On second thought, West Virginia's offensive makeover can't come soon enough

N.C. State 23, West Virginia 7. One of the really bizarre parts of West Virginia's decision to put coach Bill Stewart out to pasture after the 2011 season – besides the "lame duck" interval – was that it seemed to come just as the Mountaineers were playing as well as they had at any point in three years under Stewart's watch. They ended the regular season on a four-game winning streak that made WVU the only Big East with nine wins or a spot in all three of the year-end polls, and looked good doing it: Those four wins came by an average of 20 points, with West Virginia hanging at least 35 in three of them.

Then they turn in a game like this one, and the lame-duck session seems like excessive sentimentality. The Mountaineers' night offensively amounted to four punts, three fumbles, two missed field goals, an interception, a turnover on downs and one lonely touchdown, without accompaniment. All four turnovers came in the second half, not including the four-and-out after a big kick return and a muffed punt that set up N.C. State's icing touchdown. In its 13th game of the season, and 39th under offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen, the WVU offense still seems to have no firm idea of who it is, who it wants to be or what it does well – is it Noel Devine running? Geno Smith running? If it's Geno Smith passing (as it was tonight: he put it in the air 39 times, to very little end), then yes, it probably is about time to start over from scratch.

That's part of the point of handing the reins to Dana Holgorsen, who's not going to surprise anyone when he has the Mountaineers chucking it 45 times per game next year, regardless of the quarterback. They know what they're getting as an offensive coordinator, and it's not a guy who finds himself trailing by two scores opposite a top-ranked defense that's only allowed one touchdown in the first 55 minutes.

The head-coaching part is another story entirely: Holgorsen's never been the boss, and an apprentice season may do him a lot of good easing into the role next year. But for anyone who had doubts about whether the direction of the program actually warranted a gamble for some kind of spark at the top, all you had to do tonight was follow the bouncing ball.

- - -
Matt Hinton is on Twitter: Follow him @DrSaturday.

Britney Spears Amanda Swisten Scarlett Chorvat Kim Smith Hilary Duff