MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Taking the yo-yo nature of his freshman year in stride, Martell Pettaway chalks it up to a lesson in preparedness.
The new recruit figured to play early in 2016 but didn’t. Then he figured to redshirt but didn’t. Instead, he pressed into action during West Virginia’s 11th game after the team’s top three running backs were hobbled.
Pettaway’s 181-yard debut highlighted a 49-19 win at Iowa State and his 16 carries for 63 yards were pivotal in a 24-21 victory over Baylor. But he was barely needed against Miami in the Russell Athletic Bowl, meaning his usage as a late-season pinch-hitter essentially boiled down to two games.