Allison, Lowe to Both See Bowl Game Action
Holgorsen to replace Spavital as play caller
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia football coach Dana Holgorsen has earned a reputation as being somewhat of a gambler during his days as the head man with the No. 16 Mountaineers (8-3).
The most recent example of that fact is WVU's incoming recruiting class -- a class void of any new quarterbacks.
Many see this as a sign the second-most winningest coach in school history was more-than-comfortable with turning the reigns of his high-powered offense over to University of Miami transfer Jack Allison or true freshman Trey Lowe III.
With Mountaineers quarterback Will Grier electing to forego the Camping World Bowl to prepare for the upcoming NFL Draft, fans - as well as Holgorsen - will get an opportunity to see if the future (at quarterback) will be a bright one in Morgantown, or whether Holgorsen and his staff will spend the next several months looking for a college, or junior college, transfer to fill the void left by Grier.
"I know what our quarterbacks can do," Holgorsen said. "We didn't just add them to our team yesterday. I know what those guys can do.
"Guys get into a backup quarterback mode, and they just plateau for a while. And then once they're no longer a backup quarterback, those guys elevate pretty quickly. I couldn't be happier with what Jack is doing out there. He's spinning that thing."
But, thanks to the new redshirt rule, the offense won't being going into the game with only one signalcaller.
"And this new redshirt rule, it's awesome," Holgorsen said. "We'd be in some deep (trouble) if I didn't have that rule right now. Trey gets to play, and he's going to play, and I can't wait to see what he does."
And, Lowe won't be the only first-year player that will see action against No. 20 Syracuse (9-3).
"(Freshman wide receiver) Sam (James) is going to play and (redshirt freshman wide receiver) Bryce (Wheaton) is going to play and (redshirt junior offensive lineman) Mike Brown, right now, is starting at right guard, he's going to play and (redshirt freshman tight end) T.J. Banks is going to play and (redshirt freshman offensive lineman) Briason Mays is our backup center right, he's probably going to play, (freshman safety) Kwantel Raines is going to play," Holgorsen said. "I mean, this is awesome. You can sit there and be upset with Will Grier and Yodny (Cajuste) and Gary (Jennings Jr.) because they aren't going to play, but those are pretty good reasons why they wouldn't.
"I'm good, because we have a whole bunch of other people on our team that get an opportunity to go play a football game. We're practicing our butt off, and we're going to get those guys out there and see what happens in a live setting. That's awesome to me.
"And we're not killing a year. And then they come back in here in January after that kind of experience and an opportunity to be able to go play, they are going to be different people in January because of it."
Allison has the most experience of the group having seen action in six games this season, completing 6 of 10 attempts for 75 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
"Yeah, I've got it all figured out, and I'm going to tell you, right?," Holgorsen quipped when asked about playing both quarterbacks. "They're going to play, I don't know what else to tell you. Those guys are going to play, and I'm happy with both of them and they're going to play. I'm going to keep practicing them and come up with a good plan and go execute it."
Allison's game compares favorably with what fans saw from Grier while Lowe provides an ability to run which could come in handy against an Orange defense which is bound to force Allison to throw the ball deep in order to win the game.
No matter what the future will be on display -- a future that will have either Allison or Lowe at quarterback or a coaching staff in search of one.