West Virginia Football: The Five Most Important Mountaineers For The 2010 Season

Well Mountaineer fans, it’s finally here. West Virginia will begin their 2010 campaign today when the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers pay a visit to Morgantown for the opening game of the season.

This year has the potential to rival the best seasons during the Rich Rod era. Both the offensive and defensive groups are loaded with experienced and talented players who are ready to make a run at a Big East Championship and a BCS bowl game.

While everyone from Joe Madsen to Tyler Bitancurt will play an integral role in the team's success, there are five Mountaineers in particular who need to have great years.

5. Wide Receiver: Tavon Austin

Tavon Austin Highlight

Tavon Austin could be most explosive element on the entire Mountaineers team in 2010. The sophomore showed glimpses in his first year that he has the speed to be the game breaker that really put a scare into every opposition.

Expect offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen to try and get the ball in Austin’s hands out in space. As a Z receiver, he’ll be used in the short passing game with screens and quick outs and he’ll also get some touches on reverses and designed runs.

He also has an overlooked value as a kick returner. Austin could be one of the most dangerous returners in the Big East.

4. Safety: Robert Sands

Robert Sands Highlight

Safety Robert Sands could be the best NFL prospect the Mountaineers have had in years. At 6‘5 220 lbs, Sands not only possesses remarkable size for the position, he also has the athleticism and quickness to cover large portions of the field.

Sands is regarded as a fearsome hitter, and he needs to use that reputation to intimidate opposing offenses this season.

The West Virginia secondary is a talented and experienced group, and they have a solid leader in Sands. Guys like JT Thomas may be the heart and soul of the front seven, but West Virginia’s defensive success could hinge on how dominant Sands can be.

3. Quarterback: Geno Smith

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JACKSONVILLE, FL - JANUARY 01: Quarterback Geno Smith #12 of the West Virginia Mountaineers throws a pass against the Florida State Seminoles during the Konica Minolta Gator Bowl on January 1, 2010 at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium in Jacksonville, Florid

Geno Smith doesn’t have to be a great quarterback this season; he just has to be an efficient one.

The sophomore, who has yet to start a game on the collegiate level, has a world of talent. But how steep will the learning curve be this year?

Smith only saw substantial time in two games in 2009 - Marshall and Florida State. And he was also hampered this spring with a foot injury that limited his development.

Luckily for Geno he has a ton of talent surrounding him on offense. He’s got skill players galore and an experienced and strong offensive line that should do a great job protecting him.

His job is simple.- limit the mistakes and make sure he gets the ball into the hands of his playmakers.

2. Running Back: Noel Devine

Noel Devine Highlight

Noel Devine has been one of the most mythical and adored players the school has seen in some time. Since the day he announced his intentions to come play in Morgantown, Devine has had a fan base and support group that could rival any other player in the country.

He has yet to disappoint any of them. The 5‘8 senior has put up consecutive 1,000 yard rushing seasons while dazzling viewers with his highlight style of running.

Now entering his final season as a member of the gold and blue, Devine will once again be a critical component to West Virginia’s offensive success.

Noel needs to carry the bulk of the workload while Geno Smith gets his feet under him early in the year.

1. Head Coach Bill Stewart

Bill Stewart Speech

After back to back 9-4 seasons, Bill Stewart now enters his third year as head coach at West Virginia with some mighty high expectations and some pretty heavy pressure.

Stewart has yet to win over the majority of Mountaineer nation and it remains to be seen if he ever can. The only thing that can satisfy West Virginia fans is a Big East Championship.

The talent is there to make that happen in 2010, but it’s up to Stewart to keep this team hungry and motivated while guiding and navigating them through a tough twelve game regular season.

The schedule isn’t overly challenging but it does include tests against LSU, PITT, Cincinnati, UCONN, and South Florida. It’s a tough task, but it's one that Stewart must accomplish if he wants to remain the leader of his beloved school for the foreseeable future.