Post by cviller on Sept 28, 2007 7:39:00 GMT -5
By Mike Casazza
Daily Mail sportswriter
MORGANTOWN -- By now, the exploits of Patrick White have produced a long list of statistics that serve to show just how good a football player he is. He'll add many more marks and records by the time he's finished playing quarterback at West Virginia.
However, one figure manages to stand tall among the others and best explains White's value and the offense's capability when the two are paired together.
In White's 21 starts -- remember, he's 19-2 -- the offense has reached the red zone 64 times. The Mountaineers have produced points 60 times, 38 of which ended with a touchdown,
"He's done that throughout the field," Offensive Coordinator Calvin Magee said, "but he's done a great job down there handling the ball and not turning it over."
The misses deserve an explanation because two weren't entirely the fault of the offense. One is a missed field goal and another a failed fake field goal attempt. True, the offense didn't finish and score a touchdown, which is the obvious goal, but there was at least a chance for points after it left the field.
"Our goal every time we start a drive is to score points," receiver Tito Gonzales said. "You want to get the touchdown, but three points ahead is better than zero points. As long as we don't come out of the red zone empty handed, it's a positive."
The other two are a lost fumble and an interception, that being White's lone critical error inside the 20-yard line.
So in 21 games and 64 trips to the red zone, there have been but four mistakes.
Not impressed? Consider that one of White's two losses featured two of the four misses. Running back Steve Slaton lost a fumble on the 1-yard line and the field goal unit was foiled on the fake and turned the ball over at the 6.
The opponent was South Florida. The final score was 24-19. The Mountaineers need not be reminded they left the margin of defeat out on the field that day last year. Converting on both of those red zone chances with any combination of touchdowns or field goals probably gives WVU the victory and, quite likely, a Big East title and a Bowl Championship Series appearance.
The emphasis tonight, when No. 5 WVU takes on No. 18 USF in an 8 p.m. ESPN2 game at sold out Raymond James Stadium, is obvious.
"The opportunity for a big play won't come a whole lot," WVU Coach Rich Rodriguez said. "If those chances come, we have to connect on them."
White and WVU have been otherwise outstanding in the red zone. In his four starts in 2005, they were 22-for-22 with 19 touchdowns. The only error outside the USF game last season was an interception in the end zone against East Carolina.
Even when White was out against Rutgers, the team converted all five opportunities in the triple-overtime victory. White returned for the Gator Bowl and the offense was again 5-for-5. WVU is 22-for-23 this season with touchdowns, meaning the offense has converted 32 of 33 opportunities since the USF game.
The only empty possession came on a missed field goal at Maryland.
WVU's success is as easy to define as it is difficult to deny.
"Too many weapons on offense," Slaton said. "Any given person can touch the ball and score. It's pretty much too much for an defense to cover when we only have a few yards to go."
Not surprisingly, the Mountaineers spend a fair amount of time on red zone situations in practice. They even split it up into plays run from inside the 20-yard line as well as inside the 10.
Through that, they've developed a confidence through the comfort they have in the plays they'll call.
"As you get closer to the goal line, some plays you have are not as good because you don't have as much space," Rodriguez said. "We're more a team that's going to run our offense until we get to about the 7- or 8-yard line and even then we're probably going to run (the offense). Even though we list the red zone section in our game play, it's usually the same plays."