West Virginia Football: 10 best individual seasons under Dana Holgorsen
By Phil Poling
No. 2: Skyler Howard, Quarterback | 2016
Skyler Howard never seemed to be a fan-favorite during his playing days in Morgantown, nor has he been appreciated since his departure. Of course, expectations for every quarterback following Geno Smith were through the roof. But Paul Millard and Clint Trickett don’t take flak for their resumes at WVU, although neither have a seven-win season on them; Howard’s got two.
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During his senior year, Howard started every game and led the Mountaineers to only their second 10-win season under Dana Holgorsen. The defense was great, led by Rasul Douglas and Justin Arndt, but Howard orchestrated the offense with great prowess.
His 3,328 passing yards in 2016 are the fifth-most in any single-season at WVU. Howard threw 26 touchdown passes, but he also ran for a team-high 10 scores, placing him behind only 2012 Geno Smith for the most touchdowns in a single season.
The 2016 WVU football team wasn’t thought highly of heading into the season, being picked to finish seventh in the Big 12. After a 7-2 conference trek, the ‘Eers finished 10-3 behind Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the Big 12. It wasn’t all Howard’s doing, but without him, seventh place in the division might’ve been too high of a preseason pick.
On the short side height-wise compared to typical quarterbacks, Howard spent time playing in junior college before arriving in Morgantown and getting an opportunity.
For as much as Mountaineer Nation embraces being the underdog, they sure didn’t support Howard to the best of their ability. This isn’t a condemnation toward them, but rather an attempt to give Howard the props he deserves.