Summer Opponent Preview: West Virginia – The Numbers

Quick Facts on West Virginia

Last Year’s Record: 7-6
Location: Morgantown, West Virginia
Coach: Dana Holgorsen
Returning Offensive Starters: TE Cody Clay, QB Skyler Howard, OL Marquis Lucas, OL Tony Matteo, WR KJ Myers, OL Tyler Orlosky, OL Adam Pankey, RB Rushel Shell, WR Daikiel Shorts, RB Wendell Smallwood, WR Jordan Thompson
Returning Defensive Starters: LB Jared Barber, DL Christian Brown, LB Isaiah Bruce, CB Terrell Chestnut, S KJ Dillon, S Dravon Henry, S Karl Joseph, DL Eric Kinsey, LB Nick Kwiatkoski, CB Nana Kyeremeh, LB Edward Muldrow, DL Noble Nwachukwu, LB Shaq Petteway, DL Kyle Rose, S Jeremy Tyler, CB Daryl Worley

Yards

Pass Yds/Gm Rush Yds/Gm Rec Yds/Gm
QB Skyler Howard 165.80 28.00 0.00
RB Rushel Shell 0.00 65.67 11.70
RB Wendell Smallwood 0.00 55.54 25.10
WR Jordan Thompson 0.00 2.85 46.00
WR Daikiel Shorts 0.00 0.00 26.60

It appears to be that Howard is the guy and West Virginia has a stable of running backs that will be able to carry the load. It would not surprise me at all to see shell and Smallwood carry a significant part of the offense.

Points

Pass Pts/Gm Rush Pts/Gm Rec Pts/Gm
QB Skyler Howard 12.00 0.00 0.00
RB Rushel Shell 0.00 3.50 0.00
RB Wendell Smallwood 0.00 0.92 0.00
WR Jordan Thompson 0.00 0.00 0.92
WR Daikiel Shorts 0.00 0.00 0.92

Not a ton of returning touchdowns return. That will happen when two fantastic receivers graduate and a quarterback that was really pretty good last year. He got beat up, but he was good.

Tackles

Solo Assisted
LB Nick Kwiatkoski 71 32
DB Karl Joseph 60 30
DB KJ Dillon 43 19
DB Daryl Worley 44 8
LB Shaq Petteway 33 7

Kwiatoski is fantastic and that defensive backfield is scary good. Joseph and Dillon are the stars and I think I actually like Dillon a bit more as he is more of a center-fielder than a hard-hitting safety like Joseph.

Havoc

Tackles for Loss Passes Defended Forced Fumbles
LB Nick Kwiatkoski 11.50 4.00 0.00
DL Noble Nwachukwu 8.00 4.00 0.00
DB KJ Dillon 7.50 10.00 0.00
LB Shaq Petteway 5.00 2.00 0.00
DB Karl Joseph 4.50 4.00 3.00

Dillon makes a ton of plays on passes, although, as you can see, Joseph makes a ton of plays, jarring the ball loose and creating turnovers. And do not make me spell Nwachukwu without a cheatsheet.

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