2019 West Virginia Football Season Review: Part 2 - Individual Offensive Stats

While the defense shined for most of the season, the offense struggled. The supposed strength, an offensive line full of upperclassmen and two senior runningbacks, were weaknesses all year. The area where the team was going to struggle, the receiver position which needed to replace some of the most productive receivers in program history, saw growth throughout the season as they found their footing and developed chemistry.

The offense produced some highlights, including its best showing of the season in a “revenge” type game as they stepped on the throat of the N.C. State Wolfpack. The game saw season highs in points and total yards.

The Passers

The Rushers

The Receivers

Thoughts on the Stats

• Austin Kendall’s stats are a tad misleading. He only played 9 games but in reality it was more like 7-3/4. He played only 3 quarters of the Texas Tech game, a game that he threw for 355 yards. He also was injured very early in the Iowa State game. Changing the parameter to 7.75 games moves his game average up to 256 yards a game.
• Also, had Kendall finished the Texas Tech game, he was on pace to finish with over 470 yards. That would have been the 5th best individual game in program history, behind Clint Trickett’s 511 yards against Maryland Terrapins in 2014 and ahead of Geno Smith’s 463 yards against LSU Tigers in 2011.
• Likewise, Jarrett Doege only played 3.25 games. He entered the Texas Tech game in the fourth quarter and threw for 119 yards on 11/19 passing. Changing Doege’s games played pushes his average to 251 yards per game.
• The rushing attack, that poor, pitiful, useless rushing attack. John Antonik posted that it was the first time the Mountaineers failed to rush for 1,000 yards since the 1950s!
• The Mountaineers best rushing day came against the Kansas Jayhawks when they rushed for 192 yards.
• 44% of West Virginia’s rushing yards came in two games: Kansas (192) and N.C. State Wolfpack (173). It was the only two times all season the team broke the 100-yard mark as a team.
• Sam James quickly became the #1 target for quarterbacks with 69 catches. The school and stats don’t track targets but given the struggles of James and drops, it is reasonable to think that he was targeted well over 100 times.
• George Campbell didn’t record a catch in the season finale but his last four games (Baylor, TTU, KSt and Oklahoma State) Campbell caught 14 passes for 362. This was 77% of his season total (469 yards).
• Campbell finished the year with 19 catches and 7 touchdowns. That is an amazingly few catches for so many touchdowns.
• Six receivers (Campbell, Bryce Wheaton, TJ Simmons, Sean Ryan, Isaiah Esdale and Ali Jennings) caught at least 10 passes and averaged over 10 yards per catch.
• If you add Kennedy McKoy and Leddie Brown, 9 different receivers broke 100 yards receiving on the season.