Backyard Brawl Marks Stills' 'Best Career Game'

Dante Stills has 11 more regular season games with the Mountaineers. Now is the time.

Dante Stills has one final ride in the gold and blue, and he's making it count.

During the season opening Backyard Brawl, Stills recorded six tackles, 1.5 sacks, and two tackles for loss. 

"It's his best football game he's played in his career," head coach Neal Brown said. "He played in the seam, was really productive, and created opportunities for other guys to make plays. He was in the best shape he's ever been in. He looked like what we expect him to look like. I felt like it was his best football game that he's played in our time here."

His TFLs contribute to 45.5 over his career, a team-leading 15 coming from 2021 alone, good for No. 2 in program history. He is now just two TFLs away from tying Grant Wiley for the school career record (47.5). 

Last Thursday's 1.5 sacks add to 20.5 career sacks, a stat which ranks Stills No. 6 in program history. Even still, Brown said that Stills isn't defined by the stat sheet.

"Your statistics don't always tell the story," Brown said. "Sometimes, Jared Bartlett might get a sack, but Dante made the play. He might have created a double-team that got Jared freed up. Taijh Alston might come in on a stun and he does such a good job going up and under that it might have freed Dante to get the sack. Taijh really made the play, but Dante got the stat. Statistically, Dante had a good game, but also, he created opportunities by making plays so the other guys could get statistics too, within the framework of the defense, which is a credit to him."

Tomorrow's action will mark Stills' 49th game in the gold and blue.

"I think it's the most complete game he's played," DC Jordan Lesley said of Stills' Backyard Brawl stats. "He knows his job, and fundamentally within his job, and it shows... I thought he played hard."

The only game Stills has played that produced similar, if not superior, statistics from last week was the Texas Tech game in 2020. Stills had the Red Raider offense in the palm of his hand... literally.

He recorded a career-high seven tackles (4 solo), two TFLs, a nine-yard sack, and his first fumble recovery in the 34-27 loss.

He's hoping to tie, or exceed, that career high tomorrow, when he and the West Virginia Mountaineers welcome the Kansas Jayhawks to Milan Puskar Stadium at 6 p.m.

You can follow us on Facebook & Twitter for future coverage:

Facebook - @WVUonSI

Twitter - @SI_WVU and Julia Mellett @JuliaMellett