Frosh adds to WVU versatility
Posted by rsanrel on October 16th, 2009
There is probably one reason above all others that West Virginia’s offense has been successful enough this fall to average 450 yards and rank in the Top 20 in the country: versatility and flexibility.
One of only three teams in the country that rank in the top 30 teams in both rushing and passing yardage, the Mountaineers have not only made a living off of mixing the two with great success, but also in varying what they do within those areas. West Virginia can throw long, short and in between and can attack in the running game with either speed or power.
And perhaps the Mountaineers are on the verge of adding yet another element to that offense, at least the ground portion of it. Late in last Saturday’s 34-13 win at Syracuse, they took Shawne Alston for a test drive and liked what they saw.
Alston is a combination of more power than Noel Devine and Jock Sanders and more speed than Ryan Clarke. And he could see more action Saturday when West Virginia (4-1) plays Marshall (4-2) at Mountaineer Field.
“He’s kind of a tweener. He’s in between where [Devine and Sanders] are and where Ryan [Clarke] is,” West Virginia coach Bill Stewart said. “He’s bigger than [Devine and Sanders] and he’s a little faster and more agile than [Clarke]. It’s just tough getting him in the game when you have those three.”
It might be easier now that Alston has been given a shot and shown some of his potential. It was nothing earth shattering, of course, but the 6-foot, 218-pound true freshman from Hampton, Va., carried six times and gained 19 yards. He gained 8 yards on his first carry when still surrounded by most of the first-team offense.
Click here to read the full article – By Dave Hickman of WVgazette.com
