MORGANTOWN, W. Va. -- This season, the West Virginia football team -- particularly on offense -- could scrap the Mountaineers' nickname and go with something a little more fitting -- like the West Virginia Mighty Mites.

One thing learned through the spring, which ended with the Gold-Blue game Saturday at Mountaineer Field, is when the Mountaineers trot out for their Aug. 30 opener against Villanova, they will do so with as small of a skill group as just about any major program in the country.

Top running back Noel Devine, a sophomore who rushed for 33 yards in the spring game, is listed at 5 feet 8, which might be generous.

The leading rusher in the spring game was Mike Poitier, a 5-8 redshirt junior, who carried 17 times for 55 yards and looks to have nailed down the No. 2 spot at running back.

Another running back who saw time in the spring game, sophomore John McCloskey, also is 5-8.

On top of that, the top two slot receivers in the game were sophomore Brandon Hogan, who is 5-10, and sophomore Jock Sanders, who is 5-8.

While the lack of big skill position players is glaring, it does not trouble first-year coach Bill Stewart.

Nor is first-year offensive coordinator Jeff Mullen all that worried.

"I wouldn't trade speed for any size in the world because this game is fast and it has to start with speed," he said.

Getting his kicks

Senior kicker/punter Pat McAfee, a Plum High School graduate, converted field-goal attempts of 47, 24, 34 and 39 yards in Saturday's game.

He was as sharp as anyone in the spring game -- a far cry from when he missed field-goal attempts of 20 and 32 yards in last year's 13-9 loss against Pitt that prevented the Mountaineers from playing in the Bowl Championship Series national championship game.

After that game, McAfee received angry text messages, heard about his girlfriend getting verbally abused, found his car vandalized and discovered a death threat on his Facebook account.

But, the Mountaineers' staff never wavered in their confidence in McAfee, one of the premier specialists in the country.

"Pat McAfee, God bless him, is a real, true weapon," Stewart said. "If there is a better punter/kicker in the country, I'd like to hear about him."

Redshirt freshman Gino Gradkowski, a 6-2, 280-pound offensive lineman from Seton-LaSalle High School, bounced between center and guard in Saturday's Gold-Blue game, working some with the first team and mainly with second unit at both positions.

He's confident his ability to play both spots will increase his worth.

"I know there are a lot of things that I need to work on through the summer," Gradkowski said.

"But I am confident that if I keep working, I can get on the field. I have improved a lot since I have been here and am working hard to keep on getting better."