The Arrow is Pointing Up: WVU is Playing Championship-Caliber Ball in Two Phases

The most obvious improvement for West Virginia has been its offense and, in particular, its ability to run the football.

As I mentioned earlier this week (with stats to show the comparison is legitimate) Rich Rodriguez has recreated Pat White and Steve Slaton with Mike Hawkins Jr. and Cam Cook. I've seen a lot of folks on social media question how much this team has improved beyond the addition of its dynamic duo, and honestly, I'm not sure why.

The defense has a long way to go, which is obvious. Rich Rodriguez and Zac Alley have each talked about those struggles, each believing that they can find some solutions. But to say that this team has only improved because of two guys is not only inaccurate, but also an unfair slight at those who have helped this team take a step in the right direction.

The offensive line is vastly improved from a year ago, and that's no suprise with Rick Trickett coaching that unit up. Sure, it may not be one of the best o-lines in the country, but for a fully revamped unit (aside from Nick Krahe), they've made huge strides, helping this team become the third-best rushing attack in the country, sitting behind just two of the three service academies that rely on the triple option.

The wide receiving corps has done a terrific job of creating explosive plays in the pass game, coming down with contested catches, which has been a problem for WVU over the past decade, and, most importantly, doing the dirty work on the perimeter to help some of those runs by Hawkins and Cook hit for big gains.

Hawkins may not sling the ball around 30 times a game, but when he does, he takes care of the football, knows when to pull it down and call his own number, and throws his receivers open. He was a big-time talent coming out of high school, and this staff knew that if given an opportunity, he would become a star, especially in this offense. I think sometimes we all forget that Hawkins wasn't this established dual-threat star when he transferred to WVU. The potential was always there, but you have to tip your hat to the staff for identifying him and putting him in a position to be successful.

And maybe the most overlooked improvement has been the special teams unit. Jack Cassidy has been perfect thus far on field goals and nearly perfect on booting the ball out of the back of the end zone on kickoffs. Bryan Hansen has been great punting it, averaging almost 43 yards per boot with eight of his punts being downed inside the 20. When WVU has had to cover punts and kicks, they have done a great job of staying in their lanes and getting downfield quickly to prevent any sort of big return. Oh, and they have a blocked punt already this year, too.

It may not seem like it because of the way the defense has played, but West Virginia is playing championship-caliber football in two of the three phases of the game right now (offense and special teams), which is a huge improvement from a year ago. And before the first half against Iowa State, WVU had been one of the least penalized teams in college football.

The arrow is pointed in the right direction.

Add us as a preferred source on Google