Behind the Numbers: WVU’s Defense is Surging Nationally in Sacks and Takeaways

Through the first three games of the season, West Virginia defensive coordinator Zac Alley is proving to be worth every damn penny the university is paying him.

As he told us in fall camp and all offseason long, he's going to approach every game with a completely unique game plan, presenting a different look each week, forcing the opposition to play away from its strengths.

The main key against Parker Navarro and Ohio was to keep contain and not allow him to get outside and beat you with his legs. He still made things happen, and there were a few times they didn't keep contain, but most of his scramble yardage stemmed from WVU overcontaining, creating a gaping hole within the pocket for him to run through. Still, they were able to get after him and force three turnovers, limiting the Bobcats to just 17 points despite defending 40+ minutes of football.

In this past weekend's game against Pitt, Alley knew they had to do two things: ramp up the pressure on Holstein, who is known to put the ball in danger, while also limiting Desmond Reid's impact in both the run and pass game. Check and check.

West Virginia generated 25 pressures on 48 dropbacks. Folks, that's 52% of the time when he had Mountaineer defenders in his grill. WVU's defense finished with 17 hurries, five sacks, and three QB hits. Those types of numbers lead to the viral picture floating around on social media.

No, Eli Holstein didn’t go 12 rounds with Liston. He went 4+ quarters with Zac Alley’s defense. pic.twitter.com/8iqFmcw3kL
— Jed Drenning (@TheSignalCaller) September 14, 2025

As far as Reid was concerned, he was a non-factor. He did exit the game due to injury, but when he was on the field, Alley's unit held him in check, limiting him to just 30 yards on six carries and did not log a single catch.

Pitt also had a massive opportunity to do some damage off of Scotty Fox's two interceptions, but Alley's group slammed the door shut on that, holding Pitt to two field goals.

Where West Virginia's Defensive Ranks Nationally

Total defense - 47th (300.3)

Scoring defense - 33rd (14.6)

Passing yards allowed - 68th (206.7)

Rushing yards allowed - 29th (93.7)

Sacks per game - 2nd (13)

Tackles for loss - 27th (22)

Takeaways - 14th (6)

3rd down defense - 19th (26.1%)

Opponents' red zone scoring percentage - 55th (80%)

What must improve

West Virginia University linebacker Reid Carrico | Christopher Hall – West Virginia on SI

It's not been perfect, but when you consider the circumstances, it's hard to ask much more out of this defense. However, there is certainly room for this group to improve and become even more of a problem for opposing offenses. Here are two areas in particular.

Tackling - In the loss to Ohio, West Virginia had 20 missed tackles. In the win over Pitt, they had 14. As great as this side of the ball has played, you'd like to see that number get down into single digits, and it will. Once that happens, this could be one of the best defenses in the Big 12. The fact that Alley has this group playing this well through three games is remarkable. So many new faces coming together, and they're only going to get better as the season moves along.

Better linebacker play - This group hasn't been awful by any means, but I do think the floor is much higher than what it's shown. Chase Wilson didn't play vs. Pitt, and in his absence, Ben Cutter had a decent day. For the most part, they haven't had many issues with tackling, but pass coverage certainly needs to be buttoned up.

Where West Virginia's Defensive Ranks Nationally

What must improve

MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI