West Virginia is set to open fall camp Tuesday as players report over the weekend. WVSports.com examines some of the major storylines to follow throughout the course of the next two weeks. Today we look at the offensive consistency.

The West Virginia offense was a roller coaster at times last season. One week looking highly efficient, the next bogging down with a variety of issues. The sample size could even be taken from drive to drive as the Mountaineers struggled to put a consistent attack on the field.

Scoring in the red zone also proved problematic for the Mountaineers as they finished ranked 78th in the nation in that area. The offense had a total of 58 trips in the red zone but only managed to score touchdowns on 33 of those leaving points on the field in the high-flying Big 12 Conference. Those numbers are a recipe for disappointment in a league where points come fast and furious.

Skyler Howard was in his first-season as the starting quarterback and dealt with issues in his own consistency completing only 54-percent of his passes and tossing 14 interceptions to go along with his 26 touchdowns and 3,145 yards. At times it was a tale of two different players.

But he did end the season on a high-note passing for a West Virginia bowl record 532 yards and 5 touchdowns giving reason for optimism heading into the offseason. In the weeks leading up to the bowl game, Howard focused on improving his footwork in the pocket and the results were evident.

His impressive performances only carried over into the spring as Howard appeared to be primed to lead the Mountaineers offense and displayed complete command, as well as trust, of the offense.

Experience is always a key in head coach Dana Holgorsen’s offense and they have it.

But Howard wasn’t the only issue with the offense. At times the offensive line struggled against some of the aggressive pass rushes that the Mountaineers faced. The group also dealt with issues protecting Howard at times but that unit returns almost entirely in-tact and will be looked at as a strength.

Same can be said for the wide receiver group as the Mountaineers return all of their top options outside of Jordan Thompson from last season. While the unit dealt with growing pains that come with a new cast of characters, the group now has a year of experience under their belt and is looked at as one of the top positional groups on the team if not in the entire Big 12.

The one issue at running back will be replacing the production of Wendell Smallwood, who declared for the NFL Draft but with Rushel Shell returning and a group of highly talented backups with spring standout Kennedy McKoy as well as junior college offensive player of the year Justin Crawford there is plenty of reason for optimism running the football as well.

The potential is there but finding consistency is where the magnifying glass will be pointed this fall.