West Virginia football looking to improve red zone defense

West Virginia has found itself trying to plug leaks when more keep popping up when it comes to the team’s red zone defense.

Through six games, the Mountaineers (3-3, 1-2) have seen some turnover defensively with spear JoVanni Stewart deciding to part ways with the team, defensive end Taijh Alston and bandit VanDarius Cowan suffering season-ending injuries.

These along with an injury to cornerback Keith Washington have led to a few freshmen moving up the depth chart and seeing more snaps.

But despite these changes and underclassmen being thrown into the fold, West Virginia’s defense has played tough and has held up in some areas such as in the secondary, holding Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger and Iowa State quarterback Brock Purdy to season-lows in passing yards in back-to-back weeks.

However, the unit’s struggles in the red zone have been evident throughout the season with the Mountaineers allowing their opponents to score on 21-of-23 red zone trips this season with 17 touchdowns and four field goals.

The 91.3 percent red zone conversion rate West Virginia allows is the fourth-highest in the Big 12 and the 17 touchdowns (10 rushing, seven passing) in the red zone tie for the most allowed in the conference.

“We’re struggling to play man (coverage), we struggled to play zone,” defensive coordinator Vic Koenning said. “There’s not really much anything else.”

Just two seasons ago, Koenning’s defense at Troy was ranked the top red zone defense in the country by allowing just 27 red zone scores (19 touchdowns, eight field goals) out of 44 attempts to its opponents, a conversion rate of 61.4 percent.

That season, the second of three straight double-digit-win seasons for Brown at Troy, the Trojans went 11-2 on their way to a New Orleans Bowl win over North Texas.

But even with the staff’s change of scenery and new faces on the defensive side of the ball, Koenning doesn’t believe West Virginia’s red zone problems are due to schemes.

“I don’t think it’s so much what we’re doing, it’s just we’re not doing it good enough,” Koenning said.

West Virginia’s road doesn’t any easier with the Mountaineers taking on No. 5 Oklahoma (6-0, 3-0) on the road Saturday.

The Sooners have been dominant on offense all season long and ranking in the top 10 in the country in total offense as well as the pass and run games led by former Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts.

Oklahoma has mostly been efficient in the red zone this season aside from a couple of turnovers in Texas territory last week. Overall, the Sooners have scored on 31-of-34 red zone attempts this season with 24 touchdowns (14 rushing, 10 passing) and seven field goals.

“They try and get your eyes in different places and create a play somewhere else and it’s going to be interesting,” fifth-year senior linebacker Shea Campbell said. “They do a lot of stuff that Texas did. They’re very similar, but I think they do more of it.”

So how does West Virginia improve its red zone defense? Well, according to Campbell and fifth-year senior defensive lineman Reuben Jones, it comes down to possessing a certain mindset.

“I think it’s just an attitude because the defenses that we run--they’re great defenses, but when you get down in the 20-yard line, on the 30-yard line, it’s a certain attitude that you gotta take with you when they’re about to score,” Jones said.

And that mentality is one that has to be obtained by all 11 defensive players on the field.

“I think it has to be a mentality that’s spread across the board like I think from a defensive standpoint, it comes from guys that play a lot, older experienced guys saying ‘hey we’re in the red zone, they’re not scoring, it’s not happening,’” Campbell said.

“So I think that’s something that over time will develop, but it’s hard when you have one or two guys that play like that. It’s hard to do it across the board.”

Like most areas, the red zone defense is still a work in progress, but just because the Mountaineers have had their struggles and growing pains doesn’t mean the unit won’t eventually improve in this area.

“We’re gonna continue to try to plug the leaks until we can find something,” Koenning said.

WATCH: Musings from the Mountains | West Virginia Football vs. Oklahoma Preview | Episode 33

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