MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — During Saturday’s fourth-quarter twilight, nearly three hours after Brad Paisley crooned almost heaven and West Virginia promptly unleashed hell on Maryland, the home team enjoyed a 45-point lead.
With the stands emptying and a 3-0 start in hand, there seemed little left to accomplish.
Unless you were a starter on the Mountaineers defense, that is.
That gang of overachievers, hungry for a second shutout this season, was in the ear of defensive coordinator Tony Gibson after West Virginia’s second unit allowed Maryland to cross midfield. Ready for re-entry, Coach.
“They all wanted to go back in and were putting their helmets on, but I told them to relax,” Gibson said. “Our starters weren’t happy when they crossed the 50.”
They were less happy when Maryland connected on a 46-yard touchdown pass aided by two missed tackles.
“We were kind of upset when they scored on the second team, but those guys have got to get in and learn,” said safety Karl Joseph. You could tell from his voice he would’ve swapped learning for the doughnut.
Spur safety KJ Dillon, among those lobbying Gibson loudest, said the starters planned to return to the field for the next play, leaving them especially ticked when the Terps “got in the end zone before we could get back in.”
Despite the garbage-time score, West Virginia begins Big 12 play atop the FBS in scoring defense, allowing 7.7 points per game. For upperclassmen who came of age on defenses that were garbage all the time, the season’s opening month felt fortifying.
“We’re good,” said Dillon, “but you can always get better, and I think we’re on that path.”
The path takes a pivotal turn this week as No. 23 West Virginia visits No. 15 Oklahoma (3-0), a team it hasn’t beaten since becoming league mates three years ago. With transfer Baker Mayfield playing like Roger Staubach, the Sooners have soothed their quarterback worries. The mere memories of Samaje Perine leave bruises on WVU tacklers.
“We’re facing a whole new demon next week,” Gibson said. “If we can go the first half without giving up a touchdown—like we have for three straight games—then I’ll be really excited about that.”
Validation won’t come until West Virginia faces a top-flight offense, but Gibson’s unit has been productive so far. After it blanked Georgia Southern and allowed 224 yards, the Eagles have won three consecutive games while averaging 43.7 points and 490 yards.
Maryland’s offense came in scoring at a clip of 39.3, and left Morgantown with as many turnovers as points.
“We had that quarterback on his heels, where he was throwing quick,” Gibson said. “I think he had 24 yards passing at the half, where the week before I think he threw for like 400.”
But then he struck a cautious tone: “I don’t want the kids to get too confident and think that we’re world-beaters.”
The Mountaineers—national leaders in turnovers per game (3.6), No. 2 in pass-efficiency defense, No. 3 in red-zone defense (33.3 percent) and No. 24 in third-down defense (28.6 percent)—are ready to test themselves against Big 12 teams.
“Take nothing away from these last three teams, but we feel like we haven’t gone up against the biggest caliber offenses yet,” cornerback Daryl Worley said.
Added Joseph, whose defense yielded 50 points to the Sooners in 2012 and another 45 points last year: “We’re prepared now. We know what’s ahead of us.”
Dillon antsy on fumble: Frustrated by settling for early-season touchbacks, Dillon admitted to losing patience when he returned the second-half kickoff from 7 yards deep. He made an acrobatic move but wound up fumbling at the 25-yard line.
“I ain’t never had a kickoff return and I was trying to get my first one,” Dillon said. “My leader didn’t tell me to stay in (the end zone) so I was like, ‘OK, if you’re rocking, I’m rocking.’ I had to hurdle a guy and after that I thought I was going to break, but got it ripped out at the last second.”
Lineman says WVU ‘not that much better” than Terps: Right guard Andrew Zeller told the Baltimore Sun that Saturday’s game, in which Maryland trailed 38-0 at half, shouldn’t have gotten so out-of-hand.
“It’s very disappointing,” he said. “They’re not that much better than us. They’re not what the scoreboard shows. We can compete with them. But we shot ourselves in the foot.”
