Neal Brown said prior to the season that he felt the West Virginia offensive line was probably a year away from where the coaching staff felt good about that spot.

Through six games, that certainly seems to be the case.

After taking a step forward last year, this unit has left a lot to be desired as they have struggled not only to generate running lanes but to pass protect which isn’t an ideal combination.

The Mountaineers offensive line has struggled, especially over the past two weeks. The unit allowed six sacks against Baylor, albeit some of those could be charged to the pass protection of the running backs. The rushing attack hasn’t been consistent either averaging only 108 yards per contest.

West Virginia has played primarily five offensive linemen on the season with that group consisting of James Gmiter (392 snaps), Zach Frazier (386 snaps), Brandon Yates (375 snaps), Parker Moorer (306 snaps) and Doug Nester (303 snaps). Meanwhile freshman Wyatt Milum (113 snaps) and Jordan White (129 snaps) have been the primary reserves for the group.

“We’re not playing very well up there. If you go through and watch the game we’ll have a couple plays, we do the correct footwork and we do our job but also we’ll have play where we don’t do the right thing and that’s inconsistency,” Brown said.

That consistency issue has been the one that position coach Matt Moore believed could be the biggest hindrance for the unit even in fall camp. The offensive line coach saw potential in the group saying it had the highest ceiling of any he had coached in his three years here, but only if it could realize it.

“We’re a little bit up and down. Sometimes we really, really look good and sometimes we don’t look as good,” Moore said in the summer.

Brown was especially critical of the right side of the line in the loss to Baylor which struggled mightily.

That has certainly been the case and at times that varies from series to series or even play to play. The offensive line also has struggled to generate space in the run game although they haven’t been helped out by the running backs in that department either. The difficult part, is the reasoning that Brown felt the group was a year away was the lack of available players that are ready up front to contribute.

Offensive line is the most physically demanding position on the field and while some freshmen have the ability to do it, those aren’t as common as other spots.

“We’re limited in the ability to play a number of bodies,” he said.

That depth is complicated even further when one of those players that West Virginia was expecting to be counted on in Milum injured himself in the Texas Tech game and was unavailable against Baylor.

He is expected to be back against TCU after the bye week, but it showcases how thin the unit is when it comes to having players that are available to step in and contribute.

But Brown and company have to find results now, which means trial and error in order to find the right combination although admittedly those options are limited.

It isn’t going to get any better offensively until West Virginia gets better up front and that means finding a sense of consistency.

The clock is ticking.

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