Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval  Watch |  Listen

Improved tackling a focus for Mountaineers ahead of matchup with Kansas

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — There were plenty of positives West Virginia’s defense took away from a 38-31 loss at Pitt last Thursday.

The Mountaineers limited the Panthers to 76 rushing yards on 38 attempts, numbers that factor in their five sacks resulting in a loss of 39 yards.

On the Panthers’ other 33 rushes, West Virginia surrendered 115 yards, holding a ground-oriented attack well in check.

“We stopped the run. We controlled the line of scrimmage versus a group playing six and seven offensive linemen,” West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said. “We got really good pressure on the quarterback.“

Two of Pitt’s five touchdowns had little or nothing to do with the West Virginia defense. The Panthers’ only TD in the opening half, a 4-yard Rodney Hammond run, was set up by a fumble that allowed the Panthers to start at the Mountaineers’ 35. The first of West Virginia’s two turnovers came only two plays after the Mountaineers recovered a fumble for what was Pitt’s only turnover.

Late in the fourth quarter, after West Virginia had surrendered a game-tying 92-yard touchdown drive, the Panthers produced the game-winning score on a 56-yard interception return for a touchdown by M.J. Devonshire.

Still, upon reviewing film from the emotional season-opening setback, Brown and defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley were in agreement the most important aspect of the defense needs improvement before Saturday’s 6 p.m. home opener against Kansas.

“We have to tackle better,” Brown said. “That’s something we’ve done really well here and that’s the standard. We’ve been one of the top tackling teams in the conference and in the country. Especially late, we didn’t tackle very well.”

Lesley didn’t see effort as a problem, but believes his unit must do a better job of getting the opposition on the ground.

“Overall, they played hard and they were ready to go. Our effort wasn’t an issue. The negatives were too many busts on some simple things we had seen and then missed tackles,” Lesley added. “Those are mistakes that are on me more than they are the kids.”

That tackling wasn’t up to the standard Brown believes the Mountaineers have set over his first three seasons at West Virginia isn’t necessarily a surprise in a season opener.

During the 2021 offseason, the NCAA Division I Council reduced contact practices in preseason camp from 21 to 18. The group also restricted the number of days full pad practices are permitted to nine, while prohibiting full contact practices to no more than two consecutive days and 75 minutes per practice session.

“I’m never going to make an excuse for players or staff defensively, but you have to try to find a way to work it as full speed as you can,” Lesley said. “Everybody struggles and if you watch enough football over the weekend, you’re going to see it. It’s hard, but the more you do it, the better you get at it and the more you play, the more you do it. So that’s what we have to do.”

An abundance of transfers, some seeing their first action at the Power 5 Conference level, heavily factored into the defensive game plan. Safety Marcis Floyd, a converted cornerback, came from Murray State, while cornerbacks Wesley McCormick and Rashad Ajayi are James Madison and Colorado State transfers, respectively. Spear Jasir Cox previously played at North Dakota State.

McCormick was ejected in the fourth quarter for a targeting penalty and will have to sit out the first half against the Jayhawks.

“A lot of times secondary guys have to play perfect fundamentally when things are happening fast. I’m not complaining. I’m just saying we expect them to make a perfect tackle and some of those plays, they’re short, intermediate throws that are bang-bang,” Lesley said. “If anybody has never tried to make a play like that when it’s bang-bang, they need to go try it before they criticize a kid. 

“We have to make a play. Some of those were poor angles and some is just really simple tackling technique. Keep the ball on your shoulder and run through the strike zone. That’s as simple as I can make tackling. We have to be better at it.”

— — — —

In addition to McCormick’s absence for the first two quarters,, the secondary could be even more thin against KU depending on the status of Charles Woods.

Woods, a preseason all-Big 12 selection, left late in the first quarter and did not return to play in the season opener.

“Really don’t know just yet,” Brown said of Woods’ status. “I don’t really have an update on him.”

Much of the defensive focus throughout practice this week will be focused on preparing the secondary to play without McCormick for at least a half, and perhaps Woods, who could be on a snap count if he gives it a go.

“We’ll have to get some other guys ready,” Brown said. “That’s the thing about injuries or targeting — it’s one person’s bad luck, but an opportunity for others. We feel like we have more athleticism in that room. [Malachi] Ruffin has played corner. [Andrew] Wilson-Lamp is at a point where he’s ready to play. [Jacolby] Spells is a really highly-regarded freshman. Mu-Mu [Bin-Wahad] played a few snaps the other night. He played really good high school football in a bunch of big games, so it’s not going to be too big for him. We have options and those guys are going to have to get ready if Charles can’t go.”

Brown did say offensive lineman Jordan White, the starting right guard at Pitt, is probable to play against the Jayhawks after leaving the second half of the season opener with an injury.





More Sports

Sports
Doege works diligently to implement Air Raid offense
New Marshall offensive coordinator Seth Doege hopes to provide a spark to the Thundering Herd.
March 29, 2024 - 9:50 am
Sports
Class AAAA Boys Basketball All-State List
Morgantown guard Sharron Young captain of first team.
March 29, 2024 - 9:25 am
Sports
Beanie Bishop posts top 40-yard dash time at Big 12 Pro Day
March 29, 2024 - 1:21 am
Sports
Herbert Hoover improves to 10-0 with 2-1 win over Hurricane
The Huskies collected a pair of victories Thursday in the Guard the Capital Invitational in Charleston.
March 29, 2024 - 12:51 am