MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Conference realignment might have hibernated the Black Diamond Rivalry for 12 years but couldn’t kill it outright. Sunday marks the 52nd meeting between No. 22 West Virginia and No. 21 Virginia Tech, and only the fourth where both teams were ranked.
With that we launch into 2017’s first foray into Four-Down Territory:
1. Will Grier gets his day …
… some 689 days removed from his last game at Florida and the urine test that led to a PED suspension and his transfer. Expectations that are stratospheric based on Grier’s play-making in practice will be tested against Virginia Tech’s pass rush.
“He’s got the itch for sure,” said offensive coordinator Jake Spavital. “There’s a lot of ups and downs in this game and he can handle everything, He’s an optimistic, very positive person and that’s how he handles the game. He’s level-headed about it all — more excited to get out there and play than he is the anxiety of things.”
West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen has not allowed Grier to speak with the media, nor has he allowed reporters to view any preseason scrimmage periods. How much the offense resembles what it showed during the spring game is a mystery entering Sunday night, and Holgorsen is curious to get a first-hand look at the gameday Grier.
“I’ve seen him in plenty of practices and watched him on video (at Florida), so I’m anxious to finally see him in a live-game setting to where he can cut it loose a little bit,” Holgorsen said.
2. Debuts all around
Aside from Grier the Mountaineers plan to deploy 10 first-time starters, three of whom will be playing their first D-I snaps.
Can Dylan Tonkery hold his water at linebacker? Will a questionable defensive line be shoved around? Can cornerback Hakeem Bailey play as well at FedEx as he did during camp?
At the opposite corner, Mike Daniels has appeared in six games, though rarely when it mattered. Now let’s see if the senior is capable of covering Virginia Tech’s Cam Phillips or whether that job falls to Bailey.
Beyond the starters, expect significant action from 2016 four-star signee Brendan Ferns who has recovered from an ACL injury.
An offensive line that appears solid at four spots needs center Matt Jones to handle business in his first meaningful action. Jones is bigger and a year older than was Tyler Orlosky in 2013 when he struggled in his first big-game start at Oklahoma.
3. Freeing the safety
Concerns about Dravon Askew-Henry’s readiness following ACL rehab were further alleviated when he popped up on the depth chart at kick returner.
“I joked with him in camp that the NCAA doesn’t allow guys in knee braces to return kicks,” said assistant Matt Caponi. “I think he thought I was serious at first, but it shows how hard he has worked the last 12 months to get back.”
After starting his first 26 college games at free safety, Askew-Henry missed the entirety of 2016 because of the preseason knee injury. Now the redshirt junior returns joins Benton and Kyzir White as cornerstones of a retooled defense.
“I’m sure he’ll be antsy, but Dravon’s experienced enough to be a calming factor,” said Caponi. “We’ll need him to remind the young guys out there that it’s 60-minute game and not a 15-minute game.”
4. Hokies help Jackson
Because Virginia Tech doesn’t want Josh Jackson to shoulder the burden in his first appearance, his best ally will be a strong running game.
Three returning starters up front — Eric Gallo, All-ACC pick Wyatt Teller and 6-foot-7 Yosuah Nijman — should give the Hokies a matchup advantage on the left side.
“The center (Gallo) is very talented, they’ve got a real huge left tackle (Nijman) who can really cover you up, and their left guard (Teller) is about as tough as there is,” said WVU defensive line coach Bruce Tall.
Travon McMillian, a 1,000-yard rusher as a freshman, saw his opportunities reduced last season when quarterback Jerod Evans dominated the carries. McMillian is listed as the co-starter at tailback with the powerful Steven Peoples (5-foot-9 and 220 pounds).