Toggle sidebar

RIVALS Rival Views: Which coach is doing the best under-the-radar job?

Reply
Vernon

Vernon

Well-known member
Staff member
May 29, 2001
2,161,329
10,534
113
Link: https://westvirginia.rivals.com/news/rival-views-which-coach-is-doing-the-best-under-the-radar-job-

GORNEY'S VIEW: WEST VIRGINIA'S DANA HOLGORSEN


Dana Holgorsen
Getty Images
I’ve really admired the job coach Dana Holgorsen has done at West Virginia so far this season, although I’m also completely aware that the difficult portion of the Mountaineers’ schedule is still in front of them.

Let’s be positive first: West Virginia is undefeated and ranked No. 12 in the country. Not bad for a coach who was on the hot seat coming into this season after compiling a 26-25 record the previous four years.

And the Mountaineers are doing it with offense, yes, but also – gasp – defense in the Big 12. That could be the missing part here and what could propel West Virginia through the conference gauntlet. It actually plays solid defense.

WVU is scoring about 33 points per game and while that’s not phenomenal in the wide-open Big 12, it’s only giving up 19.4 points per game because the defense is outstanding. Part of it could be the fact that the Mountaineers haven’t played offensive juggernauts yet.

It manhandled Texas Tech, 48-17, last weekend, in which many thought would be a shootout instead of a blowout. West Virginia held the Red Raiders to 34 rushing yards last week, just 1.3 yards per carry.

Yes, TCU is not an easy victory this weekend. Nor will games against Oklahoma State, Texas, Oklahoma or Baylor to round out the season. But West Virginia is playing well on both sides of the ball and Holgorsen deserves a lot of credit.
 
WVex-pat in GA

WVex-pat in GA

Active member
Dec 17, 2007
14,344
111
63
Is the strategy bringing back an eastern (Big East) style of football to the B12 to confound the rest of the league? Bringing in Gibson as DC makes perfect sense.

Or is it more of a function of creating the best O & D from the players you get through recruitment?

I'm sure more knowledgeable CFB minds than mine exist on this board. Let's hear it.
 
C

coalcountry52

New member
Oct 26, 2004
52,015
608
0
WVex-pat in GA said:
Is the strategy bringing back an eastern (Big East) style of football to the B12 to confound the rest of the league? Bringing in Gibson as DC makes perfect sense.

Or is it more of a function of creating the best O & D from the players you get through recruitment?

I'm sure more knowledgeable CFB minds than mine exist on this board. Let's hear it.
Click to expand...
I wouldn't say we've adapted a Big East strategy. Those teams HAD to run the football because that was where the talent was. We have talent everywhere now offensively and we're not focusing on either run or pass too much. That balance is what is lethal. Defensively we should have never ditched the stack because we were too undersized for a 3-4 scheme to have much effect nor provide sufficient coverage against wide open offenses. It isn't coincidence that returning to a stack scheme improved us substantially. The cherry on top is Gibson has mastered how to be aggressive with it and counter these offenses.
 
Top Bottom
Reply