WVU’s defense has already cleaned up one early problem, but Jed Drenning says there’s another issue that could matter just as much: how the Mountaineers handle the first snap of a drive.
After the opener, Rich Rodriguez and the defensive staff kept hammering one message - “Contain, contain, contain.” WVU did a much better job of that in its blowout win over UT Martin. But in the first two games, Drenning pointed to something less obvious and potentially more important: drive starters, or “P and 10” situations.
On the latest episode of In the Gun, Drenning broke down why those first-down snaps are so critical.
“Something felt unnatural. There was a certain struggle that I couldn’t pinpoint in the first two games, and I’ve now pinpointed it.
What’s critical to manufacture three-and-outs: you have to be a highly effective P and 10 defense - the first down to start a drive. When you look at the drive starters, UT Martin had 11 P and 10s; they ran the ball five times for an average of 12.6 yards.
They threw the football six times for an average of 9.8 yards. Their P and 10s, they had a 12.2-yard average.
All other plays in the game, they averaged 5.3. The P and 10 that started on their own 25, and they ran the football, and I think it was KJ Henson who knifed through for a TFL for a two-yard loss.
Guess what happened on that drive? It was the only three-and-out we had all day.
We won the P & 10 and knocked them off schedule.”
That’s the heart of the problem: even when those first-down plays don’t immediately turn into three-and-outs, they still put an offense in a bad spot. Linemen get stressed.
Quarterbacks get squeezed. The whole drive starts leaning the wrong way.
And for WVU, there’s another layer to it. Getting off the field fast doesn’t just help the defense catch its breath. It also opens the door for the Mountaineers’ offense to keep rolling and wear opponents down - something WVU couldn’t really do a year ago because of its own offensive issues.
Now, Drenning says, the pieces are in place for that to change.
“If you want to feed the flamethrower that is Rich’s offense, if you really want to feed into the tempo opportunities for this offense to lean on someone and put them away, the quickest thing a defense can do to help that and feed that: three-and-outs. Elite defenses are going to get anywhere from four or five a game. We have two through two games.”
So as WVU heads into this weekend against Virginia, the focus is on those drive starters again. If the Mountaineers can win more first downs and stack a few more three-and-outs, they’ll be in a much better spot.
In Other News...
Zac Alley Just Put West Virginias Biggest Defensive Concern On Blast
Communication is now the first thing West Virginias defense has to clean up, and defensive coordinator Zac Alley made that point clear after the recent game. For a unit that has spent the early part of the year trying to find consistency, Alley said the biggest issue was not a lack of effort so much as getting the call to travel cleanly from the sideline to the field and back among the players once the offense started shifting looks.
The challenge ahead is sharper than just lining up correctly. Alley pointed to formation changes and motion as the moments that exposed the problem, which means the Mountaineers will spend the coming stretch focused on anticipating what is coming instead of reacting late. If that communication improves, so does the chance for the defense to look like a unit playing with confidence rather than one constantly sorting out the details. [Read more 🡒]
Backyard Brawl Is Getting A Stage WVU Fans Will Love
West Virginias basketball presence in the Pittsburgh area is getting a bigger platform, with Mountaineers players, coach Ross Hodge and athletic director Wren Baker helping promote the inaugural Hope Gas Backyard Basketball Classic. Set for Dec. 9, 2026, at PPG Paints Arena, the event brings together four Division I programs in one building and gives the region a rare, full-day showcase of local college hoops.
For WVU fans, the centerpiece is exactly the kind of stage the Backyard Brawl can thrive on. The doubleheader will feature Pitt, West Virginia, Duquesne and Robert Morris, with the Pitt-WVU matchup serving as the headliner in a setting designed to make the rivalry feel even bigger. It is another reminder that this series can still command attention well beyond the usual calendar date, and this one already has the makings of a marquee trip for Mountaineer supporters. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Suddenly Has A D-Line Problem After Darius Wiley Blow
West Virginias defensive front took a major hit in the season opener when Darius Wiley suffered a lower-body injury against Coastal Carolina and later underwent successful surgery. Rich Rodriguez said Wiley is done for the season, and the recovery timetable stretches well beyond this fall, leaving the Mountaineers to adjust quickly on a unit that already had little room for error.
Emerson Joy, Wilnerson Telemaque and Brandon Caesar are among the players now being asked to absorb more of the workload, and the question is how much the line can hold up while the roster reshuffles around such a significant absence. For a defense trying to settle in early, losing a piece like Wiley so soon forces West Virginia to find answers on the fly, and the ripple effect could linger deep into the year. [Read more 🡒]