WVU coaching staff addresses poor pass defense against Albany: 'We’re not executing very simple things.'

There were a lot of positives to be taken away from West Virginia football getting back to their winning ways in Week 2 with a 49-14 win over FCS foe Albany. However, the team’s poor defensive performance against the Great Danes’ passing attack was not one of those positives.

The Mountaineers struggled mightily against Albany’s pass game at times, allowing over 300 yards through the air and giving up 20+ yard receptions to six different receivers. While the Mountaineers were able to secure a victory against an inferior opponent in Albany while plagued by the disappointing effort, it’ll surely be a lot tougher to win games in the Big 12 wif the problem continues.

“Defensively, the things that weren’t good enough, I think we talked about this, but our pass coverage,” said head coach Neal Brown on Monday.

“The pass coverage -- here’s the thing, I'm not down on our guys, I don't feel any different way about them, but we’re not executing very, very simple things,” added defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley.

Both Lesley and Brown were open about what exactly they thought went wrong with the secondary’s performance in the clash with Albany.

“Our corners didn’t play well enough, and really our zone coverage was just off. Our drops weren’t where they needed to be,” Brown said.

“It’s simple fixes, it's easy things,” Lesley said. “Whether it’s playing the ball in the air, the depth width, the execution of your drop.”

Lesley also believes that some members of the secondary might be trying to stretch themselves too thin on the field instead of focusing on executing the game plan, which can certainly throw a wrench in a defense’s ability to function properly.

“And I think a little bit of it is trying to do too much,” Lesley said. “A lot of times you go into a game like this, and, you know, they think they have to have three picks. And they get all these different things published about them, whether it's PFF grades or whatever it is, and it's like -- do what you’re coached to do.”

Lesley does believe that these simple mistakes will be easily correctable as the season continues on, and he made sure to make it clear that he is not yet too worried about how the pass defense is trending. Or at least, he’s reserving judgment for another game or two.

"It's game two, it's easy fixes, the sky’s not falling, it's not panic time,” Lesley added. “If we’re just going to play two games and shut it down -- it’ll make my fall a little easier, but we have a lot of season left. We have to get better, play better, and execute what we’re trying to do.”