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University of Oklahoma Athletics
Scouting the West Virginia D-Line
December 14, 2007 | Football
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Scouting West Virginia | OL | DL | RB & FB | LB | WR & TE | DB | QB | SP | Coaches & Intangibles |
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Scouting: Defensive Line |
Since the 2002 season, the Mountaineers have regularly employed a 3-3-5 formation. Replacing a lineman with a linebacker or defensive back allows the defensive coordinator to put more athleticism and speed on the field. The defense is also tailor-made for zone blitzes. With eight men near the line of scrimmage, it becomes difficult for the offenses to distinguish who will rush and who will drop. Read more about this particular defensive scheme here.
The Mountaineer rushing defense ranks 16th in the nation giving up just over 100 yards a game on the ground and 12th in passing defense with 184 yards. Overall, West Virginia leads the Big East and is No. 4 in the nation in total defense (291.92 yards per game).
The offenses West Virginia faced in the 2007 season averaged 65th overall with South Florida the best rushing team (No. 28) and Louisville the best through the air (No. 4). The Mountaineers held six opponents under 100 yards on the ground but surrendered 139 in the loss at South Florida and 158 in the loss to Pitt.
Sending just three defensive linemen against five on the opposite side, the Mountaineers will rely on leverage against the brute strength of Oklahoma. The Sooners average more than 322 pounds up front and have shown the ability to steamroll opponents when lathered up. Rest assured that Coach Patton will hammer home "pad level" to his linemen leading up to this game. Keeping the West Virginia tackles from getting underneath will be a priority for OU.
WVU averages nearly three sacks a game but Sooner quarterback Sam Bradford has enjoyed stout protection from his line. OU is No. 4 in the nation in fewest sacks allowed.
Senior defensive end Johnny Dingle leads the defensive line in tackles with 46 including a team-best 18 for loss and eight sacks. It's reported that Dingle will let you know when he makes a play.
Nose tackle Keilen Dykes regularly engages two blockers and has plenty of experience clogging the middle. The senior from Youngstown, Ohio, has the most career starts of any West Virginia player with 43. Dykes notched an interception and TD in the game against Syracuse. His leadership is key for the Mountaineers.
Tackle Scooter Berry was a second teamer on the Sporting News Freshman All-America team with 26 stops this season.
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Key Matchups |
Oklahoma center Jon Cooper will have a big impact on the game in assisting the rest of the line in recognizing West Virginia's disguised blitzes. The Mountaineers will attempt to confuse and disrupt the Sooners on assignments. Recognizing who will rush and who will drop is of vital interest to the Oklahoma offense.
Neutralizing Dingle on the end would further the mission of the Oklahoma tackles in maintaining the safety bubble around Sam Bradford he's enjoyed all season.
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Key Numbers |
| 107.58 | Yards rushing allowed per game by the WVU defense (No. 16 nationally) |
| 191.77 | Average yards on the ground per game by the Sooners |
| 14 | West Virginia's national rank in sacks per game |
| 4 | Oklahoma's national rank in sacks allowed |
| 283 | Average weight of WVU defensive lineman |
| 322 | Average weight of OU offensive lineman |
| 65 | Average national rank of offenses going up against WVU this season |
| 18 | Oklahoma's national rank in total offense |
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2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl |
No. 3 Oklahoma faces No. 9 West Virginia in the 2008 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl on January 2 in Glendale, Ariz. It's OU's sixth BCS bowl game in eight seasons and second consecutive trip to the Fiesta Bowl. The Sooners clinched a BCS berth with the program's fifth Big 12 title since 2000 by defeating then-No. 1 Missouri in the Big 12 Championship Game.
Complete coverage of the game and an archive of the scouting reports are available at Sooner Fiesta Bowl Central. The OU Athletics Department has a limited amount of tickets in official OU sections of the stadium. Sooner fans can check availability online or call the OU Athletics Ticket Office toll-free at (800) 456-GoOU or locally at (405) 325-2424.
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