West Virginia Football: Defense will determine 2015 success

After a promising 7-6 campaign in 2014, Dana Holgorsen and the West Virginia Mountaineers must rely on their defense in order to take steps forward.

West Virginia’s first three seasons in the Big 12 have been downright dumbfounding. After taking the conference by storm to begin 2012, Dana Holgorsen’s Mountaineers sputtered down the stretch, and followed up a disappointing 7-6 campaign with a 4-8 clunker of a season in 2013.

Last year, however, a 7-6 season felt like a step in the right direction. Now, it’s crucial that the Mountaineers continue to take more steps forward, and not another leap back in 2015.

Holgorsen is an offensive-minded coach by trade, but what bodes well for him going into the fall is that he finally has a defense he can rely on. In fact, as ESPN’s Brandon Chatmon points out, Holgorsen believes that this is the best defensive crew he has ever worked with.

Karl Joseph, a senior safety, should captain a defense that returns a number of other key contributors, including fellow safety KJ Dillon, cornerback Daryl Worley, and linebacker Nick Kwiatkoski. Returning players is one thing, but getting them to improve on an inconsistent 2014 season is a necessity should Holgorsen strive to get West Virginia to where they want to be.

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On offense, the Mountaineers relied on Clint Trickett’s ability to get the ball to playmakers Kevin White and Mario Alford last season. This year, however, with all three gone, the onus falls on running backs Wendell Smallwood and Russel Shell to carry a substantial load. In fact, a slower-paced, ball-control style offense could spur improved defensive results; the less time they have to see the field, the better.

No matter how the defense performs in games against Kansas, Iowa State, Georgia Southern, and Liberty, all four games seem like sure-fire wins, given the immense gap in talent. The eight other games, including road matchups with heavyweights Baylor, TCU, and Oklahoma, are where the defense must flex their muscles in order for West Virginia to be truly taken seriously.

It is in these eight games that the defense must shine. After allowing 27.6 points per game last year, good for 72nd in the country, and ranking 66th in total defense, even a small step up could decide whether West Virginia goes 3-5 or 6-2 during this stretch. Two of their losses came by just seven points combined, and two of their wins came by just six points combined. Even incremental improvements, such as three fewer points per game, or 50 fewer yards per game, are what can flip close losses into victories, and close victories into comfortable ones. These minor improvements are what could, and should, spur the Mountaineers to the next level.

Holgorsen is confident in his defense, and he has the right to be after what he saw last season. However, he should know better than anyone in the Big 12 that momentum means nothing unless you can build off of it. There should be no excuses this season; while 2013 could be seen as a rebuilding year gone wrong, there are too many quality pieces on both sides of the ball for another six or seven win season.

Holgorsen should no longer have to worry about getting in track meets on the field; now, it’s up to his defense to propel West Virginia to the top half of the Big 12.

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