Is it football season yet? Nope. How about now? NO!!!
This is one of the many questions that Mountaineer faithful are asking amongst themselves as the 2008 football season draws near, along with, "How will our Mountaineers do without you know who?"
Well, lemme just go on ahead and say this...BETTER!!!
Now I'm not bashing Rich Rod, but from watching that Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma (Are you kidding me? 48-28 against the "best" team in the nation?), how can you think that West Virginia will be worse off?
That was then, and this is now. The Coach Stew Mountaineers look to show off what they got this season, and the fans are excited. The reason why the fans can't wait to see their Mountaineers is because of senior quarterback Patrick White.
"The Chief," as he is called, is without a shout of a doubt the most electrifying QB in the game today. With No. 5 you never know when a potential sack can turn into a touchdown. This guy is a winner and gets better each year.
With this year being his final season as a Mountaineer, look for White to post bigger and better numbers. The critics say that this guy cannot throw the ball, yet he completed 66.7 percent of his passes in 2007, which happens to be good for a "scrambler."
Also, look for White to push himself into the Heisman conversation. Outside of Tim Tebow, White has to be the best candidate. Just like any one of his out-of-nowhere runs for 50-plus, expect to be surprised by his passing this year.
Another reason why the Mountaineer fans are counting down the days until August 30 is because of sophomore RB Noel Devine. The little guy has drawn comparisons to Barry Sanders and strikes fear into the hearts of any opposing defense.
Look for Devine to post otherworldly numbers as his input will increase. Coach Stew and everyone else are expecting big things out of Noel this year. Watch out!
West Virginia also returns their whole offensive line, which consists of All-Americans Ryan Stancheck and Greg Isdaner. This group of offensive linemen is very talented and is probably one of the best O-lines in the nation, if not the best.
These were the men that were responsible for 1,000-yard performances from both Pat White and former Mountaineer, now Houston Texan, Steve Slaton. This group will continue to do work and open holes for Pat White, Noel Devine, and the other runners out of the backfield.
Speaking of other runners in the backfield, Mountaineer fans were elated when they found out about Hargrave RB Terence Kerns finally qualifying to play football this fall. It was a tough long struggle to get Kerns qualified, but now he is ready to get on the field.
Kerns is one of those backs with rare combination of size and speed. At 6'1", 225, and a *4.3* forty (nobody really knows how fast he is, but judging from his highlights, he can scoot for a big fella), he is a perfect compliment to Noel Devine. Mark Rodgers is another speed back that adds depth to the backfield.
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