Steve Sarkisian previews West Virginia's 'balanced attack' on offense

Texas dropped their Big 12 opener in dramatic fashion, losing to Texas Tech on the road. The schedule does not get much easier as West Virginia travels to Austin. For head coach Steve Sarkisian, it’s nearly a must-win game to get the 2022 season back trending in a positive direction.

Sarkisian was complimentary of West Virginia’s offense, saying it’s a “balanced attack.” He started with the run game, complimenting running backs Tony Mathis and CJ Donaldson. But Sarkisian said having the good players is just one thing. Offensive coordinator Graham Harrell won’t be afraid to give them the ball either, even if it’s an air-raid offense.

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“I think what they pose is a balanced attack,” Sarkisian said. “They’ve got a scheme that can change tempos. They can go fast, they can slow it down. They’ve got two very capable running backs… They run the ball, so it’s not just that they present good backs, they’ll run the backs so you have to defend the run.”

West Virginia currently ranks fourth in the Big 12 when it comes to rushing, averaging 217.5 yards per game. For somebody such as Harrell to have that kind of success on the ground, it’s a new wrinkle Sarkisian and Co. will have to defend well to win.

Steve Sarkisian talks West Virginia pass game

West Virginia brought in JT Daniels to drastically improve the passing game and four games into the season, it’s worked. He nearly has 1,000 yards while throwing seven touchdowns with the Mountaineers.

Sarkisian will be looking to defend against those 1-on-1 matchups on the outside. Texas’ starting cornerbacks of D’Shawn Jamison and Ryan Watts could play a huge factor in the result for the Longhorns.

“Then they’ve got two really big, physical wide receivers on the perimeter that can pose problems in 1-on-1 matchups in that they can go up and get the ball 1-on-1, they can make people miss, they’re hard to get on the ground. They tax you from a balance standpoint, then they’ve got a quarterback who can make all the throws.”

In a recent Inside Texas live stream, On3’s Gerry Hamilton pointed out how teams have had success throwing the ball against the Longhorns. Under Sarkisian, Texas is 1-8 against Power Five opponents when they attempt 30 or more passes.

While West Virginia has done a good job with balance early in the season, West Virginia’s key to victory could be airing it out with Daniels.