Sunday Morning Thoughts: The Best Option at QB, 2nd Half Offensive Woes + More
West Virginia survived against Virginia Tech on Saturday when the Hokies had the ball inside the five and threatening to take the lead with a minute left in the game after Jarret Doege threw an interception on a tunnel screen.
The Mountaineers were in full control leading 27-7 in the 2nd half before the Hokies made their comeback to give WVU a scare. Judging from the documented offensive struggles this team has had under Neal Brown, you could see this coming.
After scoring 24 points in the first half, WVU only managed to muster up three points in the second half. This now drops their 2nd half points per game to just 9.1 points in 22 games under Neal Brown vs Power Five opponents. I highlighted this a couple of weeks ago in the loss to Maryland where the Mountaineers also put up just three points.
A lack of scoring in the 2nd half is becoming a trend for West Virginia. This will tend to lead to losing several games, especially in the Big 12 where you have to score points to win. You can't just rely on your defense to bail you out time and time again.
How does this get fixed?
Well, first of all, it all comes down to execution. The offensive line did a really good job of protecting for Doege in the first half, opened up big lanes in the running game for Leddie Brown but then got worked in the 2nd half. Everyone wants to blame Doege for the fumble but if you go back and look at the protection, it was bad. TyJuan Garbutt blew right by left tackle Brandon Yates and I'm not sure he even got a hand on him. To me, that fumble is on the left tackle, you have to protect your quarterback's blindside, especially in that situation where you're only up two scores.
The other gripe I have with the 2nd half offense is the lack of creativity in the play-calling. I thought Neal Brown called a really good first half. He was aggressive, mixed things up, had really good designs with his offensive line and tight ends up front, and kept Virginia Tech off balance. Fast forward to the 3rd quarter and all of that went out of the window. He took a conservative approach by putting the ball on the ground maybe a little too much to eat up clock. Even Brown himself admitted that he probably "took the air out of the ball a little too early".
I'm not saying a lack of creativity as in there needs to be flea flickers, double passes, double reverses, or any other trick plays. They just need to show more window dressing before the play and get the defense confused. Don't run the same concept continuously, just move guys around, put in different protections up front and give Doege different looks in the passing game.
As far as the quarterback situation goes, I hate to be the bearer of bad news but Jarret Doege came into this game as West Virginia's best option and he left this game as West Virginia's best option. I know, I know, the "he nearly lost the game" stuff that's all over Twitter and Facebook. Let me ask you this, do you want Garrett Greene in as the full-time starter when Neal Brown openly admitted last week that he doesn't know how to read a defense yet? This team's margin of error is small, throwing Greene into that role is completely unfair to him and his development. Greene played baseball nearly year round in high school. He didn't go to 7 on 7s, didn't do much of the camp circuit, and played in an offensive system that was mainly run-based. He wasn't asked to go through progressions, meaning he was essentially an athlete playing quarterback.
I'm not pounding on the table for Doege to remain as QB1. If there were a better option available right now, sure, make the change. The reality is, there's not. At least not yet. Despite his poor deep ball accuracy, lack of mobility, and questionable decision-making from time to time, Doege gives the Mountaineers the best chance to win. Plain and simple. Go ahead, throw Greene to the wolves, ruin his confidence, and then fans will start clamoring to see "Goose" Crowder. Then it will be Nicco Marchiol once he arrives in 2022. It's a never-ending cycle and unless the starter is a star, the young backup will always be the most popular player on the team. This isn't USC where they legitimately have three five-star quarterbacks on their depth chart (Kedon Slovis, Miller Moss, Jaxson Dart). Greene may end up being a five-star talent down the road but he's got several steps to take before he is fully prepared to be the full-time starter.
Even though Doege gives them the best chance to win, Garrett Greene still needs to be in the game at certain points. His athleticism can't be wasted by standing on the sidelines for the entire game. Give him a few packages to work with including the goal line where it can expand what you can call offensively. That said, Greene can't just be a running quarterback when he's in the game. Having a one-dimensional quarterback is one thing but to have two one-dimensional quarterbacks makes it even easier for opposing defensive coordinators. Give him easy reads, throw in some RPOs so it comes easy to him. This will ease him into that starting role instead of just trotting him out there and hoping it's better than what Doege is giving you.
Lastly, this was a huge win for Neal Brown and arguably the biggest win of his tenure at West Virginia. Blowing a 20-point lead at home against a rival would not have set well with the fanbase. Not to mention having a 1-2 record and hitting the road to take on a top five Oklahoma team next week. I think we all know that outcome, unfortunately.
Beating Virginia Tech doesn't mean Brown is back in a safe spot but it certainly helps him out. Given that AD Shane Lyons recently gave Brown a contract extension, I don't see Brown actually getting on any form of a hot seat unless they only win three or four games. Lyons trusts Neal Browns and wants to see it through.
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