MORGANTOWN — As good as the last two weeks were on the field for the WVU football team with wins over TCU and Iowa State, head coach Neal Brown announced Tuesday cornerback Nicktroy Fortune and tight end Mike O’Laughlin are out for the rest of the regular season with lower body injuries.
Both were injured at TCU on Oct. 23 and did not play against Iowa State last Saturday.
Fortune was replaced in the second half against the Horned Frogs by Charles Woods, who also got the starting nod against the Cyclones.
O’Laughlin, on the other hand, missed the first two games of the season before returning against Virginia Tech. In his absence then was T.J. Banks, and it was Banks again who got the start vs. ISU.
Banks didn’t have a catch, even in two starts, during the first seven games of the season, but he had three grabs, all in the first half, against the Cyclones.
“That was the best he’s played, it really was,” Brown said. “He’s had two great weeks in a row from a practice standpoint. I think T.J. sees an opportunity. His approach is much more mature than when he had to play early when Mike was out with the other injury. He’s always played really hard. The effort has never really been an issue, it’s been technique issues. Saturday was the first time he combined high effort, which he always does, with really good concentration on technique.”
The reps are going to continue to grow for Banks as the new No. 1 tight end, but at a position already struggling with depth, O’Laughlin’s injury forces the Mountaineers (4-4, 2-3 Big 12) to get creative in heavy sets.
Redshirt-freshman Charles Finley got a majority of the backup reps that went to Banks when O’Laughlin was playing. Brown said before Finley needed to gain weight to play consistently, but the pieces are starting to fall into place for him in practice.
In heavy goal line sets, which WVU used against the Cyclones, the Mountaineers extended the offensive line rather than bringing in two tight ends. Backup right tackle Parker Moorer came in as an eligible receiver at the tight end spot, essentially extended the offensive line from five to six.
“As we go through it, that’s kind of how it’s going to be, a next man up mentality,” offensive coordinator Gerad Parker said. “We’ve got to continue to have our roster ready to have depth and be able to sustain season-ending stuff or any injury. Proud of those guys and really hurt for Mike.”
Fox named Scout Team Special Teams Player of the Week
Morgantown High alum Preston Fox was given one of the weekly awards following a WVU win, due to his performance leading into last week’s Iowa State game.
Fox, a redshirt-freshman, was named the Scout Team Specials Teams Player of the Week.
“He does a great job and he’s going to be a player for us down the road,” Brown said.
Brown remember Major Harris
This Saturday during the Oklahoma State game, WVU will retired former quarterback Major Harris’ No. 9 during an on-field presentation.
Brown said his introduction to WVU football in the late 1980s was when Harris was leading the Mountaineers.
“If you weren’t a (West Virginia) native like me, that was my introduction to WVU football was being a young fan watching Major Harris,” Brown said. “At the time, he was so unique. I’ve really enjoyed getting to spend some time with him, and what a great honor for one of West Virginia’s all-time greatest players.”
