For Jarrod Harper, it was more important for him to play like Jarrod Harper than it was to replace All-Big 12 safety Karl Joseph.

 

That’s because what Karl Joseph brought to West Virginia’s defense cannot be replaced, or even duplicated for that matter.

 

“Losing Karl was a big loss to our defense but at the same time, I know what I am capable of doing and I know what I’ve got to do to go out and execute so I do that every week,” Harper explained the other day. “I just go out and play my game – not try and think too much – not try and go out there and be what Karl was.”

 

At the time Joseph went down with a season-ending knee injury in practice leading up to the Oklahoma State game, the senior was leading the country in interceptions and had a growing list of highlight-reel-type hits showing up on Youtube, including one the weekend prior at Oklahoma.

 

Joseph had taken part in more defensive snaps than any player on West Virginia’s roster – by a significant amount – and in a snap of a finger all of that experience was gone.

 

In the world of college football, that means next man up and in West Virginia’s case, it meant men up, plural – Jarrod Harper and Jeremy Tyler.

 

“There was no question when (Joseph) went down those two looked at each other and said, ‘OK, we’ve got to do it now. I’ve been wanting to play for so long and now this is my opportunity.’ It’s not like they can’t do it individually, but I chose to go the dual route because it’s hard to play a lot of plays like that when you’re not used to it,” safeties coach Joe DeForest explained.

 

It also spread the responsibility (or the burden) of replacing one of the better defensive players in WVU history on the shoulders of two players, not one. In hindsight, it was a wise choice because both of them are playing well right now.

 

Are they performing the way Joseph did? No. But are they blowing up the defense and leaving guys running free out in space? No.

 

There is an old saying in football – don’t be the reason … don’t be the reason the other guys are completing passes, don’t be the reason other teams are scoring touchdowns and winning football games.

 

And Harper and Tyler are certainly holding up their end of the deal right now.

 

“They’re both playing well,” said DeForest. “I thought JT had his best game (against Iowa State last weekend) since I’ve been here. For Jeremy Tyler to play two positions in one game (bandit and spur) and not have one mental error is a credit to him. Did he have technique errors? Sure, but that’s going to happen with everybody.”

 

Tyler’s role as the team’s top swing guy has really solidified the back end, just as Harper has stabilized Joseph’s bandit safety spot over the last seven weeks as the first guy out there on defense.

 

Each week Harper plays, he learns a little bit more, understands a little bit more and performs a little bit better. In last Saturday’s 30-6 victory over Iowa State, Harper tied his career high with five solo tackles and the weekend before that at Kansas, he made his first fumble recovery and also had two solo tackles.

 

In 11 games this year, Harper shows 31 tackles, three tackles for losses and four pass breakups – not Karl Joseph-type numbers – but not too bad, nonetheless.

 

“The kid works his tail off and prepares his tail off,” DeForest said of Harper. “Nothing surprises me that he’s done so far. I think last week he became a little more physical. He’s made some errors and as soon as he’s made them he knows what he did and that goes back to recall – where was his recall reps to go back to? Now he’s building that tank up.”

 

“Each week going out and getting that game experience is big,” Harper said. “Every week just preparing it seems to be getting easier. You get more comfortable with things and you know your role better.”

 

The best way to describe Harper’s play right now is steady, which considering how well the defense is playing by allowing just nine points in its last nine quarters in wins over Texas, Kansas and Iowa State, that’s more than enough.

 

“He’s not going to give you the things Karl gave us out there, but he’s going to work toward that,” DeForest said.

 

“You’ve just got to go out and continue playing football,” Harper added. “I’ve been playing this game for a long time, so I just go out there and play the game the way I’ve played it my whole life and not worry too much about trying to be Karl or do the type of things Karl did.”

 

A wise choice, indeed, for Harper.

 

Perhaps one day down the road Harper’s replacement at bandit will be more concerned about being himself instead of trying to play like Jarrod Harper.

 

We’ll see.