Published: December 22, 2007 09:55 pm         

Stanchek preparing for Sooners

MORGANTOWN — Let the coaching search continue at West Virginia. Ryan Stanchek and the Mountaineers have a football game to prepare for.

“We’ll just let the people in charge take care of that,” said Stanchek, a junior offensive left tackle for the Mountaineers. “We just need to worry about playing Mountaineer football and the rest will take care of itself.”

The ‘rest’ is the future head coach at West Virginia. That can wait. Stanchek is more focused on Oklahoma, since the ninth-rated Mountaineers are slated to play the third-ranked Sooners in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2.

Stanchek understands the challenge ahead.

“I think they’re the best defense in the country and it might be the best football team in the country,” Stanchek said. “They’ve got a great defensive line and great linebackers.

“That’s one way we have kept our focus is we know they’re a great team and we know we have to give it everything we have in practice.”

While West Virginia is known for its high-powered offense, led by Pat White, Steve Slaton and Noel Devine, none of their exploits would be possible without Stanchek and the improving offensive line that will return intact in 2008.

“We’ve got all five starters back,” said Stanchek, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound junior. “It’s a great offensive line and I think we’re fourth in the nation in rushing or whatever.

“I think it’s a great line and our chemistry is amazing so we’ll be all right.”

Especially Stanchek. The Cincinnati native has been named to five different All-American teams in recent weeks, yet he deflects the credit to his friends.

“I think it’s an accolade to the offense, I’m just one person,” said Stanchek, who has started 33 straight games on the line, including 23 in a row on the left side. “Obviously I wouldn’t have gotten those awards if it wasn’t for the impact guys in the backfield so it’s an honor.

“It’s more of a team award, but it is a great honor.”

It hasn’t always been an easy season for that offensive unit, but the ‘Eers are still fourth in the nation in rushing offense (292.9), 11th in scoring (38.9) and 19th in overall offense (450.4).

“I think it’s been an up and down season for the offensive line,’ Stanchek said. “In some games they’ve played great and in some games they haven’t.

“I think it’s like that song, ‘You find out who your friends are’ so we’ve had ups and downs. Overall, I think it’s been a solid line with a couple of new starters and we’re just excited to go out there and play.”

What lies ahead could be the toughest challenge yet for the West Virginia offense. While the Mountaineers are explosive, Stanchek admits that the ‘Eers haven’t face a defense like Oklahoma, which is ranked ninth in scoring defense (18.2), eighth against the run (91.9) and 18th in overall defense (324.0).

“I think they are the best we have played this year,” said Stanchek, during a media gathering after practice last Thursday. “We’ve played a couple of good defenses, but they’re right there.

“Their D-ends are tough, their D-line impresses me the most, but that is what I watch the most. They have an excellent defensive line, they move well and they’re big boys so it’s going to be an exciting matchup for us.

“You want to play the best and they’re the best.”

In White, West Virginia has one of the nation’s best players. The junior quarterback, who finished sixth in this year’s Heisman Trophy balloting, is a two-time Big East offensive player of the year. Stanchek said White’s demeanor helps bring the Mountaineers confidence on the gridiron.

“Pat is one of the calmest people I have ever seen, he always has that same look in his eye and I like that,” Stanchek said. “That provides confidence, it’s neat to have your quarterback with that amount of confidence, I think it helps everybody else out.

“There are times when he gets fiery, but most times he has a calm look. He gets fired up, but he never gets out of control.”

Those words couldn’t be used to describe the West Virginia football program in recent weeks, from the disappointing loss to Pittsburgh to the departure of former head coach Rich Rodriguez to Michigan.

Yet, these are college kids. That’s old news.

“Obviously, we’ve had a lot of distractions, but I think the team has kept it together well and we’ve had a great week of preparations,” Stanchek said. “I think everybody is focused on the team and we’re finding out how close we really are and it’s pretty neat to see everybody bonding together

“It’s kind of you against the world and I think we thrive on that. This week was a great week of preparation, we’ve just got to keep everything together.”

Charged with that responsibility has been interim coach Bill Stewart, who has been credited by the team for keeping the team focused on the task at hand.

“I love coach Stewart, I think he’s a great guy, he’s a great coach, but he’s even a better person and he’s a great leader,” Stanchek said. “Coach Stew, he’s fiery, but at the same time he can be like your dad sometimes.

“He has a mix of everything. Coach Stew is doing a great job.”

As for whether Stewart should be the next coach, Stanchek wouldn’t touch that question.

“I have no comment on that,” he said. “I don’t want to go either way on that.”

Stanchek admits to being a little nervous about the future of West Virginia football, but is confident that all is being done to allow the Mountaineers to fall safely on their feet.

“It’s a little nervous, but it’s also a little exciting to see what happens,” Stanchek said. “It sounds like a cliché’, but it is the program and it’s the players that make that program and I think the players are doing OK, we’re doing business as usual.

“The biggest thing is just keeping everybody together and I think this week we have done that. Coach Stewart and the coaches that are here have done a great job of keeping us together.”

—Contact Brian Woodson

at bwoodson@bdtonline.com

     

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.