April 12, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – There was a time here when good scrimmages were almost always based solely on how many touchdowns the offense scored. Make a lot of offensive miscues and turnovers and the head ball coach was usually in a bad mood.
 | ||
| Bradley Starks is congratulated by his teammates after catching a 49-yard touchdown pass during Saturday's scrimmage at Milan Puskar Stadium. Brian Persinger photo | |
Today that is not necessarily the case. The offense managed to score just one touchdown during non-goal line scrimmaging, had a handful of illegal motion and delay-of-game penalties, committed three critical red zone turnovers and Bill Stewart spent his time afterward singing the praises of his defense.
“Wow, how about those blue shirts? There were some heat-seeking missiles out there today,” said Stewart. “I was very pleased with the defensive effort. That was some flying around. Balls were getting knocked loose, jarred loose, picked loose and we had two great interceptions.”
The play of the scrimmage was linebacker Archie Sims’ one-handed pick out in the flat that he could have returned for a long touchdown. With a convoy of blockers in front of him Stewart chose to have the officials blow the whistle and not risk getting backup quarterback Jarrett Brown hit on the play.
“We ran a little naked bootleg and Jarrett just floated it a little bit and old Archie went up there with one hand. He may have taken that one to the house because it looked like he had a couple of blockers in front of him,” Stewart said.
Linebacker Mortty Ivy also had a nice interception off of a deflection that he possibly could have taken the distance.
“Mortty Ivy’s pick was very impressive,” Stewart said. “He may have scored on that one. Those (interceptions) were two big, big plays.
“In the red zone we’re trying to keep the offense from getting a touchdown,” Stewart explained. “We’d love to hold them to three. They not only kept them from getting a field goal - they took the ball and were going to score the other way which was very impressive. That made my whole weekend.”
The defense also produced a safety when defensive end Larry Ford broke free and stripped the ball from Pat White in the end zone, where White had to fall on it.
Boogie Allen forced a Jock Sanders fumble that was recovered by Anthony Leonard and JT Thomas and Chris Neild were both credited with sacks.
 |
Despite the penalties and miscues, the offense did manage to move the football. Noel Devine escaped a certain safety in the end zone and broke loose for a 34-yard run.
“That was a great effort – a great play,” Stewart said.
On third and short, backup running back Mike Poitier got past the line for a 37-yard run – the longest run of the two spring scrimmages.
“The first thing I learned a long time ago is it’s never as good or as bad as it seems,” Offensive Coordinator Jeff Mullen said. “Yesterday we had a really good day in practice and I looked at the tape and there were a lot of mistakes. Today it feels really bad and I know there were a lot of mistakes that we have to correct and we’ve just got to coach them a little better.”
Third-team quarterback Bradley Starks made an impression at wide receiver when he got behind the defense for a sliding 49-yard touchdown reception from Jarrett Brown. Earlier Starks also had a pretty 19-yard reception and run over the middle and finished the scrimmage with three catches for 69 yards.
“There are a number of people that we’ve had to look at at multiple positions and Bradley Starks is one of them,” Mullen said. “He’s done a nice job this spring at wideout.”
The plan next week is to give Starks more work at wide receiver now that he’s comfortable with the plays at quarterback.
West Virginia’s three quarterbacks White, Brown and Starks combined to complete 22 of 33 passes for 184 yards and a touchdown. However, some of those yards were offset by penalties.
“We’ve been trying to mix our cadence up and I don’t think that’s something that has been done here for a long time,” Mullen said. “We’ve got to keep working. It is spring ball and you try and work the things that need worked, evaluate at the end what’s good for next fall and we’re going to have to keep working that and seeing if we can handle an on-two count.”
Poitier led all rushers with 79 yards on 15 carries while Devine added 60 yards on eight totes. The offense ran 76 plays before goal line drills, accumulating 395 total yards.
“I’m pleased with the way we’re flying around, I’m pleased with the intensity and I’m pleased with the camaraderie. What I am also pleased about … when 31 (Pat Lazear), and 44 (Ivy) and 30 (Thomas) hit them they go backwards,” Stewart said. “That’s Mountaineer football.”
Mountaineer football resumes on Monday afternoon.
