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Monday Morning Stock Report: Descending toward mediocrity

West Virginia backup quarterback Skyler Howard threw for two touchdowns and 198 yards during the second half of a 26-20 loss against Kansas State.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The Monday Morning Stock Report typically abides by the 24-hour rule, as in it publishes about 24 hours after the game. But with West Virginia playing on Thursday night instead of God-intended Saturday this weekend, the MMSR is afforded an extra 48.

Extended reflection didn’t make the loss look any better.

No. 12 Kansas State didn’t play anywhere close to its normal self: Couldn’t nudge the ball on the ground, racked up 100 yards in penalties for the first time in 95 games and left Bill Snyder bitterly dissatisfied on many fronts. Yet it won anyway, 26-20.

Now the Mountaineers point toward Ames needing to halt a three-game slide merely to end the regular season with a winning record. Amid such a rapid descent back to mediocrity, the MMSR uses the up/down/neutral arrows for its weekly breakdown. Breakdown being the apropos term for the moment:

QUARTERBACKS
Before exiting with a concussion, Clint Trickett completed only 12-of-25 for 112 yards and two interceptions. The first pick was egregious, though Trickett made a TD-saving tackle (and apparently absorbed a knee to the head in doing so). The second pick, which turned out to be Trickett’s final snap, came about because Wendell Smallwood slowed on a crossing route.

Things were mismatched from the very first series, when Trickett threw a deep incompletion after Smallwood checked up. A few plays along, Trickett overlooked a free-running Jordan Thompson while trying to thread a pass to the blanketed Kevin White. This wasn’t the throw-in-rhythm quarterback who breached 3,100 yards; this was an erratic guy hoping to make plays but looking none-too-certain there were plays to be made.

Out of the bullpen, Skyler Howard delivered a boost by completing 15-of-23 for 198 yards and two touchdowns. His relief effort rewarded the 30,000 or so fans who stuck around for the frigid second half.

“I can’t tell you how impressed I was with how he performed,” coach Dana Holgorsen said. “I could have went as fast as I wanted to or as slow as I wanted to. The communication was perfect. The protection was not perfect and he made plays. He kept things alive and threw accurate balls. He gave us a chance to win. He’s the reason why it was a six-point game.”

Considering Trickett has a concussion history from last season, Howard might be the starter in the season finale at Iowa State. He might even warrant the assignment should Trickett be deemed healthy.

RUNNING BACKS
Was there a more deflating play than Smallwood’s first-and-goal fumble at the 2? The sophomore appeared to take the handoff in clean position before dropping the exchange to nullify a 69-yard drive. Smallwood made three catches for 21 yards but contributed to another turnover by pulling up on Trickett’s interception.

With 15 carries for 60 yards, Rushel Shell was at least functional for the first time in a month. His best run was an 18-yarder on which he hurdled a submarining defender. He also made two short catches.

On a night when none of the backs had much room to operate, Dreamius Smith netted 35 yards on 11 carries.

RECEIVERS
While Kevin White caught seven passes for 63 yards, the game turned on three of his catches that were disallowed. A backpedaling 28-yard score was wiped off by his heel landing on the sideline. A 36-yard catch was negated by the slightest of offensive pass interferences (Mike Periera panned the call.) And a bizarre 23-yard twice-tipped touchdown was overturned on review because the nose of the ball touched the turf before Dante Barnett deflected it toward White.

Those near-misses distinguished a decent night from a stellar one, though White also dropped two short passes—the likes of which he typically gobbles up.

Mario Alford suffered a drop too, which he made amends for by scooting 53 yards on a fourth-quarter touchdown. Along with four catches for 92 yards, he drew a pass interference call at the goal line and broke open for a potential 32-yard score that Howard overthrew.

Daikiel Shorts made four receptions for 72 and was belted out of bounds on a 17-yard near-touchdown.

Big gainers were rare, but West Virginia receiver Mario Alford caught a 53-yard touchdown pass against Kansas State.

 

OFFENSIVE LINE
“Ultimately protection is a one-on-one streetfight,” said offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson. “That’s what it boils down to.”

And for the third consecutive game, West Virginia’s offensive line lost the fight. The 3.3 per-carry average was hurt by four sacks, but also helped by a couple scrambles by Howard when protection was lacking.

About those sacks: All came on four-man rushes. Left tackle Adam Pankey allowed two, while center Tyler Orlosky and Marquis Lucas were beaten on the others.

West Virginia has scaled back its downfield throws in recent weeks for fear of being unable to protect the quarterbacks. It’s a deficiency offenses are unable to mask.

