Nester Not Slowed By Hand Injury
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Doug Nester hadn't been in Morgantown very long before he was dealt a bad hand -- literally.
Going up against senior defensive lineman Dante Stills in practice, the two bashed hands together, resulting in a spiral fracture in Nester's right hand. It wasn't enough to completely sideline Nester, but it did severely limit his ability to impact the game like he was used to.
"Mentally it took a big toll on me," Nester said. "It was just frustrating to not be able to grab ahold of anybody the first couple games. Just trying to get past that mentally was a big struggle that I had."
Nester ultimately played the first few games of West Virginia's season with that club on his hand, which speaks to how much he was needed by the Mountaineers.
The Spring Valley product spent the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Virginia Tech, playing in 19 games at both of the guard positions. He transferred to West Virginia this offseason, opting to return to his home state.
The move was crucial for West Virginia as it added another experienced option on the offensive line, something that was few and far between for WVU.
With the Mountaineers looking to replace three starters from a season ago, Nester ultimately secured the starting right guard position during fall practice.
According to offensive coordinator Gerad Parker, despite his bad luck, Nester has worked hard to continue to develop.
"He went through some tough times with it and it was really hard at times," Parker said, "but he kept on practicing, did what he could do to try and make plays work and find success, and I don't think it's any surprise that he has played better since having that off. I think his practice habits and him pushing himself to be more physical and those things has helped him also get to that point as well. He's playing at a higher level."
Through nine games, West Virginia's offensive line ranks last in the Big 12 in sacks allowed. The Mountaineers didn't allow a single sack against Iowa State two weeks ago, but then allowed eight last week.
Suffice to say, the group hasn't played well. But the group's youth can be a blessing in disguise.
"The first half of the season, I was not playing up to my standard," Nester said. "I wanted to perform better these last few games, (and) I feel like I have. Overall, as an O-line, I still think we're going through growing pains, and you'll have that in a young O-line just like we are. But we keep getting better and better each week, and as long as we keep working, we're going to develop into a really good O-line."
The injury bug lingers
Headed into this week of practice, West Virginia continues to be bitten by the injury bug.
Linebacker Lance Dixon is doubtful to play against Kansas State on Saturday, while wide receiver Isaiah Esdale, who did not play last week, is still "touch and go," according to Brown.
Defensive back Charles Woods, who suffered from cramps last week, is good to go.
The Mountaineers are also without starting tight end Mike O'Laughlin and starting cornerback Nicktroy Fortune, who are both expected to be out for the rest of the season.