Zac Alley Stresses Importance of Communication for WVU Defense

Despite a 52-7 victory for WVU over UT Martin, the coaching staff, namely Zac Alley, still has a higher standards for the team’s defense.

One aspect defensive coordinator Alley believes his unit needs to improve is communication. He said he reprimanded the defense the day after the game on Sunday.

“We’re being really quiet. Nobody’s talking. I laughed, I told them all… ‘There’s like two guys in the back end back there that they do all the communication. If they’re not in, we got no shot if nobody else talks,'” Alley explained during his weekly press conference on Tuesday.

Part of communication is being aware of assignments based on looks from the offense. Alley added if something changes, such as a formation or a motion, the players need to check with each other and verify everyone knows their role.

“We have to play with some anticipation of like, ‘Okay. Hey, if he motions, what are we doing?’ You know, not just, ‘Oh, well I hope he figures it out and he’s got him over there.’ Like, talk to each other and communicate,” Alley added.

The defense made plays on Saturday, with an interception, a fumble recovery, two sacks and nine tackles for loss. Overall, Alley wants more consistency, which includes communication on all fronts. He also knows they will have to be even better and generate more takeaways against tougher competition as the season progresses.

“Obviously you, you have some plays where it went really well and you get off the field, knock ’em out, forced turnovers, those things,” Alley said. “But I wanna play well on every down. I don’t wanna get a yard at any point in time.”

Find more coverage of Zac Alley and the WVU football program at WV Sports Now.