West virginia vs north carolina tidbits:
December 25, 2008
Attrition hitting defense
Injuries mounting, but Stewart says Mountaineers will be ready
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Bill Stewart marvels at what West Virginia's rebuilt defense managed to accomplish this season, but the truth is that unit's most difficult task may still lie ahead.
By
Dave Hickman
Staff writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Bill Stewart marvels at what West Virginia's rebuilt defense managed to accomplish this season, but the truth is that unit's most difficult task may still lie ahead.
No, North Carolina isn't an offensive juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the team that West Virginia faces in Saturday's Meineke Car Care Bowl is, at least statistically, not very good at all. The Tar Heels rank 95th in the country in total offense and are in the mid 80s in both rushing and passing.
But as the week wears on, there are more and more concerns about just how healthy West Virginia's defense is going to be, particularly in the secondary, by the time the teams kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.
Safety Sidney Glover once again spent much of Wednesday's practice simply walking around to keep his ailing right knee loose, and cornerback Brandon Hogan hasn't practiced so much as a minute since arriving here Monday, instead remaining at the team's hotel trying to shake whatever bug he's come down with.
Throw in defensive lineman Pat Liebig (head) being held out of any contact drills and nose guard Chris Neild (toe) and linebacker Anthony Leonard (ankle) trying to shake off any rust accumulated during their recent time off because of injuries and this is beginning to seem like a patchwork quilt of a defense.
Yet Stewart isn't ready to throw in the white towel by any means.
"We've got enough players,'' Stewart said Wednesday. "We'll have somebody to put out there.''
Indeed, the Mountaineers have succeeded quite well all season in finding capable bodies to put on the field on defense. It began with the task of replacing eight starters from last year's defense, then a ninth when the team's best defensive player, linebacker Reed Williams, was lost for all but two games.
In fact, virtually every defensive lineman in the rotation has missed at least parts of games this season because of injuries. Mortty Ivy is the only starting linebacker who hasn't been banged up at least once or twice, and now the secondary - largely healthy all season - is beginning to show some wear and tear.
Yet through all of that, West Virginia's defense has been the Mountaineers' rock. After a slow start - remember East Carolina? - this is a group that finished the regular season ninth in the country in scoring defense and first nationally in red zone defense. The yardage numbers were solid but not spectacular, but the bottom line is that WVU's defense did what anyone hopes a defense can do.
It stopped teams from scoring.
"We've had guys stepping up on defense. I didn't think we'd be this good,'' Stewart admitted. "I knew our linebackers would be great. I thought they would be really good and they were. But the safeties? How in the heck are you going to replace [Ryan] Mundy and [Eric] Wicks like that? But Sidney and Eain Smith and Robert Sands, they're all playing a year ahead of where we thought they would be.''
It could all get a little bit dicey Saturday, though, if there remain any issues with Glover and Hogan. Glover has been replaced in practice by Nate Sowers, the former quarterback who had a couple of huge games this season, and Boogie Allen, who started the opening game against Villanova. In Hogan's absence, the corner opposite Ellis Lankster has been a revolving door with Keith Tandy, Kent Richardson and Guesly Dervil.
Time is running short for both, however, particularly Hogan, who has barely been out of bed all week.
"If he can go [Thursday and Friday], we'll play him in a heartbeat,'' Stewart said. "But right now he's not doing very good."
As for Glover, he insists he's ready to play right now, but wants to be cautious.
"We just don't want to rush it,'' Glover said. "I don't want to just start the game, I want to be able to play the whole game.''
If he can't, Stewart said he's learned this season not to worry about putting spare parts into the defense.
"We'll be fine. Somebody will pick it up. Keith Tandy, Kent Richardson and Guesly Dervil have all played [cornerback]. Nate Sowers has played where Sidney is and so has Boogie Allen. We've got enough players.''
Reach Dave Hickman at 348-1734 or
dphickm...@aol.com.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Bill Stewart marvels at what West Virginia's rebuilt defense managed to accomplish this season, but the truth is that unit's most difficult task may still lie ahead.
No, North Carolina isn't an offensive juggernaut by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the team that West Virginia faces in Saturday's Meineke Car Care Bowl is, at least statistically, not very good at all. The Tar Heels rank 95th in the country in total offense and are in the mid 80s in both rushing and passing.
But as the week wears on, there are more and more concerns about just how healthy West Virginia's defense is going to be, particularly in the secondary, by the time the teams kick off at 1 p.m. Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.
Safety Sidney Glover once again spent much of Wednesday's practice simply walking around to keep his ailing right knee loose, and cornerback Brandon Hogan hasn't practiced so much as a minute since arriving here Monday, instead remaining at the team's hotel trying to shake whatever bug he's come down with.
Throw in defensive lineman Pat Liebig (head) being held out of any contact drills and nose guard Chris Neild (toe) and linebacker Anthony Leonard (ankle) trying to shake off any rust accumulated during their recent time off because of injuries and this is beginning to seem like a patchwork quilt of a defense.
Yet Stewart isn't ready to throw in the white towel by any means.
"We've got enough players,'' Stewart said Wednesday. "We'll have somebody to put out there.''
Indeed, the Mountaineers have succeeded quite well all season in finding capable bodies to put on the field on defense. It began with the task of replacing eight starters from last year's defense, then a ninth when the team's best defensive player, linebacker Reed Williams, was lost for all but two games.
In fact, virtually every defensive lineman in the rotation has missed at least parts of games this season because of injuries. Mortty Ivy is the only starting linebacker who hasn't been banged up at least once or twice, and now the secondary - largely healthy all season - is beginning to show some wear and tear.
Yet through all of that, West Virginia's defense has been the Mountaineers' rock. After a slow start - remember East Carolina? - this is a group that finished the regular season ninth in the country in scoring defense and first nationally in red zone defense. The yardage numbers were solid but not spectacular, but the bottom line is that WVU's defense did what anyone hopes a defense can do.
It stopped teams from scoring.
"We've had guys stepping up on defense. I didn't think we'd be this good,'' Stewart admitted. "I knew our linebackers would be great. I thought they would be really good and they were. But the safeties? How in the heck are you going to replace [Ryan] Mundy and [Eric] Wicks like that? But Sidney and Eain Smith and Robert Sands, they're all playing a year ahead of where we thought they would be.''
It could all get a little bit dicey Saturday, though, if there remain any issues with Glover and Hogan. Glover has been replaced in practice by Nate Sowers, the former quarterback who had a couple of huge games this season, and Boogie Allen, who started the opening game against Villanova. In Hogan's absence, the corner opposite Ellis Lankster has been a revolving door with Keith Tandy, Kent Richardson and Guesly Dervil.
Time is running short for both, however, particularly Hogan, who has barely been out of bed all week.
"If he can go [Thursday and Friday], we'll play him in a heartbeat,'' Stewart said. "But right now he's not doing very good."
As for Glover, he insists he's ready to play right now, but wants to be cautious.
"We just don't want to rush it,'' Glover said. "I don't want to just start the game, I want to be able to play the whole game.''
If he can't, Stewart said he's learned this season not to worry about putting spare parts into the defense.
"We'll be fine. Somebody will pick it up. Keith Tandy, Kent Richardson and Guesly Dervil have all played [cornerback]. Nate Sowers has played where Sidney is and so has Boogie Allen. We've got enough players.''
