QB debate
by Jim Buzzerd
The West Virginia University football team rebounded from their season opening loss to Maryland with an easy 66-0 win over out manned Long Island University. The visiting school’s official name is LIU Post located in Brookville, New York on Long Island. Back when I subscribed to a Sunday newspaper that would list the previous day’s football scores, I would look through them and regularly noticed a game involving a school named C.W. Post. Didn’t know anything about them other than they played somewhere in the east. Now I know that C.W. Post was named for cereal magnate C.W. Post but is now LIU Post.
The above info is actually more interesting than the game was, unless you’re prone to get into petty debates about who should be the Mountaineers’ starting quarterback. Internet boards and chats have been buzzing since Saturday because there is a vocal side that thinks backup quarterback Garrett Greene did enough with his time Saturday to be named the starter over Jarret Doege, who also has his supporters.
It’s almost a Trump-Biden kind of thing where if you disagree with the other side, you get called names. Typical response for the last couple days, “If you think ______ is better than _______ , you’re either blind, stupid, or both!”
Stats for Saturday are as follows. Doege completed 14 of 22 passes for three touchdowns and 259 yards, no interceptions and he was sacked twice. Greene completed four of seven aerials for 57 yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions and no sacks. The stat that has folks fired up about Greene is his game leading 98 yards rushing and two touchdowns on 14 attempts.
It matters not what any of us think, it only matters what head coach Neal Brown thinks. “He did some good things,” Brown said. “Was he perfect? Absolutely not. He did a good job managing the environment. You have to remember; this is the first time he’s really played with people in the stands. He played a lot against Eastern Kentucky last year, but there wasn’t anybody here. He handled the elements well. He just has to shore up a few things.”
That doesn’t sound like Greene impressed his coach enough to beat out Doege. Frankly, I’m not sure what so many saw from Greene that makes them think Greene is a better choice than Doege to start against Virginia Tech this Saturday. First and foremost, get a grip and realize that LIU Post is a very undermanned team. Keep that in perspective.
Yes, Greene has good wheels and Doege is a liability any time he needs to use his legs. We already knew that though, unless you’re blind, stupid or both. Ultimately, that difference may move the needle in favor of Greene, maybe even Saturday if things go badly early for WVU, who opened at -3 in Vegas.
Still, Doege has a better grasp of the offense than Greene, especially the passing game where Greene looked uncertain at times. However, I did notice Greene threw the ball better after his initial series. I don’t think Greene earned a start yet, but I hope Brown thinks he deserves a few series in games.
Game time Saturday is noon and is televised on FS1. Today the Big 12 Conference has announced that WVU’s Saturday, September 25 Big 12 Conference road game at Oklahoma will be televised on ABC at 7:30 p.m. ET.
