The University of Charleston has found itself finally playing the way it believed it could all season long.
After dropping its first three games of the season, UC has won two in a row and is playing some of its best football of the year as it prepares to host West Liberty at 1 p.m. Saturday. But coach Pat Kirkland can't help but wonder what things would look like if his team was able to stay healthy.
At times this season, the Golden Eagles have had as many as five regular starters sidelined with injuries. This week, they'll once again be without three key players as they line up against the Hilltoppers.
"It's changed the dynamic of our team because, when you lose guys like we have, you have to scramble a little bit," Kirkland said. "I tell them that injuries happen, it's part of football. But whoever we put in next, the expectations don't change."
Starting quarterback Mason Olszewski has been out since the second game of the season and has a cast on his foot. Kirkland expects him to be out for a few more weeks. Tevion Cappe, the team's leading rusher who is No. 2 in the MEC at 90.8 yards per game, is likely out for the season after dislocating his hip, and defensive lineman James King has been out with a knee injury.
It's never a good thing to have to deal with that many injuries, especially to key contributors and players considered leaders for the team. Yet it has given the team a unique identity halfway through the season, that everyone has to be ready when his number is called.
"We think all of those guys can come in and compete at a high level," Kirkland said. "It's about getting them a lot of reps during the week."
The injuries have changed, at times, the way the Golden Eagles have played this season. With Olszewski sidelined, UC began to be a much more run-heavy offense - a move that has worked in the last few weeks with the Golden Eagles' first two wins of the season.
Now with Cappe out as well, players like Marvin Elam and Vernard Roberts will likely receive even more carries than before. Elam has been splitting carries with Cappe for much of the season, carrying the ball 75 times for 397 yards and seven touchdowns. He had 139 yards and three touchdowns on 23 carries in last week's win over Concord.
"Losing Cappe is big because he was a big part of our offense and it's always hard to lose someone like that," Elam said. "We can only look forward though. We're focusing on taking care of the things we can control and just trying to do our jobs this week to prepare."
It's that "next man up" mentality that the coaches have been preaching all season that continues to echo in their heads as they prepare for Saturday's game against West Liberty.
When someone gets an opportunity to play or step into a bigger role, he has to take that chance and run with it if he wants to continue to ride his current wave of success.
"We have to stay positive, that kind of stuff is going to happen where you lose guys to injuries," Elam said. "The room for error is getting smaller, we can't afford to look back and dwell on those things.
"We've got games to play, we need to keep winning, and that starts with moving forward and practicing hard and having guys be ready when their name is called."
Contact Michael Carvelli at 304-348-4810 or michael.carvelli@wvgazettemail.com. Follow him on Twitter @carvelli3.