Passing interest in Backyard Brawl
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – In a rivalry game like Saturday’s Backyard Brawl that pits West Virginia against Pitt, there are so many factors that normally make up the equation of who wins and who loses that it can cause paralysis by analysis.
However, the way this 106h renewal of the Brawl lays out the equation might be quite elementary and built upon two factors.
First, Pitt’s quarterback Phil Jurkovec, a record-breaking prep player from the area who spent three years starting at Boston College and throwing for 5,184 yards and 35 touchdowns, is coming off of a game in which he completed just 10 of 32 passes for only 125 yards in a loss to Cincinnati.
Second, he will be throwing against one of the weakest pass defenses in the nation in West Virginia’s, which last year ranked 110 among 131 Division I teams in the nation with 262.7 yards allowed per game and this year 281.5 yards per game after two games.
Even FCS opponent Duquesne, which the Mountaineers beat, 56-17, passed for 231 yards and two touchdowns last week.
“To say I’m frustrated with that would be an understatement,” WVU coach Neal Brown said after the game, promising changes to be made this week.
The feeling was echoed by defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley.
“Here’s the bottom line, and I know I’m going to be asked about it,” Lesley said. “I’ll take all the darts people want to throw at me, that’s fine. I’m a big boy, but plain and simple, we got guys who have to play better.
“That’s what it is. So, I’m not saying anything to you all that I haven’t said to them in a group setting and individually. They know what the consequences are. There are going to be some demotions and promotions.”
Change certainly would appear to be necessary.
“That’s as simple as I can make it. You can talk about corrections all you want. A couple of guys got to play better and that’s it. They are capable.”
But being capable doesn’t mean you are getting the job done.
Lesley wasn’t pointing fingers at anyone. If they wanted to know who he was talking about, a look at the game tape would help or, if you don’t have a few hours to waste, just wait for Saturday and see who starts.
It’s often never as simple as one guy messing up. It can come from the lack of a pass rush or from a quarterback evading a pass rush and scrambling until someone comes free.
It can be technique or mistake alignment or assignment or simply a receiver just beating a defender.
He says he has confidence it will be fixed and, as he sees it, it’s the whole group that has to fix it.
“Why do I feel we’re going to be fine? I don’t know if anyone paid attention, but toward the middle of the first quarter last Saturday, the defensive line and linebackers walked right down there with the defensive backs.
“You can say the secondary should get together but, no, it’s everybody. The whole group. I didn’t say a word. They walked down there and handled it amongst the players.”
We’ll know if that’s what happened at around midnight Saturday.