Starting Point
January 05, 2007 04:18 PM | General
January 5, 2007
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – West Virginia is hoping a strong second-half defensive performance against Georgia Tech in the 2007 Toyota Gator Bowl will carry over into the off-season in preparation for another run at the Big East title in 2007.
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| Keilen Dykes chases down Georgia Tech quarterback Taylor Bennett for one of West Virginia's two sacks in the 2007 Toyota Gator Bowl.
All-Pro Photography/Dale Sparks |
After giving up 335 yards and 28 points to Georgia Tech in the first half of the Gator Bowl, the Mountaineers held the Yellow Jackets scoreless for the remaining 28:48 of the game on the way to a 38-35 come-from-behind victory.
“It kind of reminded me of South Florida how we came out flat,” said junior cornerback Vaughn Rivers of his unit’s first-half performance. “We came in at halftime just like the Pitt game and said to ourselves, we just can’t keep taking this. We are embarrassing ourselves and our fans.”
After recovering an onside kick and scoring on the opening possession of the second half, Georgia Tech was forced to punt on three of its final six possessions. A John Holmes fumble recovery, a Quinton Andrews interception and a missed Travis Bell field goal accounted for the other three possessions.
Tech managed just 65 yards in the fourth quarter.
“I knew once we stopped them a couple of times and gave our offense the opportunity to score some points that we would be all right,” said defensive lineman Keilen Dykes. “On the sidelines we were like, ‘Let’s get the ball in the offense’s hands and let’s go get it.’”
Dykes says junior safety Eric Wicks helped straighten some of the guys out at halftime.
“I can’t say what he was saying,” Dykes laughed. “He was just saying what he felt and he was telling the truth. We came out and the secondary showed up in the second half.”
Andrews believes some of the team’s first-half defensive woes can be attributed to inexperience.
“This isn’t the first time this year this has happened,” he said. “We got dominated in the first half of the Pitt game and we came out in the second half and pitched a shutout. I think we get a little excited and we start missing assignments. We just have to calm down and focus on what we’re doing.”
Dykes agrees.
“There were so many young guys and guys not knowing which way to go and not going out there and playing loose and having fun,” he said. “Once the guys played loose and had fun and were comfortable with what we were doing I think we did a lot better.”
Obviously, with an offense that returns two of the country’s top playmakers in quarterback Patrick White and running back Steve Slaton, the attention this off-season is going to remain on the defense.
Can it find a way to control the passing game? Opposing quarterbacks threw for 1,888 yards and 11 touchdowns in West Virginia’s last six games for an average of 314.7 yards per game.
Can the Mountaineers get a more effective pass rush? WVU got a pair of sacks against Georgia Tech and finished the year with 31, but it started the season without a sack in its first four games.
Can West Virginia continue to stop the running game? West Virginia did not allow an opposing runner to gain more than 100 yards until the final game of the year when Rutgers’ Ray Rice ran for 129 yards in three overtimes.
But Georgia Tech’s Tashard Choice had 102 yards by halftime of the Gator Bowl and finished the game with 169 yards and two touchdowns on 27 carries.
“I hope this is a good springboard into the spring and gets us prepared for next season,” Dykes said. “Our secondary got experience this year. They took a lot of stuff from everybody – the fans and the media – so hopefully they will get rid of that. They know how to play now.”
Dykes believes holding Georgia Tech scoreless for almost the entire second half is a good starting point.
“You’ve got to take something from this game other than the win and that was a positive that we could take by holding them like that,” Dykes said. “We showed that there is no quit in the team and that’s something big we can build on.”
Briefly:
Yesterday, offensive line coach Rick Trickett took a similar position on Bobby Bowden’s staff at Florida State and today wide receiver’s coach Butch Jones was named the new head coach at Central Michigan after spending two years in Morgantown.
“Central Michigan has selected a terrific coach in Butch Jones,” said Rodriguez. “Butch has done an outstanding job with our receivers during the past two years, and has been a key part of our offensive success. We certainly wish him well in his new opportunity.
“Central Michigan is getting not just an outstanding football coach, but a great family man who will be an asset to the campus and the community.”
Jones is the second assistant coach from Rodriguez’s West Virginia staff to land a Division I head coaching job. Former defensive coordinator Todd Graham is the head coach at Rice. Also David Elson, who served a brief stint with Rodriguez at WVU, is presently the head coach at Western Kentucky.
