Line Anchors WVU Defense
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MORGANTOWN -- It's not easy to have a defense rank among college football's elite for two consecutive years, especially with the hand West Virginia was dealt over the offseason.
The losses of linebacker Tony Fields, the team's leading tackler, and defensive lineman Darius Stills, were difficult blows.
The departure of two of the team's top players in the defensive secondary threatened to overturn the whole unit.
Yet through four games this season, while the Mountaineers' defense is far from the best in the nation, the group is rebounding smoothly after the difficult offseason, as well as struggling over the first few games.
"We're different on defense than we were a year ago," head coach Neal Brown said.
"I think that, as a group, we have a chance to be as good or better ... I like how our guys are playing. I didn't like how they played Week 1. I didn't like how they played at points during Week 2.
"But Week 3 and 4, man, we played at a really high level."
Entering this week, the Mountaineers' defense ranks 36th in the nation and fourth among Big 12 teams. A strong defensive line has helped the team's cause, according to defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley.
"Where we're different is the pieces that are making the biggest difference were, last year, it was some guys in the secondary and our mike linebacker," Lesley said. "This year, it's a number of different spots upfront."
Among those key pieces has been Akheem Mesidor, who tallied three tackles in Saturday's 16-13 loss to Oklahoma. Mesidor has been praised for his ability to play both on the interior and the edge of the defensive line, and currently leads all defensive linemen in tackles with 17.
Mesidor showed flashes of his potential last season, tallying 32 tackles as a freshman. He became a bigger factor as the season progressed, resulting in him entering this year as arguably West Virginia's most important defensive lineman.
"He plays the game the way the game was designed to be played, that's really it," Lesley said. "I know he gets tired sometimes, but he doesn't play like it. There's a couple of plays that a lot of them don't show up on stat sheets, just relentless effort to the football, and that's what it is. It's as simple as that. That's what sets him apart from not only a lot of guys on this team, but across college football. He plays the game the right way."
A welcome addition to the group has been Taijh Alston, a defensive end who, despite transferring to West Virginia in 2019, has only played in portions of three games in two years due to injuries.
Against Oklahoma, Alston tallied four tackles, including two sacks. Through four games, he leads the team with 3.5 sacks and 4.5 tackles for loss.
"If you watch Taijh Alston through three games," Lesley said, "he's really brought something that we haven't had at that five-technique spot, mainly power and explosiveness. I'll say this about Taijh that not a lot of people talk about: Taijh is an extremely high-effort player, and that shows."
Those two, as well as the play of fellow starter Dante Stills has put the Mountaineers' defense in a good spot. Further, the depth and youth the team possesses upfront, including players like Jalen Thornton, Darel Middleton, Hammond Russell and Bluefield native Sean Martin, has taken the defense to new heights -- now and likely into the future.
"I think there's a formula for us to be able to win big here," Brown said, "and I think that's built around playing great defense."