West Virginia football: 3 bold predictions vs. Oklahoma State in Week 13
By Phil Poling
2. Defense continues to step up
The West Virginia defense stepped up mightily against the Wildcats in their last game, totaling 10 tackles-for-loss, 2 quarterback sacks, and 2 interceptions — one on the final drive by Hakeem Bailey to seal the victory. They also held Kansas State, who averages 31.1 points per game, to just 20 at home. The 20 points the Wildcats scored against West Virginia were the fewest since posting 13 and 12 against Oklahoma State and Baylor in late September and early October.
We’ve seen glimpses of greatness from the WVU defense, though, but they haven’t had the offensive production to complement their stops — until the Kansas State game. They only posted 24 points themselves, but it was how they conducted themselves — longer drives, actual production in the running game, and fewer three-and-outs.
The youth movement on the defensive side of the ball for West Virginia has been a sight to see, with a handful of freshmen and sophomores getting meaningful snaps. Six players — Josh Chandler, Nicktroy Fortune, Noah Guzman, Exree Loe, Kerry Martin, Jr. and Tykee Smith — combined for 18 tackles and three pass deflections.
However, it isn’t just the young guys who are contributing. Redshirt juniors Sean Mahone and Dylan Tonkery played key roles against Kansas State, too, adding 14 tackles, three tackles for loss, and a sack.
In addition to their experience, Joshua Norwood (two tackles, one interception) and Jeffery Pooler (two tackles for loss, one sack) provided a nice boost to their position groups as well. With this type of all-around production, the WVU football team, and specifically, their defense, is blossoming into an experienced unit that’ll be able to rely on these outings in the future.