WVU has one of the premier offenses in the country. The talent is top-shelf stuff. The coaches are among the best with some of the brightest futures. And in the season-opener, the Mountaineers did something a little different and snapped the ball from under center quite a bit more than normal.

Naturally, this was the byproduct of a defensive coach’s input.

“I’ve studied Dana’s offense for a long time and one thing I told him was that I thought Geno and the offense would be very effective – even more effective – under center,” Patterson said. “In my opinion, as a defense, I want the quarterback to have to wait for the ball when it’s snapped.

“If you have an offset back to the right, to me, there’s a lot of time spent waiting for the ball. There’s no direct hit.”

The Mountaineers (1-0) like the shotgun because Smith can better survey the defense when he starts off several steps behind the line of scrimmage. It gives him a head start because a snap from under center precedes a multi-step drop and the time it requires as Smith reads the defense.

Patterson said the Mountaineers could run the ball better from under center because they’d be able to spring 6-foot, 235-pound running back Shawne Alston on the defense quicker.

“When you have an offset back to the side in the shotgun, it’s harder for the running back standing next to the quarterback to get the ball and, to me, generate momentum toward the line of scrimmage,” Patterson said.

“Now move the quarterback under center and take the ball and hand it right away to No. 20. That is a completely different deal.