MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — For a few snaps Saturday evening, he felt transported back to Hopewell High School.
Rushel Shell dotting the I-formation? This was throwback football, with the quarterback under center, fullback in ramming mode and Shell churning for the first down.
Having devised personnel advantages through diamond formations, twin stacked receivers and five-wide sets, West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen finished off a 34-10 win over TCU by returning to vintage concepts. Shell responded with a 117-yard performance on 24 carries, third-most in his college career.
“That’s where I made a name for myself in high school, the I formation,” Shell said.