10-13-2006, 06:03 AM
Mountaineers try and shore up third down defense
Three's no charm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06286/729571-144.stm
Friday, October 13, 2006
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Don't describe the West Virginia defense around Coach Rich Rodriguez as one that bends but doesn't ...
"Oh I hate that term. The only thing that's going to break is my mentality.
"Our defense? It's not designed to be that way. Our No. 1 thing on defense is three and outs. We have not been getting enough three and outs, and the reason is because our third-down defense has not been good."
Not good? It's 26th-to-last in major-college football, to be precise. The Mountaineers, No. 5 in the polls, rank No. 94 of 119 Division I-A teams in third-down conversion defense. They graciously permit opponents to succeed on 42.7 percent of their third downs, a statistic bloated Saturday by allowing Mississippi State -- a bottom-20 offense in most every NCAA category beforehand -- to go 6-for-13.
Three of those conversions came on West Virginia penalties. Another three Mountaineers infractions on second-and-10-or-more also hospitably awarded Mississippi State first downs. That's a bad bent to be on.
"Like Coach Rod said, it was like giving them six turnovers," cornerback Vaughn Rivers said.
The yellow flags, an over-discussed bugaboo for these Mountaineers (the most-penalized team in the Big East at 83 yards per game), aren't the only red flag, though. On three plays last Saturday by the 99th-ranked passing offense, receivers strayed behind West Virginia defensive backs and four plays of 20-plus yards. That represents an overall defensive area of concern heading into a Saturday Big East date with a Syracuse (3-3, 0-1) team that completed 20 of 29 passes for 225 yards against Pitt last weekend.
It caused Rodriguez to open a Monday meeting with his defense by questioning the unit's zeal.
"To be honest with you, I don't think we've played with as much passion ... as we're accustomed to. And that upsets me more than anything else," the coach reiterated later. "There's a difference between playing hard and playing hungry. We need to do both.
"When you're not sure of yourself, you play a little tentatively. And I told the defense: I see them play more aggressively in practice going against the starting offense than they do in a game. A lot of coaches think you've got to give them confidence and sugar them up a little bit. Listen, I'm no Dr. Phil or Oprah, I'm not any psychologist ... Just go and play. Play the way you're supposed to play."
Still, the Mountaineers (5-0) are No. 9 in the most vital Division I-A defensive statistic, points allowed, with 12.2 per game. It's just their third-down play, the missed assignments, the lack of discipline on some personal-foul penalties or lack of technique on others. Those undermine the group effort.
"We have a lot to improve on if we want to call ourselves a Top-5 team and Big East champs," Rivers said.
Last Saturday in Starkville, Miss., the coaching staff "tested the waters," in Rivers' words, by deploying the regular five-man secondary instead of using the six-man unit normally reserved for passing downs. Where Rivers ascribed any problems to a lack of experience, his fellow secondary mate and Perry Traditional Academy alum, safety Eric Wicks, considered it a predicament over learning to properly use their speed.
"If you're over-pursuing the ball and messing up your angles ...," Wicks began of a defense mostly bereft so far of the trademark hard edge the Mountaineers preach on defense. "We haven't been aggressive at all. We haven't had a Hammer [Award] hit. We haven't had a knock-off hit, where the offense has to drag somebody off the field. We're just basically tackling guys and catching guys."
Coincidentally, it was Wicks returning a Perry Patterson interception for a touchdown and staunch defensive play that proved the difference in this game a year ago by 15-7 at Syracuse. Wicks expects a different Patterson than the 2005 one who, in a new offense, "just looked down one receiver."
Look at the Mountaineers' numbers against five teams thus far with a combined 8-19 record: only seven total touchdowns allowed, with just Ohio State and Florida permitting fewer, and the ninth-lowest passing efficiency allowed in major-college football.
"Let's not say it's all bad, a picture of doom and gloom. No need to panic," the coach said. "But our expectations are pretty high."
NOTES: Rodriguez on receiver Darius Reynaud: "He was doing the Nintendo Weave 10 yards down the field [on one screen]. If he had just run the ball, he would've scored. He was gassed. He'll get more touches when he gets in better shape." Rodriguez on Wicks: "I don't think he's anywhere near where he can be." ... Only Big East foes Louisville (1st and 7th) and West Virginia (2nd and 9th) plus defending national champion Texas (6th and 5th) rank in both the Division I-A top 10 in scoring offense and scoring defense.
(Chuck Finder can be reached at cfinder@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1724.)
