The Register-Herald, Beckley, West Virginia

Today's Sports Front

June 16, 2010

Mountaineer secondary should be strong this fall

By Mickey Furfari For The Register-Herald

MORGANTOWN — West Virginia’s defensive secondary this fall certainly should be strong.

Robert Sands and Sidney Glover are returning starters at two safety positions. Terence Garvin, who saw some action last year as a true freshman, likely will fill the third safety spot vacated by graduated Nate Sowers.

Steve Dunlap, assistant head coach, will tutor the safeties.

“Sands is back at free safety where he made the All-Big East first team last year,” Dunlap noted. “We expect great things from him. He’s 220 pounds now and working hard.”

Glover, the starting bandit safety, also is expected to be a steady contributor.

“He’s been healthy for about a year now,” Dunlap said. “So he’s over the injury bug, hopefully.

“He will be a good leader for us. He’s a three-year starter now and brings a wealth of experience.”

Backup safeties probably will include Darwin Cook at the free and bandit positions and Trippe Hale at the spur post.

David Lockwood, who coaches the cornerbacks, also has last year’s two starters back. Those are Brandon Hogan at left CB and Keith Tandy at right CB.

There also will be veterans at the linebacking positions.

Dunlap, who still holds the WVU record for most career tackles, said, “We’ve got a lot of young freshman that we’re going to try working in this fall. Some of them might help to build up our second team.”

Hogan had 74 tackles last season to rank third, followed by Sands with 65. Tandy had 61 tackles, Glover 60 and Miller with 53.

“I think we should be pretty good on defense this year,” Dunlap said. “We’re certainly not planning on being bad.”

As coordinator in 1996, Dunlap guided the WVU defense to No. 1 ranking nationally. Does this year’s defense have the potential to be as good as that one?

Dunlap replied, “You never know. In college football, you’ve got to build your defense all over again every year.”

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