COMMENTARY
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — WVU senior wide receiver T.J. Simmons joked that he tells Leddie Brown and the running back group he could be the No. 4 option in the backfield if given the chance.
In Saturday’s 24-6 win over TCU at Milan Puskar Stadium, the 11,111 (make a wish) in attendance caught of glimpse of why Simmons has a strong sense of confidence.
The Mountaineers used Simmons multiple times on jet sweeps, one of which was a long gain called back on a penalty. On the second, though, it worked well, as Simmons juked and jived his way for a gain of 16 yards.
More proof came later when Simmons dragged TCU safety La’Kendrick Van Zandt five yards into the end zone after hauling in a dime from quarterback Jarret Doege.
Although Simmons seems to have the skillset to earn a few reps at running back, I think WVU would be thrilled for him to continue the production he had against the Horned Frogs at his natural receiver spot. On a day where the Mountaineers defense shined yet again, Simmons was the star on offense, hauling in four catches for 90 yards, and more importantly, two touchdowns.
Both were contested grabs where Simmons out-muscled the defenders, but the setup on both were vastly different.
“The first touchdown was a basic go, so I had a semi-assignment, and I just made a play on the ball,” Simmons said.
Simmons was wide open on the play down the right sideline, but Doege underthrew the ball slightly, which forced Simmons to take a big hit as he caught it.
On the second, it was just a matter of Simmons being the stronger man.
“It was man-to-man and an inside fade (route), so I just wanted to push up on him, make a play and attack the ball while it was in the air,” he said.
Simmons is coming along as the season wears on with 10 catches for 214 yards in the last three games, and head coach Neal Brown believes it’s a change in approach and a clean bill of health that’s allowing Simmons to find success.
“Part of it is handling his business,” Brown said. “He’s practicing better. We’ve played a couple of games here in a row where inside receivers are bring featured at a little big higher rate. Doege trusts him to make contested catches, so I think that’s a piece of it. He had a good run last year when he was healthy. He’s got to take care of his body, and when he’s able to do that and he’s healthy, he’s a really good player in this league.”
Simmons’ performance and role in the jet sweep was proof of a more diverse WVU offense Saturday, and Brown mentioned it was the most efficient it’s looked all season. The Mountaineers finished with 392 yards — 212 passing and 180 rushing — in a balanced attack.
For the second-straight game, WVU did not have a turnover, as well.
“Offensively, I thought that was as efficient as we’ve played,” Brown said. “Controlled the clock, didn’t have to be very flashy. I thought we set the tone early. We started fast, which is something we’ve been working on. We’ve been better, but to go 99 yards right out of the gate meant that we took control of the game right then and there.”
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