WVU defense may not carry team in 2010

The perception was fairly clear for most West Virginia football followers entering preseason camp: If the Mountaineers were going to have any success this season, it was going to be because of their defense.

The opinion was fair enough.

Jeff Casteel's crew has quietly become one of the most feared defensive units in the country over the past four seasons, and with a slew of veteran players returning, including standout athletes at every position, it was statistically clear that WVU's only hope would lie on the shoulders of the 3-3-5.

Sure, those other guys had Noel Devine and Jock Sanders. Everything beyond that, however, was deemed a work in progress.

This year's fall camp has just gone to show that preseason estimations don't always come to pass.

The unit, which was believed to still be a year or two away from being one of the best in the Big East Conference, now seems to be vastly underrated heading into the Mountaineers' season opener against Coastal Carolina on Sept. 4.

Devine and Sanders, of course, have been the leaders of the group, and as offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen said, the others have followed their lead.

The young players are carrying themselves like veterans, while the veterans are carrying an encouraging aura that they're the ones to beat in the Big East this season.

The skill positions on offense are set: Devine and Sanders will carry the load while No. 1 receiver Brad Starks has seemed to embrace his role as the Mountaineers' go-to man. The depth and flexibility at the receiver position is promising, even if most of them are underclassmen.

And while quarterback Geno Smith has impressed in the preseason, it still remains unknown how he will perform as a full-time starter.

Then again, Smith doesn't have the weight on his shoulders that former WVU signal callers Pat White and Jarrett Brown did during their time in the Old Gold and Blue. As the best athletes on the field, White and Brown had to be the focal points of the offense if it wanted to find the endzone.

There's nothing wrong with that strategy, but it doesn't fit what Smith will be asked to do this season.

As Mullen described, Smith is a "distributor." His job: Get the ball into the hands of his team's best players. That's a task that Smith has always proven, even in his first snaps as a collegiate player, he's able to accomplish.

Personally, though, I'm most excited about seeing the growth of the offensive line, its chemistry and its added depth thanks to freshmen Cole Bowers, Marquis Wallace and Quinton Spain, who seem to collect complements from the coaching staff on a daily basis.

The only question that surrounds the unit is its identity, and, once they've found their identity, will they stick to it? Like this year, it was clear that Devine was the team's best option in 2009, but at times the tailback wasn't utilized to his full capabilities.

It was as if last year's team had so many weapons that it didn't know which one to use.

Now, don't get me wrong, the Mountaineers' strongest aspect will still be their defense. But the fears that WVU can't afford to allow too many scores or it will find itself out of games should be put to rest. This year's offense should have much more success than previously assumed.

That, of course, is assuming its preseason progress can be maintained.