MORGANTOWN — The football floated wobbly through the Texas night, shorter than the Colorado punter had hoped it would be, knowing that waiting for it was a Texas Tech tornado who turns punts into touchdowns.

When Wes Welker, then a Red Raider, gathered the football in, two blockers took care of the first man downfield. Wes Welker took care of the second, third and fourth, making each miss before he broke open, cut diagonally across the field from the left sideline toward the right corner of the end zone, into which he raced with his eighth punt return for a touchdown.

No one had ever run as many back for scores, Welker having set the NCAA record.



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The video turned to black and Tavon Austin had seen enough.

The West Virginia wide receiver has been watching a lot of Wes Welker video these days, video from before he became an NFL star with the New England Patriots. Instead, he is watching him in his days at Texas Tech, running at the slot position under a young up-and-coming offensive coordinator named Dana Holgorsen.

Holgorsen and his offense have created a lot of great receivers, Biletnikoff Award winners as the best in college football. The latest was Justin Blackmon at Oklahoma State last season, a receiver who played the slot like Austin.

Holgorsen doesn’t push his former receivers on his current players, doesn’t even force feed their tape to his new West Virginia players to show them how he wants it done, for he believes each receiver has his own skill set, his own natural way of working.

“I don’t ask about them guys,” Austin admitted. “The only thing he said was that Blackmon worked hard. He doesn’t show us film of him.”

That does not, however, mean Austin avoids the tape that is available.

“I go in alone and watch film some, but it’s more Wes Walker than anyone else. He’s more a slot guy like me,” he said.

But the truth be known, Austin is watching the punt returns as much as the receiving, for he has this passion to return punts this season, a passion that will be fulfilled and could produce some wonderful tape for someone down the line to watch.



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We all got a hint of what Austin could do as a returner two years ago as a freshman when he ran a kickoff back 98 yards for a score against UConn.

Last season, though, he returned only 12 kickoffs, none for a score.

What’s more, he has never returned a punt in college, former coach Bill Stewart’s theory being that he wanted sure hands back there in Brandon Hogan or Jock Sanders rather than the explosive and daring running of Austin, who in high school had 447 yards on 12 punt returns, almost 40 yards a return.

“I definitely want to punt return,” Austin said. “I really have been waiting for that. When that comes through I can make a couple of plays on that end, too. I know I can put myself in the best position for the team to win some of the big games because special teams are a big part of the game. I know I can get back there and do something.”

That is why Austin has watched Welker, for he believes they can be similar in making plays that turn games off the punt return.

Holgorsen feels the same way and isn’t worried about injury or overusing one of his starting wide receivers.

“Not really, especially with punt return because it can change a game,” Holgorsen said. “It is just another play in the game, and every play is important. We try to protect starters to a certain extent, like being on too many special teams units. Two is not too many. If Tavon is returning kicks and punts, then he probably won’t be doing anything else on special teams.”

Considering how often he will run routes and catch the ball, he’ll need the other special teams time to catch his breath.



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In many ways it will be shocking if Austin isn’t the big play man WVU has been needing on offense since Patrick White and Steve Slaton left, the electric ball carrier or receiver or returner who can turn any play into a score.

His reputation screams that out, having been the most prolific prep stars in Baltimore history and having shown flashes of it in a very conservative offensive set the past two years.

Holgorsen’s offense is far more wide open, far less restrictive on the natural abilities of his players.

“It is easier than last year,” Austin said, speaking of route running. “We can find grass and just set down. Last year we had to run the route no matter what.”

You have certain reads and then you adapt the route you take as a pass receiver, rather than rigidly running a square out or a crossing pattern.

“If you keep making plays, the ball will find you,” Austin said.

And rest assured that Geno Smith’s first option will often be Austin, who is filling the role Blackmon had a year ago at Oklahoma State when he caught 111 passes, nearly twice the number Austin caught at WVU.

Think about that. Blackmon caught the football 53 more times than Austin, meaning he had 53 more chances to shake loose and turn in a big play, a game-changing play.



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NOTES: West Virginia University has announced its game with Norfolk State on Saturday, Sept. 10, will kick off at 1 p.m., and the Bowling Green game on Saturday, Oct. 1, will start at 3:30 p.m. Both games will be televised on the Big East Network.

West Virginia’s Big East Conference-opening game with Connecticut on Saturday, Oct. 8, has been slated as the Big East Game of the Week and will kick off at noon.

Game times that were previously announced are road contests at Maryland on Saturday, Sept. 17, at noon, Syracuse on Friday, Oct. 21, at 8 p.m., and USF on Thursday, Dec. 1, at 8 p.m. All three games will be televised on ESPN’s family of networks.

Email Bob Hertzel at bhertzel@hotmail or follow on Twitter at @bhertzel.