MORGANTOWN — The Kansas State football team’s defense in many categories is a special one. The Wildcats are second in the Football Bowl Subdivision against the run. They’re 15th-best nationally in sacks produced per game. They’re in the top 40 in tackles for a loss.
Yet West Virginia University players and coaches say they put together those special performances by not doing anything particularly special. KSU has ridden a straightforward approach to a No. 17 national ranking and contention for the Big 12 championship game. The Mountaineers will try to solve that defense when they host the Wildcats on Saturday at Milan Puskar Stadium (7:30 p.m., Fox).
Kansas State allows just 71.7 rushing yards per game, while recording three sacks and 6 1/2 tackles for loss per game. Offensive coordinator Chad Scott said that some of the KSU defense’s strongest traits are being where they’re supposed to be on the field and each player handling his specific task.
“They’re going to be where they’re supposed to be,” he said. “They don’t do anything to hurt themselves. If they’re responsible for C gap, they’re going to be in C gap. If they’re supposed to blitz, they’re going to blitz. If they’re supposed to keep contain, they’re going to keep contain. They’re not going to get greedy and try to make a play that’s not their play.”
That mindset led Kansas State to some milestones in a comeback win last week over Colorado. The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) held the Buffaloes to minus-29 yards rushing, the fewest in the nation this season and the third-fewest in school history. They also recorded 74 yards in sacks against CU, the most in the nation this season and fourth-most in Big 12 history.
WVU head coach Neal Brown credits Kansas State’s defensive front for much of that. Senior defensive end Brendan Mott leads KSU and the Big 12 with 6 1/2 sacks so far this season, along with eight tackles for loss. Brown also points out the Wildcats’ pair of gargantuan nose tackles – 300-pound Damian Ilalio and 333-pound Uso Seumalo.
“They play two big noses that do a really good job of vertical push,” Brown said. “They get what I call strain sacks and strain pressure. They just strain.
“Maybe don’t get it on the first, even second kind of initial move or secondary move, but they get it just because they outwork some of those guys. We’ve got to make sure that we’re playing at their level or a higher level of strength.”
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman understands that, as well as his Wildcats played against Colorado’s run game, WVU (3-3, 2-1 Big 12) presents a much different and much tougher test for KSU’s defense. The Buffaloes are the fourth-worst running team in the FBS, averaging 62.33 yards per game. The Mountaineers, on the other hand, rank 21st nationally at 210.5 rushing yards per game.
WVU has been held under 100 rushing yards in a game just once this season, against Penn State, and gained at least 300 yards on the ground twice.
“They run the ball really effectively with three different players,” Klieman said of tailbacks Jahiem White and C.J. Donaldson and quarterback Garrett Greene. “Both tailbacks are really good and can beat you inside or outside. They’re two maybe different-sized backs, but they both run inside, they both run outside.
“And then Greene is one of my favorite kids to watch play,” he continued. “Now, I don’t know if I’m going to really like watching him on Saturday night, but he’s a competitor. He makes plays with his arm, he makes plays with his legs. Not afraid to run inside. He’s not going to cut back and run out of bounds or slide very often. You can tell his energy sparks their team.”
As good as Kansas State’s defense is at doing the basic things well and avoiding mistakes, WVU offensive players understand that they’ll need to be as focused, if not more focused, on reducing errors. The Mountaineers committed several costly mistakes in last week’s loss to Iowa State, a game where the Mountaineers held an early lead, but watched the Cyclones overtake them due to WVU errors.
Offensive lineman Nick Malone said WVU’s offense must stay vocal with each other against the Wildcats, who they’re sure will try to capitalize on the same things Iowa State did last Saturday.
“I think starting off, communication is going to be our biggest piece this week,” Malone said. “They are a pretty base front but they do have a bunch of moving parts to where we need to be able to communicate to get the job done.”
— Story by Derek Redd
