The WVU Mountaineers concluded their spring football session a few weeks ago, all geared up for their upcoming season.
The Gold-Blue spring contest saw a thrilling victory for the Gold side, with over 8,000 fans in attendance at Milan Puskar Stadium. The final score was 39-38.
In the past four seasons, there have only been two spring games held in Morgantown. The cancellation of last year’s event was due to COVID-19, while the 2018 game was called off due to snow.
Although the score holds little significance in these games, the final outcome of this one was particularly inconsequential. At the end of the afternoon, head coach Neal Brown organized a showdown between the linemen.
The game concluded when Brayden Dudley, a freshman defensive lineman, successfully disrupted a pass attempt to Noah Drummond, the center, on the final play.
In addition to other captivating drills during the scrimmage, there was a passing exhibition that involved WVU basketball player Miles McBride, with quarterbacks Jarret Doege and Garret Greene joining in, much to the delight of the fans.
The commencement of the Mountaineers’ football season is scheduled for Saturday, September 4, where they will face Maryland on an away game. Presently, West Virginia sportsbooks have established the team’s chances of reaching the Big 12 title game at +800.
WVU football spring game takeaways
Mountaineers offense
The presence of a known starting quarterback has likely instilled a sense of reassurance among WVU supporters and backers as they approach this season.
The return of Doege and the presence of a strong defensive unit make the Mountaineers a team to watch out for this year.
In the spring game, Doege displayed his reliability, proving his consistency from last season. He successfully completed 10 out of 14 passes, resulting in 79 yards and a rushing touchdown.
Due to the presence of numerous agile receivers on the Mountaineers team who excel at gaining yards after catching the ball, Doege is not required to frequently throw deep passes.
In 2020, he formed a strong connection with receivers Winston Wright and Bryce Ford-Wheaton. As they both make their return to Morgantown this fall, opponents are sure to face numerous challenges when dealing with them this season.
In the spring game, both wide receivers managed to catch two passes each, resulting in a total of 61 yards gained between them.
The running game plays a crucial role in the offense, with Junior Leddie Brown leading the backfield once again. Brown’s impressive performance last year resulted in over 1,200 yards gained from scrimmage.
Despite rushing for just 65 yards on 32 attempts in the Gold-Blue scrimmage, it is worth mentioning that a majority of the plays concluded with minimal contact, akin to a two-hand touch.
In addition to the impressive performance of his quarterback in the air, Coach Brown also acknowledged his quarterback’s valuable contributions to the ground attack. As reported by WV MetroNews, Brown expressed his admiration for the quarterback’s skills.
“Jarret demonstrated exceptional consistency. I was thrilled when he successfully executed the zone read and scored at the goal line. It has been a significant focus for us.”
Incorporating Doege further into the option plays has the potential to introduce a fresh dimension to this offense.
College quarterbacks’ rushing statistics are often distorted due to sack yardage being included in their total. Nevertheless, Doege only had 40 rushing attempts in the previous season, indicating room for improvement in this aspect of his game.
WVU defensive outlook
Last year, the WVU defense played a crucial role in the team’s success and is expected to maintain its strength in the upcoming season. It impressively secured the 21st position in total defense among all college football teams.
Last year, the team’s defense allowed an impressive average of only 20.5 points per game throughout their 6-4 season.
Despite losing some key players to the NFL, the Mountaineers still possess a considerable number of defensive playmakers.
The majority of the spring game demonstrated this fact, with a few standout plays emphasizing it even more.
Daryl Porter, the cornerback, made a remarkable interception off Greene, saving the Blue side from a potential touchdown.
Porter’s performance left Coach Brown impressed as he discussed his development. Brown commented:
“We are counting on his presence. His performance notably improved as the spring progressed, particularly highlighted by the exceptional play he made with the interception in the end zone. Additionally, both pass breakups he executed were equally outstanding.”
It seems likely that the freshman hailing from Fort Lauderdale could secure playing opportunities during the upcoming fall season.
To navigate the challenging Big 12, a strong defense is essential in order to contain the high-powered spread offenses. Having corners who possess the ability to make impactful plays on the ball becomes a requirement.
The defensive front of the Mountaineers is expected to have several reliable choices. Despite no quarterbacks being officially sacked, five different players managed to record a sack.
Akheem Mesidor and VanDarius Cowan made significant breakthroughs for the Blue team, while Jordan Jefferson, Jared Bartlett, and Sean Martin successfully reached their goal for the Gold team.
Mesidor has generated great anticipation following his exceptional debut season at WVU. He showcased his dominance, securing a commendable ninth spot on the roster with a total of 32 tackles.
The team’s sack leader was the freshman, who managed to accumulate five sacks.
According to WVNews, Coach Brown discussed the transition of Mesidor to take over in the middle after Darius Stills’ departure.
Akheem Mesidor showcased his skills primarily in the interior position. Over the course of the last five practices, he has undoubtedly grown more confident and comfortable. I firmly believe that he has a promising future ahead of him. Although he is also capable of playing on the edge, he has effectively adapted to the additional weight he gained.
The young lineman has boundless potential, and his exceptional skills may elevate the WVU defense to unprecedented heights this year.
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