Because of our ongoing promotion where if you purchase a new annual subscription to WVSports.com you will receive 50-percent off we're going to make our Insider Notes free this week. This is a multi time a week feature on the premium side and we dive into a lot of the relevant topics of the West Virginia games.
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--Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said that TCU will present the toughest challenge yet for West Virginia because while their base is a 4-2-5 they have been more multiple this year than what they’ve shown in the past using different fronts and odd packages by moving around different players. They are sound with their scheme and they make teams work for every yard they can get.
--Spavital said that they try to get two of the running backs involved each game and let it build from there but against Texas was really the first time that they were able to get in a groove with it. They were able to get in a rhythm and rush the ball effectively and while they wanted to get redshirt freshman Alec Sinkfield in the game at times they pulled off of it based off the flow of the game.
--Redshirt sophomore Jovani Haskins is a big target that causes some issues with his size and athleticism especially when you couple that with his catch radius. He’s been used on underneath and intermediate routes and when he catches the ball he naturally falls forward. He can be utilized to give the wide receivers a break as well which means they don’t have to use as many four wide receiver sets.
--The game-winning touchdown pass from Grier to Jennings was made in large part because of their continuity. It was a downfield throw where Texas matched what they were doing which forced the ball to be accurate or not be completed. Grier was scrambling and moving to the right and had to shut his footwork down to make the throw. It looks like he’s throwing off balance but what he was trying to do is with the internal clock and space left he had to get rid of it. Perhaps the most impressive part is that he released that ball when Jennings was around the 20-yard line and it was good to show the understanding of the layers of the defense and where the ball needed to be.
--TCU will use their ends in a lot of different ways not just in pass rush but in the run game. They do a lot of stunts and twists, especially front side into the run which is going to force West Virginia to be patient in what they’re trying to accomplish with their zone schemes. They are disruptive and for example a year ago they would be lined up and twist all the way to get to Grier in the backside B gap. They have to get hats on them at all times and make sure they won’t be disruptive because they will move around a lot so the offensive linemen will have to pass things off. They don’t flip them around though as they remain on their respective sides throughout the game.
--Redshirt junior Kelby Wickline is the designated swing tackle and first player off the bench there but if there would be another injury the next man up would be redshirt sophomore guard Josh Sills at tackle.
--Spavital was pleased with what Wickline did when he was inserted into the game especially in such a big spot and credit there goes to his old man Joe Wickline for getting that second team group ready to play and repping them at different spots so they were ready to step in and contribute when called upon. On one of Grier’s touchdowns, Texas blitzed a cornerback and Wickline kicked out and blocked him to give Grier enough time to throw the ball showing his understanding of what was asked of him.
--West Virginia came into the game wanting to establish the run behind redshirt junior tackle Colton McKivitz even before the ejection of Yodny Cajuste in large part because of how well he blocks against the style of defense that the Longhorns used with an odd front where the offensive line would block the box and the tight end would block the perimeter stuff. Spavital also credited what redshirt senior Trevon Wesco did with his blocking and highlighted the touchdown run by Pettaway when he was blocking 20-yards down the field clearing space.
--This is the time of the year where you have to be multiple with things and the tight end spot has really helped to allow West Virginia to do just that. This is what Spavital envisioned when he wanted to start introducing the position in the offense both from a blocking and receiving aspect. Wesco brings a physical element to the game and it’s really helped establish an edge.
--Expect West Virginia to continue to utilize a mix of players at the guard spots, with redshirt sophomore Josh Sills of course the main cog at left but redshirt junior Mike Brown can fill in there if he needs a break. At right, redshirt junior Joe Brown is expected back soon while senior Isaiah Hardy and redshirt sophomore Chase Behrndt also will be used there giving some options.
--Texas used a lot of the same looks as Iowa State, but West Virginia prepared for it during the bye week and is ready to attack the 3-2 box with the overhang stack backer. They played it more than West Virginia thought and tweaked it more than they had shown on tape with a lot of different fronts and the diamond set and the Mountaineers identified it well and blocked it up.
--Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson credited the success of his defense against young quarterbacks in large part because they don’t see it as much and how different they are with what they do. There is a pressure element that is meant to confuse quarterbacks and causes them to see things at times with a rush coming at them and the Mountaineers are actually dropping at times. It’s almost like an option team on offense when they have to play the Mountaineers. The balance is deciding when to pressure because of the issues in the back end and covering. Last week, West Virginia has two different examples when the Mountaineers had Sam Ehlinger dead to rights and he was able to throw the ball up and his wide receiver made a play to extend drives.
