WVU looks to create big plays
A week after producing one. Yes, only one play over 20-yards head coach Dana Holgorsen was forced to be a bit nostalgic at the podium when asked about the lack of big passing plays down the field.
“Wouldn’t that be nice? Phew. God, I forget what it’s like. I forget what it’s like,” he said. “I don’t know. Stay on your feet, go score. Maybe I’ll have to pull out some film from way back in the day.”
It’s not that West Virginia doesn’t have the ability. They’ve shown it before. A total of 29 times this season the Mountaineers have hit downfield for over 20 yards and 15 of those are over 30-yards. But the big play hasn’t been as consistent as the coaching staff wants to see moving forward.
“Different things have to happen, accuracy of the ball, confidence in your ability to do it, the wherewithal of staying on your feet, turning up field, your dude getting a block, seeing it and going,” Holgorsen said. “Hopefully it will happen a little bit more moving forward.”
Now 20-yard plays don’t have to be down the field, instead they could come by getting players the ball in space and letting them go to work to pick up chunks of yards.
But that means being able to block at the wide receiver positions and making people miss on the perimeter. Against Oklahoma State, the Cowboys were able to wrap up now allowing anything past he intermediate level.
“Yeah, the more times you put the ball in space with those guys the more chances they have of making those big plays, so again just playing our game, putting the ball in play and watching those guys play ball,” senior quarterback Skyler Howard said.
Some of that comes with a change of mentality which is what wide receivers coach Tyron Carrier has been battling since he arrived in Morgantown. While last season the group struggled with making the routine, the challenge now is not only executing the routine but taking it to the next level.
“They are happy with just making the catch. Now they have to make people miss and try to score,” he said. “I’m still trying to change that mindset and it’s tough.”
West Virginia could have an opportunity to get back on track in the department of big plays against a Kansas team that is allowing over 440 yards and 39 points per game. But the Jayhawks have improved quite a bit in that department since last season when they allowed 334-yards per game.
This season Kansas is allowing 236-yards, which is good for 76th in the nation. But first thing is first that means cleaning up some of their own issues to take advantage down the field.
“You have to turn those routine plays into explosive plays like we’ve been talking about here for the majority of this press conference,” Holgorsen said.