WVU strives for 11-wins for sixth time in program history
Before this season, West Virginia was picked by many to finish just sixth or seventh in the Big 12 following an 8-5 record last season.
Now, the Mountaineers find themselves just one win away from achieving its first 11-win season since 2007 and would be only the sixth in the program’s 125 years of existence.
What exactly would achieving an 11-win season mean for the Mountaineers?
Well, one of the first things it would do is turn the heads of Big 12 teams, other top ranked teams and maybe even earn a little more respect from the College Football Playoff Committee.
The Mountaineers have already shown this season that they truly belong in the Big 12 conference. Before this season, West Virginia was just 15-21 against the Big 12 since joining the conference in 2012.
This season, the Mountaineers displayed toughness and the ability to overcome adversity which prevailed them to a 7-2 conference record this season and their first winning conference record since 2014.
A win against an 8-4 Miami team may not look too impressive on paper but the Hurricanes are an up and coming team with three losses this season by a touchdown or less. West Virginia would be making a statement with a win against this Miami team with a promising future as well as a program that is synonymous with college football.
A Mountaineer victory would also showcase West Virginia’s competitiveness as the team would end the season with wins against teams from three different powerhouse conferences in the SEC, Big 12 and ACC.
Much of the success achieved this season by West Virginia is due in part to this year’s senior class. Under the leadership of this year’s seniors such as center Tyler Orlosky and linebacker Justin Arndt, the Mountaineers have won games with a true team effort.
“I think we have a group of guys who like each other and fight hard for each other, which is why we won a lot of those games,” head coach Dana Holgorsen said. “There are still things that we can target to where we want to achieve.”
On that note, the second thing an 11-win season would do for West Virginia is solidify this year’s seniors as one of the best to ever go through Morgantown. Though the impact this senior class has made on the program has already been significant, getting the Mountaineers to only their sixth 11-win season in program history would be the cherry on top.
The seniors have played a key role in rallying this team to 10 regular season wins and avoiding the mid-season collapse as seen in previous seasons by the Mountaineers providing a change in culture for the program.
Now the seniors have laid out the blueprint for the next year’s senior class that consists of players such as running back Justin Crawford and linebacker Al-Rasheed Benton in continuing the program’s success.
The final thing an 11-season can do for the Mountaineers is further set the foundation for the future of West Virginia football.
With Holgorsen’s recent five-year contract extension, he and along with his coaching staff can continue to build upon the success of this season whether it’s through recruiting or coaching guys up and putting them in positions to be successful.
A victory in this year’s Russell Athletic Bowl, West Virginia would gain even more momentum heading into the offseason.
“It’s the last game and it sends you off into the next season,” redshirt junior wide receiver Shelton Gibson said. “Coming off a good bowl game it makes you want to go work harder because you saw you played another conference like the ACC, playing Miami, one of the better teams out there.”
The Mountaineers have already gained the attention of numerous recruits throughout its surprising success season.
With a recruiting class highlighted by defensive back Derek Pitts and wide receiver Mike Harley, these are players that can provide more depth and could even make an early impact next season much like running backs Kennedy McKoy and Martell Pettaway did this season.
If West Virginia continues to find the right recruits and blend that with the senior leadership and team effort this year’s team exhibited, the Mountaineers can eventually find themselves as true contenders with the potential to dethrone the defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma Sooners.
Beating Miami could what this program needs to get over the hump and turn into championship contenders in the near future but before looking ahead, the Mountaineers still have this season’s goals intact as an 11-win season isn’t far beyond their reach.
“That’s definitely been our goal all year. We want to get to 11 wins,” redshirt senior safety Jarrod Harper said. “Our goal is to get double-digit wins. We’ve accomplished that but to be one of the best teams to come through West Virginia and have an 11-win season that means a lot to us and we want to send the seniors out on top.”