West Virginia Football: QB Geno Smith Holds the Key to the Mountaineers' Success

In Geno Smith’s first year as a starting quarterback, we finally got to witness the fruition of the potential that we had been hearing about since Smith originally signed with West Virginia back in 2009 as a highly coveted recruit out of Florida’s Miramar High School.

Smith’s vaunted arm strength and passing skills were put on display for all to see, and the results were certainly impressive.

The 6’3’’, 215-pound junior quickly adapted to his new role as leader of the Mountaineers offense and he ended up turning in an All-Big East performance, completing nearly 65 percent of his passes for over 2,700 yards and tossing 24 scoring strikes.

And remember, he managed to do all that with inept coordinator Jeff Mullen calling the shots.

Just imagine what Smith could be capable of as the catalyst of Dana Holgorsen’s Air Raid attack.

Holgorsen has made ultra-productive stars out of almost every quarterback pupil he’s worked with, and Smith appears to be the most talented lump of clay that he’s ever had the chance to mold.

The new head coach’s pass-happy system has been the talk of Morgantown since his arrival back in December, and with Smith at the helm, the offense has a chance to be one of the most explosive attacks in America.

Besides Smith, the offense returns seven other starters from a year ago, including WR Tavon Austin, one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in America, fellow receiver Stedman Bailey, an emerging playmaker, and four out of five offensive linemen from last year’s unit.

Smith should have every opportunity to shine this season and he’ll have a great shot to join former West Virginia quarterbacks Rasheed Marshall and Pat White as Big East Offensive Player of the Year.

Don’t underestimate the fact that the junior signal-caller had an entire spring to work on his game and learn the offense. Remember, that’s something he didn’t have the benefit of last year because of an unfortunate foot injury that severely limited his participation in spring drills.

Smith will enter the 2011 season with more experience, more maturity and more confidence in his capabilities.

The Geno Smith for Heisman campaign hasn’t picked up much steam just yet, but that will change if Smith puts up the type of big numbers that are expected of him and if he can lead the boys in blue and gold to an upset of the highly ranked LSU Tigers in late September.

In the end, West Virginia will go as far as Geno Smith can take them this season.

If Smith is able to play up to his enormous potential and if he adapts well to the change in offensive philosophy, the Mountaineers have a great shot to take home a Big East championship and earn the BCS bowl bid that eluded them during the Bill Stewart era.