West Virginia will have significant depth at the running back position and head coach Neal Brown plans on taking advantage of that strength. Some of the key running backs for the Mountaineers include senior Kennedy McKoy, senior Martell Pettaway, sophomore Leddie Brown, and redshirt sophomore Alec Sinkfield. McKoy led the way last season with 145 carries for 802 rushing yards and 8 rushing touchdowns. Pettaway was next in line with 98 carries for 623 rushing yards and 6 rushing touchdowns.

Coach Brown recently spoke about how he wants the best 11 Mountaineers on the field, which may mean that he will have to find different ways to get his talented running backs involved in the offense. The Mountaineers have been working with sets that include two running backs, primarily Martell Pettaway and Leddie Brown, in the backfield. Brown had similar production to Pettaway last year with 91 carries for 446 yards and 4 rushing touchdowns. Some of the WVU running backs, primarily Kennedy McKoy and Alec Sinkfield, have also practiced at the slot receiver position. McKoy had 17 receptions for 224 receiving yards and one reception for a touchdown last season. Sinkfield only had four receptions last season for 44 receiving yards.

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The Mountaineers scrimmaged this past Saturday and the first team defense topped the first team offense. Coach Brown also noted that the second team offense appeared to be ahead of the second team defense. Both aspects of the scrimmage seemed to confirm the notion that the WVU defensive starters may be the strongest group on the team, but the defense lacks depth. Some of the standouts on the Mountaineer defense included defensive lineman Taijh Alston, cornerback Tae Mayo, and defensive lineman Reuben Jones. Coach Brown also noted that he is still looking for improvement at the quarterback position.

Coach Neal Brown is helping instill an emphasis on a team focused mentality with his Mountaineers. Two WVU seniors noted the culture change in recent interviews. Kennedy McKoy noted how the Mountaineers have to like and respect each other under coach Brown’s leadership. Fellow running back Martell Pettaway also discussed how the team mentality decreases instances where the focus is on one player. Pettaway also mentioned that the Mountaineers are occupied with winning and not individual stats.

The West Virginia basketball team finished its trip to Spain with a 3-0 record. WVU big men Derek Culver and Logan Routt led the wat in the Mountaineers’ final game. Sophomore Culver had 26 points and 12 rebounds. Senior Routt had 20 points and 10 rebounds. WVU guards Chase Harler and Jordan McCabe also contributed offensively and defensively. Harler had 14 points, McCabe had 10 points, and the two Mountaineers combined for six steals.

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