--West Virginia head coach Neal Brown said no excuses they have to get better. They lost a game up 10 with 5 minutes left.
--Pitt blocked a punt in punt safe. Kickoffs have to get better. Kickoff coverage has been really good and they run well. The field goal team continues to do well and Hayes is hitting the ball well. They had an explosive punt return and Oliver Straw had a fake punt. Defensively they didn't have any take aways and the issues are pass coverage and quarterback scrambles. They did pressure the quarterback with 10+ pressures and had 11 tackles for loss and stopped the run game. They played well the first three series of the second half and then the wheels come off. West Virginia has to get better on offense with perimeter blocking. The second to last drive was poor execution but the final drive was on Brown after the first play didn't work. West Virginia handled the movement up front and had a couple big answers in the game on offense. West Virginia owns it and they didn't get it done. They aren't going to sit around and feel sorry for themselves and they have to play better in the game of football. They have one focus and that's Kansas. At times they have shown they're a good football team and other times they haven't.
--The week it's two teams with their backs against the wall. Brown has a lot of respect for Lance Leipold. They've lost two really close football games. Their kicker is 15/16 on touchbacks and has made all his field goals. They are in the top 20 in the country in some statistics on defense. They're long at corner. Offensively, without a doubt it starts with Jalon Daniels. He has thrown some interceptions but he is electric with the ball in his hands. They have depth at WR and their offensive coordinator will shift and motion. Turnovers have been their Achilles heel.
--The players will take what direction Brown takes. You can't ignore it. He can hunker down but there is a lot of negativity which happens when you play at a place that matters. When you lose and you lose a rivalry game that you were ahead there is going to be a lot of negativity. I'm not going to allow them to be negative or hang their heads. They have a staff that will get it turned and Brown believes that they will take on the direction he takes. When things don't go as well as you want them to go you have to deal in truths and own the mistakes and go about the process of getting better.
--TJ Crandall is going to play more, Jacolby Spells is going to get in the mix. Those are the two main guys at corner that deserve to play and get in the game.
--The frustrating thing is the lack of consistency. They had three three and outs in a row in the second half where execution was at a really high level even to the point where the big scramble that opened it up for them they executed that call to perfection the series before. They have to do a better job of putting our guys in position to make plays and can't continue to reward guys that aren't playing well by playing them. It's the lack of consistency. Brown doesn't try to make a statement to help his guys out so they did perform better in fall camp but they haven't in games.
--Crandall and Spells will get opportunity. He has experience and he's made some plays in games and Crandall can really run he has game experience at Colorado State. They haven't played as well as they need to so you have to continue to give guys opportunity in games.
--Ke'yon Washington was sick and missed some time but it's too be determined if it's this week but he can help them this year.
--Jalon Daniels is a really good player. He put on a show the last time he was here and they have to get better they have to tackle. If they get the same type of pressure against Pitt they have to tackle. And they just have to get guys down, they had guys in their hands and couldn't get them down.
--Brown felt the defensive line played well. They should have finished better at the quarterback but TJ Jackson was very productive, Hammond Russell and Asani Redwood had some good snaps. Eddie Vesterinen will be out for a significant amount of time and he has a redshirt year so that's in play, too.
--It's a little bit of all above. Brown starts from the coaching perspective and they have to evaluate that and there are schematics they have to fix. There are some schematic things they have to do better. They're not going to continue to do the same things. Then it goes from a personnel standpoint they have some guys not performing to what they're capable of it's not an effort standpoint they're just not playing well. You have to give guys opportunities and you can't reward guys for not being productive. And the last thing is how do you get these guys motivated. You have to prepare and go play, Brown believes they are better than they've shown but he is aware that hasn't been put on tape.
--Brown said Pitt wasn't really built for a goal line and he felt like they have a legit chance to stop them and make them kick a field goal.
--Brown said they've played some man coverage in situations where it isn't the best situation for that player. They've had some checks that they didn't need to have with certain people in the game. Brown said he isn't going to throw people under the bus but there are better calls for the personnel that they have. They can put guys in better positions but it's hard and they can position those guys better and get them some help.
--Holstein did a really good job getting out of the pressure. He doesn't want to take away from that, West Virginia is a heavy movement team up front but the ones that bother you are the ones that escape to the edge. The outside piece of the twist game is getting down the middle. The B-gap scrambles are hard to contend. There are ways they can get better but he wants to correct the contain at all times.
--The linebackers are growing and they aren't the biggest issue. Trey Lathan played his best game on defense and Josiah Trotter continues to get better. They aren't playing perfect but not as much of an issue. Reid Carrico had an upper injury and is progressing through the protocol. Preston Fox is beat up and didn't practice today but they'll see tomorrow.
--Officiating the game is really, really hard. He will never sit up here and say he lost the game because of officiating unless it's the US basketball vs. Soviet Union. Do I believe it was holding absolutely not? And it was a critical play in the game. They should not err on throwing the flag instead of doing it. When a defensive lineman is trying to long arm you you chop hands. If you call holding and the defensive lineman has his head down you're rewarding a negative play. The guy goes down and Wyatt is on top of him so he could see what the center judge saw? Yes, but he doesn't agree with it.
