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LAS VEGAS — West Virginia football coach Neal Brown admitted during Big 12 Media Days that he doesn’t mind being considered the underdog.
In fact, that’s how he wants his team to work — like it has something to prove.
“We’re going to be a tough unit that’s really disciplined that plays smart football and we do those things with an underdog mentality and with a chip on our shoulder,” Brown said.
He pointed toward last year, when the Mountaineers were picked to finish last in the Big 12 and many believed his job was on the line. Brown told reporters that he believed his team wouldn’t be in last place by season’s end and the Mountaineers won six Big 12 games.
This year? Well, there’s some respect, but not as much as Brown might have expected after the season they had.
So, again, there’s a chip on WVU’s collective shoulder.
“We’re not in (the preseason Top 25) with a team that finished strong last year and returns a lot of production,” Brown said. “We were the No. 1 Power Four rushing offense in the country last year and we’re picked seventh (in the Big 12). So, there’s a similar dynamic that works with this team. I believe some of our players are undervalued.”
West Virginia is coming off a 9-4 season with a 6-3 record in the Big 12. The Mountaineers beat North Carolina in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl. The season got Brown off the hot seat and got him an extension, albeit for one year and with a small pay cut.
West Virginia did good work retaining talent, especially offensively, where seven starters return, led by Greene. He was one of the better passers in the Big 12 last season, and he could elevate his game in 2024.
But WVU will continue to rely on the running game, where they were No. 3 in the country in rushing yards. C.J. Donaldson and Jahiem White return, and they combined for more than 1,500 yards and 24 touchdowns. The entire left side of the offensive line is back, too.
Five starters are back on defense, with defensive end Sean Martin, linebacker Ben Cutter, and safety Aubrey Burks among the players to watch. Linebackers Trey Lathan and Josiah Trotter return from season-ending injuries, and WVU snagged a select group of transfers that could make this a better unit than a season ago, when it was No. 62 in the nation in scoring defense.
WVU opens the season at home against Penn State on Aug. 31, followed by a home game with Albany on Sept. 7. Then the Mountaineers head to Pitt for the Backyard Brawl on Sept. 14.
The Mountaineers open Big 12 play at home against Kansas on Sept. 21, followed by a road trip to Oklahoma State on Oct. 5.
The rest of October includes home games with Iowa State (Oct. 12) and Kansas State (Oct. 19), followed by a road trip to Arizona on Oct. 26.
In November WVU travels to Cincinnati on Nov. 9, hosts Baylor on Nov. 16 and UCF on Nov. 23, followed by a road trip to Texas Tech on Nov. 30 to end the regular season.
Source link : https://www.heartlandcollegesports.com/2024/07/10/west-virginia-fine-with-being-underdog-again-in-big-12/
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Publish date : 2024-07-10 15:18:01
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