In West Virginia University football coach Neal Brown’s evaluation, his Mountaineers are entering a stretch where every aspect of the team needs to work in unison in order to succeed. That’s not something he saw last Saturday in WVU’s loss to Iowa State.
It’s not just that offense, defense and special teams were clicking at the same time, it’s that when one part was struggling, another didn’t step up to pick up the slack.
“We played what I thought was poor complementary football,” Brown said this week.
The Mountaineers can’t afford those types of stumbles Saturday, when another ranked conference foe comes to Milan Puskar Stadium. This time, it’s No. 17 Kansas State in a nationally televised 7:30 p.m. game. A loss here drops WVU (3-3, 2-1 Big 12) back under .500 and trying to figure out how to cobble together victories to earn bowl eligibility.
Brown pointed out several series of plays that backed his assertion that complementary football was absent for West Virginia versus the Cyclones. He pointed out an early stint where a pass initially ruled complete was reversed on an official’s review. That turned a third-down conversion into a fourth down, which then turned into a missed 36-yard field goal.
“What we need to do right there is defense needs to put out the fire, and we still maintain the lead,” Brown said. “What happens is we have a miscommunication, they hit an explosive play and, bang, it’s 7-7.”
A blown defensive call left Jaylin Noel uncovered down the middle of the field for a 60-yard touchdown pass from Rocco Becht that turned what could have been a two-score WVU lead into a tie game.
Brown mentioned other instances where the offense stalled but the defense couldn’t keep Iowa State from scoring, or the defense gave up a touchdown and the offense couldn’t answer to keep pace.
“That’s where we’ve got to get better,” he said. “We’ve got to be a better team.”
The Wildcats (5-1, 2-1 Big 12) come to Morgantown on a two-game win streak following their nailbiter 31-28 win at Colorado, which showcased two of their biggest strengths – running the ball and stopping the run. KSU racked up 185 yards on the ground against the Buffaloes, while holding CU to minus-29 yards rushing, the third-fewest in school history. KSU enters the weekend ranked eighth in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing offense (241.0 yards per game) and second in the FBS in rushing defense (71.7 yards allowed per game). That could spell trouble for a WVU team that leans on its run game, ranked 21st nationally (210.5 yards per game).
Both teams feature dual-threat quarterbacks. KSU’s Avery Johnson has thrown for 11 touchdowns and run for three this year, while WVU’s Garrett Greene has thrown for eight touchdowns and run for three.
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman calls Greene one of his favorite players to watch because of his athleticism and grit. He respects the entire WVU team for its fortitude.
“One hundred percent toughness,” Klieman said. “Mentally tough as well as physically tough. Really disciplined teams that play the game the right way. They play hard.”
Brown wants his Mountaineers to live up to Klieman’s assessment in terms of disciplined play. He didn’t think WVU did so against Iowa State – with two turnovers, seven penalties that tied a season high and allowing the Cyclones nine third-down conversions and two fourth-down conversions.
Brown felt WVU let an opportunity for a signature win slip away last week under a flood of errors. The Mountaineers have another chance for a big victory Saturday, and Brown wants his team to rise to the occasion.
“For us to get to the level where we can win those games,” he said, “where we can beat an Iowa State, where we can beat a Kansas State, we cannot make those mistakes.”
By DEREK REDD