--Brown said they get good feedback from officiating from the conference.
--Pitt blocked a punt in punt safe. Kickoffs have to get better. Kickoff coverage has been really good and they run well. The field goal team continues to do well and Hayes is hitting the ball well. They had an explosive punt return and Oliver Straw had a fake punt. Defensively they didn't have any take aways and the issues are pass coverage and quarterback scrambles. They did pressure the quarterback with 10+ pressures and had 11 tackles for loss and stopped the run game. They played well the first three series of the second half and then the wheels come off. West Virginia has to get better on offense with perimeter blocking. The second to last drive was poor execution but the final drive was on Brown after the first play didn't work. West Virginia handled the movement up front and had a couple big answers in the game on offense. West Virginia owns it and they didn't get it done. They aren't going to sit around and feel sorry for themselves and they have to play better in the game of football. They have one focus and that's Kansas. At times they have shown they're a good football team and other times they haven't.
--The week it's two teams with their backs against the wall. Brown has a lot of respect for Lance Leipold. They've lost two really close football games. Their kicker is 15/16 on touchbacks and has made all his field goals. They are in the top 20 in the country in some statistics on defense. They're long at corner. Offensively, without a doubt it starts with Jalon Daniels. He has thrown some interceptions but he is electric with the ball in his hands. They have depth at WR and their offensive coordinator will shift and motion. Turnovers have been their Achilles heel.
--The players will take what direction Brown takes. You can't ignore it. He can hunker down but there is a lot of negativity which happens when you play at a place that matters. When you lose and you lose a rivalry game that you were ahead there is going to be a lot of negativity. I'm not going to allow them to be negative or hang their heads. They have a staff that will get it turned and Brown believes that they will take on the direction he takes. When things don't go as well as you want them to go you have to deal in truths and own the mistakes and go about the process of getting better.
--TJ Crandall is going to play more, Jacolby Spells is going to get in the mix. Those are the two main guys at corner that deserve to play and get in the game.
--The frustrating thing is the lack of consistency. They had three three and outs in a row in the second half where execution was at a really high level even to the point where the big scramble that opened it up for them they executed that call to perfection the series before. They have to do a better job of putting our guys in position to make plays and can't continue to reward guys that aren't playing well by playing them. It's the lack of consistency. Brown doesn't try to make a statement to help his guys out so they did perform better in fall camp but they haven't in games.
--Crandall and Spells will get opportunity. He has experience and he's made some plays in games and Crandall can really run he has game experience at Colorado State. They haven't played as well as they need to so you have to continue to give guys opportunity in games.
--Ke'yon Washington was sick and missed some time but it's too be determined if it's this week but he can help them this year.
--Jalon Daniels is a really good player. He put on a show the last time he was here and they have to get better they have to tackle. If they get the same type of pressure against Pitt they have to tackle. And they just have to get guys down, they had guys in their hands and couldn't get them down.
--Brown felt the defensive line played well. They should have finished better at the quarterback but TJ Jackson was very productive, Hammond Russell and Asani Redwood had some good snaps. Eddie Vesterinen will be out for a significant amount of time and he has a redshirt year so that's in play, too.
--It's a little bit of all above. Brown starts from the coaching perspective and they have to evaluate that and there are schematics they have to fix. There are some schematic things they have to do better. They're not going to continue to do the same things. Then it goes from a personnel standpoint they have some guys not performing to what they're capable of it's not an effort standpoint they're just not playing well. You have to give guys opportunities and you can't reward guys for not being productive. And the last thing is how do you get these guys motivated. You have to prepare and go play, Brown believes they are better than they've shown but he is aware that hasn't been put on tape.
--Brown said Pitt wasn't really built for a goal line and he felt like they have a legit chance to stop them and make them kick a field goal.
--Brown said they've played some man coverage in situations where it isn't the best situation for that player. They've had some checks that they didn't need to have with certain people in the game. Brown said he isn't going to throw people under the bus but there are better calls for the personnel that they have. They can put guys in better positions but it's hard and they can position those guys better and get them some help.
--Holstein did a really good job getting out of the pressure. He doesn't want to take away from that, West Virginia is a heavy movement team up front but the ones that bother you are the ones that escape to the edge. The outside piece of the twist game is getting down the middle. The B-gap scrambles are hard to contend. There are ways they can get better but he wants to correct the contain at all times.
--The linebackers are growing and they aren't the biggest issue. Trey Lathan played his best game on defense and Josiah Trotter continues to get better. They aren't playing perfect but not as much of an issue. Reid Carrico had an upper injury and is progressing through the protocol. Preston Fox is beat up and didn't practice today but they'll see tomorrow.
--Officiating the game is really, really hard. He will never sit up here and say he lost the game because of officiating unless it's the US basketball vs. Soviet Union. Do I believe it was holding absolutely not? And it was a critical play in the game. They should not err on throwing the flag instead of doing it. When a defensive lineman is trying to long arm you you chop hands. If you call holding and the defensive lineman has his head down you're rewarding a negative play. The guy goes down and Wyatt is on top of him so he could see what the center judge saw? Yes, but he doesn't agree with it.
--Brown said they get good feedback from officiating from the conference.
