The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Sports

August 11, 2007

WVU freshmen showcase speed

By Dave Morrison

MORGANTOWN — With freshmen off limits to the media and practice open for less than an hour or closed altogether, it’s difficult to gauge exactly what to expect from talented West Virginia freshmen running backs Noel Devine and Jock Sanders.

This much is sure: Both are in the running to back up All-American tailback Steve Slaton.

So, when inquiring media minds want to know, they figure why not go to the guys who see the talented tandem daily. Like the guys — those big behemoth Mountaineer strong men on the offensive line — who will block for Devine and Sanders this season.

Be warned, this column is filled with the words speed and quickness.

“Seven and nine (Devine and Sanders), those two are fast,” said sophomore guard Greg Isdaner. “It’s shocking when we go back and look at tape of them in practice. That’s when you get a good idea of the kind of speed they possess. Obviously, they have a lot to learn. But that quickness, it catches your eye.”

Junior tackle Ryan Stanchek went Isdaner one better, calling the duo potential “studs.”

“Very quick,” Stanchek said. “They are little guys, but they really can move. That was obvious pretty quickly.”

Little, yes.

But being 5-feet-7, 170 pounds (as is Devine) or 5-8, 185 (as is Sanders) isn’t going to keep down a back with world-class speed.

And we’re talking burners here. Likely, Devine hasn’t clocked a 4.1, but they say he is pretty darned close.

Perhaps you haven’t seen that now infamous “youtube.com” video of Devine as a prep star in Florida.

The eye in the sky doesn’t lie. And neither do the guys who have seen them this week in camp.

“It doesn’t take much of a crease, with the speed they have, go get them going,” said the Mountaineers’ junior center Mike Dent. “They are impressive.”

“I’ve seen it ... they show those glimpses from time to time,” said senior fullback Owen Schmitt. “They’re going OK now and they are only going to get better.”

Which bodes well for coach Rich Rodriguez’s spread offense, predicated on the exploits of cat-quick backs like Steve Slaton, who has become a legitimate Heisman Trophy candidate in the offense.

Quickness and explosiveness were words Rodriguez chose this week when talking about the duo, though he concedes they have a long way to go before they are effective parts of the arsenal.

Yet parts they already are depending on whom you ask.

“I’d say they’re going to be another weapon in the arsenal,” said Schmitt, a weapon himself as one of the nation’s premier fullbacks. “They are agile, they have great hands and they are tough little guys.”

Even Slaton, the All-American tailback who, himself, possesses world-class speed, believes it, as evidenced by the fact that he has taken the duo under his wing in practice.

Experience is the best teacher.

“They’re learning from probably the best back in the nation,” Isdaner said. “There are times when they’ll not understand something or they’ll do something wrong and Steve will be right there to show them how to do it right, or explain what they did wrong.”

Will they see playing time this season?

Time will tell.

Odds are yes.

Devine or Sanders very well could be the backup to Slaton, meaning whoever hat backup is immediately is one play from being the nationally-ranked Mountaineers’ full-time superback.

A scary proposition?

Think back to the Virginia Tech game in 2005 when Slaton emerged.

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