After a difficult start in Neal Brown’s first year atop the West Virginia football program, the Mountaineers closed strong down the stretch winning two of the last three games, both of which were on the road. What are the expectations for West Virginia in 2020 and who are the key players returning?
WVSports.com managing editor Keenan Cummings takes a look.
3 prominent storylines
1 –Can the offensive line take that next step? The West Virginia offensively line was bad in 2019, like historically bad as the Mountaineers only mustered 879 yards as a team, good for 2.6 yards per carry. The final total was the worst of the modern era and for the season there were only 25 carries of 10+ yards over the course of the 12-game schedule by the running backs combined. It left the coaching staff scratching their head and trying several different run schemes in order to generate any spark in that department, but it simply never came together. That meant the offense was often starting behind the sticks and struggled to win battles in the trenches that must be won to win football games.
Now, some of this can be attributed to the interior of the offensive line which was littered with young players or newcomers and struggled with some of the talented fronts across the Big 12 landscape but now gone are the top two tackles from last year raising more questions. Because for as many as the run game was, the pass protection certainly did its job. The rest of the line returns a year older and stronger, but the question remains if by simplifying the run game can the Mountaineers make that leap in 2020 on the ground that was never there in 2019?
2—Who plays quarterback? The Mountaineers used two different signal callers in 2019 in Oklahoma graduate transfer Austin Kendall or Bowling Green transfer Jarret Doege. The former played the first 9 games, while Doege was the signal caller for the final three games including road wins over Kansas State and TCU to close the year. That has sparked a natural debate over which one gets the call in 2020?
On the surface it seems the success of Doege would be enough to tab him with the job but a nagging finger injury seemed to affect Kendall’s play after the Missouri game and Brown has yet to declare which of the quarterbacks will have the job. The success from Doege is enough to sway many of the fanbase’s minds that perhaps he should be the pick but when you break down their actual numbers, they are very similar although obviously different sample sizes. A decision was likely expected this spring but given the state of college football on hold this is one that could now rage well into the fall.
3—Can the Mountaineers make a second-year leap? West Virginia closed 2019 strong to finish with a 5-7 record just outside the reach of a bowl game in year one under Neal Brown. Can they take that next step in the second season in order to perhaps get there or beyond? This is a roster that despite being young has plenty of returning talent as well as some incoming players that could help fill some of the obvious holes. Last year’s schedule also helped to iron out some of the young mistakes for players that were likely thrown into the fire before they were ready given scholarship numbers.
West Virginia is one of those teams that could easily make a jump up the standings in 2020 but will this team have enough to do so? That’s going to be something we pay close attention to.
3 biggest departures
1—OT Colton McKivitz. Given the noted struggles of the offensive line it speaks volumes that the one-time basketball player was selected as the co-Big 12 offensive lineman of the year and a first-team selection on the conference team. The Ohio native made 42 career starts during his career and 49 overall appearances making him the most experienced piece up front for the program across the offensive linemen. It goes without saying that filling McKivitz shoes will not be easy as his departures leaves a massive hole on the roster at one of the most important positions on the field.
McKivitz has participated in both the Senior Bowl and the Combine and is set to be taken in the NFL Draft, but the Mountaineers now must find a way to replace the former basketball player. There are some possible options on the roster and the program is kicking the tires on some graduate transfer options, but it remains clear that filling his spot will be one of the biggest concerns.
2—CB Keith Washington. You can make an equal argument for the other departing senior corner in Hakeem Bailey, but Washington gets the nod. The former junior college prospect developed into an impressive shut down cornerback option allowing only 16 of the 36 passes thrown at him to be completed (44.4-percent) while recording 9 pass breakups and 3 interceptions. The Mountaineers cornerback position was a strength with a lot of youth around the rest of the football team a season ago which really helped the defense find its footing. There are some talented options on the roster to potentially replace Washington or Bailey, but each of them are young with limited experience. That means that the loss of the cornerbacks is one that will likely be felt at least early in the year.
