MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — While West Virginia’s offense has consistently struggled in four games against FBS competition, the Mountaineers have also taken a step back defensively since the start of Big 12 play.
In last Saturday’s 34-point home loss to Utah, WVU failed to force the Utes to punt and allowed 532 total yards and six touchdown drives, all of which covered between 58 and 94 yards.
“It’s the same players. We have good players. Probably need to dial back some of the stuff that we’re doing,” WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez said. “Sometimes as coaches, we try to find an answer to everything and it just doesn’t work. For whatever reason, guys are not being as discipline with their eyes or assignments. We have to figure it out in a hurry.”
Having praised WVU defensive coordinator Zac Alley for displaying a variety of looks that can take away from an opposing offense’s rhythm, Rodriguez sounds like a more simple plan may the preferred outlook for the unit ahead of Friday’s 10:30 p.m. matchup at 23rd-ranked BYU.
“Zac and the defensive staff work really hard. They’ll have a good plan,” Rodriguez said. “They’re all kind of new. Everybody wishes they had an open week earlier to try and fix some of the problems, but it happened to where we’re playing six in a row. We have a short week, but enough time to get ready.”
While the Mountaineers (2-3, 0-2) recorded five tackles for loss against Utah, they did register a sack or force a turnover.
Utah had its way in every way possible, with quarterback Devon Dampier throwing one more incompletion (5) than touchdown pass and accounting for 270 yards and five touchdowns between his arm and legs.
The Utes’ 30 passes netted 290 yards, while they became the second straight Mountaineer opponent to rush for 242 yards.
“We didn’t get any knock back this past game. We got knocked off the ball and when you get knocked off the ball, you’re going to give up run plays,” Alley said. “The mindset of knocking people backwards, getting hands on and playing in their yard, chewing up their grass, it has to happen. We have to see that turnaround this week.”
In two Big 12 games, WVU has allowed 89 points, not forced a turnover, not recorded a sack and recorded only six tackles for loss on 144 plays.
That could and perhaps should create more desperation for answers, but like Rodriguez, Alley believes a more simplified approach is the right one.
“You get into games where you’re not playing well and you’re searching for answers,” Alley said. “Can we get into something to help us, get them into something they don’t like? But there’s definitely a tendency from coaches in general to overcomplicate things. I’m trying to do the opposite and simplify this week, particularly on a short week where you’ve lost a practice day to get ready to play.”
Third downs had been a strength for the Mountaineer defense over the first four games, with the unit allowing opponents to convert on only 17-of-60 attempts.
But Utah changed that, starting with two third down conversions on the opening drive, including one for the game’s first points. The Utes went on to convert all eight third downs they faced in the opening half, and while they finished 8 for 13, the visitors were a perfect 3 of 3 on fourth down.
“The down and distance matters as far as winning first and second down,” Alley said. “Three or four of those in the first half where we’re in position to make the tackle and get off the field and we didn’t make the play. Now it falls forward for a first down and you have to do it all over again.”
The poor tackling was also problematic and perhaps more so than any other aspect. After reviewing tape, Alley had his unit with 34 missed tackles against Utah.
“We looked it up and we’re third in the country in yards before contact and we’re 129th in yards after contact, so we have to do a better job of getting them on the ground,” Alley said. “That’s the challenge I’ve put forward to the guys when we have opportunities to make plays. The difference in getting a guy down to create second-and-11 versus he throws the corner down and falls forward for 5, that’s when you win and lose the game and keep them on schedule. A good offense like that, you’re not going to be able to stop them.”
The knock back and physical play Alley is seeking more of from the defense won’t come easily at BYU. The Cougars (4-0, 1-0) rank No. 1 in the Big 12 and top 10 nationally with an average of 251.2 rushing yards.
Tailback LJ Martin has a team-high 400 rushing yards on 7.3 yards per carry, while freshman quarterback Bear Bachmeier is second on the squad with 163 rushing yards. Bachmeier is responsible for four of his team’s 10 rushing touchdowns.
Both Matin and Bachmeier are 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, and each brings a surplus of physicality to the unbeaten Cougars’ ground game.
“Their quarterback is a young guy — very athletic, tough guy. He’s been really composed,” Rodriguez said. “I’ve been really impressed with him. The running back is a big, physical guy and one of the better ones in our league. It starts up front and they have some grown men up there — literally — and some explosive wideouts. They’ll keep you off-balanced. They do a lot of quarterback run stuff as well.”