Five West Virginia players to watch

Sep 5, 2015; Morgantown, WV, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers running back Wendell Smallwood runs for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Georgia Southern Eagles at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

No. 3 Wendell Smallwood/Rushel Shell

This is the true combination of thunder and lightning. Mountaineer running backs Wendell Smallwood and Rushel Shell provide a lethal ground attack for one of the premier teams in the Big 12. Through two games, the dynamic duo has totaled 45 carries for 253 yards (5.6 yards-per-carry) and four touchdwons on the ground.

The backfield looks to be a timeshare early on, but Smallwood does have seven more rushing attempts than Shell. In terms of their skill set, Smallwood is a very shifty back that possesses strong vision, and knows how to find the running lanes. The Wilmington, Del. native has rushed for at least 88 yards in each of West Virginia’s first two game, and definitely could give the Terps issues. On the other hand, Shell is more of a physical, bruising tailback. The Pittsburgh native only has 69 yards on the season, but proves his worth in short yardage situations for the Mountaineers. Much like Smallwood, Shell can hit the hole hard, and is a very valuable asset. Maryland is definitely going to have their hands full in trying to stop the run on Saturday.