The offense was the strength of the Mountaineers on Saturday, like it was almost all of last season.  Pumping out over 500 yards of offense and 62 points proved that the Mountaineers have not lost a step.  Steve Slaton was his usual self scoring four touchdowns and eclipsing the century mark in rushing once again.  He also dazzled with his catch and run ability, something he has been adding to his repertoire the last two seasons. 

Pat White was solid on the ground and through the air, rushing for 97 yards and two scores while passing for nearly 200 yards and two more touchdowns.  Western Michigan loaded up the box in the first half forcing White to throw.  White showed his arm is as good as advertised completing 10 of 18 passes.  The Mountaineers only threw the ball 22 times in the game completing a combined 13 passes between White and Brown for a 60% completion rating. 

The defense was as solid as you could ask.  The run defense was impeccable giving up only 32 yards on the ground.  The Mountaineer secondary was in the spotlight again and gave a fairly decent performance.  The fact that Western Michigan got down early and had to resort to the air made the difference.  Western Michigan threw the ball 42 times, nearly double the amount that the Mountaineers did.  Jamarko Simmons was the main target and had 14 receptions for 144 yards and was the only receiver who did considerable damage. 

The Mountaineers played about as well as you could expect for the first game, especially on offense.  West Virginia’s defense played well but again has a bit of a leak in the secondary.  However, when the other team throws the ball 42 times in a game, it is hard to stop them every time.  Also, it was the first game of the season against a fairly formidable opponent.  A team that went to a bowl last year and may challenge for a MAC title is not a team you should overlook, and the Mountaineers did not.  An emotionally charged game at Marshall next week should be interesting to watch.  The Mountaineer defense should be stout after a week of practice and watching film.

West Virginia’s offense played extremely well and there is no reason that they should not do that all season long.  White showed he has great passing ability when people load up on Steve Slaton.  Darius Reynaud and Dorrel Jalloh are solid targets for White and Steve Slaton and Noel Devine showed off their run and catch ability.  The defense was stingy against the run and played well enough in the secondary.  If the WVU secondary can start making a few more plays a game, this West Virginia team could prove to be unstoppable.  The Mountaineers showed they have the tools to stop some of the best running backs in the league, now all they have to do is prove that they can shut down some of the better receivers in the league. 

Overall, the Mountaineers played well for the opener.  The Mountaineers will be tested the next month in a half playing only one game at home against an East Carolina team that had little problem sticking around with Virginia Tech.  Throw in road games at Marshall, Maryland, and South Florida  and the Mountaineers will have to be on top of their game to come out of those games with wins.  The offense is unstoppable and the defense is on their way to becoming one of the better units in the nation.  

Unit Grades:

Offense – A+

Defense – B/B+