WVU offense works for balance

Balance can be defined a lot of different ways when it comes to the game of football.

For head coach Dana Holgorsen offensive balance is about doing what needs to be done based on how the game is being played. Well, against Texas Tech the Mountaineers put on a clinic in that department.

West Virginia rolled up a total of 650 yards on the Red Raiders defense. A total of 332 yards came on the ground while 318 came through the air. Early in the game, the Mountaineers threw the football down the field and once they had seized a commanding lead was able to run it at the Red Raiders.

After a missed field goal in the first quarter, West Virginia scored on seven of eight drives with the only one not putting up points we before the end of the first half.

“In a perfect world that’s what we wanted to happen,” Holgorsen said.

Senior quarterback Skyler Howard played arguably his best game in a West Virginia uniform completed 21-31 passes for 318 yards and a touchdown, while also showing his ability to run the ball with 89 yards and two touchdowns. Showing complete command of the offense, Howard had time to throw the football behind an impressive effort by the West Virginia offensive line and picked the Red Raiders secondary apart while committing no turnovers.

The run game production was something that developed during the course of the game as Howard pulled the ball on the read option multiple times for chunks of yards. He also had several key scrambles to keep scoring drives alive for the Mountaineers.

“If I get in the grass I’m going to take as much as I can get. We’re playing out best ball in the latest game to date,” Howard said. “That’s what you want to do.”

The offensive line not only protected Howard, but opened up holes in the run games all day long and West Virginia finished with three players over 85 yards rushing for the first time since the Kansas game last season. It was a game that was dominated by the offensive front of West Virginia.

The Mountaineers also were effective in the red zone scoring on all eight attempts, while cashing in with touchdowns on a total of six of those. Granted some of that can be attributed to a Texas Tech defense that has struggled this season but outside of a few penalties in the red zone the offense efficient.

West Virginia has evolved from the pass-happy offense in the first season under Holgorsen to a run-based unit last season to the point where the offense is able to effectively attack defenses in both departments. And Saturday might have been the most complete effort to date.

“We’ve come a long way from being a pass-only team,” center Tyler Orlosky said.

And now with seven games remaining and sitting at 5-0, the goals for West Virginia is still right in front of them. But in the meantime the focus is on getting better each time out.

“People doubted us and told us we can’t score a lot of points. We’re striving every week just to get better and keep winning,” running back Rushel Shell said.

And winning with balance.