West Virginia offense takes personality, confidence of its QB

West Virginia has confidence in their offense.

The Mountaineers have been averaging 42 points and 513 yards of total offense through the first three games despite the 1-2 start to the season. It certainly hasn’t been perfect, but the unit has made major strides in the first year under new coordinator Graham Harrell.

“We have a chance offensively. We’ve stacked three games in a row where we’ve done some really positive things,” head coach Neal Brown said.

A big reason for that is the faith that the unit has in the offensive line but the presence of junior quarterback JT Daniels has helped create a different mentality on that side of the ball. Yes, his success hasn't hurt matters but it's his approach that stands out.

There is a quiet confidence that each time the unit gets the football, they are going to score.

It stems from how Daniels carries himself with a demeanor that never gets too low or too high. He is prepared for any situation and has quickly developed into the clear leader offensively.

“He puts in a lot of time and effort. So, our guys know they have a high level of confidence going into a game that he’s going to be able to check and get us in good situations,” Brown said.

That certainly resonates with his teammates.

“He’s a leader, he keep our heads up every drive. Every drive he has a scoring mentality it helps out everybody’s confidence,” running back Tony Mathis said.

Daniels’ approach is one that has served as a calming influence for the wide receivers, a unit that has had its share of ups and downs over the past few years. And there is plenty of belief that the offense is prepared for any situation even in the face of adversity.

That was on display in the final moments of the Kansas game where the offense drove the ball to tie things up against Kansas and in the Pittsburgh game was few inches short of possibly tying things late in regulation. That occurred yet again against Towson, where the Mountaineers had a kickoff returned for a touchdown and the offense had to take the field and score again.

They proceeded to do that five times in a row.

“We’re pretty good on offense so our offensive guys were just like we’ll go out and score again and that’s a really good thing. JT is kind of like this all the time. So, nothing really bothers them,” Brown said.

The Mountaineers certainly haven’t started the season the way they’d like but now sitting at 1-2 have a chance to get back to even if they can find a way to topple Virginia Tech on the road. It’s a Hokies team that sports a talented defense of its own and will challenge the West Virginia offense.

But don’t expect their confidence in themselves to waiver.

“The whole offense has the mentality to score every time we’re out there. That’s how we take play-by-play,” Mathis said.

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