The defense certainly seems, emphasis on seems, to be getting better

[FWHORN]

There are still a ton of issues not the least of which is wide receivers running absolutely free through very soft zones but for the third straight week the defense absolutely shut down any semblance of a running attack by the other team and made them completely one dimensional. They still give up too many third and long conversions and still have a couple of dumb penalties a game but at a minimum I think we can say the defense has turned a corner and is now taking to the Ash system.

Don't get me wrong there is still a ton to fix and this could still go sideways but I like what I have seen in defensive improvement the last few weeks.

 

[Horns11]

If I'm a HS LB and want to play immediately, I don't know if there's a better option in the whole country than just showing up in Austin. Ash is creating a look that would serve up a lot of great plays for athletes who can handle the job. If someone as good as Overshown showed up as a freshman next year, they'd be killing it by the time they were an upperclassman. They're in a great position to stop the run (assuming they can handle the first contact). Ask TTU, KSU, etc. how difficult it was to play against their runners from the 2nd level. I think WVU was easily our toughest test in terms of balance remaining on the schedule.

The DTs stepped up when Coburn was hurt.

The DBs played their best game of the season. The long bomb that set up their first TD was just a bad call to go all man against 5 WRs, which forced Sterns into a bad spot. WVU's receivers played great and we still did a decent job stopping them when it mattered.

 

[p_town_horn]

The last two weeks the defense has done an admirable job, especially when you consider what the office is handing to them. The time of possession in favor of Oklahoma State and West Virginia alone was brutal.

 

[Sangre Naranjada]

The DTs stepped up when Coburn was hurt.

Collins could develop into a real, live monster, and soon.

 

[zuckercanyon]

The DBs played their best game of the season. The long bomb that set up their first TD was just a bad call to go all man against 5 WRs, which forced Sterns into a bad spot. WVU's receivers played great and we still did a decent job stopping them when it mattered.[/QUOTE]

Don't make excuses for Sterns. He's not very good in one on one coverage, especially after the catch....

 

[KBBAKER]

They still give up too many third and long conversions

Every defensive series, I wish our opponents faced 3rd and 2 versus 3rd and 15. We can stop the short yardage plays, but we continue to give up massive yardage on 3rd and long.

 

[22Horn]

Horns11....
I think WVU was easily our toughest test in terms of balance remaining on the schedule.

Do you not believe OSU offense was as hard to defense and well balanced??

 

[RainH2burntO]

Agreed

 

[Horns11]

Horns11....
I think WVU was easily our toughest test in terms of balance remaining on the schedule.

Do you not believe OSU offense was as hard to defense and well balanced??

"Remaining on the schedule," as in the offensive balance for WVU, KU, ISU, and KSU.

But honestly, we kind of forced OK State's hand to be unbalanced for much of the game against us. If someone abandons their traditional balance against us, I consider it a win for the D. Even if the final score doesn't indicate that. We basically did the same to Texas Tech until they ripped off the long run for TD.

We're light years ahead of Bedford and Orlando at stopping the run at this point in the season. 17th in the nation in opponent's ypc, and that's even including the long individual runs we saw against Tech or Sanders. Oh, and that's also considering we're 4th in the nation in "number of opponents' carries," as if that's a stat.

 

[22Horn]

11, what is your stats source?

Thx

 

[MUCHO]

Every defensive series, I wish our opponents faced 3rd and 2 versus 3rd and 15. We can stop the short yardage plays, but we continue to give up massive yardage on 3rd and long.

I agree D much improved but also with this. In many of these long-ydg situations I feel like it’s our schemes that are mostly at fault. Either our blitz packages are ineffective and leave our coverage exposed or we only rush 3 and then (somewhat understandably) can’t hold coverage for 10 seconds. In both scenarios, we end up with no or insufficient pressure on their QB. We also appear to telegraph what we are doing in D, allowing QB to make pre-snap reads. Would seem this latter point relatively easy to fix.

 

[Statalyzer]

17th in the nation in opponent's ypc, and that's even including the long individual runs we saw against Tech or Sanders. Oh, and that's also considering we're 4th in the nation in "number of opponents' carries,"

If that's total opposing rush attempts and not opposing rush attempts/game, then naturally we'd be high on the list since most teams haven't played 7 games yet.