WVU could be ‘special’ this season

MORGANTOWN-We've discussed the offense and the defense

But any coach worth his weight (and with Maryland's Ralph Friedgen we're talking about big money), there are three phases to every football game-the offense, the defense and the special teams.

So, just how will No. 8 West Virginia's special teams look when they open the season at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday at Mountaineer Field against Villanova?

For the most part, fans won't notice much change.

Placekicker/punter Pat McAfee is back for his final season in Morgantown and from all indications looks prepared to better the numbers he put up as a junior.

Numbers that include 64-of-65 point-after kicks, a 42.7 yards average on 46 punts and a 13-of-18 effort on field goals as the Mountaineers finished 11-2 on the season and won the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Impressive numbers to be sure.

But for all of the good things McAfee has done since arriving in town, he will be remembered most for the two short field goals he missed in a 13-9 loss to arch-rival Pittsburgh-a loss that kept the gold and blue out of the national championship game.

Kickers are strange athletes (just ask McAfee). Consistency in the kicking game is a valuable commodity to have when you have a schedule dotted with games where the outcome could hinge on the success, or failure, of making a short field goal.

If the preseason first team All-Big East kicker (Lindy's and Athlon Magazines) can become that 'automatic' kicker, then WVU's chances of going 12-0 and earning one of the two berths in the national championship game become even stronger. If not, then the Mountaineers could fall prey to the upset like it did in losses to South Florida the past two seasons and last year to the Panthers.

Fans will notice little, if any, difference in the kicking game as long snapper Adam Hughes returns as does holder Jeremy Kash.

The return game, however, is a different story.

Sophomore Noel Devine returns after leading the team with a 23.2 yards per return on kickoffs, but Vaughn Rivers, who led the team in punt returns with 41 for an average of 11.7 yards per effort and was second in kick returns with an average of 24.3 on 10 tries, is gone.

Devine can be just that -devine -at times in the return game. Fans can't be surprised on Saturday to see Villanova's kicker make every attempt to keep the football away from No. 7.

That's where sophomores Jock Sanders, Brandon Hogan and Eddie Davis will come in. All have the speed, maybe not like Devine's, to break the 'big one'. It would be a safe bet to say that each will probably get his chances early in the season as teams elect to kick away from Devine.

The punt return game may be a little harder to replace.

Senior Ellis Lankster placed himself atop the depth chart following spring ball and fall camp, but Sanders, who returned two punts for 43 yards (21.5 ypr) last year is sure to get his chances as well.

Successful programs consistently enjoy success in all three phases of the game.

If WVU can consistently be successful in all three, then a January trip to Miami for the BCS title game won't be just a dream.

Contact Jim Butta at

jbutta@newsandsentinel.com