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MORGANTOWN Despite having an 8-3 record and blowing out a top-25 opponent in South Florida, Rutgers has seen its share of troubles in advancing the football downfield this season.

The Scarlet Knight rank seventh in total offense, ahead of only 4-8 Syracuse. Their rushing attack is sixth in the eight-team conference (145 yards per game), and their passing attack is ranked dead last (186 yards per game).

So it's easy to see why Rutgers coach Greg Schiano has his concerns when his team tangles with West Virginia at noon Saturday in an ESPN-televised football game.

"You look at their defense, and they are playing well," he said. "Those two guys up front Scooter Berry and Chris Neild seem like they have been there forever. They are stout and strong. Their linebacker, Reed Williams, has been there forever.

He is as good of a football player as there is out there. I enjoy watching him play til I remember how it was trying go move the ball on him. We have our work cut out for us trying to move the ball against their defense."

Rutgers, conversely, has the top defensive package in the Big East Conference, allowing only 315 yards per game and just a little over 16 points. But Schiano said that unit will be tested by a speedy Mountaineer group.

"On offense, they are good up front," he said. "They have gotten a lot better up front."

Those "up front" guys have been clearing a path for WVU runners to average a conference-best 185 yards per game, and it is mostly attributed to the scatback stylings of junior Noel Devine. Devine is averaging 112 yards per game, which is second in the conference and 18th in the country.

"There isn't a more of a dangerous guy than Noel Devine," Schiano said. "You can cage him and cage him, but in one play he is gone."

Quarterback Jarrett Brown gave an indication of things to come in his first-ever collegiate start against Rutgers in 2006 when he threw and ran for more than 300 yards in a triple-overtime victory for WVU.

"We've had our experiences with Jarrett Brown," Schiano said. "He has a lot of miles behind him now. He is a much more experienced quarterback now. He is very elusive. When you do get pressure on him, he is big and strong enough to get away form you. When he started chucking the ball a lot in the '06 game, it wasn't a shocker. If he was with a bunch of solid guys, it would be different. But he is the guy next to the guy (Noel Devine), and that's tough."