DEFENSIVE LINE
Kansas State’s 1-yard rushing output on 29 carries was unfathomable. Almost as unfathomable as Jake Waters throwing for 400 yards. Defensive end Shaq Riddick was neutralized, as was Brandon Golson, playing a reduced amount of snaps again. (Riddick finished with one tackle and one hands-to-the-face penalty.) So much for making the K-State attack one-dimensional.

“The pass rush was nonexistent—we didn’t lay a finger on (Waters),” Holgorsen said. “There are times where we were rushing six and they were blocking six and we had nothing going. Pass defense without a pass rush, you’ve got no chance.”

While WVU sorely needs to find defensive linemen who can collapse the pocket, this group was spectacular against the run, stoning K-State on two drives at the goal line.

LINEBACKERS
Similar to the defensive line, this group clamped down on the Wildcats’ running game but couldn’t get to Waters when the blitzes were called. Even when WVU dropped eight, the linebackers were a slow reacting in underneath coverage.

On K-State’s third-and-goal touchdown pass in the first quarter, linebacker Wes Tonkery initially had a bead on DeMarcus Robinson in the flat, only to lose coverage when Waters stepped up in the pocket.

Two series later, Edward Muldrow lost tight end Zach Trujillo on a 49-yard seam route.

Waters posted K-State’s first 400-yard passing performance in 78 games, dating back to Josh Freeman in 2008.

“But it’s all about points on the scoreboard,” defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. “Seven points came on a punt return and three came on a fumbled punt that we held them to a field goal. You take 10 off the board and I think we win.”

Kansas State receiver Tyler Lockett burned cornerback Terrell Chestnut and anyone else in the WVU secondary who tried to cover him.

 

SECONDARY
The same secondary that shackled Baylor to 223 passing yards gave up nearly that many to Tyler Lockett alone. In an eery similarity to the Baylor game, West Virginia lost cornerbacks Daryl Worley and Terrell Chestnut. Only this time, the backups couldn’t deliver.

“Just ran out of men,” Gibson said. “Icky (Banks) went in and battled and Rickey (Rumph) went in and battled, but we just couldn’t get it done.”

Lockett gained 196 yards on 10 catches and, like Kevin White experienced, saw another big gainer erased by a questionable offensive interference call. He burned Worley on a 54-yarder (on which the corner sustained an injured left shoulder) and later converted a third-down slant into 28 yards against Banks.

“It wasn’t busts—No. 16 made us look bad,” Gibson said. “He’s the best player we’ve played all year. Other guys have got the name and the stats, but he’s the best all-around player we’ve faced all year long. It’s not even close.”

As much trouble as they had coverage, safeties Karl Joseph, K.J. Dillon and Dravon Henry were tough at the line of scrimmage, combining for 16 tackles and five TFLs.

SPECIAL TEAMS
West Virginia fumbled a punt at its 16, missed a 40-yard field goal, sent a kickoff out of bounds (leading to a K-State field goal), and allowed a punt-return score by Lockett. Brutal night. Game-changing night. The deja vu is overwhelming.

On Lockett’s return, Nick O’Toole shanked a 35-yard punt to the left side of the field when WVU had set up coverage to the right. So much for directional punting. “That’s not a coaching error,” Holgorsen said. “That’s a player error.”

Lambert finished 2-of-3 on field goals, but perhaps thanks to freezing temperatures, didn’t appear to have any life on his kicks.

Vernon Davis Jr.’s decision to take a look-see at a bouncing punt (that was surrounded by defenders) was an elementary-level mistake. His silliness led to a K-State field goal. “For whatever reason, he didn’t field the punt and he didn’t get away,” Holgorsen said. “I don’t have an answer for why he did that I doubt he does either.”

Looking for a positive in the haystack? Kyle Rose blocked a K-State field goal and Justin Arndt stripped Lockett on a kick return.

COACHING
Trailing by two scores throughout most of the fourth quarter, Holgorsen had his offense attempt three fourth-down tries. The only one in question—with 12:19 left on fourth-and-7 at the K-State 26—ended in a Howard incompletion. It was a defensible move at the time, especially with Lambert struggling on two prior kicks into the wind. (Detractors will argue those three points not taken would have been useful when WVU reached the K-State 8 trailing 26-17 in the final minute.)

For a broader issue, Holgorsen must address why his offense has suffered a late-season regression, similar to the slippage in 2012. (Last year’s offense never achieved a platform from which to regress.)

Defensively, it’s easy to knock Gibson for allowing Lockett to flourish again, but that was the price of devoting extra manpower to shutting down the K-State run game, as Bill Snyder noted:

“Anybody can take away anything if they want to do so, and perhaps leave themselves some voids in other areas. That’s what happened today.”





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