David Long Jr. – Noteworthy
The Mountaineers’ leading tackler is coming off his best game of the season. He had four tackles for loss and three sacks in a rout of TCU last week. The fourth-year junior is undersized at 5-foot-11 and 221 pounds, but in the Big 12 his quickness allows him to stay on the field against spread offenses. Long, one of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award as the nation’s best linebacker, is second in the nation in tackles for loss per game with 1.94 and the leader of the third-best defense (5.23 yards per play) in a conference where stops are hard to come by. What they are saying: “You can’t block him. He keeps his feet. He keeps getting banged up and still makes tackles.” – West Virginia coach Dana Holgorsen. – AP College Football