Unofficial Statistics
Rushing: Poitier 15-79, Devine 8-60, Brown 5-31, Starks 3-17, Sanders 4-8, Hogan 2-7, Johnson 1-5, White 4-2, Matthews 1-2, Total 43-211
Passing: White 12-20-1-75-0, Brown 8-11-1-97-1, Starks 2-2-0-12-0, Total 22-33-2-184-1
Receiving: Hogan 4-21, Starks 3-69, Devine 3-13, Poitier 3-8, Sanders 2-22, Gonzales 2-13, Crow 2-4, Johnson 1-19, Rader 1-12, Washington 1-0
Scoring Summary
Blue – Safety (Ford sacks White in end zone)
White – Starks 49 pass from Brown
White - Brown 5 run
White – Starks 5 run
White – McAfee 25 FG
White – Glenn 25 FG
White – Glenn 27 FG
Print View 
Email
April 13, 2008
 | ||
| Jeff Mullen | |
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen knows there will be better days ahead for his offense. Yesterday, the offense sputtered. On Monday they will learn from their mistakes.
After witnessing a display of penalties and costly turnovers this late in the spring, some offensive coordinators might panic. Some might spend their post-scrimmage media session berating their players. Some might even move players around in attempt to solve the problem quickly.
Jeff Mullen isn’t one of them.
In fact, the Lima, Ohio, native is taking a level-headed approach, realizing that these miscues are just a part of the process that comes with installing a new offense for the first time.
“I learned a long time ago it’s never as good or as bad as it seems,” Mullen said. “Yesterday we had a really good day in practice and I looked at the tape and there were a lot of mistakes. Today it feels really bad and I know there were a lot of mistakes that we have to correct and we’ve just got to coach them a little better.”
The former Wake Forest quarterbacks coach was candid with reporters following the scrimmage, admitting that he wasn’t surprised with many of the miscues in execution given that his staff spent the majority of this week installing the last 20 percent of their offensive game plan.
“I saw this coming a little bit. We put about 80 percent of the offense in the first week. We came back week two and we didn’t put anything else in and we had a little success last Saturday,” Mullen said. “This week we had to put the last 20 percent of the offense and their heads are spinning a little bit.”
The offense ran 76 plays and amassed 395 total yards with the yardage almost evenly split: 184 yards passing and 211 yards rushing. However, there were a handful of illegal motion penalties as a result of Mullen’s desire to change up the cadence.
“We have been trying to mix our cadence up and that’s something that I don’t think has been done in a long time,” Mullen said. “We just have to keep working. It’s spring ball and that’s the time to work on things and evaluate for next fall.”
As Mullen continues to evaluate positions, he is trying to give backup quarterback Jarrett Brown a crash course in the offense. He admits Brown is well behind the other quarterbacks having missed the first week of spring drills and the month previous to that while he was with the basketball team.
“By NCAA rules we’re allowed a few hours a week to meet. We were installing the entire offense before we even hit spring ball,” Mullen explained. “I feel handcuffed when he’s out there because I look down and he may not know a certain play very well.”
Despite the cadences and the installation that took place last week, Mullen says the team must pay more attention to detail and concentrate more to eliminate careless turnovers and unnecessary penalties.
“The biggest things are the false starts, the dropped balls and the interceptions. Those are the things that no matter what kind of play you call, you can correct,” Mullen said. “If you took that out I think we would have had a pretty decent day.”
|
Of course it wasn’t all bad for the offense on Saturday. Noel Devine saved a sure safety in the end zone, breaking loose for a 34-yard run. Mike Poitier had a 37-yard run early in the scrimmage and Starks made the play of the day, hauling in a 49-yard touchdown pass over the middle from Jarrett Brown as he continues to flourish in his dual receiver role.
“I’ll go back and look at the tape and there is a lot of good out there. There were a lot of third and twos and third and nines that we got,” Mullen said. “We did some good things out there and now we need to go show our guys that. We just need to work to improve. There is no reason to panic.”
There is no need to worry about that with Jeff Mullen running the offense.
Briefly:
“It’s the pro rule except they don’t give you the helmets with the green dots to communicate with the quarterbacks,” said Offensive Coordinator Jeff Mullen. “That makes it a little tougher but I thought we handled it OK on Saturday.” The biggest change will come following out-of-bounds plays. The game clock will now start when the official marks the ball for play, instead of when the ball is snapped. This is the third straight year the NCAA has addressed speed of play, as requested by the television networks. A typical college game last 3 ½ to 4 hours. The pro game typically lasts 3 hours. Head Coach Bill Stewart says Johnson can easily fill out to 235 pounds, which will give him more than enough size to play the hybrid position. As for Starks, he has the size (6-3, 182 pounds), the speed, and the athletic ability to play the outside receiver spot and put pressure on the safeties. Starks caught a long touchdown pass during Saturday’s scrimmage and looks comfortable working the hashes on slants and curls. The coaching staff is determined to get their best football players on the field and the redshirt freshman appears to be one of the Mountaineers’ better players. Starks will take more reps at wide receiver during the team’s final three spring workouts next week. Receivers coach Lonnie Galloway hinted Saturday that they may remove the protective gold jersey (no contact) to see what Starks can do in a white jersey next week. John Antonik also contributed to this report. |
April 14, 2008
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Larry Ford and Julian Miller possess many of the attributes a player needs to be an effective edge pass rusher in West Virginia’s 3-3-5 stack defense. Both are 6-feet-4 inches or taller, both are lightning fast off the ball and both have the athletic ability to get past big tackles.
