Seeking Improvement
August 10, 2009 06:48 PM | General
August 10, 2009
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – If there was any concern about this year’s defense resting on its laurels, Jeff Casteel says he can take care of that in the time it takes to turn on the DVD player.
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| Defensive coordinator Jeff Casteel says there are plenty of things his veteran defense can improve upon.
WVU Photographic Services/Dan Friend photo |
“You turn the film on and our kids know that they can improve a great deal,” said Casteel Saturday. “I don’t think that’s an issue.”
Last year, Casteel’s crew was tops in the Big East in red zone defense giving up just 17 points per game. That figure also ranked 11th in the country.
With eight starters returning (not including middle linebacker Reed Williams), the expectations are hefty for this year’s defense. Coach Bill Stewart has said that he wants to see improvement between the 20s, and he also wants the defense off the field on third downs.
“We WANT the ball,” said Stewart.
“We have a lot of guys that have a year’s experience,” added Casteel following Saturday’s practice. “I wouldn’t say it’s an old defense. I just think we have a lot of guys back who were first-year players that fought last year. They’ve worked extremely hard from the bowl game to get where they’re at.”
Having more experience will eventually enable Casteel to do more things with his defense this year.
“We’re just installing our basic defense, day by day, week by week. We’re just putting a little bit more in to it,” he explained. “It’s not any different than anything we’ve done before.
“I think at this point, you’re trying to get your base defense in. You want everybody to understand the basic structure of your defense and what is expected of everyone, and then you move on from there. Hopefully we can identify what these guys can do well and then try to enhance that and try to build the defense around what each kid can do well.”
Casteel noted that there are important parts that need replacing. Linebacker Mortty Ivy led the team in tackles in 2008 and is now in camp with the Carolina Panthers.
Corner Ellis Lankster had a fantastic senior season last year and he now has a great shot of making the Buffalo Bills. Castell said replacing those two players is a concern.
“It’s tough. Hopefully we’ll find a guy,” Casteel said. “Ellis did a wonderful job for us, and he’s doing a great job in Buffalo. But, every year we’ve lost a good player, and every year we find a way to replace a good player with a good player.”
Does Casteel have any idea who that might be?
“You know what, it’s one day. It was short, and it’s pretty tough to identify guys,” he said. “We’ll start finding out when we block and tackle. This is a contact sport, so it’s tough to judge them when they’re just in shorts.”
Casteel said all options are on the table as far as personnel goes.
“Anyone out there running around in a blue shirt has a chance to contribute,” he noted. “All the freshmen – if they can do something then we’ll give them an opportunity. They just need to make plays when given the opportunity. We have a nice group of kids out there. We’ll find out as camp goes on whether anyone will contribute. It’s a little too early right now. I hope they can! It’s better for us.
“I love their effort, I love their energy and I love the way they’re going about business,” he added.
Briefly:
Coach Bill Stewart was happy with the way his players handled the disruption.
“I was pleased with the way they adapted to the weather,” said Stewart. “We ended up having a good practice up in the indoor building.”
The coach had hoped to get some wet-ball work in, but lightning in the area forced the team indoors.
“We’re going to get some weather like that this year,” Stewart said.
Also, backup nose tackle Josh Taylor had a block during team field goal.
Practice resumes on Tuesday afternoon.
Game day football events will feature unique menus (tailored for each game), entertainment, and a wonderful environment to celebrate with alumni, fans, and friends.
“The Erickson Alumni Center’s courtyard is the perfect place to host our pre-game celebrations,” said Stephen L. Douglas, president and CEO of the WVU Alumni Association. “We have worked with our executive chef to create a menu for each game that is sure to entice our alumni and friends. With our new location and the addition of entertainment, this event will be a fantastic opportunity to bring Mountaineer fans together for all home football games.”
All game day celebrations will begin 2 ½ hours before kickoff and the cost is $10. Visit http://alumni.wvu.edu for more information.