--Gibson said that senior Quondarius Qualls and redshirt sophomore Brendan Ferns will be available this week and they didn’t even travel last week. They’re in the plan this week which means they could be used to give guys a break that are in there. They’re added depth to the room. Redshirt sophomore Wes Tonkery is in the same boat and he is now good to go which is going to likely mix and match with Shea Campbell in order to split the reps there. Tonkery can’t play a whole game right now.
--TCU is a team that scores a lot of explosive type touchdowns so it will be key for West Virginia to try and mix things and force them to play the next play. At different times there will be opportunities to pressure to see if they can confuse them or get them behind the sticks but if they win first or second down they will wait to pressure on third down situations.
--The Horned Frogs do not run as many designed runs as you have seen in the past and a big part of that is likely that they want to keep their backup Mike Collins healthy.
--TCU has done an excellent job in the past attacking the West Virginia defense using a variety of ways to do it. They jump in and out of formations, they’re multiple with the run game, get in tight end sets, go empty at times, three-back and unbalanced to create match ups.
--The Horned Frogs don’t necessarily have a big wide receiver like Iowa State, Baylor or Texas but they have one that can run as fast as anybody that West Virginia has seen to date in Jalen Reagor. Overall, their speed jumps out to Gibson because they have guys that can run.
--Senior wide receiver Gary Jennings confirmed that West Virginia did substitute Marcus Simms into the game before he caught what would be the game-winning touchdown pass and he told me that the confusion you saw was genuine. The officials were on the ball and they were trying to hurry up. As we covered in the article yesterday, the safeties job was not to let Jennings get behind him inside but he was able to do that with an excellent release and determination.
--After Jennings caught the touchdown he had a moment where he stood in front of the Texas fans and said that it was the “funniest thing ever,” as they had a lot to say to him. He admitted that if it wasn’t being called so tight he would have likely flashed the Horns down there as well but he knew his team was going for two and couldn’t jeopardize it even in a moment with that much emotions. It’s something you’ve got to do when you know it can change the entire play.
--Senior quarterback Will Grier said the pass to Jennings was much more difficult than the two-point play because they’ve had that in and repped it a lot. The first time was an easy conversion because of the way that Sills can release but the second one was what he can do in the end zone. He was asked about the whole taunting deal that has been discussed and Grier seemed almost surprised by it. He said that he was not taunting at all and just wanted to make sure the ball was over the line before he was touched and he even joked that “pylons have been bad to me,” in the past.
--Grier said that there is a little bit of a difference playing quarterback in the fourth quarter, not necessarily playing the position but more the mindset in those spots. It changes based on what happens and while you can watch all the film you want teams will come out and throw in a lot of different wrinkles. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around you know what’s working and how to attack and Grier prides himself on keeping an even keel in those type of situations.
--Redshirt junior Kelby Wickline signed up for what he was getting when it came to playing for his father on the offensive line. He said the most difficult part was the fact that he had to come in and wasn’t expecting it but he kept ready on the sideline and took advantage of his chance. He realized that it was his chance and went in there and played well. It was special to him because when he gray shirted he would come to Texas a lot when his dad worked there so it was sort of a homecoming of sorts.
--On the two-point play Wickline said he was simply blocking the quarterback draw and knew that they were empty but he wasn’t sure where Grier would go with the ball. He said he felt he got a good block. He backed up and tried to find the b-gap and Grier dipped back which allowed him to get some forward pressure to spring him to the left pylon.
--Wickline told me that he could play other spots but since he has arrived at West Virginia his main focus has been at tackle and the experience of getting out there and playing has given him a lot of confidence moving forward in his career. He was originally a tight end at 258-pounds and has turned his body into a 306-pound offensive lineman. It took some time but he’s now ready physically.
--On the first two-point conversion attempt, senior wide receiver David Sills said it was single coverage and the DB was playing head up and giving Sills the inside. The slant and catch that followed is something Sills said he and Will Grier work on all the time.
--After Texas called the timeout, the defense adjusted to that which Sills and the offense figured they would. Grier said he was either going to throw it or run it before the play and when Texas put two DBs on the left side where Sills was at, he knew Grier was going to run it.
--TCU will enter Saturday as the top-ranked pass defense in the Big 12. Sills said for the offense and wide receivers to have success, they must play well underneath if TCU doesn’t allow them to go over the top and make contested catches.
From now, until Nov. 10 if you sign up for an annual subscription to WVSports.com you will get it for half the cost! All the content for half the price as part of our 50WVU promo.
That's all of football season, basketball season, recruiting coverage, spring football, camp season, fall camp and even into next football season for half the price! Pay $49 for an entire year of coverage. That boils down to 13-cents per day!