 | ||
| Larry Ford transferred to WVU at mid-semester from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College. Brian Persinger photo | |
The one thing the two could use right now is a few extra pounds on their lanky frames.
“No. 1 is gaining weight,” says Ford. “That is what every coach is on me about. They make jokes about it every day about me gaining weight.”
Ford was a mid-semester addition from Coffeyville (Kan.) Community College, where he had 37 tackles 6 ½ tackles for losses and three sacks as a sophomore. The Georgetown, S.C., native played for a Coffeyville program that sent 21 players to four-year schools in 2007, including Troy Epps to Florida, Blair Irvin to Kansas State, Melvin Williams to North Carolina, Nate Guillory to Iowa, DJ Breathett to Oklahoma and Stephaun Raines to Tennessee.
Despite playing with all of that talent, the junior says it is still a major step up playing Division I football at WVU.
“I expected the offensive line to be a lot bigger because the offensive line I played against in JUCO was like 240,” Ford said. “It’s a big difference here.”
Ford is also getting used to West Virginia’s odd-stack defensive alignment.
“I played a 4-3 my whole life,” he said. “In high school I was a linebacker and then at JUCO they moved me to end. Being in this 3-3-5 stack there is a lot more stunting with the defensive ends. I didn’t stunt this much at JUCO. It was basically stay outside and don’t let them break contain and try and beat them on a pass rush.
“Here I’m stunting inside, taking on guards, centers and stuff like that and I wasn’t expecting that,” Ford added. “When I get my opportunities for one-on-ones I try to take advantage of that.”
Ford, who says he weighs about 230 pounds right now, is still learning how to give maximum effort on every play.
“It’s little things I’m doing like taking some plays off, which I shouldn’t be doing, and missing assignments on plays,” he said.
 | ||
| Julian Miller spent his freshman campaign last year learning from Johnny Dingle. Kevin Kinder Blue & Gold News.com photo | |
Like Ford, Julian Miller says he can clean up some things as well.
“I’ve got to cut down on my mental errors,” Miller said. “Coach Kirelawich is trying to make me a smarter player. He’s seen that I’ve become a much stronger player than I was last year.”
Recruited mainly on his great athletic ability as an all-state football player from Beechcroft High School in Columbus, Miller came to WVU without a true position. He played a little tight end and defensive end in football, was a starting forward on the basketball team and he also ran track.
The idea when Miller came to West Virginia was for him to fill out his 6-foot-5-inch frame and become a defensive lineman. He’s up to 236 pounds right now with the plan of reaching 245-250 by the fall.
“I want to gain the weight but keep up my speed,” Miller said.
Miller spent last year observing Johnny Dingle and he says watching Dingle everyday in practice was extremely beneficial.
“He kind of took me under his wing last year and I studied the way he played and just tried to come out this year and compete the way he did,” Miller said.
What impressed Miller the most was Dingle’s drive on the football field.
“The way he could push his way up the field and offensive linemen didn’t know what to do with him,” Miller said. “I just looked at that and said to myself that I’ve got to try and come out next year and do the same thing.”
Right now because Ford and Miller are both undersized they have to play with perfect technique to take on blockers sometimes 80 pounds heavier than them. Firing off the ball too high or using the wrong technique can get them into trouble.
“My toughest transition right now is staying low,” Miller admitted. “I’m 6-5 and it’s tough staying down in a crouch position all of the time rather than just being up a little bit and coming off the edge.”
Ford agrees.
“Staying low whenever I’m coming out of my stance is what I’ve got to improve on,” said Ford. “And when I’m getting down-blocked by the offensive line I’ve got to come under the fullback instead of over the top. It’s mental stuff that I’m doing that I’ve got to get right.”
With Zac Cooper out for the rest of the spring with a medical condition, it’s imperative that Larry Ford and Julian Miller be ready to go in the fall.
They are getting the important reps they need this spring to be ready. Then it will be up to them to get bigger during the developmental season.rading Places
| By Christopher Marshall for MSNsportsNET.com April 15, 2008 MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – When West Virginia offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen approached Bradley Starks about the possibility of playing some wide receiver the Unionville, Va., native admits he didn’t know what to think.
