All-America tackle Ryan Stanchek expects the 20th-ranked Mountaineers' offensive line to show further improvement Saturday night against visiting Cincinnati, the team from his hometown.
"Ever since I've been here, the line gets better as the season goes on,"
he said. "I think we've progressed steadily this year. I don't know why that is."
"I wish we could get a better start from Game 1. I definitely think coach (Dave) Johnson has done great job with us. We're finally gelling pretty good."
Stanchek is a 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior who will be making a team-best 43rd consecutive start for his career. But he thinks Mike Dent, making his 22nd career start at center, has done a great job.
"He's a workhorse,"
he said of the 6-4, 285-pound senior. "Mike does a great job managing our offensive line."
Stanchek praised Cincinnati.
"The Bearcats would like to come out of here with a win,"
he said. "They're a very good football team. And their defense is excellent."
Doug Slavonic, a senior defensive tackle, thinks Cincinnati (6-2, 2-1 Big East) has two mobile quarterbacks, but he pointed out that WVU defenders practice against three good ones every day.
"So I'm confident we'll be prepared for whoever they have in there,"
he said. "We've watched film of all their quarterbacks. Don't know who will start, though."
"They're playing really well on the offensive line, and they especially looked good in beating USF last week. We know they will be coming in here all charged up. We're aware of the ability of the top players."
Slavonic hopes WVU (6-2, 3-0) can come up with some pass interceptions and fumble recoveries as it did in last Saturday's 35-13 victory at Connecticut.
Tale of the Tape:
West Virginia is averaging 25.2 points and 354.4 yards per game, Cincinnati 26.8 points and 385.5 yards per game.
The Bearcats favor the pass (260.9 ypg), while the Mountaineers favor the run (229.5 ypg).
Defensively, WVU is allowing 14.8 points and 308.8 points per game while UC is giving up 20.5 points and 385.5 yards per game.
The breakdown on yields: WVU 122.6 rushing and 186.1 passing and UC 110.1 rushing and 221.4 passing.
Tailback Noel Devine needs just 91 yards rushing to reach the coveted 1,000-yard mark. The 5-8, 170-pound sophomore also has caught 22 passes for 96 yards.
He thinks Cincinnati looks really good on film.
"They have two cornerbacks who everyone thinks will be playing in the NFL on Sunday, and their whole defense gets to the ball faster than Connecticut did against us,"
he said.
"No, it isn't frustrating to me (whenever there's not room to run). Whatever is open, that's what we're going to take. If they pack the box, we'll throw the ball."
Devine is averaging only 16.5 carries per game, but he said he's not complaining.
"What the coaches want to do is up to them,"
he said. "I'll take what they give me."
This will be the 17th football meeting between West Virginia and Cincinnati. The Mountaineers lead the series by 14-1-1 margin.
WVU has won the last three meetings, including last year 28-23 in the Ohio city. The Bearcats' lone victory in the series was by 15-13 in Morgantown in 2003. The Mountaineers are 8-1-1 at home and 6-0 in Cincinnati. The 7-7 tie came in 1940.
