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The Lunch: Good backs, bad pass-pro change WVU’s approach

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — By the time Dana Holgorsen labeled West Virginia a “run-first team” on Monday and generated media murmurs across two time zones, that fact had long become evident.

Through four games, the Mountaineers (3-1) have averaged 49.5 rushing attempts per game and only 31.8 passes. Some of that “Run Raid” disparity was statistically elevated by WVU eating clock during the fourth quarter of lopsided nonconference wins, but there’s no disputing how Holgorsen’s plan of attack has changed from his debut season of 2011.

Has Holgorsen undergone a coaching epiphany or simply adapted to personnel? With future NFL quarterback Geno Smith starting 26 consecutive games, the play-calling leaned heavily on the pass. In 29 games since, the collective assembly of Paul Millard, Ford Childress, Clint Trickett and Skyler Howard doesn’t scream draft-day talent.

It’s not just quarterback personnel that Holgorsen must consider.

As Howard was flummoxed by seven sacks during Saturday’s 44-24 loss at Oklahoma, West Virginia removed freshman left tackle Yodny Cajuste for parts of three drives. Holgorsen called the move an attempt to keep the linemen fresh, but there was no spinning the fact that Eric Striker gave Cajuste a few welcome-to-the-Big 12 moments.

Pass-protection woes led WVU to finish the game with 54 runs and 32 passes. Even the sack-adjusted total showed run-first at 47-39, atypical for an offense that faced a three-score deficit during the final 9 minutes.

The Mountaineers’ ground game was too effective to ignore Saturday, averaging 5.3 yards on designed runs. (Howard averaged only 5.4 per pass attempt, well off his previous career average of 8.9.)

Wendell Smallwood, the Big 12’s second-leading rusher at 110.5 yards per game, has only two fewer carries this season than does Oklahoma workhorse Samaje Perine. Who saw that coming, especially with Smallwood and Rushel Shell sharing time?

“We’ve got great backs,” Holgorsen said. “And we’ve got offensive linemen who do a really good job being targeted the appropriate way and coming off with pad level. We like where we’re at with that.”

Obvious follow-up question for a run-first coach: How soon will he like his line’s ability to pass protect?