WVU good with No. 4

West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen turned to running backs coach JaJuan Seider and asked him a simple question facing a third and one in the third quarter Saturday.

“We good with No. 4?” Holgorsen asked.

No. 4 being none other than true freshman Kennedy McKoy and with the Mountaineers leading 21-14, Seider didn’t hesitate to send him onto the field.

Twenty-two yards in a burst and a big first down later, it’s easy to see why the position coach didn’t. It’s a tall-sign of faith after McKoy barely saw the field in the opener against Missouri after a bust.

But the situation was one that the assistant felt based on what he’s previously seen throughout the spring, fall and even in the week leading up to the game that he was prepared to make the most of the opportunity.

“He had a different look in his eyes. I didn’t see that kid last week but now he’s back,” Seider said.

But Seider didn’t let the freshman completely off the hook focusing on the fact that he didn’t make that last man miss and put the ball into the end zone. Always coaching, always looking for improvement.

“Normally he makes that safety miss but I think he had it in his mind that he wanted to get that first down and run as hard as he could on that play,” Seider said.

Seider has shown complete trust in his running backs since assuming the job as their mentor, and McKoy is no different as it was a chance at redemption after being caught wide-eyed in his first college action last week.

It was a chance to get his feet wet as well in a critical situation.

Because of how West Virginia utilizes the running back spot, depth is key and developing a dependable option behind redshirt senior Rushel Shell and junior Justin Crawford is paramount moving forward.

McKoy is the primary option to take that role and has had time to develop for it after enrolling in the spring and then impressing throughout the course of fall camp.

“We’re talking about a confidence booster for a kid we’re going to count on. We’re going to need him,” Seider said. “He was in a funk and it was good to see him out there making some plays.”

Seider has pointed to his understanding of the offense as well as the fact that his skill set opens up the offense and allows the Mountaineers to run their entire package with his ability to run the ball and catch it out of the backfield or even out wide.

That pass-catching ability was on display, when McKoy lined up on top of the stack and while he initially faked as if he would block, the freshman shot up the field and hauled in his first career touchdown.

It was something that he did without Seider even mentioning the adjustment to him, showcasing his ability to stay engaged and know what was being asked out of him.

“I take my hat off to that kid,” Seider said.

And West Virginia is hoping that they’ll be good with No. 4 for some time to come.