MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (AP) — West Virginia has pressed the fast-forward button on the Dana Holgorsen era.
Holgorsen took over the Mountaineers a year ahead of schedule after Bill Stewart was forced out in June. Now the former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator must find the right formula to help a West Virginia offense that stalled often last season. His biggest task will be to pick out running backs for his three-back rotation, and he’s got three freshmen vying for those spots.
He’s revolving his offense around Geno Smith, who threw for more than 2,700 yards — the second most in school history — in his first season as a starter. Defensively, the Mountaineers lost seven starters but four returnees are big playmakers, including Bruce Irvin, who compiled 14 sacks in part-time work at defensive end.
