West Virginia Football: How the Mountaineers Have a Shot at the BCS

The West Virginia  win over the Cincinnati Bearcats on Saturday was the type of win the team needed to stay in the race for the Big East title. Cincinnati maintains control of their own destiny, however, they will have to play the remainder of the season with their backup QB Munchie Legaux as the starter.

West Virginia has one of the more potent offenses in the country, and with two games remaining WVU has the opportunity to win the league. November 25, WVU will host hated rival the Pittsburgh Panthers, in what should be one of the last backyard brawls for the foreseeable future; followed by a game at South Florida.

Head coach Dana Holgorsen was very disappointed in his team leading up to the matchup against Cincinnati, saying that he only wanted to bring players that wanted to play with intensity. It is safe to say this method of motivation worked for the Mountaineers as they led for the majority of the game, and played very well yet again on offense.

The play of the game was in the closing moments of the contest when Eain Smith blocked the Cincinnati field goal attempt. WVU’s blocked kick was the first kick the team had blocked since 2004.

This type of play is the effort that is necessary to rally a team, and if WVU maintains this momentum, watch out.

Geno Smith is shaping up to be one of the elite QBs in the nation; however with the inconsistency of the West Virginia defense, some of his numbers have been overlooked.

Saturday Geno went 29-for-43 with 372 yards and one TD. On the season Smith has just shy of 3,500 yards with 24 TDs and only 5 picks. The junior  has equaled his TD pass total from a year ago, and he has roughly 700 more yards passing than he did in all of last season.

Stedman Bailey, and Tavon Austin proved yet again that they are among the best WRs in the nation, and each of these dynamic offensive threats had over 100 yards receiving on the day.

Following this victory, head coach Dana Holgorsen has his team back into the top 25, and will host Pitt at home the day after Thanksgiving.

This game will have huge implications if WVU wishes to win the conference. With the recent announcement that Collaros will miss the rest of the season with a fractured ankle, it remains to be seen how the Bearcats will fare the rest of the year without their leader.

The key for the Mountaineers to win the Big East and play in the BCS will be the play of the defense and special teams. These units have been horrible at times this season, and the special teams has been the reason for the shortcomings of this team.

Against LSU, it was the punting game and the kickoff coverage, at Syracuse it was the defense and special teams, and again in the loss vs. Louisville a week ago. Against Cincinnati the D made big stops in the ball game and forced a Collaros fumble which led to a defensive TD.

If the Mountaineers can maintain a level of consistency, they have the opportunity to win the Big East and play in what would likely be the Orange Bowl in Miami, Florida. BCS bowls are huge for programs, and playing in these type of games are great for exposure.

For  the Mountaineers  to be considered among the elite, they have to win their conference, particularly with the amount of talent on this team.

The X-factor moving forward will be the play of Bruce Irvin. When he is rushing the QB, and making things happen on defense, the Mountaineers are very tough to beat. 

If the defense continues to make plays, a BCS bid would not be out of the question.