MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Contrary to conventional football wisdom, the winner in each of West Virginia’s first three games has been minus in the turnover margin.
And the fact West Virginia stands 2-1 despite creating only two takeaways (both on interceptions by suspended cornerback Daryl Worley) is surprising to the defensive coaches, who don’t think the trend can continue.
“We do a turnover period everyday and we emphasize it,” said defensive line coach Tom Bradley. “With turnovers, it’s been my experience that sometimes they come in bunches and other times nothing. You work on stripping the football and knocking down passes but the ball doesn’t quite bounce your way.”
The Mountaineers defense has yet to force a single fumble—much less recover one—this season, a drought spanning 200 plays.
Brown’s big moment: Reserve nose guard Christian Brown deserved an assist on Worley’s interception at Maryland by batting the ball at the line of scrimmage.
The most impressive part of the play, however, was what transpired before the tip. Terps center Sal Conaboy initially flattened Brown with a diving cut block, before the 285-pound defensive lineman sprang up and into C.J. Brown’s passing window.
“That’s a hustle play—a play most people don’t notice,” Bradley said.
Rose lobbies for stats: Grappling with double-teams in what Bradley calls the “combative zone,” nose guard Kyle Rose doesn’t have many opportunities to rack up tackles. So when he led a strong inside push to drop Maryland’s Kenny Goins on a late-game third-and-1 stop, Rose wanted some credit.
“He tried to wiggle me out—he thought he should get an assisted tackle,” Bradley said. “And I said, ‘Your finger might have touched the guy’s shoe.’ You’re not getting a point for contact with the ball carrier.
“He tried to work me and I said no. But it was a super push by Kyle. He really did a good job getting low and getting through (the gap).”
Jared Barber update: Though senior linebacker Jared Barber could be recovered enough from a torn ACL to play in two weeks, Dana Holgorsen said the plan remains to redshirt Barber and let him return for a full season in 2015.
“He wants to play in the worst way. I mean, it’s killing the guy not to be out there playing,” Holgorsen said on his Thursday night call-in show. But the coach said WVU’s linebacking depth means there’s no rush to reinstate Barber, a 13-game career starter who has been in defensive coordinator Tony Gibson’s hip pocket on the sideline this season.