West Virginia football continues to find new ways to frustrate its fan base, but Saturday’s 52-31 loss to Arizona wasn’t completely without positives. While the Mountaineers’ defense once again struggled to keep the opposition off the scoreboard, one offensive player delivered the kind of performance that should have WVU fans excited about what comes next.
Junior wide receiver Prince Strachan finally gave West Virginia a glimpse of just how dangerous he can be. Strachan spoke after the loss about his impact.
“I feel really good out there,” Strachan said. “All glory to God. I would be lying if I said this was of my strength. He is helping me and strengthening me to go out there and do the things I do. It’s just a blessing to be out there. It feels like home. I am just having a lot of fun.”
Strachan entered Saturday’s contest with only four receptions for 46 yards through the Mountaineers’ first five games. Against Arizona, however, the 6-foot-5 receiver exploded for five catches and 121 yards, averaging an impressive 24.2 yards per reception. That was his third game of the season, as he missed the first two contests getting healthy.
For a team desperately searching for consistency, Strachan’s breakout could prove to be one of the most encouraging developments of the season.
WVU’s Prince Strachan Gives Mountaineers Something to Build Around
There is something particularly frustrating about watching West Virginia’s offense discover new ways to move the football while the defense continues to surrender points at an alarming rate.
The Mountaineers have now allowed 138 points over their last three games, putting enormous pressure on their offense to produce nearly every time it touches the football.
That is not a sustainable formula for winning, regardless of how talented the offensive personnel might be with QB Michael Hawkins Jr., RB Cam Cook and company. However, Strachan’s performance provides a reason to believe this offense still has another level it can reach.
Before arriving in Morgantown, Strachan spent two seasons at Boise State, recording 37 receptions for 578 yards and three touchdowns. He later transferred to USC, where an injury interrupted his opportunity to establish himself.
The physical talent has never been particularly difficult to recognize. At 6-foot-5 and 215 pounds, Strachan presents a difficult matchup for defensive backs, especially when he has room to operate downfield. What West Virginia needed was evidence that those tools could translate into meaningful production. Saturday provided exactly that.
The most exciting part is what his emergence could mean for the rest of the receiving corps. With Jaden Bray and DJ Epps also capable of creating problems for opposing defenses, Strachan gives the Mountaineers another legitimate option that opponents must account for. Defenses cannot simply focus on one receiving threat without potentially exposing themselves somewhere else.
Of course, five catches against Arizona do not automatically make Strachan a star. He still needs to demonstrate that he can produce consistently as opponents begin preparing specifically for him. But there is a difference between hoping a player can become a difference-maker and actually watching him do it.
WVU fans witnessed the latter on Saturday. The Mountaineers still have serious defensive problems that cannot be ignored, and one breakout performance will not erase another disappointing loss. Nevertheless, Strachan gave West Virginia something it desperately needed: a legitimate reason for optimism about the offense’s future.
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