DEFENSE IS OFFENSIVE IN MORGANTOWN

WEST VIRGINIA MOUNTAINEERS

2013 Predicted Conference Finish: 7th

 

 



MOUNTAINEERS @ A GLANCE:

Head Coach: Dana Holgorsen (entering 4th season / 17-9)
Stadium: Milar Puskar Stadium (60,000) / Morgantown, WVA
2012 Record:    7-6 (4-5)
   2012 Home            5-3
   2012 Away              2-2
Bowl Game: Got taken to the cleaners by Syracuse 38-14 in the Pinstripe Bowl
Returning Starters:   11
   Offense:     4
   Defense:     7
Mountaineer Musts: Settle on a QB / reload at WR and lure their defense out of the witness protection program

2013 vs. OU: The Mountaineers come to Norman on Sept. 7th (Game 2)

Key Swing Game: Texas Tech October 19th - Morgantown.  Winner of this game improves chances at snagging a second-tier bowl game.

DID YOU KNOW?...

That these are actual laws in the state of West Viginia?

1.  It is legal for a male to have sex with an animal as long as it weighs less than 40 lbs.
2. It is legal to beat your wife as long as it is done on the courthouse steps, in public and on Sunday.
3. No children may attend school with the smell of 'wild' onion on their breath.

2012 WVA 5.0

 

For Dana Holgorsen and the West Virginia Mountaineers, year one as a member of the Big 12 Conference was quiet a rollercoaster ride.  A tale of two seasons that was a lot of things, but boring certainly wasn't one of them.

The Mountaineers came out of the gate like Kasey Kahne in his #5 Quaker State Chevrolet.  After five games, the Mountaineers, led by QB and Heisman candidate Geno Smith, seemed to be hitting on all five cylinders.  They were 5-0 for the first time in five seasons, ranked #5 in the AP Poll and coming off a victory over Texas in Austin that undoubtedly had WVU fans high-fivin' on 6th Street.  But the fast start was a mirage and the house of cards that was the 2012 Mountaineer season would soon tumble...leaving those high-fivin' fans in need of a fifth of whiskey.

Defense takes the fifth...

 

There is an old adage in baseball that states: good pitching beats good hitting, which is why some of the best hitters in baseball still fail nearly 70% of the time. 
 
In hockey, it is possible for an 8th seed to ride a hot goalie to a Stanley Cup, as evidenced by the 2011-2012 LA Kings.  During their run to the cup they beat the 1st, 2nd and third seeds behind the incredible net-minding of Jonathan Quick.

In the NBA, most of the past championships were won with a big man like Russell, Jabbar, Malone, Parrish, Olajuwon, Shaq or Duncan playing defense in the middle.  Recently, teams have proven you don't have to have the dominant man in the middle to win a title...but what do Michael, Kobe and LaBron all have in common besides multiple rings and a recognizable first name moniker?  All three have been named to the NBA's First-Team All -Defensive team. 

Then there is football, where the saying goes: offense sells tickets, defense wins championships.   The WVU offense had been rolling, but the early success that resulted in a 5-0 record, was over-shadowing the fact that the WVU defense was taking it in the proverbial five-hole....giving up almost 500 yards a game.  All I can say is, I hope that ticket sales were good.

West Virginia will have to replace
record setting QB Geno Smith

2012 WVU -5.0

 

The Mountaineer offense was one of the best in the nation last season, especially throwing the football. The problem was the only team better at moving the ball thru the air is whoever the Mountaineers were playing each week.

Starting with Texas Tech on October 13th, the Mountaineers woul* lose five in a row, and six of their next 8.  *uring that WVU five game losing streak the Mountaineer *efense gave up an average of 553 yar*s and 49.5 points a game.  WVU gave up 662 yar*s and 50 points at home to the Sooners, a game they lost *espite scoring 49 points and having 336 yar*s rushing from Tavon Austin.  Sorry about the missing D's.  I just figured if WVU wasn't going to play any D, then why should I?

You have heard of a hurry-up offense, but in 2012, WVU had a hurry-up defense.  They let the other team score so fast that the WVU offense got tired of being on the field.  The Mountaineer defense was OK on third-downs, because rarely did the other team face one.  When I was in Morgantown last year, one WVU fan told me..."I think we play a lot of nickel defense, because that is about all we are worth."  Ouch.

From 5-0 to 5-5 and now needing to win out to even be bowl eligible...the Mountaineers rallied to beat Iowa State and Kansas to receive a birth to the Pinstripe Bowl.

For 2013, I could have easily had WVU ranked lower than this, but ultimately settled for 7th.  The defense almost has to be better, doesn't it? But better in this case isn't saying much.  To not finish in the bottom third of the Big 12, they will need to be a whole lot better.  Offensively, they have to replace their QB and almost all of the production that came from the WR position is gone....but I don't worry about that as much with Dana Holgorsen at the helm.  WVA will move the ball and score some points...but will it be another season of playing make-it-take-it, or will the Mountaineers play some defense this year?  Mountaineer fans, keep that fifth of whiskey within reach...

Just one mildly interested guy's opinion

The Overweight Armchair Sooner

Buddy Putty