West Virginia Mountaineers Football Power Rankings Week 3

1. Clint Trickett

Trickett threw for 511 yards in the second best WVU passing performance ever, was named the Walter Camp Player of the Week and Athlon Sports Offensive Player of the Week. Accolades aside here is the best way to summarize Trickett's importance: there was a play early in the game where Trickett scrambled, got knocked out of bounds, and was slow to get up, ask yourself what the rest of that game and WVU's season looks like if Trickett was injured on that play.

Week 2 Ranking: #1

2. Kevin White

White is a bad bad man. Through three games White is putting up Stedman Bailey numbers. Against Maryland he had 13 catches for 216 yards and a touchdown. Through the first three games of the season White has 32 catches for 460 yards. To put that in perspective in 2013 White had 35 catches for 507 yards...for the entire season.

Week 2 Ranking: #2

3. Mario Alford

Up three spots from week 2 Super Mario finished the day with 11 catches for 131 yards and two long touchdowns. The White-Alford duo is doing serious work against defenses.

Week 2 Ranking: #6

4. Rushel Shell

Shell had a costly fumble in the red zone and that makes two in two games although the fumble looked kind of fluky. Fumbles aside Shell is WVU's most consistent running back when it comes to running the ball. Against Maryland Shell had 27 carries for 98 yards including an important touchdown on the first drive of the game on a fourth and goal setting the tone for the first half. Shell would have likely reached the 100 yard mark if not for a late injury.

Week 2 Ranking: #3

5. WVU defense

This may seem high for the defense considering some of the costly big plays, but the defense held Maryland in check after almost every single WVU turnover (the exception being a field goal when Maryland started inside the 10 off a WVU turnover). They also stifled the Terrapins on third down leaving Maryland with a conversion rate of only 4 for 15.

Week 2 Ranking: #4

5. Josh Lambert

A clutch 47-yarder to win the game. Enough said.

Week 2 Ranking: Previously unranked

6. Wendell Smallwood

Smallwood set the tone on the games first play from scrimmage with a 50-yard catch and run. Smallwood finished the day with 100 all-purpose yards.

Week 2 Ranking: #6

7. Daikiel Shorts

A dinged ankle kept Jordan Thompson from playing wide receiver against Maryland, but Shorts filled in nicely with 4 catches for 62 yards and a touchdown. That is what depth look likes. Speaking of depth...

Week 2 Ranking: Previously unranked.

8. Dustin Garrison

Garrison made one of the biggest plays of WVU's season thus far when he took a pass thirteen yards to convert a first down on WVU's final possession. Garrison has always shown flashes of play-making ability and that ability was on full display on Saturday.

Week 2 Ranking: Previously unranked.

9. Andrew Buie

Late in the game WVU turned to Buie who made some nice runs to keep the ball moving for WVU.

Week 2 Ranking: #9

10. Daryl Worley

Worley came up with his second pick of the season, this time off a deflected pass early in the game, and made a huge tackle behind the line of scrimmage late in the game as Maryland tried to convert on third down.

Week 2 Ranking: Previously unranked.

[Editor's note - this was written before the announcement of Worley's suspension.]