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WVU wants White to throw more

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Patrick White is the greatest winner in college football today," first-year WVU coach Bill Stewart said following the team's first practice of the fall season on Saturday. "I don't care what the sport is. He'll find a way to beat you." This season, he may be trying to win more with his arm than he has in the past. In 37 career games, White has rushed for 3,356 yards -- just 933 short of the NCAA Division-I record for a quarterback held by Missouri's Brad Smith (2002-05). He has also passed for 4,207 career yards, but the Daphne, Ala., native has always been known as a run-first quarterback. The coaching staff has expressed a desire to throw the ball more than in past years, when the team executed former coach Rich Rodriguez's run-oriented, spread-option offense to great effect. That's a desire that has seemingly been expressed yearly in the offseason in Morgantown. But there may be more credence to it this fall because of the overhauled coaching staff. First-year offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen, who spent last season at Wake Forest, has promised more activity and motion from wide receivers before the snap to complement the team's speedy running game. White said the aspects of his game he has worked on the most over the offseason have been his accuracy, touch and deep ball.

Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

Patrick White, Stephen Dunn/Getty Images Patrick White, Stephen Dunn/Getty Images
August 3, 2008  11:22 AM ET

Good idea, he is an efficent thrower, but he odesn't throw much so his yards and TD's category look sub-par.

But West Virginia, don't get caugh up in trying make White' Heisman run better and get away from what works, you guys have one of the best O-lines in the nation, a great RB in Noel Devine, and a amazing running QB, use them.

August 3, 2008  11:29 AM ET

in other words, don't sacrifise a a potential National championship trophy or a potential Heisman Trophy

August 3, 2008  11:53 AM ET

No kidding. If it ain't broke...

I'm curious to see if Stewart can build on the team's success under Rodriguez or if he'll just dismantle it.

August 3, 2008  12:46 PM ET

unless, of course, the team playing the other sport is South Florida...

August 3, 2008  01:33 PM ET

The QB position is evolving into a "chuck 'n run" player. Hey, whatever gets the job done I guess.

August 3, 2008  03:48 PM ET

No kidding. If it ain't broke...

I'm curious to see if Stewart can build on the team's success under Rodriguez or if he'll just dismantle it.

SoonerGirl | 08/03/08, 11:53 AM

I hear you. The hope is that by increasing his passing a little more we might put defenses back on their heals a little to open up the running game even more so, if that is possible.

So far I am happy with the job Stew has done but the jury is still out in a lot of areas. Hopefully we can build on and continue the momentum of the last few years.

Can't wait until the season starts!!!

August 3, 2008  06:56 PM ET

I guess his racist accusations and BS apology to the coach/man he insulted mean little to his fans.

August 3, 2008  10:13 PM ET

Scrambling/running QBs are much more effective if they can pass even a little. If White is a 1 tooled QB, top defensive opponents can stop him. Big East football isn't what it used to be. If he could throw & runs like he can...they should win it.

August 3, 2008  10:25 PM ET

I guess his racist accusations and BS apology to the coach/man he insulted mean little to his fans.

LetsGoPens | 08/03/08, 06:56 PM

did you read the story or just the headlines on cnnsi and espn, cause if you did you would of saw that as soon as TOMLIN(THE coach your defending) found out he had a shot at the wvu job, TOMLIN called the AD and told WVU they should hire him, and that the ONE RACIST REMARK you refer to was a missunderstanding, but i also guess you've never made ONE mistake in your life either, must be nice to live a perfect life, then again your prob a pirtate fan to so i guess you have made mistakes

August 4, 2008  09:46 AM ET

did you read the story or just the headlines
mervinout


The story is in the Pittsburgh Tribune Review and Post Gazette and has nothing to do with Tomlin but the baseball coach at WVU, Van Zant. White said that Mountaineers baseball coach Greg Van Zant has not carried "many players of race on his team. He's not too high on it. Every player I've talked to doesn't like him. He's not a well-liked coach, but I guess he has tenure so they never got rid of him. They're not successful at all." White also accused the coach of not liking black players.

Please get your facts straight before you attack me.

August 4, 2008  01:56 PM ET

This would be like asking Peyton Manning to scramble more often and not call audibles.

If the QB is great at running, let him do that. You've put up pretty good W/L numbers the past few years... why screw that up?

August 4, 2008  02:00 PM ET

Unless your playing South Florida?

I would say the problem is that for the past 2 years White has been out of the South Florida game for the most part. That is why they lost. If the backup nearly beats you, White will definetly be able.

You always want to be able to throw. The fact that White can run so well sets up the defenses to be caught off guard if he scrambles out and then passes instead of run.

August 4, 2008  08:31 PM ET

I know WVU put a beatdown on USF three years ago in Tampa, and all everybody wants to talk about is the two USF wins the past two years. All RR had to do is run Slaton and Schmitt 50 times up the gut and WVU would have rolled last year agianst USF. I am going to put big money on WVU not to lose to USF this season in Dec in Morgantown.

August 4, 2008  08:32 PM ET

Every fan of the Big East should praise West Virginia. They saved the whole conference!

August 4, 2008  08:33 PM ET

This year will be no different. WVU will roll on to atleast a BCS game. Leading the way for the Big East agian!

 
August 5, 2008  12:58 PM ET

WVU will be in the thick of it again. Whether he passes or not, he and Devine are Divine. I enjoy watching them except against UGA.

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