Who could blame him? After all, Starks has played quarterback all of his life and played it quite well actually, racking up 6,331 yards and 70 touchdowns during his high school career at Orange County High. Save for lining up at receiver just for fun in one game of his senior year, Starks had always been the one throwing the passes - not the one catching them. “Once I thought about it I figured it was the best thing for the team,” Starks said. And the best may still be yet to come. Since making the move two weeks ago, Starks has been the subject of a lot of praise from Head Coach Bill Stewart. After catching a 49-yard touchdown pass during last Saturday’s scrimmage, Starks was at it again on Monday afternoon, getting behind the defense and catching a long pass down the sideline for a score. “Bradley Starks had another big touchdown catch for us,” Stewart said. “That was a big-time play. He just continues to get better every day and every play he lines up there.” In addition to the obvious team benefits, the move could very well pay off for Starks in terms of significant playing time next year. With Pat White and Jarrett Brown being as steady as ever at quarterback, cracking the lineup behind center was very unlikely next season. Jobs are wide open at receiver, however, and Starks concedes that the opportunity to contribute immediately to the Gold and Blue next fall has made the position switch intriguing. “Being able to get on the field and play in front of 60,000 fans is very exciting. It’s an opportunity of a lifetime,” Starks said. “This will hopefully give me game experience and help me learn how to take the big hit and go back to the huddle and let my teammates know I’m alright.” Starks says the transition has gone well from a mental standpoint but he readily admits he has a lot of work to do in nailing down the finer points of playing receiver. “Mentally it’s been pretty easy so far. It’s not much different than quarterback because you pretty much have to know every position on the field when you play there,” Starks said. “I just take whatever I am doing and go 100 percent at it and never slack off. I just try to work hard everyday to get my mechanics down each day in practice. I’ve got a lot to learn but it’s been fun so far.” One major adjustment has been the conditioning that it takes to be a wide receiver, a position where you run full speed on every snap. “The first day there was a lot of running and my legs really took a lot. After that it has been fine as I get my conditioning to where it needs to be for a wide receiver,” Starks said. “It’s a process but I’m getting there.” Starks has been like a sponge everyday in practice, absorbing coaching to learn the nuances of the position while not hesitating to ask questions when something doesn’t make sense.
“I ask Coach Galloway things when I don’t get something and he is trying to help me understand the concept of each route and each block as far as why we do what we’re doing,” Starks said. “It’s helpful to know why we do what we do.” Playing quarterback and having the knowledge that comes with the position has been one of the reasons Starks has had a seemingly seamless transition during the last couple weeks. “It helps a lot. It not only helps with knowing the routes but also with the spacing that I need,” Starks said. “Being a quarterback gives you that feeling of where open space is and where to go to.” Starks admits that it is comforting to know he isn’t the only receiver trying to grasp new offensive concepts. With Mullen’s new offensive plans and philosophies, this spring has been about learning new things for every player on that side of the ball. “It’s a lot easier now because it’s not just one person or a couple freshmen starting from scratch, it’s everybody,” Starks said. “We are learning together and trying to help each other in any way that we can. They other receivers have been great working with me.” Starks was fair game for full contact for the first time on Monday, trading in his yellow, no-contact jersey reserved for quarterbacks for a white jersey alongside the rest of his offensive teammates. “My redshirt year I was always getting hit by the first team so there is really no difference for me today,” Starks said. “The defense couldn’t wait for me to get it off so they could hit me. It’s just a part of football and it’s a lot of fun.” As for a couple years down the road when the Mountaineers are in need of a quarterback, might it be a tough decision for Starks to move back under center and away from his pass catching duties? “Not at all. I’m a quarterback at heart and that’s what I’ll always be,” Starks said. For now he’s a receiver and a very productive one that adds another interesting weapon to an already potent offensive attack. Briefly: “Boy, Ellis Lankster is really coming on at corner and making it very difficult to complete a pass on his side of the field,” Bill Stewart said early Monday evening. “We had several plays where our quarterbacks made the right read to an open receiver and man, JT Thomas just flat out came out of nowhere to deflect those balls,” Stewart said. “That was impressive to see.” Stewart spoke about the success of the team’s recent visit to the hospital while pleading with fans to come out on Saturday to benefit a good cause. “We need a great crowd on Saturday to support these players, but more importantly, to support the Children’s Hospital,” Stewart said. “I hope it’s 80 degrees with no precipitation and we can get a really nice crowd for this game.” |
No comments:
Post a Comment