Mountaineers' failures have them falling down slippery slope

Bill Stewart had it all figured out.

The plan was flawless, really. Cut out the whole "throw the ball all over the field" philosophy and re-insert the spread-option offense that made West Virginia so dominant over the past three years.

Early in Thursday's visit to Colorado, it was so far, so good for the Mountaineers. Pat White in the shotgun formation doing one of two things - handing the ball off to Noel Devine or faking the hand-off and running it himself.

All order was restored in Morgantown.

White rushed 19 times for 148 yards and two touchdowns. Devine ran for 133 yards, the second-best total of his career. The stats were predictable.

But the score wasn't: Colorado 17, West Virginia 14.

A variety of sounds probably ran through White's mind last Thursday. First, it was that eerie silence that he was so used to hearing at away games - the one that settled over Folsom Field as he glided 39 yards down the sidelines untouched to the end-zone in the third quarter. But then there was the clank that followed Pat McAfee's 23-yard overtime field goal attempt. And finally, a sound that's becoming more and more familiar for White - the joy of the opposing crowd rushing the field as the Mountaineers despondently trot into the locker room.

Maybe it was McAfee's fault. He should be able to make a 23-yard field goal with his eyes closed. Maybe it was Stewart's fault. He let the clock wind down in regulation even though the Mountaineers were a few short gains away from setting up a potential game-winning field goal try.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was no one's fault. Maybe West Virginia just isn't that good.

The Mountaineers were 3-for-13 on third down, they failed to score on three separate drives that started in Colorado territory and one that began at their own 49-yard-line and they committed seven costly penalties for 91 yards. And it gets worse. White passed for a paltry 2.9 yards per attempt while his defense yielded 166 rushing yards to Colorado's 5-foot-6, 170-pound freshman tailback Rodney Stewart, which was more than twice his career total.

West Virginia has always employed a bend-but-don't break defensive philosophy in the past - and it's always worked. If the Mountaineers held Colorado to 17 points last season, you better believe they would have gone home with a 41-17 victory.

The finger-pointing leads right to Stewart. After all, Rich Rodriguez had practically the same offense and nearly brought them to the National Championship.

The key word is practically. The offensive line returned intact, but the Mountaineers lost running backs Steve Slaton and Owen Schmitt.

For all the long runs Slaton broke in his three-year career, he left a sour taste in the mouths of West Virginia fans when he mustered just 11 yards on nine carries in the team's shocking loss to Pittsburgh that concluded the regular season. Then, in the Fiesta Bowl against Oklahoma, Slaton injured his leg in the first quarter after carrying once for minus two yards. Enter Devine. Thirteen carries, 108 yards, two touchdowns and 48 points later, the Mountaineer world forgot who Slaton was.

Months later, he entered the NFL Draft and no one cared. No one remembered the 3,923 yards and school-record 50 touchdowns Slaton had rushed for in his three-year career.

Everyone was just so captivated with Devine. His high school highlights on YouTube collected over 1.6 million views. They were more impressive than Reggie Bush's famous high school highlights. This kid was the next Bush. He was going to push West Virginia to the top.

But somewhere between all the Bush-like ankle-breaking cuts and spin moves and way-too-easy scampers into the end-zone, everyone forgot that Devine weighs 173 pounds.

Bush had LenDale White. USC's offense - and any successful offense for that matter - was always built off the ability to run between the tackles.

Last year, West Virginia had that dimension. Was it exciting to watch Slaton and Schmitt move the chains up the middle? Not always, but it certainly was necessary for opening up the outside for White and Devine.

With a backfield that barely weighs half of what Schmitt power-cleans, the Mountaineers are now learning the hard way. All the fame and YouTube hits aren't possible without those four- and five-yard gains that loosen up a defense.

On Sunday, Slaton made his first career NFL start for the Houston Texans. He broke a 50-yard run on his second carry and finished with 116 yards against one of the league's most punishing run defenses in the Tennessee Titans.

With each yard Slaton gained and each drop of blood that Schmitt forced from his own forehead, Devine looked smaller and smaller. His freight-train of hype slowed dramatically. The realization finally set it - Devine is not a feature back. He was the perfect complement to Slaton and Schmitt. He can't run between the tackles, and neither can White, who at most, weighs 15 more pounds than Devine.

So before everyone jumps on Stewart for the team's disastrous 1-2 start, West Virginia fans should do themselves a favor and consider the personnel he has to work with. And then they should go to YouTube and search for tribute videos of Slaton and Schmitt. Something tells me they'll appreciate them a bit more than they did three weeks ago.