Grier Making the Right Call Dictates Success
Spavital puts a lot on QB’s shoulders
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MORGANTOWN -- When redshirt senior quarterback Will Grier comes to the line of scrimmage for No. 12 West Virginia with a play signaled in from offensive coordinator Jake Spavital, the veteran signalcaller will look over the opposing defense and decide to either execute what was called or change to play to something he feels will give his offense an opportunity to be more successful.
If he is correct, the Mountaineers may march down the field for a score, but if he isn't, thousands of 'arm chair quarterbacks' around the country will second guess the North Carolina native and lay blame on him if WVU fails to come out victorious.
With that much pressure on one player's shoulders you would think those coaching him, especially Spavital, would do everything they could to relieve the Heisman Trophy hopeful from his dilemma.
Not so explains WVU's OC.
"A lot," Spavital said when asked about Grier's ability to change a play at the line of scrimmage. "Just because defenses now know how to play spread offenses. I think that's just natural. It's hard because, as a coordinator, you can't call perfect plays all the time.
"You have to get that quarterback on the same wavelength as you to make sure that you're getting them in the proper call, because the way teams are playing us now, it's so multiple. The way it used to be back in the day where you'd just get a quarter's look, especially against Kansas State. You'd get quarters the whole game.
"Regardless of what you're doing, you could take the same RPO every time, and they'd never take it away. Now, you do something in the middle of the game and they adjust immediately during that drive. So, if you get back to that same call and they make that adjustment, you have to make sure the kids understand where they're going and what their next progression in the check is.
"When I was with Dana (Holgorsen) in 2011-12 with Geno (Smith), when we'd call a run, it was a run to the right and we'd have an RPO to the left. Then, it started evolving to where you'd have RPOs to the right and to the left. Then, you got into the point where you got into protection checks. So, it's kind of evolved as defenses have evolved to stop us."
Grier and Spavital will be working overtime this week as the unbeaten Mountaineers travel to Lubbock to take on a Texas Tech squad hungry to break a four-game losing streak against West Virginia.
"They (TTU's defense) play really hard," Grier said. "They get after it. They have some really talented players. They were good last year; and having a lot of those guys back, they have experience, they have leadership. They are a very inspired team. Their scheme is good, they have good coaches. This is going to be a competitive battle. I expect them to do a lot of different things. I expect them to use their experience and get in to different coverages, blitzes -- just jump in and out of things.
"I think they have the ability to do that. They are very used to going against (Texas Tech head coach) Kliff (Kingsbury) and their offense in practice. There is not a whole lot they probably haven't seen through what they go against in practice. So, we are going to have to execute and make tough plays. That's the name of the game is making good decisions, and this is going to be a very competitive game. They are a good team."
Grier had one of his best outings a year ago against the Raiders, completing 32 of 41 attempts for 352 yards and five touchdowns -- three coming in the game's final quarter as WVU overcame an 18-point deficit to hand Tech a 46-35 setback in Morgantown.
And, West Virginia's veteran signal-caller has been doing the same through the season's first three games, making good on 71 of 95 passes for 1,117 yards and 14 touchdowns with only three interceptions.