COMMENTARY
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — No. 9 West Virginia hasn’t stockpiled the kind of blue-chip talent that bolsters Clemson’s roster, but the unbeaten Mountaineers possess similar intangibles.
That’s the perspective of defensive end Jabril Robinson, a grad transfer with a first-hand knowledge of both programs.
“The brotherhood, the tightness, the closeness” are reminiscent of the three College Football Playoff teams at Clemson, Robinson told me this week. So to is “the self-assessment,” something the Mountaineers practiced with harsh realism after a 42-34 win at Texas Tech that was uneven.
“That is what I saw after this game — the older guys being able to hold themselves upon a standard. They don’t need to be told,” Robinson said. “In our minds, after that game we knew for a fact that we could’ve done more.”
West Virginia (4-0, 2-0 Big 12) heads back to the field Saturday, intent on sharpening its performance against Kansas (2-3, 0-2).
Robinson mans the frontline of a defense that ranks 20th nationally and first in the Big 12 in points allowed (17.8 per game). After giving up 463 yards at Texas Tech — most of that to the Red Raiders’ backup quarterback — the Mountaineers’ total defense rankling slipped to 63rd in the FBS and fourth in the league.
“As Coach [Bruce] Tall says every week, let’s build our standard — don’t settle. Let’s keep rising,” Robinson said. “And we’re moving. Maybe it’s not as fast as critics and fans are expecting, but we’re definitely getting there.”
Evidence? The negative-yardage stops that are being compiled. WVU ranks third nationally in tackles for loss (9.8 per game).
Because Hurricane Florence forced West Virginia to sacrifice a key nonconference game against N.C. State, a berth in the four-team playoff might require the Mountaineers to go unbeaten. (Through four years of the CFP, only two of the 16 spots have gone to teams with fewer than 12 wins — Oklahoma in 2015 and Alabama last year.)
That led to some tense moments last week when West Virginia’s 35-10 lead was reduced to a one-score game.
“It feels great to be 4-0, and it feels great to be 1-0 every week, but how does it feel to lose? Do we want to feel that?” Robinson said.
He felt it in 2016 after Clemson’s season nearly was wrecked by an upset loss to Pitt in Week 10. A year ago, Clemson overcame a Week 7 loss at Syracuse.
“When a loss occurs, all you think of is all those goals,” he said. “And now it’s a what-if, and nobody likes a what-if. They want a straight answer. When it’s almost gone is when it grabs my attention.”