West Virginia's Geno Smith Proves Pure Talent Is More Important Than Experience

Coming into the 2010 season, the West Virginia football team had very few offensive questions that needed to be answered.

The Mountaineers were returning seven offensive starters from a year ago, including running back Noel Devine, nearly the entire offensive line, and a bevy of speedy skill-position players (such as Jock Sanders and up-and-coming star receiver Tavon Austin).

After two years of less-than-stellar output, it finally looked like the unit had the firepower to get back to the level they were playing at during the golden years of the Rich Rodriguez era. The only unknown was whether new starting quarterback Geno Smith could lead them back to the promised land.

Smith, a 6‘3", 210-pound sophomore out of Miramar, Florida, played sparingly throughout his freshman season as he backed up senior starter Jarrett Brown. He saw his most prominent action in two games: a victory over Marshall and a loss to Florida State in the Gator Bowl.

In those two contests, Smith showed flashes of the skills that made him one of the most coveted quarterback recruits in the 2009 class. However, he also displayed the inconsistencies you would expect from a young quarterback, especially in the Gator Bowl, when the offense stagnated with Smith at the helm throughout the second half.

Smith finished the 2009 season with modest, yet intriguing statistics, as he completed 33 out of his 49 passes for 309 yards and a touchdown.

Offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen and head coach Bill Stewart knew they were dealing with a special talent, but they also realized the work that needed to be done. They knew that spring practices would serve as vital learning time for the inexperienced signal caller.

Sadly, Smith broke a bone in his foot during winter workouts, an injury that drastically limited his participation in spring practices.

With so little time, it was unknown whether or not Smith could pick up every needed nuance of the offensive system this summer to fully prepare for a whole season of work.

Luckily for West Virginia, they started the year off with three less-than-imposing opponents.

So far, Smith has shown that his ability warranted the high praise. In his first three games as a starter, the sophomore has completed 71 of 101 passing attempts (70%) for 800 yards and 7 TDs. He has displayed arm strength and zip on the ball that hasn’t been seen from a quarterback in Morgantown in quite some time.

Smith’s ability to read coverages, fit the ball into tight spaces, and feel pressure in the pocket gives him the look of a seasoned veteran leading this offense.

Geno has re-energized this team and added a new element that makes them dangerous and very tough to contain.

This a West Virginia squad that last year ranked dead last in the Big East in total passing offense with an average of 191 yards per game. But at this point in the 2010 season, they currently lead the conference in the same category with 266 yards per game.

There’s no doubt Smith is one of the rising stars in the country, and he very well could be the best quarterback the conference has to offer for the foreseeable future.

He’s already faced about as much pressure as a young quarterback could face in one game. During the second game of the season, a Friday night showdown at Marshall, Smith was hit or hurried on seemingly every play as the Mountaineers offensive line failed to stop the rush of Marshall’s front seven.

Even in the face of adversity, Smith showed poise beyond his years. Down fifteen points in the fourth quarter, the young quarterback was able to rally the Mountaineers to an improbable 24-21 overtime victory.

West Virginia currently stands at 3-0 as they prepare to take on the fifteenth-ranked LSU Tigers in front of more than 90,000 screaming fans in Baton Rouge on Saturday night.

The environment is sure to be raucous, and we’ve already seen what a hostile SEC crowd can do to a young quarterback when Alabama shut down Penn State’s Robert Bolden earlier this year. But don’t expect this young man to be shaken.

Geno Smith has the talent and mindset to handle the pressure and lead West Virginia to victory.

If he can do that, Smith will not only help this West Virginia team gain some respect, he'll also help make a name for himself on the national college football scene.