Three's no charm
http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06286/729571-144.stm
Friday, October 13, 2006
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Don't describe the West Virginia defense around Coach Rich Rodriguez as one that bends but doesn't ...
"Oh I hate that term. The only thing that's going to break is my mentality.
"Our defense? It's not designed to be that way. Our No. 1 thing on defense is three and outs. We have not been getting enough three and outs, and the reason is because our third-down defense has not been good."
Not good? It's 26th-to-last in major-college football, to be precise. The Mountaineers, No. 5 in the polls, rank No. 94 of 119 Division I-A teams in third-down conversion defense. They graciously permit opponents to succeed on 42.7 percent of their third downs, a statistic bloated Saturday by allowing Mississippi State -- a bottom-20 offense in most every NCAA category beforehand -- to go 6-for-13.
Three of those conversions came on West Virginia penalties. Another three Mountaineers infractions on second-and-10-or-more also hospitably awarded Mississippi State first downs. That's a bad bent to be on.
"Like Coach Rod said, it was like giving them six turnovers," cornerback Vaughn Rivers said.
The yellow flags, an over-discussed bugaboo for these Mountaineers (the most-penalized team in the Big East at 83 yards per game), aren't the only red flag, though. On three plays last Saturday by the 99th-ranked passing offense, receivers strayed behind West Virginia defensive backs and four plays of 20-plus yards. That represents an overall defensive area of concern heading into a Saturday Big East date with a Syracuse (3-3, 0-1) team that completed 20 of 29 passes for 225 yards against Pitt last weekend.
It caused Rodriguez to open a Monday meeting with his defense by questioning the unit's zeal.
"To be honest with you, I don't think we've played with as much passion ... as we're accustomed to. And that upsets me more than anything else," the coach reiterated later. "There's a difference between playing hard and playing hungry. We need to do both.
"When you're not sure of yourself, you play a little tentatively. And I told the defense: I see them play more aggressively in practice going against the starting offense than they do in a game. A lot of coaches think you've got to give them confidence and sugar them up a little bit. Listen, I'm no Dr. Phil or Oprah, I'm not any psychologist ... Just go and play. Play the way you're supposed to play."
Still, the Mountaineers (5-0) are No. 9 in the most vital Division I-A defensive statistic, points allowed, with 12.2 per game. It's just their third-down play, the missed assignments, the lack of discipline on some personal-foul penalties or lack of technique on others. Those undermine the group effort.
"We have a lot to improve on if we want to call ourselves a Top-5 team and Big East champs," Rivers said.
Last Saturday in Starkville, Miss., the coaching staff "tested the waters," in Rivers' words, by deploying the regular five-man secondary instead of using the six-man unit normally reserved for passing downs. Where Rivers ascribed any problems to a lack of experience, his fellow secondary mate and Perry Traditional Academy alum, safety Eric Wicks, considered it a predicament over learning to properly use their speed.
"If you're over-pursuing the ball and messing up your angles ...," Wicks began of a defense mostly bereft so far of the trademark hard edge the Mountaineers preach on defense. "We haven't been aggressive at all. We haven't had a Hammer [Award] hit. We haven't had a knock-off hit, where the offense has to drag somebody off the field. We're just basically tackling guys and catching guys."
Coincidentally, it was Wicks returning a Perry Patterson interception for a touchdown and staunch defensive play that proved the difference in this game a year ago by 15-7 at Syracuse. Wicks expects a different Patterson than the 2005 one who, in a new offense, "just looked down one receiver."
Look at the Mountaineers' numbers against five teams thus far with a combined 8-19 record: only seven total touchdowns allowed, with just Ohio State and Florida permitting fewer, and the ninth-lowest passing efficiency allowed in major-college football.
"Let's not say it's all bad, a picture of doom and gloom. No need to panic," the coach said. "But our expectations are pretty high."
NOTES: Rodriguez on receiver Darius Reynaud: "He was doing the Nintendo Weave 10 yards down the field [on one screen]. If he had just run the ball, he would've scored. He was gassed. He'll get more touches when he gets in better shape." Rodriguez on Wicks: "I don't think he's anywhere near where he can be." ... Only Big East foes Louisville (1st and 7th) and West Virginia (2nd and 9th) plus defending national champion Texas (6th and 5th) rank in both the Division I-A top 10 in scoring offense and scoring defense.
(Chuck Finder can be reached at cfinder@post-gazette.com or 412-263-1724.)