MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Jarret Doege is well aware how his 2020 season ended — abrupt and on the bench.
He took an inexplicable sack against Army in the Liberty Bowl, not getting rid of the ball and fumbling, which quickly resulted in a Black Knights’ touchdown. Doege threw an interception earlier, so head coach Neal Brown decided to go with Austin Kendall (who announced he is transferring to Louisiana Tech) to close out the game, and Kendall ultimately led the Mountaineers to a win.
Fair or not, Doege was criticized for his performance last season, even with steady numbers many quarterbacks would dream of: 2,587 yards and 14 touchdowns to only four interceptions.
Self-admittedly, though, Doege struggled with decision-making in the pocket, and while it didn’t result directly into many interceptions, there were several missed opportunities in the running game and Doege took too many sacks (WVU allowed 2.7 sacks per game).
“The main focus has been moving in the pocket, realizing when to run and realizing when to take a sack … just situational football,” Doege said. “I’ve gotten a lot better at just moving in the pocket – maybe one little, small move, and making that throw helps a lot. And just throwing on the run, not keeping my body in awkward situations, and making throws.”
Fortunately for Doege, the projected starting lineup along the offensive line is loaded with experience and could be a strength of the team. With an offseason of work under his belt and the hope he will be protected better than a year ago, WVU’s offense can evolve to the next level.
Simulating pocket presence without being in a live game or practice is challenging, but Doege is doing different drills to help replicate it as well as he can.
“Just having a bag right there in my face and making a throw with someone standing right there in my face, or making a small movement to get away from the bag and getting a couple of inches to where I can make a throw,” he said.
Doege, now sporting a beard he gleefully answered a question about, said there have been several player-led practices this summer.
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