This promotion is for new subscribers by clicking this link: https://westvirginia.rivals.com/sign_up?promo_code=50WVU
Or if you've been on here or had a past subscription and want to join back with us you can click this link https://westvirginia.rivals.com/subscriptions/new?promo_code=50WVUbut you must enter the 50WVU promo code.
--Offensive coordinator Jake Spavital said that TCU will present the toughest challenge yet for West Virginia because while their base is a 4-2-5 they have been more multiple this year than what they’ve shown in the past using different fronts and odd packages by moving around different players. They are sound with their scheme and they make teams work for every yard they can get.
--Spavital said that they try to get two of the running backs involved each game and let it build from there but against Texas was really the first time that they were able to get in a groove with it. They were able to get in a rhythm and rush the ball effectively and while they wanted to get redshirt freshman Alec Sinkfield in the game at times they pulled off of it based off the flow of the game.
--Redshirt sophomore Jovani Haskins is a big target that causes some issues with his size and athleticism especially when you couple that with his catch radius. He’s been used on underneath and intermediate routes and when he catches the ball he naturally falls forward. He can be utilized to give the wide receivers a break as well which means they don’t have to use as many four wide receiver sets.
--The game-winning touchdown pass from Grier to Jennings was made in large part because of their continuity. It was a downfield throw where Texas matched what they were doing which forced the ball to be accurate or not be completed. Grier was scrambling and moving to the right and had to shut his footwork down to make the throw. It looks like he’s throwing off balance but what he was trying to do is with the internal clock and space left he had to get rid of it. Perhaps the most impressive part is that he released that ball when Jennings was around the 20-yard line and it was good to show the understanding of the layers of the defense and where the ball needed to be.
--TCU will use their ends in a lot of different ways not just in pass rush but in the run game. They do a lot of stunts and twists, especially front side into the run which is going to force West Virginia to be patient in what they’re trying to accomplish with their zone schemes. They are disruptive and for example a year ago they would be lined up and twist all the way to get to Grier in the backside B gap. They have to get hats on them at all times and make sure they won’t be disruptive because they will move around a lot so the offensive linemen will have to pass things off. They don’t flip them around though as they remain on their respective sides throughout the game.
--Redshirt junior Kelby Wickline is the designated swing tackle and first player off the bench there but if there would be another injury the next man up would be redshirt sophomore guard Josh Sills at tackle.
--Spavital was pleased with what Wickline did when he was inserted into the game especially in such a big spot and credit there goes to his old man Joe Wickline for getting that second team group ready to play and repping them at different spots so they were ready to step in and contribute when called upon. On one of Grier’s touchdowns, Texas blitzed a cornerback and Wickline kicked out and blocked him to give Grier enough time to throw the ball showing his understanding of what was asked of him.
--West Virginia came into the game wanting to establish the run behind redshirt junior tackle Colton McKivitz even before the ejection of Yodny Cajuste in large part because of how well he blocks against the style of defense that the Longhorns used with an odd front where the offensive line would block the box and the tight end would block the perimeter stuff. Spavital also credited what redshirt senior Trevon Wesco did with his blocking and highlighted the touchdown run by Pettaway when he was blocking 20-yards down the field clearing space.
--This is the time of the year where you have to be multiple with things and the tight end spot has really helped to allow West Virginia to do just that. This is what Spavital envisioned when he wanted to start introducing the position in the offense both from a blocking and receiving aspect. Wesco brings a physical element to the game and it’s really helped establish an edge.
--Expect West Virginia to continue to utilize a mix of players at the guard spots, with redshirt sophomore Josh Sills of course the main cog at left but redshirt junior Mike Brown can fill in there if he needs a break. At right, redshirt junior Joe Brown is expected back soon while senior Isaiah Hardy and redshirt sophomore Chase Behrndt also will be used there giving some options.
--Texas used a lot of the same looks as Iowa State, but West Virginia prepared for it during the bye week and is ready to attack the 3-2 box with the overhang stack backer. They played it more than West Virginia thought and tweaked it more than they had shown on tape with a lot of different fronts and the diamond set and the Mountaineers identified it well and blocked it up.
--Defensive coordinator Tony Gibson credited the success of his defense against young quarterbacks in large part because they don’t see it as much and how different they are with what they do. There is a pressure element that is meant to confuse quarterbacks and causes them to see things at times with a rush coming at them and the Mountaineers are actually dropping at times. It’s almost like an option team on offense when they have to play the Mountaineers. The balance is deciding when to pressure because of the issues in the back end and covering. Last week, West Virginia has two different examples when the Mountaineers had Sam Ehlinger dead to rights and he was able to throw the ball up and his wide receiver made a play to extend drives.
