QB Garrett Greene Emerging as WVU’s Two-Minute Specialist.
Earlier this week, Coach Neal Brown addressed some of the unpredictable plays made by quarterback Garrett Greene.
“There are pros and cons to that,” he said during his weekly media session on Monday. “As a play caller, especially in Saturday’s game, I felt our best chance was to spread things out and run simple plays. That approach allows him to play to his strengths.”
Brown acknowledged that while Greene’s style can be frustrating at times, he also possesses unique skills that are hard to teach. “I can’t coach him to break tackles, so there’s a balance to it.”
For those who remember, Greene’s playing style evokes memories of Major Harris improvising on the field. While Harris occasionally caused headaches for coach Don Nehlen with his mistakes, those same moments sometimes resulted in touchdowns. When Harris played to his strengths, he excelled, but when he tried to emulate others, he struggled.
Similarly, Pat White faced challenges after Rich Rodriguez left for Michigan. Comparisons to Greene often come up, but he has his own effective style.
“Some people try to define high-level quarterback play,” Brown pointed out. “For me, it’s about scoring points and moving the ball. Garrett’s performance is reminiscent of watching Lamar Jackson.
“I’m not saying Garrett is Lamar Jackson, but Jackson is perhaps the best running quarterback in NFL history, and he plays differently than Tom Brady. As the game evolves, quarterbacks are given more freedom, and I’m comfortable with the occasional improvisation.”
When West Virginia fell behind by 11 points late in their 34-28 win against Kansas, Brown believed spreading the field and letting Greene play his way was the best strategy.
“I understand there will be times when he takes liberties, and I need to be okay with that. When we go into two-minute mode, I’ll say, ‘This is the plan, and if you need to run, that’s fine—just keep your focus.’ He’s a playmaker who can improve as a passer.”
While it may be tempting to run a two-minute offense throughout the game, Brown noted that it’s more complicated than that. Constantly relying on this strategy can affect the entire team and take a physical toll on the 195-pound quarterback. Greene carried the ball 17 times against Kansas and took multiple hits in the pocket, leaving him iced down on Monday.
“If you do that all the time, it’s tough on the defense,” Brown explained. “Opposing teams prepare primarily for our run concepts and quarterback runs, not our two-minute offense.”
Brown is looking for more consistency from Greene, particularly in his footwork. He believes there is still time to address this as the season progresses.
“If he consistently improved his footwork, his completion percentage would rise,” Brown said. “I’m fine with him scrambling, but when he’s in the pocket, he needs to be fundamentally sound.”
Greene excels at throwing deep passes, but he must maintain proper technique on rhythm throws.
Thus, the idea of having Greene play as a two-minute specialist for an entire game may not be feasible.
“While what we did on Saturday won’t always be the answer, it was effective then because we spread the field, created favorable matchups, and opened running lanes,” Brown concluded.
