Takeaways from the Neal Brown Radio Show: 11/2
Coach Neal Brown discussed a variety of topics on his radio show Thursday night, including comments on the recently released Big 12 schedule for the next four seasons, the upcoming matchup against BYU, and how West Virginia natives are showing up big on the Mountaineer offense.
Keys to Beating BYU:
"They aren't going to beat themselves," said Brown, stating how they don't give up penalties and they don't turn the ball over. Brown's keys to success offensively were to convert touchdowns in the red zone, continue to run the ball well, and not turn it over. Defensively he said they must have success on early downs and force takeaways.
Brown also noted that BYU has not lost a game in November since 2019, that they are 20-1 in their last night games, and have not yet lost two games in a row.
Bowl Game Eligible?
A win this weekend would qualify the Mountaineers for a Bowl game, though when asked how much he has emphasized this with his team, Brown said "zero". He said that the team is on a "quest to be our best" and that this is their only focus. "We are yet to play great offense, great defense, and great special teams all in the same game," said Brown.
Highlights of BYU game:
- With the World Series closing in just five games, the WVU vs. BYU game has been bumped from FS1 to Fox, which Neal expressed how it is always exciting to play on national television.
- WVU will honor Pro Football Hall of Fame Chuck Howley by retiring his number 66.
- It is the military appreciation game, which is extra special to Coach Brown as his sister is in the Air Force.
Love from Blue and Gold faithful:
Coach Brown showed love to the Mountaineer fan base, noting how the players and staff have noticed blue and gold at away games, and that it really does impact morale. He called for WVU fans to go big and pack the stadium this weekend for the home matchup against BYU, stating that the Cougar fans will be present.
On Garrett Greene:
Though noting his passing wasn't perfect last week, Neal Brown wasn't shy about giving quarterback Garrett Greene the credit he deserves for his recent performances, saying, "Garrett always gives the team a chance to win when he's on the field" and how he's "not surprised by this." "I really felt like he was going to play at a high level and a had a lot of confidence in who we could be offensively because of him." Brown also discussed how who Garrett is today as an athlete and player was not always the case, and credited his hard work as well as the Mountaineer training staff for his development. ""The kid is an elite level athlete, and that was not always the case... the athlete who is is now is not who he was three years ago," discussing specifically his improved strength and speed. Brown also highlighted Greene's great energy, competitive spirit, and likability, calling him a chameleon because "he can be around all kinds of different people and everyone likes him."
On CJ Donaldson not starting last week:
"It's a production based game", said Brown, mentioning how everything is on video. Donaldson has rushed for under 70 yards in four straight games, and the coaching staff took notice of the recent underwhelming performances. Neal didn't hold back about admitting that lack of production is the reason CJ didn't start. However, he did give him props for a better performance against UCF, saying "he ran harder and did a much better job of breaking tackles." Brown claimed fans had high expectations of Donaldson coming off of last season and are expecting more from him, but that he was is "a realist" and knew that things wouldn't be as easy in year two once the big plays were shut down and teams were able to get a look at him.
Success in the run game:
After admitting that it was difficult to run the football when he first got to WVU, Brown talked about how it is a "source of pride" that the Mountaineers have the longest streak of Power Five football teams with over 140 rushing yards in 11 straight games, top in the nation. He credited the offensive line, other positions doing their job, and Garrett Greene contributing big yardage on the ground
Football Talent in West Virginia:
"We have a population issue, not a talent issue, for the state of West Virginia," said Brown. He discussed how he thinks it's not mentioned enough that the dominant Mountaineer offense holds plenty of West Virginia natives, including some of its top performers. He specifically mentioned mentioned how the center could win a national award, their left tackle is going to be high NFL draft pick, Preston Fox is a top return man, and Hudson Clement is leading in yards per reception.
Big 12 schedule released for 2024-27:
Next year will be the first time having 16 teams in the Big 12. Neal Brown gave some of his thoughts on the schedule released for the next four seasons. Though he said his initial reaction was "Ah, who cares" he also said that it "doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me." Some of his concerns were focused on playing away at both Utah and at Arizona state in 2025, saying, "that's a lot of travel." His other primary issue was that the team would not face Cincinnati in every season, saying, "I could care less if we played all the west coast teams,... We should play Central Florida and Cincinnati every year." One positive he noted was that the team has 9 games scheduled in the eastern time zone next season.
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