WVU needs White involved more often

After having been covered all day, the last thing White wants to be is covered while he sleeps, too.

That may be a weak attempt at humor, but White doesn’t see much funny in the fact that he has become the object of Mountaineer opponent’s affection — or is deflections.

He has a bigger entourage than Kim Kardashian when he goes downfield for a pass, at least in football terms.

One-on-one coverage to him is only a memory.

Ever since White got off to a start that propelled him onto the edges of the Heisman Trophy race, catching nearly 10 balls a game for an average of 146 yards through the first seven, then going on national television in the upset of then-No. 4 Baylor and hauling in eight passes for 132 yards while drawing five flags for defensive interference, teams have set their goals on stopping White.

It isn’t that WVU doesn’t have other weapons. Goodness, Mario Alford — the wideout on the other side — is both sure handed and fleet of foot.

But White is maybe unlike any wide receiver WVU has hand since Chris Henry, save for Stedman Bailey — in this discussion Tavon Austin will be classified as a slot receiver.

He is big and physical, with hands like magnets and an ability to go up and get a football even if covered — by one man.

The solution opponents decided upon the last two weeks — opponents with a couple of the better cover corners in the Big 12 — was to lend safety help everywhere White went.

“They roll a safety over and mess around with the safeties and do a bunch of different stuff. But I’m not really too focused on what they do to me as long as we win the next game,” White said.

The problem was that WVU didn’t win the last game against TCU, coming up a point short as he, for the second straight game, was held to the bare minimum of his talents with three receptions and 28 yards after making just three catches for 27 yards the week before at Oklahoma State.

This, of course, is causing staff meetings, trying to find ways to bring White back into the offense in a prominent manner.

“Justin Blackmon was a pretty good player. Michael Crabtree was a pretty good player. Stedman Bailey was a pretty good player,’’ WVU coach Dana Holgorsen said. “We’ll figure out ways to be able to get him involved.’’

Those, of course, were outstanding receivers that Holgorsen has coached over the years and, judging by their numbers and list of awards, he certainly found ways to get around whatever the defenses had in store for them.

With Texas looming Saturday at 3:30 p.m. in Austin, the game planning is well underway and it involves finding the proper buttons to push to get White and quarterback Clint Trickett back in sync.

“I’m not sure what they’re trying to do or what they’re going to do,” White said during media interviews on Tuesday. “They haven’t talked to me about it in depth. I guess we’ll see this week.”

He didn’t seem terribly concerned. White’s point was that he trusted Holgorsen and offensive coordinator Shannon Dawson to come up with some answers in the area of Xs and Os.

But certainly, there must be something he could do to counter what opponents are doing with him.

“Come out of my breaks faster, get in and out of my route sharper, breaking the corner cushion faster, trying to figure out what he’s going to do. There’s stuff I can do, more head fakes, using my body better. There’s always something,” White said.

The one other thing he can do is something that, surprisingly, he hasn’t done.

While White was not a teammate of Bailey or Austin, one suspects he could go to them for some advice on how to handle double coverage or he could spend his Sunday or Monday night free time watching the best receivers in the NFL, looking for something that might work in his game.

“I just watch the way the bigger guys use their bodies and play with confidence. I just enjoy watching the game. I’m not studying those guys. I’m just watching football,” he said.

And so it goes back to the coaching staff to work out a game plan that can bring back White’s production.

“Again, it goes back to who our opponent is. We’re talking last week in TCU about a team that’s a top-five team that’s known as one of the best defensive football teams with the best defensive coaches in college football,” Holgorsen said. “I don’t know what else you want me to say. They’re good. Our opponent has something to do with that.

“With that said, we have to do a better job as coaches to identify what we’ve got to do to have the production acceptable to where we can win the game. That’s my job and we’re working hard at that this week. We’re going to do a good job as coaches this week of trying to identify ways to be able to be creative to get him involved in other ways.’’

If that happens, White will be able to sleep comfortably at night again.

Follow Bob Hertzel on Twitter @bhertzel