MORGANTOWN -
Most college football players look to celebrate a big win
once the game is over. Not West Virginia University quarterback Geno Smith.
Smith completed 45 of 51 passes for 656 yards and eight
touchdowns last weekend against Baylor with his mom in the stands. She came to
the game from their hometown in South Florida.
Once Smith finished his postgame media obligations and
wanted to get right to work.
"Geno's mom was here in the building and he walks up to her
and hands her his box of pizza and then me and him go into a film room to watch
some tape," Quarterbacks Coach Jake Spavital said.
Mothers are special and also understanding. Surely this
decision by Smith had to sting a little. Smith's mom completely understood but
was slightly upset with her son for something else.
"She gets mad at me because I am so calm and she wants me to
be so excited about everything," Smith said. "She understands that I am very
serious about what I do and I work very hard at it and that's just the way that
I am."
Smith put the 70-63 win over Baylor behind him within a few
hours of the game. He watched the film, took notes and began looking ahead to
Texas.
"He started watching Texas and sent me a video message of
some things he saw on Monday," Wide Receiver Stedman Bailey said. "That is
considered our off day. We don't have practice and don't have to watch film or
anything."
Smith commands respect from his teammates, not by anything
he does vocally, but clearly by what he does both on and off the field. His
dedication in the film room is noticed by his teammates.
"Geno definitely presents himself to us," Wide Receiver J.D.
Woods stated. "If he wants us to come in and watch film, he lets us know and
that is enough said."
Throughout the summer, Smith's film study reached far beyond
watching himself. He asked for and received film on some of the top NFL
quarterbacks like Green Bay's Aaron Rodgers and New England's Tom Brady. He was
looking to pick up on any subtle techniques those players use to their
advantage.
"One thing about Aaron is that he is very good when the play
breaks down and there is nobody open and guys get covered," Smith said. "He
scrambles and gets six or seven yards and stays ahead of the chains. He is very
good with decision-making and has a tremendous ability to fit balls in very
tight windows. Tom Brady is the same way, he moves subtly in the pocket and
always keeps his eyes downfield and always looks for a guy to get open."
"If you look at a lot of our under the center stuff, he is
trying to mimic Aaron Rodgers with his footwork and he is constantly watching
other quarterbacks that have had success and get little things from here and
there and complete his game," Spavital stated.
What you see on Saturday executed on the field is partially
from direct input Geno Smith has on the game plan. He does have a voice in the
WVU offensive preparation throughout the week.
"We normally have our game plan in on Monday," Spavital
said. "He comes in throughout the day and chirps to us what he likes and once
he comes in Tuesday he sees what we have on the board for him. We got out there
and we execute it and watch the tape and then we sit there and talk about it.
If there are things he doesn't like we will change it. If there are things he
wants to add then we will add it."
"He watches film too," Offensive Coordinator Shannon Dawson
said with a smile. "We respect him and respect his opinion. If he comes to us
and says I think this, this and this will be good then we will look at it and
if we agree with him we will do it."
No, this kind of role in the game plan is not typical for a
starting quarterback. Then again, Geno Smith is not a typical starting
quarterback. He has earned this responsibility through his play on the field
and his devotion in the film room.
"It depends on who the quarterback is," Dawson shrugged.
"We'll definitely listen to him."
Smith has gained loads and loads of respect from his coaches
and his teammates. Enjoy watching him in his final season at WVU. Players like
this do not come around often.
"We try to tell him to leave here and be a college student
and have some fun, but the fun for him is watching football and I have never
coached a player like this," Spavital stated. "The happiest he is, is when he
walks out there on the field."
WVU fans hope he will be just as happy walking off of it
Saturday night at Texas.
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