WVU defense does it again
For two consecutive weeks, the West Virginia defense faced a monumental task. In back-to-back weeks the Mountaineers faced fellow Big 12 opponents Texas Tech and TCU whose high potent offenses ranked in the nation’s top 10.
In both games, the Mountaineer defense rose to the occasion and achieved what some would have believed was impossible at the beginning of the season. Not only defending Big 12 offenses but shutting them down to season lows across the board.
“It’s been a work in progress,” West Virginia head coach Dana Holgorsen said. “(Tony Gibson) is doing a great job. Kid’s got confidence. The staff is working really well together. I like where we are when it comes to that.”
The West Virginia defense held Texas Tech and TCU to a combined 27 points with both teams averaging at least 40 points a game coming into each matchup. TCU’s 10 points in Saturday’s loss to West Virginia are the lowest the Horned Frogs have scored in a game since 2013 when they put up only seven points against Texas.
Overall, the Mountaineers held Texas Tech 280 yards and 38 points below their season average and followed that up by keeping TCU 230 yards and 30 points below theirs.
"Guys find a way, they keep plugging along. I told the coaches in the lockeroom I don’t know how we keep doing it," defensive coordinator Tony Gibson said. "These guys are resilient. They're plying well right now."
The Mountaineer defense has now held FBS opponents to only 86 points this season.
“They’re fun to coach,” Gibson said. “They get it. They come in and they work.”
West Virginia’s defense has come a long way since the beginning of the season. The unit started the year with eight new starters in their first game against Missouri but have continued to progress each week even after losing junior Dravon Askew-Henry for the season with a knee injury in fall camp.
“It was a little bit rough early on,” Gibson said. “We’re getting our feet under us now. They’re learning. They understand how we want them to play and they continue every week to come out and perform so knock on wood, hopefully we can keep it rolling.”
Over the past two games, the Mountaineers have registered a total of eight sacks and two interceptions on defense and have forced 10 punts as Gibson has turned up the heat on quarterbacks Patrick Mahomes and Kenny Hill.
Against TCU, the Mountaineers were especially aggressive in the first quarter with Gibson calling six zero blitzes and six cover one blitzes leaving his secondary on an island to make Hill uncomfortable.
"That's why we're given a scholarship. To cover," redshirt senior cornerback Rasul Douglas said of his role on defense.
But a large part of the defense’s success in Saturday’s win over TCU was the performance of the West Virginia’s offense.
The Mountaineer offense led by quarterback Skyler Howard dominated time of possession, holding the ball for 33:40 to TCU’s 26:20.
“We played four snaps on defense in the third quarter,” Gibson said. “If we can do that the rest of the year, I like our odds.”
Once again, the Mountaineers will face a high scoring opponent next week. The team will travel to Stillwater to face an Oklahoma State team that has averaged 41.1 points a game. With their defense on the rise and the team improving in all three phases, West Virginia will be up for the challenge.
“We will approach this like we do the rest of them, enjoy the win and tomorrow get back at it,” Holgorsen said. “You’re only as good as your next one.”