And, we’re off and running. Football season is upon us.

 

High school, college and NFL teams have all kicked off their seasons. West Virginia enters the 2018 season with as much hype and expectations as we’ve seen since they joined the Big 12.

 

In just three weeks we begin to find if the team can live up to the lofty preseason predictions. The offense has received most of the off-season publicity, and rightfully so. When you have the player many perceive as the best quarterback in the country that will happen. Add in the other offensive weapons we’ve discussed here (Sills, Jennings, Simms, Cajuste, multiple running backs) and you can see why the offense is driving the hype train.

 

But, I think we can all agree, the key to a Big 12 championship level team will be Tony Gibson’s defense. This unit doesn’t have to be one of the nation’s elite in order for WVU to win the Big 12. But, it has to improve quite a bit on last year’s numbers.

 

In conference play, WVU was eighth (out of 10) in scoring defense. It was last in the league in rush defense. The Mountaineers were the only team in the league to give up more than 200 yards per game rushing in Big 12 games. Only one team (you guessed it … Kansas) was worse than West Virginia when it came to yards per play given up.

 

Only three teams had fewer takeaways than WVU. Not surprisingly, two of those teams were Baylor and Kansas. The Bears and Jayhawks combined to win one conference game in 2017. NOTE: Surprisingly, the third team to have fewer takeaways than WVU … Oklahoma. 

 

An improved defense will start up front. Much of the offseason defensive talk has focused on the new additions to the defense line. Early reviews from the first week of practice confirm what we thought we would see. Graduate transfers Kenny Bigelow (USC) and Jabril Robinson (Clemson) certainly look the part. True freshman Dante Stills (Fairmont Senior) has earned high praise from Tony Gibson as well.

 

Gibson told the media earlier this week, “I haven’t seen a freshman like that on the D-line walk though these doors in a long time. In my 13 years here, I’d be hard-pressed to say we’ve ever had one like that.”

 

Cabell Midland’s, Reese Donahue is no stranger to the lineup. He has played in 24 games through two seasons. He welcomes the help on the defensive line.

 

“For the first time in a while, it’s nice to have such depth. That’s an awesome thing to have,” said Donahue.

 

Tennessee and NC State will both provide good early tests for this re-constructed defensive line. The projected starters for the Vols and Wolfpack average 6-5 and 315 pounds. We won’t know the full story on this defensive line unit in the first month, but we’ll have a good idea.

 

Will Grier, David Sills and the rest of the offense will get the headlines heading into West Virginia’s season opener against Tennessee.

 

But, it could be the defensive line that holds the key to a championship season.