Maybe it’s because I missed Jim Lewis and knew Cecil Level would be graduating, or maybe he was just an increasingly effective player last season. Whatever the trigger, I rather  liked how Nick Kwiatoski played toward the end.

He wasn’t great, but he was sound, which is acceptable for his experience and his exposure. And more importantly, he wasn’t dragging a gas can around the field. That was a distinguishing quality in 2012.

As for 2013, the Mountaineers need linebackers (Aside: Austin Copeland is no longer on the team!) and Kwiatoski, once a safety and a certain fit in the 3-3-5, is a literally in the middle of things there. He’s not an outside backer, but a Will in the middle.

And since we’ve heard his name often enough now to know the proper pronunciation, he’s apparently pretty good at it. Only Jared Barber is in front of quit-COW-skee.