountiealum97:

Q: Why is our pass offense so bad and how come we cannot get vertical downfield? Was Devon Carter pick up a bust? Why isn’t Rodney Gallagher being utilized more? Speed kills and we seem to be lacking it.

A: My answer is that I really don't have an answer. I think the receivers are struggling to get open/understand leverage which is hurting the quarterback play. Protection isn't an issue from what I can see. There have been a few plays where Nicco held onto the ball for far too long, but that's not the root of the issue. He's making the right decisions/reads for the most part. The receivers just have to do a better job of getting separation earlier in the play. As for Carter and Gallagher, whew. Good questions. I think Carter was brought in for a very specific role and that's to be the home run threat. They haven't used him in that way yet and it shows when they ask him to do things that aren't considered strengths of his. Gallagher is still learning the offense, so I expect he'll see more time as we go but he needs to get on the field more. I agree.

From @eer2eternity:

Q: Is the WVU defense really playing better than they did against Penn St or did they get lucky because of terrible QB play in the Pitt game and not great QB and WR play by Texas Tech?

A: It's a little bit of both. They are playing much better in coverage and the front seven has been flat-out dominant. That said, things could've been different on Saturday if Tyler Shough had played the whole game. I understand he didn't do much of anything when he was in, but he's a veteran quarterback. He would have figured it out at some point. I don't think he would have left nearly as many plays on the field as Behren Morton did. And I'm not trying to take anything away from the defense because I do think they are legit. This has the potential of being the best group Jordan Lesley has had.

From @wvufan2023:

Q: Has the defense or offense impressed you more so far? Also, which side needs to work on some things for us to have a complete game?

A: The offense has severely underwhelmed. A good portion of that is on the passing game and that's to be expected with a redshirt freshman quarterback essentially running the offense for two full games. With Greene, it could be a different story. Time will tell. But more importantly, I don't think the run game has been as strong as it could be. They've had success, sure, but they have more in them. I've been completely surprised by the defense. I knew they would improve because it would be difficult to be as bad as they were a year ago. But I didn't expect the front seven to play as well as they have. I thought they would be a big concern and the secondary would be vastly improved. It's the other way around.

From @mgtnquasar:

Q: Who do you predict to start next week, Nicco or Garrett? If Nicco starts, does the playbook get opened up for him any more than this week?

A: Great question. If Garrett can get close to being himself, I'd venture to say he's the guy. How close is he? I mean, he did warm up on Saturday and although he had a noticeable limp, he looked ahead of where I thought he would be. Ankle injuries are tricky to gauge. One day it could look like he's on track to play and then one day he could have a setback. We won't really know until Thursday/Friday. If he is unable to go, I actually think we see a similar game plan to the past two weeks. That's how they've won, so why change it? It's ugly, but it works. Regardless, I think Neal will take a few more shots downfield considering how bad TCU has been against the pass but they'll stick to their identity by running the football and playing good defense.

From @WVUExtremist:

Q: Where is Jacolby Spells?

A: He's developing still. He was thrown into action before he was ready a year ago and it kind of heightened expectations from the fans when he had the pick-six at Virginia Tech. He has a long way to go defensively, but he'll continue to make an impact on special teams. Not time to sound the alarm for him just yet.

From @annonmike:

Q: What changes do you think have to be made to get the offense moving since only averaged 233 yards total over the last 2 games?

A: Well, for starters, it would help to get Garrett Greene back. Nicco has done a decent job, but you can tell there's a clear separation between the two. We've only seen Greene against a really good Penn State defense and Duquesne. I'd like to think he would have helped mend some of the offensive issues in the past two games. Secondly, someone, and I mean SOMEONE has to step up at receiver. All of these scholarship high school guys and transfers, yet it's three former walk-ons, Hudson Clement, Preston Fox, and Graeseon Malashevich who are on the field.

You can follow us for future coverage by liking us on Facebook & following us on X:

Facebook - @MountaineersNow

X - @MountaineersNow and Schuyler Callihan at @Callihan_.