What We’ve Learned: Week Six

Four turnovers be damned, West Virginia simply refuses to lose.

Despite all the miscues and poor decisions, the Mountaineers improved to 5-0 with a not-so-convincing 38-22 win over Kansas Saturday afternoon.

Here’s what we’ve learned after week six.

Will Grier’s Troubles

First, there’s nothing wrong with Will Grier. He’s not a bad quarterback and he’s certainly not overrated. He did, however, make three horrible decisions in the first half on Saturday that led to three interceptions in the red zone. Blame it on poor play-calling if you must, but those passes should have never left Will Grier’s hand. Grier and the coaching staff understands that and we should trust corrections will be made. Secondly, let’s forbid ourselves from even discussing Grier’s Heisman odds. As cherished as that award would be for the program and its fanbase, winning the Big XII and a national title means that much more. One game, even a game that included four turnovers, does not determine the Heisman.

Defense Proved its Worth

The only thing that has kept me from buying into West Virginia’s defense is its quality of competition. Minus Texas Tech, the Mountaineers have yet to face a top-25 offense. At the very least, Tony Gibson’s unit has been consistent and especially stout against the run. Averaging 7.5 yards per carry and over 100 yards per game, Jayhawks’ Pooka Williams Jr. has proven himself as one of the league’s best running backs yet was held to only 65 yards on 12 carries against West Virginia. The Mountaineers also forced three turnovers and only allowed 206 yards through the air.

Leddie Brown is THE Guy

Stop us if you’ve this before. We at DubVNation are big believers in Leddie Brown as the feature back for West Virginia’s offense. Holgorsen has asked we not call him a freshman since he doesn’t play like one, so it’s time he’s given more carries. Brown broke the century mark for the second time this season after posting back-to-back mediocre performances against Kansas State and Texas Tech. McKoy and Petteway have done nothing wrong to warrant less touches, but Brown has emerged as the Mountaineers’ leading rusher. There’s no better time than the present for the freshman to gain even more experience before the brutal back-loaded schedule comes to fruition.