3—P Josh Growden. It seems almost silly to list a punter here from a 5-7 football team as one of the top three losses from the roster, but if you look back at the story of the 2019 Mountaineers football team it really is not. Yes, cornerback Hakeem Bailey or wide receiver George Campbell could get the nod but Growden helped to stabilize a spot that was a mess throughout spring and fall camp. The Australian born punter who came to Morgantown for one season from LSU did his job at the position averaging 42-yards per punt and routinely flipping the field to set up the defense.
Given the struggles that the offense had last season, it was critical to have a punter that could not only boot the ball with seven kicks over 50-yards but had impressive placement with 18 of those kicks downed inside the 20. Growden even threw a pass that was completed against Oklahoma. In the end, Growden is the selection because out of the other potential candidates there are at least an idea of who is going to replace them – but the same issue is back for 2020 here.
3 key returners
1—NG Darius Stills. The only other first-team all-Big 12 selection on the roster, Stills took his game to the next level in the first year under new defensive coordinator Vic Koenning’s scheme. From his spot in the middle on the defensive line, Stills recorded 47 tackles, 7 sacks and 14.5 tackles for loss as he was one of the most disruptive linemen in a league full of them. The more lightly recruited of the two Stills brothers, Darius will now look to take his game even further in his final year after bypassing an opportunity at the NFL Draft in order to come back and close things strong.
The challenge now for Stills will be to become more consistent so he is dominating on a week-to-week basis as opposed to peaks and valleys that he saw at times last year. The West Virginia defensive line has a chance to be very good in 2020 and Stills will be a big part of that formula.
2—LB Josh Chandler. At a position that has issues, Chandler is one constant. The redshirt junior has only managed to play in a handful of snaps over his two-year career but got his biggest chance last season with 74 tackles over 10 games. He did miss time with injury, but his athleticism was a welcomed upgrade to a position room that needed an influx of that. Now, in his third season on the field Chandler should be ready to take that next leap and make the most of his opportunities at either MIKE or WILL.
3—WR Sam James. The redshirt sophomore hit a wall during his freshman year but flashed glimpses of how impressive he could be as a lead pass catcher. James led the Mountaineers in receptions (69), receiving yards (677) and target share, but only managed to score a pair of touchdowns. A speedster that can be used at levels across the field, James seems primed to take a massive step in year two on the field as he has already proven his ability to take over contests at various stages throughout 2019.
The West Virginia wide receiver room is one of the bigger positions of strength on the roster and James’ ability to slide around to various spots, create room after the catch and stretch the field make him an intriguing pick here as one of the key returners this fall.
3 biggest additions
1—The bandit linebackers. This is sort of a cheating answer, but no position struggled more (outside of the offensive line – get the drift) than finding bodies that could adequately play the bandit spot. The program cycled through multiple options, but injuries, inconsistencies and just outright bad fits played a role in the defense struggling to get much from that spot. Now in addition to returning redshirt junior Vandarius Cowan, who is now healthy, the Mountaineers added three players to play that spot in Lanell Carr, Taurus Simmons and Eddie Watkins. All three were specifically recruited for the position and are excellent pass rushers that can drop back into coverage. The fact that these body types fit here is already a massive upgrade from the square-peg and round hole approach from last season.
2—DB Jackie Matthews. West Virginia needs help in the secondary given the loss of two starters at cornerback and Matthews has the versatility to slide around to fill multiple spots. After recording seven interceptions a year ago at the junior college level, Matthews is going to make a play to see the field in some capacity and is physical enough that he can bounce down into the box to play safety if need be. But perhaps the biggest reason for this selection is that he has already enrolled which will help the adjustment curve that typically comes with the jump up a level.
3—A graduate transfer offensive lineman. It might seem weird I’m leaving the third option here open for now, but that is because recruiting is far from done for the Mountaineers. West Virginia needs help on the offensive line, preferably at tackle where both starters from a season ago are now gone. There have already been offers made here but until the position is filled with an actual name, I’ll list the spot.
Expectations for 2020
This is the question for 2020 because this could clearly be a step forward for the program under Brown as he continues to plant his roots in Morgantown. Even at this stage of the spring there are still questions that must be answered with this team but there is a good chance that with the right development and a little bit of luck the program is back to its bowling ways this coming year with the possibility to set the table in 2021 as a potential Big 12 title contending year given the youth.
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