How about those Mountaineers?
Through three games, West Virginia currently leads the Big 12 in total defense, per ESPN. While they only rank third in rush defense for the conference (101.7 yards allowed on the ground per game), they are at the top of the conference in two very important categories.
As mentioned before, the Mountaineers are at the top of the conference in total defense (268 yards allowed per game). However, what is most shocking is how well their pass defense has performed.
The secondary was expected to struggle due to inexperience, but it has actually done the exact opposite. WVU currently leads the Big 12 in pass defense giving up only 166.3 yards per game.
As far as points allowed, WVU also ranks second giving up 19.3 points per game. Well behind Oklahoma State who is only surrendering 9 points per game.
This Mountaineer defense is stout, and it will be what leads this team moving forward. Many were concerned after Vic Koenning left the team, but it appears that the unit has yet to miss a beat.