--Gibson said that senior Quondarius Qualls and redshirt sophomore Brendan Ferns will be available this week and they didn’t even travel last week. They’re in the plan this week which means they could be used to give guys a break that are in there. They’re added depth to the room. Redshirt sophomore Wes Tonkery is in the same boat and he is now good to go which is going to likely mix and match with Shea Campbell in order to split the reps there. Tonkery can’t play a whole game right now.
--TCU is a team that scores a lot of explosive type touchdowns so it will be key for West Virginia to try and mix things and force them to play the next play. At different times there will be opportunities to pressure to see if they can confuse them or get them behind the sticks but if they win first or second down they will wait to pressure on third down situations.
--The Horned Frogs do not run as many designed runs as you have seen in the past and a big part of that is likely that they want to keep their backup Mike Collins healthy.
--TCU has done an excellent job in the past attacking the West Virginia defense using a variety of ways to do it. They jump in and out of formations, they’re multiple with the run game, get in tight end sets, go empty at times, three-back and unbalanced to create match ups.
--The Horned Frogs don’t necessarily have a big wide receiver like Iowa State, Baylor or Texas but they have one that can run as fast as anybody that West Virginia has seen to date in Jalen Reagor. Overall, their speed jumps out to Gibson because they have guys that can run.
--Senior wide receiver Gary Jennings confirmed that West Virginia did substitute Marcus Simms into the game before he caught what would be the game-winning touchdown pass and he told me that the confusion you saw was genuine. The officials were on the ball and they were trying to hurry up. As we covered in the article yesterday, the safeties job was not to let Jennings get behind him inside but he was able to do that with an excellent release and determination.
--After Jennings caught the touchdown he had a moment where he stood in front of the Texas fans and said that it was the “funniest thing ever,” as they had a lot to say to him. He admitted that if it wasn’t being called so tight he would have likely flashed the Horns down there as well but he knew his team was going for two and couldn’t jeopardize it even in a moment with that much emotions. It’s something you’ve got to do when you know it can change the entire play.
--Senior quarterback Will Grier said the pass to Jennings was much more difficult than the two-point play because they’ve had that in and repped it a lot. The first time was an easy conversion because of the way that Sills can release but the second one was what he can do in the end zone. He was asked about the whole taunting deal that has been discussed and Grier seemed almost surprised by it. He said that he was not taunting at all and just wanted to make sure the ball was over the line before he was touched and he even joked that “pylons have been bad to me,” in the past.
--Grier said that there is a little bit of a difference playing quarterback in the fourth quarter, not necessarily playing the position but more the mindset in those spots. It changes based on what happens and while you can watch all the film you want teams will come out and throw in a lot of different wrinkles. By the time the fourth quarter rolls around you know what’s working and how to attack and Grier prides himself on keeping an even keel in those type of situations.
--Redshirt junior Kelby Wickline signed up for what he was getting when it came to playing for his father on the offensive line. He said the most difficult part was the fact that he had to come in and wasn’t expecting it but he kept ready on the sideline and took advantage of his chance. He realized that it was his chance and went in there and played well. It was special to him because when he gray shirted he would come to Texas a lot when his dad worked there so it was sort of a homecoming of sorts.
--On the two-point play Wickline said he was simply blocking the quarterback draw and knew that they were empty but he wasn’t sure where Grier would go with the ball. He said he felt he got a good block. He backed up and tried to find the b-gap and Grier dipped back which allowed him to get some forward pressure to spring him to the left pylon.
--Wickline told me that he could play other spots but since he has arrived at West Virginia his main focus has been at tackle and the experience of getting out there and playing has given him a lot of confidence moving forward in his career. He was originally a tight end at 258-pounds and has turned his body into a 306-pound offensive lineman. It took some time but he’s now ready physically.
--On the first two-point conversion attempt, senior wide receiver David Sills said it was single coverage and the DB was playing head up and giving Sills the inside. The slant and catch that followed is something Sills said he and Will Grier work on all the time.
--After Texas called the timeout, the defense adjusted to that which Sills and the offense figured they would. Grier said he was either going to throw it or run it before the play and when Texas put two DBs on the left side where Sills was at, he knew Grier was going to run it.
--TCU will enter Saturday as the top-ranked pass defense in the Big 12. Sills said for the offense and wide receivers to have success, they must play well underneath if TCU doesn’t allow them to go over the top and make contested catches.