Rich Rodriguez spent his Tuesday press conference addressing a little bit of everything, and the through line was clear: West Virginia is still sorting out pieces on both sides of the ball.
One of the biggest topics was the secondary, where Rodriguez said there have been “a little bit of shifts in personnel” as the staff continues figuring out the best fit across three safety spots. He said the roles are similar, but not identical, and added that it can take game action to sort out which player belongs where and what each guy does best.
The defense’s big-play issues also came up, and Rodriguez pointed to two different problems in the first two games. Against one opponent, he said the breakdowns came when West Virginia lost containment and let the quarterback escape.
In the next game, the issue was a lack of pressure up front and poor eye discipline in coverage, which gave the quarterback too much time to work deep throws. Rodriguez said the film didn’t leave him thinking the secondary simply couldn’t play.
Instead, he said the staff needs to put those defenders in better positions to succeed.
One player who could help in that area is now closer to being ready. Rodriguez said the newcomer has been with the team for a couple of weeks, played in the SEC, and brings experience and talent to the safety rotation. He said the player is now a factor and is working at both free and boundary safety, with this week shaping up as an important one for him to get ready.
Up front, Rodriguez sounded encouraged. He called the group solid and singled out Kevin Brown for what he said was his best game, noting that the true freshman played well.
He also said Carsten Casady had his best outing at right tackle, while Bubba Grayson and Wes King have been steady. Nick Krahe got banged up some, Rodriguez said, but that also comes with him playing a new position.
He added that the group of five, along with Josh Aisosa, is starting to come together, though the staff still wants to play more linemen as the season moves along.
Rodriguez also praised the next opponent’s defense, describing it as physical, aggressive, and well-coached. He said the five or six players Jimmy Rogers brought over from Washington State are all good players who understand the system, and he pointed out that the group doesn’t give up many big plays. He also mentioned that they played Utah tight to the end and credited Rogers with doing a great job bringing his Washington State guys with him.
There was also an update in the backfield. Rodriguez said Na had just been cleared and was transitioning in, with Tuesday marking his first practice.
He said the staff would see how quickly he picks things up, but noted that the veteran could help. So far, only Cam Cook and Amari Latimer have been in the mix, and Rodriguez said the goal is to be able to play three or four running backs over the course of a long season.
As for the offense’s balance, Rodriguez made it clear he isn’t chasing a fixed split between run and pass. He said he never enters a game thinking the team has to hit a certain number on either side, only that it needs to move the chains and win.
If the run is working, he said, West Virginia will lean on it more, but he doesn’t operate with a set 50/50 or 70/30 formula. He added that the call sheet has as many pass plays as run plays, though the team usually doesn’t get through all the passing concepts when the ground game is rolling.
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