COLUMN: Watching WVU football right now is deflating
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MORGANTOWN -- Just before West Virginia football home games end, I try to make my way down from the press box to the field to catch the last couple of minutes from the sideline and to be immersed in the atmosphere. In the first two games of the season, I had to bob and weave through the crowd who were leaving just to beat the traffic. Saturday, and for the last two home games, I didn't have any problems getting down to the field.
Most of the stadium had cleared with a little more than five minutes to play. Rightfully so, WVU was down by 20 points to Arizona and was on the verge of losing its second-straight home game by 15-plus points to make it three-straight games on the season where the defense looked inept.
During the press conference, head coach Rich Rodriguez wasn't fiery. He was visibly frustrated and just answered most questions by saying "We'll fix it" at the end.
I left the press conference and took my walk up the Law Building stairs to the parking lot. I reflected on the game and just felt empty. The way I assume most fans felt on their way home, or Rodriguez at the podium.
This team is just deflating to watch, and I think it's resonating with everyone connected with the team. For the third-straight week, I have the same stories planned. The defense is bad, the offense did enough to win, and on Tuesday after press conferences, I'll probably write a story on what defensive coordinator Zac Alley says about what went wrong.
I can try and mix it up and throw in a Prince Strachan story, but the people who care enough about the team want to hear about the glaring issue of the defense. Realistically, it didn’t matter that Strachan had a season-high five catches for 121 yards.
It's hard to look at anything positive when the defense is so bad. The Mountaineers’ defense ranks 131st in the FBS of 138 teams and is the second-worst in the Power Four. In the Big 12, WVU's defense gives up the most points per game, and the most passing and rushing yards. In the past three weeks, the defense has given up 40-plus points.
As Alley said, it's the "worst defense in college football." Rodriguez said he wasn't going to make a playcalling change, so right now, it's up to Alley and the staff to figure it out. And it's not like there's a lot of time to do so.
The Mountaineers face Cincinnati this week, who isn't a world-beater, but isn't an easy springboard. The Bearcats are 4-1 this season and are coming off a loss to Arizona themselves. They lost 34-7 on the road, but have Power Four wins over Boston College and Big 12 foe Kansas State. Before the loss to the Wildcats, Cincinnati had AP Poll votes. And the Bearcats are coming off a bye, so they'll be extra prepared.
I don't know how much longer this will have an impact, but WVU is at home again this weekend for Homecoming, so the crowd might help a little. Reading through social media over the past 72 hours, I don't know what the turnout will look like for another noon kickoff. Maybe Homecoming will draw in fans, or not having a home game until Nov. 14 after this weekend, with two road games and a bye. The product on the field certainly isn't selling tickets, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
What makes it even harder to watch, in a sense, is that the offense is actually good. The defense just can't do anything to win games. Rodriguez even said he had to change his offensive decision-making because he knew the defense couldn't do anything. It's all around rough.
My dad had planned to make the eight-hour drive from New York to go to the Cincinnati game this weekend, and he asked me if he should still go on Sunday. I told him it isn't worth it.
Luckily, I get paid to watch the team and figure out different ways to write that this defense is awful. But I can't imagine who is paying $50-plus to wake up early on a weekend to watch this team right now. That’s not being harsh; that’s just the reality of the situation. Rodriguez apologized to fans who have stuck it out for having to watch the past couple of games.
If you make it out to the game Saturday, good on you for believing, and for your sake, I hope Alley and WVU breathe a little life into this program. Right now, it's killing a lot of people off.
Life: basketball season is under three weeks away.