MORGANTOWN — West Virginia University’s offensive players like to call themselves the best two-minute offense in America. The Mountaineers’ last win over Kansas gave those players plenty of evidence to support that claim.
Over the game’s last 5 minutes and 39 seconds, WVU scored two touchdowns to erase an 11-point deficit and prevail, 32-28. That has led to some chatter as to whether West Virginia’s two-minute offense should become its every-minute offense. Teams in the past throughout college football have kept the foot on the gas for the entire game.
WVU offensive coordinator Chad Scott said that, sure, there are some benefits to keeping that rapid tempo going. But there are drawbacks, too, and those often eclipse any positives that running a tempo offense can bring.
“There’s risks to it, and there are advantageous things to it,” Scott said. “You can’t just go into the game and go tempo, tempo, tempo, because if it doesn’t go great, you put your defense in a bad situation and continue to put them back on the football field.”
Both WVU and this week’s opponent, Oklahoma State, already are having issues this season with time of possession. WVU is 101st nationally averaging 28 minutes, 27 seconds of possession per game. OSU is 113th nationally averaging 26:27. It’s likely not coincidental that WVU is 106th nationally in allowing 410.2 yards per game and OSU is 129th in allowing 480.6 yards per game.
“You’ve got to be able to run the ball and control the clock,” Scott said, “and tempo the ball when you want to and need to.”
Voices in their head
New college football rules allow one player on both offense and defense for each team to have a speaker in their helmets to hear from coaches on the sideline. That communication ends with 15 seconds left on the play clock or when the ball is snapped, whichever comes first.
Linebacker Trey Lathan is one of the players who has that new technology at his disposal this year. He said he’s gotten used to having a coach in his ear on the field, but it took a little time to get acclimated.
“The first day I had it, it was kind of odd, just hearing somebody, but then you can’t say something back,” Lathan said. “But it became a new norm for us.”
The coach-to-player helmet communication is a one-way street. Players can hear the coach, but the player can’t talk back.
“(Defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley) gave us a call, I think it was against Albany, that we were trying to run,” Lathan said. “But we ended up running something else. He was trying to tell me in the microphone, but I couldn’t tell him that we already called the call.”
A different view
The bye week gave players the opportunity to watch Oklahoma State-Kansas State film in a way they aren’t normally able — on the TV broadcast with announcers. Film work often consists of perspectives that don’t include commentary. Tight end Kole Taylor said the different look can help.
“It’s always good to watch TV copies, just because you kind of see the flow of the game, kind of see the energy of the game,” Taylor said. “And it is cool to see what other people think and outside perspectives. We have so many perspectives in here, the film in here, it’s definitely a little different. It’s kind of cool to see a TV copy with the announcers to see what they say, and even the refs talking about what they have, or the analysts and all that.”
— Story by Derek Redd
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