Moving On
Mountaineers Separate From Rodriguez Era
By Tony DeFazio

The football program in Morgantown is trying to move as far away from the Rich Rodriguez era as possible.

And the best way to do that, says the man charged with replacing Rich Rod, down home folk hero Bill Stewart, is to return to the football field.

"That's where you divert all of your attention and resources," Stewart said of spring practice, which started March 14. "Everything goes boom - right to the task at hand."

The task at hand this spring will be somewhat contrary to the previously stated goal of moving in the opposite direction traveled under Rodriguez. A 33-5 record over the past three seasons is not something the program wants to move too far away from, no matter how ill the will toward their former coach.

"We're not going to change much," said Stewart. "I'm not a fool."

Maintaining the success of the previous staff won't be easy, but Stewart's first Mountaineers' team has the luxury of welcoming back the sixth-place finisher in the 2007 Heisman Trophy balloting, quarterback Patrick White.

White has been one of the most successful and productive players in college football since he stepped into the starting role midway through his freshman season in 2005. The sixth leading rushing quarterback in NCAA history is just 783 yards away from passing Missouri's Brad Smith for first place. White loses three of his major weapons in running back Steve Slaton, receiver Darius Reynaud and fullback Owen Schmitt, but all five starters on the offensive line are back, and WVU returns nine players with starting experience along the line. White his backfield mates should be well-protected once again.

Noel Devine appears set to replace Slaton as the feature back as long as off-field issues don't rear their ugly heads again. Devine was one of four players arrested last month for their roles in a February fight outside a Morgantown nightclub. To compound the issue, another of the four charged was Jock Sanders - Devine's back-up.

While coaches are set on Devine and Sanders in the backfield provided they are eligible, replacements for Reynaud and Schmitt will be decided on the field this spring and into the summer.

Woodland Hills grad Wes Lyons, Dorrell Jollah, Tito Gonzales and Will Johnson will all be in the mix at wide receiver, and new offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen needs at least one to step up and prove capable of being a game-breaker in the mold of the graduated Reynaud.

"I'm a guy that believes in balance," said Mullen, who comes from a Wake Forest program that won 20 games over the past two seasons. Mullen wants to add balance to an offense that was third in the NCAA in rushing last season - but 115th in passing.

"Those teams win a lot of games but it's very difficult to win championships," said Mullen. "I don't want to only be a running team. When we've got a box full of defenders, we want to give our team a legitimate option to stretch the field."

Mullen believes White can do that as a quarterback, and Stewart says his performance in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, where he was 10-19 for 176 yards and two touchdowns, is proof.

"I want to throw the ball deep," said Stewart. "You saw it in the bowl game. You crowd that box on us and we're going to throw the ball downtown. So we're going to have a few wrinkles here and there, throw a little motion in there to help Patrick out.

"But the biggest thing we have to do," adds Stewart, "is find another Owen Schmitt. That's my biggest worry on offense."

To that end, WVU may have the perfect replacement - in name, at least. Junior Thor Merrow will battle Maxwell Anderson and Sam Morrone for the position.

On the defensive side, there is a lot of turnover along the defensive line, where Johnny Dingle and Keilen Dykes have moved on. Scooter Berry and Mt. Lebanon native Doug Slavonic will be counted on as contributors in Dingle's and Dykes' absence.

At linebacker, the playmakers will be expected to be Gateway's Morrty Ivy and Reed Williams now that Marc Magro has graduated. With Williams out this spring due to injury, the onus falls on Ivy.

"We need (Ivy) to step up and be a leader," said defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel. "He will need to have an even better season than last year."

Quinton Andrews is the only returning player with significant experience in a depleted secondary.

Spring drills culminate with the annual Gold-Blue Spring Game to be played on Saturday, April 19, at Milan Puskar Stadium.