West Virginia (3-1, 0-1) is moving on from its first loss of the season.
After allowing more than 600 yards in a 45-18 loss to Oklahoma State, the Mountaineers are back at work preparing for their first Big 12 road game of the season against Iowa State.
The loss exposed some issues defensively that WVU knows it has to fix quickly. Read more: West Virginia aims to fix defensive issues before Iowa State matchup.
Defensive coordinator Zach Alley did not shy away from that Tuesday.
“Obviously, we weren’t prepared the way we needed to be,” Alley said. “The plan wasn’t very good. Didn’t put our guys in position to win.”
Alley said the defense has areas to improve across the board, including pass coverage, tackling and generating pressure on the quarterback.
West Virginia had trouble getting to Oklahoma State quarterback Drew Mestemaker, while coverage issues gave him opportunities to make big plays down the field.
Related: Rodriguez takes responsibility after WVU’s defensive struggles against Oklahoma State
Alley said the Mountaineers need to simplify some things defensively and put players in positions where they can play faster.
“A lot of it’s technique,” Alley said. “We’ve got to work our technique better.”
WVU wants more players involved defensively
One of the biggest changes West Virginia could make this week is getting more players involved.
Alley pointed to the number of snaps some defenders have played and said the Mountaineers need to have more players ready to contribute.
“I think we’ve got to play and get more guys ready to play,” Alley said. “We’ve got to continue to strain to finish, to do what it takes to be successful the entire game and not just half of it.”
Head coach Rich Rodriguez also acknowledged the second-half struggles defensively, saying the Mountaineers have not played well defensively in the second half against Coastal Carolina or Oklahoma State.
Rodriguez said the coaching staff is still learning its personnel, with so many new starters on the team.
That could lead to some changes as WVU heads into Iowa State.
Alley said the team now has four games worth of information to evaluate which players have performed best when the lights are on.
“It’s different when you get under the lights,” Alley said. “In practice, you’ve got to execute and play, but then, all right, when it matters the most and you’ve got to get that guy on the ground, who are those guys that can do that the best?”
One player who could see more opportunities is linebacker Cam Torber.
Alley said Torber played better against Oklahoma State than he had earlier in the season, which could earn him more playing time moving forward.
The Mountaineers could also have another experienced option at safety.
JaCorey Thomas, who recently joined WVU after playing at Georgia, has been getting more comfortable with the defense. Alley said Thomas is ready to play this week.
“He’s got a really high ceiling,” Alley said. “I mean, you know, he started in the playoff game.”
Rodriguez also said Thomas is becoming a factor in the safety rotation after spending the last couple of weeks learning the system.
Iowa State brings a different challenge
West Virginia will have to turn its attention quickly to an Iowa State offense that presents a very different challenge than Oklahoma State.
The Cyclones use plenty of shifts, motion, and different personnel groupings, including bringing offensive linemen onto the field in unusual packages.
Rodriguez called it a “very unique system.”
Alley said Iowa State has had 278 offensive snaps this season, with the same 11 players appearing together just three times.
That means WVU will have to be ready for plenty of different looks.
“We’re going to have to match up numbers,” Alley said.
The defensive coordinator said the Mountaineers have prepared some base calls they can rely on if Iowa State catches them with an unusual personnel grouping.
The biggest challenge may be keeping track of all the moving pieces while still playing sound football.
Alley also compared Iowa State quarterback Jaylen Raynor to Coastal Carolina quarterback Deuce Bailey, saying Raynor wants to throw first before using his legs.
“He’ll go through a progression,” Alley said. “Hey, one’s not there, he’ll look at two; that’s not there. Then, you know, he may start to run at that point.”
The Cyclones also have multiple running backs they move around the formation.
Alley said Iowa State uses three running backs and will move them around the field, sometimes putting all three on the field together.
For West Virginia, the goal is simple; fix what went wrong against Oklahoma State and avoid letting one bad performance turn into a trend.
Rodriguez said the team needs to learn from the loss but also move forward.
“We’re going to practice,” Rodriguez said. “Today will be a good physical, typical Tuesday practice, and try to correct some of our mistakes and get better, because we need to get a lot better, that’s for sure.”
West Virginia aims to do exactly that Saturday when it travels to Iowa State for its first Big 12 road game of the season.
