Garrett Greene explains what led to West Virginia's improved offense down the stretch

Entering the season picked to finish last in the new-look Big 12, West Virginia surprised many with an 8-4 final record this season. And the Mountaineers did it behind a strong finish to the year from quarterback Garrett Greene and the offense.

Reflecting on how things picked up late in the year ahead of the bowl game, Greene shared that time on task helped him. But more than anything, the offensive line picking up its level of play made a massive difference.

“I think kind of the last seven games, our O line really started playing at a very elite level. And when they’re playing really, really well the run game’s really good and the downfield passes and all of our quick game stuff kind of falls into place after that. So I think it all starts with just how well our offensive line was playing,” Greene said.

West Virginia averaged 26.4 points per game during the first five games of the season, which would’ve ranked 71st nationally at the end of the season. That included a 15-point outing at Penn State to open the season.

Then things kicked up, with the Mountaineers scoring 35.3 points per game in the final seven contests of the regular season, a mark that would be 18th nationally in scoring offense. The late-season surge did boost the overall picture for the Mountaineers, which finished the 2023 season ranked 38th, averaging 31.6 points per game.

“I think it’s definitely easier. I mean you get more comfortable within the system the more you get into it. So really last seven games, I think as an offense we all kind of felt in sync and in rhythm and I think the results showed that,” Greene said.

Greene shared why he stayed at West Virginia for this season

There are plenty of quarterbacks who decided to enter the transfer portal following the regular season, even ones who seemingly had a starting job. However, one quarterback who didn’t consider entering the portal was West Virginia quarterback Greene.

Green explained that things like NIL didn’t matter to him because West Virginia offers a culture that he loves being a part of and wants to continue to be a part of moving forward.

“I think the fabric of the state was blue collar and a workman’s mentality,” Greene said. “There’s a lot of parallels between that and my last name in the Greene family. There’s a whole lot of parallels and that’s something I’ve really held onto and I’ve really been proud of the state.”

Greene has been with West Virginia since the 2020 season. He took a redshirt that season before seeing a good amount of playing time in 2021 and taking over as the starter late during the 2022 season. Then, in 11 games during the 2023 season, Greene threw for 2,178 yards and 15 touchdowns. He also rushed for 708 yards and 13 touchdowns on the season. He did miss one game due to an injury.