Spring a proving ground for WVU defense
This year has a different feel for the West Virginia defense and it should.
After years of losing eight and then nine starters from the unit in consecutive seasons the Mountaineers return a bulk of their first team unit from a year ago and several others that have been in the program.
“This year we get nine guys back that have played a bunch,” coordinator Tony Gibson said.
Refreshing but far from a complete picture.
The Mountaineers still have issues with depth on the defensive front and who will fill some of the spots vacated by those that did leave being among those. There also is the issue of several players that have been in the program for a couple of years and have yet to make any headway on the pathway to seeing the field.
That makes this spring a proving ground for many players on the roster.
“A lot of our guys need to have big springs. Guys have been here for the last couple years and hadn’t really done anything. They need to have a role at some point,” Gibson said.
That goes up and down the roster as the Mountaineers have numbers at every spot outside the defensive line but several players that have yet to make their mark whether it’s by injury or inconsistency throughout the course of their careers.
But it isn’t just a matter of those players either. Considering the up and down nature of the unit last year, it is imperative that even those that did start or see significant time make leaps as well.
“There were a lot of times we’d be playing really well and something would happen and the dam would break loose,” Gibson said.
Some of that can be easily attributed to the youth on the roster as evident by the amount of returning players on this year’s edition of the Mountaineers. So without an abundance of senior leaders on the field, players often wouldn’t know how to respond when things did go sideways.
Having players establish themselves as options that could be counted on was missing as well.
“It stresses you as a defense if you take the snaps you have to defend in a normal game,” Gibson said.
Outside the defensive line, Gibson is confident that he has enough quality options to help out across the board but even if he does there is still one more issue that needs to be addressed.
Tackling.
One of the primary issues with West Virginia a season ago missed tackles often allowed routine plays to turn into big ones. Either guys on the ground, not wrapping up or leading with the shoulder it was an issue all around and one that lingers over this campaign.
The coaching staff has focused on improving in that department. While they won’t go live as much during the spring, they will work techniques, footwork and other things.
“Studying film and watching our biggest problem was and it all comes down to that,” he said.
Spring is all about experimentation and for the West Virginia defense it’s a proving ground for several key items, all of which will need to be addressed before the season begins.
