Handling Harvey no easy task for West Virginia as tackling comes into question – WV MetroNews

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Only six of 133 FBS teams, and two at the Power Conference level, allow more passing yards on average than West Virginia in 2024.

No Power Conference program is surrendering more yards per completion than the 14.19 of the Mountaineers, which ranks ahead of only three FBS teams.

Yet as West Virginia (5-5, 4-3) looks to gain bowl eligibility come 3:30 p.m. Saturday when welcoming Central Florida, the Mountaineer run defense has come into question for good reason.

In last Saturday’s 49-35 loss to Baylor, West Virginia surrendered a season-high 5.38 yards per rush as the Bears gained 183 yards on the ground and 512 in all. Only Penn State (222) and Kansas (247) had rushed for more yards this season against the Mountaineers.

Now comes the top rushing attack among major programs in UCF, which rushes for 262.8 yards on average to trail only Army among FBS teams.

Of UCF’s 240 first downs gained this season, 141 have come on rushing plays. Compare that to a run-heavy Mountaineer offense that’s generated 223 total first downs and 109 by way of rushing.

Leading the way for one of the more productive rushing attacks in all of college football is fifth-year tailback RJ Harvey, the nation’s third-leading rusher with 1,328 yards and 19 touchdowns on 196 attempts.

“You have to keep great edges on the defense,” WVU defensive coordinator Jeff Koonz said. “You have to keep technique all 11 guys across the board. If you’re the back side guy pursuing the ball, you have to keep technique and keep your shoulders square. He’s a threat to go anywhere at anytime. He understands the blocking and their scheme. It’s a great challenge for us because it all bases off the inside zone scheme that we just saw against Baylor.”

Another productive outing in Morgantown would allow Harvey to surpass his rushing total of 1,416 yards from last season, when the Orlando native scored 16 times on the ground.

Harvey has faced West Virginia once before, and although the Mountaineers were victorious 41-28 in Orlando last season, the tailback managed 100 yards on 14 carries along with four receptions for 30 yards.

At 5-foot-9 and 208 pounds, Harvey has a combination of power and patience that helps to make him a tough tackle.

“His ability to break tackles and once he gets past the defensive line and linebackers, he can get striking,” said WVU defensive lineman T.J. Jackson, the team leader in sacks and tackles for loss with 5.5 and 12, respectively. “He’s really fast.”

Harvey has rushed for at least 75 yards in every game this season, 126-plus yards on seven occasions and 127 or more yards in four straight contests, during which time he’s totaled 634 yards and 10 touchdowns on 88 carries.

“The thing that sticks out to me is he breaks tackles,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “He does a really good on the inside zone play of getting the safeties and everybody to kind of bottle up and he jump cuts it outside and outruns them. That’s going to be the key. The key is to contain him and not let him get on the perimeter for explosives.”

Brown has been critical of the Mountaineers’ tackling in each of their last two contests since Koonz has took over as defensive coordinator after the head coach opted for a change three weeks ago today when previous defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley was dismissed.

“We didn’t tackle as well as we needed to at Cincinnati. We tackled really poorly in the first half against Baylor. It was bad,” Brown said. “If we’re going to have the ability to contain their run game, then we’re going to have to tackle at a much higher level.”

WVU has allowed a staggering 948 yards in those two games, though in the first one at Cincinnati, the Mountaineers forced a season-high three takeaways and two amounted to defensive touchdowns in a 31-24 victory.

Baylor then scored touchdowns on five of its six first-half possessions and twice more in the fourth quarter to seal a 49-35 victory and prevent the Mountaineers from putting together consecutive encouraging efforts.

“We have to have guys attack the ball with leverage,” Koonz said. “We have to understand our leverage. In week 10, you’re probably tired of hearing that. Every coverage and front has a leverage aspect to it. If I’m playing my position and I get to the ball-carrier, I have to attack that ball-carrier with certain leverage, so that if I do miss the tackle, someone else should be close if we’re playing with the effort we’re supposed to be.”