Today marks the end of West Virginia's spring football practice. It's time for the annual Gold-Blue game. I have always thought this was a little bit of a weird day. If the weather is really nice (which it should be today), there is buzz about the team, or there is a new coach in town, the spring game has traditionally drawn nice crowds. If those things don't exist, generally, the crowd has been a little light. The weather should help today. The forecast is calling for sun and temperatures in the 70's. If nothing else, after the winter we've had across the state, it may be worth coming to the game just to be able to sit outside and feel the sun.

 

The challenge for the fans when it comes to this game is what to believe. If the defense looks really good does that mean they are going to have a good season or simply the offense isn't very good? If the offense looks dominant and guys are scoring touchdown after touchdown, does that mean the team is loaded with playmakers or just that the defense is no good?

 

The answer: it's nearly impossible to tell anything means coming out of the spring game. The players on both sides know each other extremely well. The coaches obviously know each other extremely well. They've gone against each other every day for the past few weeks. The defense knows what the offense is trying to do and vice versa. Because of the familiarity, it's really difficult to understand what any of the results truly mean.

 

The moral of the story is to not read too much into anything that happens today. I'm not saying you shouldn't be optimistic based on some of the on-field exploits (or pessimistic for that matter), but keep it in perspective. Don't get too high or too low based on anything you see on the field today.

 

I'm going to try and follow my own advice and not get wrapped up in big picture overreactions to the offense or the defense. I'm going to try and keep an eye on a couple specific areas that I think are real keys to WVU's success (or lack thereof) for the 2014 season.

 

Here's what I'll be watching during the spring game:

 

1) The quarterbacks. This is a no-brainer. Given the fact WVU went an entire year last year without ever settling on a true starter at the position, this has to be your number one area of concern for the upcoming season. Unfortunately, Clint Trickett missed all of spring ball after undergoing shoulder surgery. How much will that impact his ability to win the starting job remains to be seen. My main focus (as will nearly every fan in attendance) will be on JUCO transfer Skyler Howard. How will he look in his first "game" action as a Mountaineer?  

 

2) Are there any playmakers on the field? This was clearly a problem last year for the Mountaineers. Charles Sims was the only guy they could count on to make big plays. Dreamius Smith showed you flashes. Mario Alford came on late in the year and did some nice things, but outside of Sims there were no consistent, dominant playmakers on the team. 

 

Will we see any this year? How does Rushel Shell look? We've heard a lot about the Pitt transfer, but this will be the first time many Mountaineer fans will see him in live action. How will he look? Is Smith ready to emerge this season? The coaches raved about Wendell Smallwood all last season. Is he ready to step up and be a guy that can carry the load consistently? Where do Dustin Garrison and Andrew Buie fit into the plans? 

 

By all accounts, Garrison has had a tremendous spring. Is it enough to earn him some time at running back? Is there a position change in his future? The backfield is filled with guys that have all played at this level. The question is, are any of them ready to fill the enormous shoes left by the departed Charles Sims?

 

We will spend some time later this summer discussing each of the running backs more in-depth. Today, I mainly want to get a look at Shell and see if we notice any obvious improvement in the other guys. Do any of them "jump off the field" when I watch them.

 

3) How do the receivers look? This was a real question mark heading into last season when WVU lined up with very little experience at the receiver position. Will a year of playing time be enough to elevate this group? If WVU continues to get inconsistent play at the quarterback position, as it did all of last year, the only saving grace may be a much improved receiving corps. Is Mario Alford ready to be a go-to-guy? He certainly showed flashes of his speed and potential in the final few games of the 2013 season. Can he do it for an entire year?

 

Daikiel Shorts had a very solid true freshman season, catching 45 balls for nearly 500 yards. How much has he improved? Kevin White is a guy that arrived on campus with high expectations. He certainly looks the part of a big-time receiver. He ended the 2013 season with 35 catches for 507 yards and five touchdowns. He also showed flashes of the player he may yet become. White was about the only bright spot against Baylor last year, catching seven balls for 130 yards and two touchdowns. The key for White, as it is for the entire group of receivers, is to show some consistency this season. This group can go a long way to helping the Mountaineers improve on the four wins from last year.

 

I recognize I fell into the trap most fans do. I'm focusing entirely on the offense, and specifically the skill players. I get it. I understand how important the offensive line is to the success of the team. Believe me, I know the defense better be a ton better than it's been for the past two years or WVU will be in trouble. I know all of that. However, Dana Holgorsen built his reputation on the offensive side of the ball. He became known for having great quarterbacks and receivers. He was hired to bring that high flying offense to Morgantown. It didn't happen last year. If this Mountaineer team is going to get back to contending for league titles it's imperative the positions I mentioned above produce. Therefore, I'm going to spend some time at today's game focusing on the playmakers. 

 

What are you most interested in seeing during today's game? If you're reading this after the game, let me know what you thought. Who looked good? Who didn't? What did you think of Skyler Howard? Leave me a comment below or send me a tweet, @bradhowe07 and give me your thoughts on the game.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo is of Dreamius Smith, while Dustin Garrison is in the second photo. In the bottom photo, Mario Alford is shown battling for yardage.