The 2012 Orange Bowl is getting to be among the nation's more attritiony bowl games this time around, with four West Virginia Mountaineers joining a couple of players already out. Thursday, WVU coach Dana Holgorsen announced running back Vernard Roberts, receiver Vance Roberts, running back Trey Johnson, and defensive back Michael Dorsey are out.
The Roberts brothers, both freshmen, are gone due to academic trouble, while the latter sophomores violated team rules.
Vernard Roberts finished 10th on the team in all-purpose yardage. His loss plus Johnson's makes for a thin depth chart behind Dustin Garrison and Shawne Alston, but freshman Andrew Buie has experience and receiver Tavon Austin is always a running threat. The team retains the players responsible for 1,265 of its 1,418 rushing yards this season, so everything should work out just fine.
The other two aren't major immediate losses, with Dorsey posting just one tackle on the year.
For more on the 'Eers, visit West Virginia blog The Smoking Musket.