10:06am: Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval

Highs and lows of first month find McKivitz stable at right tackle

The 6-foot-7 Colton McKivitz (53) stands out in West Virginia’s huddle while receiving instruction from offensive line coach Ron Crook.

 

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — TV cameras couldn’t see inside the goal-line scrum. Even the 22-man wide shot didn’t reveal much. West Virginia right tackle Colton McKivitz was among the few who knew what happened, because he was the one holding the football.

Skyler Howard’s 1-yard surge into a pile of humanity looked innocuous enough, though refs needed a couple beats before sorting out the touchdown. Meanwhile, underneath it all, McKivitz was outwrestling Texas Tech defenders for the loose ball.

“Film didn’t get it, but I did get the ball on the sneak after Skyler scored, because I handed it to the official,” he said. “Texas Tech was saying they had the ball, but I was like no, no, no.’

Back on the sideline, Howard received the customary high-fives while the wide-grinning McKivitz moved straight for offensive line coach Ron Crook to lobby his case.

“I came over and told Crook, ‘Nah, I had that touchdown.’ It’s every lineman’s dream to score one.”

That West Virginia led 34-10 at the time contributed to his playful mood, but McKivitz seems naturally buoyant, a trait that served him perfectly when the redshirt freshman endured an uneven opening month this season.

A superb relief effort against Missouri at left tackle dissolved into an alarmingly poor start against Youngstown State. By the third game against BYU, McKivitz had been reshuffled to the second unit and shifted to right tackle, where he rotated with Marcell Lazard for two weeks.

“I thought it was going to be a lot louder at Texas Tech, but we kind of calmed them down a little bit.”

Then came the midweek practices leading up to Texas Tech, with McKivitz taking a heavier sampling of the reps. During Friday’s walk-through in Lubbock, he officially rejoined the starters. McKivitz validated that move as the Mountaineers put up 8.4 yards per play — the highest single-game average since the 2012 offense reset all the school’s records.

“I thought it was going to be a lot louder at Texas Tech, but we kind of calmed them down a little bit,” he said.

After not yielding a sack on 33 drop-backs in Lubbock, No. 12 West Virginia (5-0, 2-0) ranks seventh in FBS total offense and is on pace for more than 6,900 yards, which would surpass even the 2012 unit.

This week’s sold-out game against TCU (4-2, 2-1) — currently seventh nationally at 3.67 sacks per game — finds McKivitz facing off against James McFarland, the defensive end who made a team-high seven sacks in 2014 and forced a fumble in the Frogs’ 31-30 win in Morgantown.

Should McFarland make some disruptive plays, McKivitz feels resilient and capable of bouncing back. (“If he gets by you, it’s like, ‘Welp, we’re going to watch that one on Sunday.’ But then you’ve just got to forget it and do better on the next play.”) His line mates — three seniors and a junior — expect inconsistencies from a first-year player, though McKivitz appears to be compensating.

“He’s done a lot better than I did as a redshirt freshman,” joked senior center Tyler Orlosky. “I only lasted three games.”

When Crook says McKivitz “is still learning,” it’s a compliment steeped in caution, perhaps because of how his youngest starter regressed after that strong showing against Missouri defensive end Charles Harris in the season opener.

McKivitz realized he “was on a high horse” at the time and didn’t maintain the same intensity entering Youngstown State week. His temporary demotion provided a corrective lesson, and by the BYU game he began regaining confidence, in no small part because he was back at right tackle were he feels most natural.

“It’s where I’ve played the most and feel more comfortable,” McKivitz said, admitting he once put down the wrong hand while practicing at left tackle.

A few programs may soon be wondering if they were wrong for not recruiting the long-armed, 6-foot-7 Ohio kid. His only other Power Five offer came from Virginia, accompanied by several MAC schools.

“He was solid, really solid” against Texas Tech, said Mountaineers coach Dana Holgorsen. “If he keeps improving, he will be a heck of a player for us.”





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