Morgantown, W.Va. – Despite a dominant scoreboard showing a 52-7 victory over UT Martin, West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez and defensive coordinator Zac Alley warned that the Mountaineers’ defense still has serious communication flaws that must be corrected before Saturday’s matchup with No. 25 Virginia.
Rodriguez said the defense was not “particularly sharp” and that the team cannot afford the same mistakes against a top‑25 opponent. \”We got to clean up some of the mistakes,\” he said. \”You can get away with them against UT Martin, you’re not going to get away with it against Virginia.\”
Communication breakdown identified
Alley reviewed film after the UT Martin game and immediately noticed a lack of vocal coordination on the field. \”We’re being really quiet,\” he explained. \”Nobody’s talking.\” He added that the defense often knows how to stop a play but fails to communicate adjustments when the offense changes formations or audibles.
During a walkthrough on Sunday, Alley emphasized that players must stop assuming everyone knows their assignments. \”You can’t just be like, ‘I hope he knows what to do.’ That doesn’t work,\” he said. \”We have to anticipate – if he motions, what are we doing? Not just ‘Ah, well, I hope he figures it out.’ Talk to each other and communicate.\”
Players weigh in
Senior linebacker Ben Cutter echoed the coaching staff’s concerns, noting that silence can stem from either over‑confidence or a lack of confidence in one’s role. \”We can eliminate that,\” Cutter said. \”We’re practicing hard and simplifying the game plan so we can get after it.\”
Cutter highlighted the linebackers’ role as the defensive leaders who receive calls from the sideline via headset. He praised veteran linebackers in the unit, including himself, junior Ashton Woods and redshirt freshman Cam Torbor, as well as the experienced transfers brought in by Alley.
Alley acknowledged that a few players do communicate effectively, but stressed that the entire unit must step up. \”There’s like two guys in the back end; they do all the communication. If they’re not in, we got no shot if nobody else talks,\” he said.
Why it matters against Virginia
Virginia’s offense averages 439.5 yards per game and ranks among the nation’s top‑25 scoring units. The Cavaliers gain 6.8 yards per play, making precise defensive alignment essential.
Both coaches and players agree that improving on‑field dialogue will be crucial to slowing Virginia’s high‑powered attack. \”It’s huge on our defense, communication,\” Cutter said. \”If we aren’t on the same page, stuff can go wrong; that’s true for any defense, but especially here with a lot of things going on out there.\”
The Mountaineers will focus on these adjustments throughout the week, hoping the emphasis on communication will translate into a more disciplined performance when they face Virginia on Saturday.
Original reporting: Herald-Standard – latest news for Uniontown, Pennsylvania — read the source article.
