WVU football defense prepares for Oklahoma State QB Drew Mestemaker’s quick release
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MORGANTOWN -- West Virginia defensive coordinator Zac Alley was watching tape for the upcoming matchup against Oklahoma State. He watched all aspects, and he and his staff had a watch on quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
From the time Mestemaker snapped the ball to when he threw it, the watch read on average 1.8 seconds.
"That's quick," Alley said. "That's catch and throw."
The average time in the NFL from the ball being snapped until it’s thrown is 2.75 to 2.86 seconds. Mestemaker is almost a full second faster.
Mestemaker’s release time is one part of his game that created a lot of hype around him this offseason. Mestemaker was a top quarterback in the transfer portal from North Texas after he led the nation in passing yards and finished third in passing touchdowns. Mestemaker is looked at as a first-round NFL Draft prospect.
His release time is one of the reasons NFL teams are interested because it creates issues for opposing defenses, like Alley's. The faster he throws the ball away, the less time it gives defenses to bring him down. Mestemaker has only been sacked three times.
The answer should be sending a blitz, which WVU excels at. The Mountaineers sacked agile Virginia quarterback Beau Pribula three times, and have totaled 10 sacks on the season. The problem is Mestemaker can identify the blitz early and know where to find the open receiver.
"You have to pick and choose your times," Alley said. "To be able to try and hit him and get him on the ground. I think if he sees it early, he's going to throw the ball out there, you'll never touch him."
It creates challenges for the secondary, too. The defensive backs have to be on their toes, knowing Mestemaker can throw it to the receiver right away. Nickel safety Geimere Latimer Jr. said they have to attach onto routes a lot faster. They’ll have to be faster on their blitzes, too. Latimer had his first college sack against Virginia, which turned into a strip sack.
Alley plans to mess with Mestemaker’s head pre-snap. The defense will show a blitz and then drop back, making him throw to a defender. That's sometimes where the fast release can be self-sabotage. Mestemaker has thrown four interceptions to eight touchdowns this season.
"There's always pros to cons to everything," Latimer said. "Him getting the ball out quick means that we can bait him into throwing picks and showing a lot more disguise."
Along with getting the ball out quick, Oklahoma State runs a fast-tempo offense. WVU hasn't faced a tempo offense yet this season, but the defense practices against the fastest in college football in Rodriguez's. Oklahoma State’s offense is a few seconds slower, too.
Alley's defense is prepared for the tempo.
"Very similar from that standpoint," Alley said. "That positive is we're not going to be shocked by that going into the game. On the flipside, they aren't either. Probably bounces both directions."
Mestemaker is more of a true pocket passer. On average, Mestemaker throws for 294 yards per game, and has only carried the ball 12 times over three games. He operates the pocket like an NFL quarterback. Even if he gets the ball out quick, Mestemaker will go through his progressions to find the open receiver.
For a redshirt sophomore, Mestemaker is a naturally intelligent quarterback.
"He's pretty impressive that way," Alley said. "From an ability to understand what coverage he's getting, where the ball's supposed to go, and then he's got the poise to stand in there and then throw it, even if it's a little bit later."
Mestemaker can run, though. Mestemaker ran for a 75-yard run in the upset win over Oregon. WVU's defense will have to be mindful of that.
Mestemaker is the full package, which is why Oklahoma State was a hot pick this offseason to make noise in the Big 12. He'll create issues at all three levels of the defense.
As Big 12 play starts, WVU's defense will be tested every week. So far, the Mountaineers have answered the call.
"The quarterback is a really, really good player," Alley said. "They’re a great team. It gets harder from here. It doesn't get easier."