West Virginia University defensive lineman T.J. Jackson had a very quick answer as to what was a key to victory Saturday against UCF.
“We’ve got to stop R.J. Harvey,” he said.
The Knights are the seventh-most prolific overall offense in the Football Bowl Subdivision. Only Army runs for more yards per game. The catalyst of all that is Harvey, who is tied for third in rushing in the FBS with 1,328 yards.
As embattled as WVU’s defense has been this season – made clear again in last week’s 49-35 loss to Baylor – the Mountaineers will have their hands full with the two-time Doak Walker Award semifinalist.
WVU head coach Neal Brown felt Harvey already was a standout running back in the Big 12 when he rushed for 1,416 yards. With his totals this year, he has become just the second UCF running back beside Marquette Smith to record back-to-back 1,000-yard seasons.
“I think he’s one of the most improved players,” Brown said. “He was really good last year. I think he’s elite this year. He’s a really a tough tackle and can make people miss. He has a great feel for their zone schemes.”
Following a midseason three-game stretch where he couldn’t crack 100 yards and scored just one touchdown, Harvey has rebounded in his last four games. In those contests, he’s averaging 158.5 yards per game and scored 10 of his 19 touchdowns this season.
Jackson said Harvey’s combination of speed and power has made him one of the nation’s top running backs.
“Once he gets past the defensive line and the linebackers, he gets cracking,” Jackson said. “He’s really fast.”
Jackson compared Harvey to Kansas running back Devin Neal, except that Harvey is a little bit bigger, 220 pounds to Neal’s 215 pounds.
“R.J., he’s the type of guy who can put his shoulder down and still run away from you,” he said.
Harvey is a threat for big gains with every carry, evident in his 6.76-yards-per-carry average. He also leads the FBS with 44 runs of at least 10 yards, which is 10 more than the next-best Big 12 player.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz said a key to keeping Harvey from scorching a defense is for the defense to set the edge and stay focused.
“At the end of the day, you’ve got to keep technique, all 11 guys across the board,” Koonz said. “You know, if you’re the backside guy pursuing the ball, you’ve got to keep the technique and you’ve got to keep your shoulders square. He’s a threat to go anywhere at any time, and he understands the blocking and he understands their scheme, so it’s a great challenge for us.”
The Mountaineers have been solid against the run this season, allowing an average of 131.2 yards per game. Some of that has to do with WVU’s inability to stop the pass, sitting near the bottom of the FBS in several pass defense categories.
Yet Baylor tried to establish the run last Saturday and succeeded, gaining 183 yards and scoring four touchdowns. Redshirt freshman Bryson Washington led the Bears with 123 yards and three touchdowns. WVU has allowed 19 rushing touchdowns this season, tied for 94th nationally.
Brown said that WVU’s tackling, which he felt was lacking in the Mountaineers’ last two games, must get much better with Harvey coming to Milan Puskar Stadium.
“The key is to contain him and not let him get, not let him get on the perimeter for explosives,” Brown said. “We didn’t tackle as good as we needed to at Cincinnati, and then we tackled really poorly in the first half against Baylor. If we’re going to have the ability to contain their run game, then we’re going to have to tackle a much higher level.”
-by Derek Redd
