WVU's White moving on after losing Slaton, Rodriguez

Pat White keyed West Virginia's surprising Fiesta Bowl win over Oklahoma in January. Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

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The two freshmen speedsters and the homegrown coach sat at a podium inside the Georgia Dome collectively beaming. A West Virginia team that was a preseason afterthought had just delivered arguably the most monumental win in the program's history, but already the conversation had shifted to what appeared to be a future of limitless potential for Rich Rodriguez's team behind star running back Steve Slaton and quarterback Pat White.

When asked what was next for this group, White answered without batting an eye "Start a dynasty, I guess."

Now, two years since the 38-35 win over No. 8 Georgia in the 2006 Sugar Bowl that turned two players who didn't even start until midway through the season and a coach who was 0-3 in bowl games into marquee names, things look decidedly different at WVU heading into spring practice. All that remains from West Virginia's return to national prominence is the soon-to-be redshirt senior quarterback. Slaton opted out of his senior season and bolted for the NFL, while Rodriguez broke the collective hearts of West Virginia fans when he left for Michigan in what continues to be a messy divorce.

"It was different but you get used to it," White said of his best friend and roommate Slaton. "I guess it's sort of like when my big brother [Bo] left me and headed off to college. At first it was a little strange but you get used to it. We still communicate. It's no biggie."

The former All-America running back's departure was firmly tied to that of Rodriguez, who took the Mountaineers' offensive coordinator and running backs coach Calvin Magee with him. Slaton recently said he may have stayed in Morgantown had Magee not gone to Michigan.

"I was just hoping he did what was best for him," White said. "I want to see him succeed like all the rest of my teammates that have the opportunity to move on to the next level. I wish him the best."

While there was speculation that Slaton was leaving, Rodriguez was another matter. His announcement to the team on Dec. 17 that he would be succeeding Lloyd Carr at Michigan stunned the Mountaineers, but in retrospect, White says: "[It was] business, decisions you know that you had no effect on but they end up affecting you. But you just have to go with the flow and whatever happens, happens."

The trio of Rodriguez, Slaton and White raised the level of expectations in Morgantown as a part of three double-digit win seasons, a pair of Big East crowns and two BCS bowl berths (and if not for a devastating 13-9 loss to 28-point underdog Pitt in last year's regular-season finale, one national-title appearance).

On top of losing Slaton and Rodriguez, White will enter next fall without leading receiver Darius Reynaud and fullback Owen Schmitt, who both used up their eligibility. But White isn't buying into the "last man standing" view of his decision to stay at WVU, even though his backfieldmate and the coach whose spread offense turned the quarterback into a star have left.

"I don't know about the last guy standing -- but the last guy that has his name in the paper," White said.

White's correct in the sense that the Mountaineers return eight starters on offense and four on defense, though there's little debate that this fall the focus will be on White more so than it has been at any point in his career. He alone will be the face of West Virginia football, and with the departures of Louisville QB Brian Brohm and Rutgers RB Ray Rice, he'll also be the face of the Big East. But the added pressure won't be prompting him to change a thing.

"I can't do anything different than what I've been doing all my life -- just play ball," he said.

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