Nick Saban knows very well what West Virginia football means to the people who live there. He grew up in the state, watched its communities build their lives around coal mining, and still carries that connection with him. So when the former Alabama coach was asked about his old home state’s football team, he had little reason to sugarcoat the problem.

West Virginia has been moving the ball and putting points on the scoreboard. But as Nick Saban views it, trouble starts when the other team gets possession.

“I’m hoping that the West Virginia football team can get things straight,” he said on The Pat McAfee Show. “But you know where they struggled is they’re scoring enough points, they’re moving the ball, they’re controlling the ball. Can’t play defense. We got to play defense. At some point, you got to keep from getting beat before you win. And you got to play defense.”

It’s not complicated advice. Getting it right on the field, however, has been a whole different challenge. West Virginia entered its latest stretch of Big 12 play with a defensive problem. Oklahoma State piled up 609 yards against them. Iowa State followed with another 577 in a 45-42 win.

Add those performances together, and the Mountaineers surrendered 1,186 yards across two games. West Virginia also gave up 86 points, dropping to 3-2 overall and 0-2 in conference play. That’s a lot of damage in two back-to-back Saturdays. Nick Saban’s criticism carries a little more weight because this isn’t just another analyst taking a shot at a struggling program.

Born in Fairmont and raised in nearby Monongah, Nick Saban has never hidden his attachment to his home state. His connection to West Virginia also reaches into one of the darkest moments in its mining history. Talking with Pat McAfee, he recalled the November 1968 disaster at the Consol No. 9 Mine where his maternal grandfather, Harry “Pap” Conway, worked.

“What happened was that between midnight shift and day shift, the guy turned the fan on,” he recalled. “There was gas in the mine. That’s what made it blow up. My granddad worked on day shift, and he was in the parking lot walking when the thing blew up.”

That history explains why West Virginia remains close to him despite a coaching career spent largely at Alabama. His roots have never disappeared. And now, he’s concerned with the growing football issue. Head coach Rich Rodriguez has not tried to pretend otherwise. After the Iowa State defeat, he called his defense “atrocious” and said it was “hard to watch.” 

“It’s frustrating because our guys are all working hard, our players are working hard, and we just haven’t had the results and haven’t played like we need to,” he said. “It’s not like it’s a shock to anybody. Everybody realizes it in the program, and we’re working to fix it as we speak.”

The stats explain why the concern is growing. West Virginia ranks last in the Big 12 in total defense, allowing 456.6 yards per game. Its numbers against both the pass and the run have been just as troubling, with 288.2 passing yards and 168.4 rushing yards surrendered per contest. DC Zac Alley also acknowledged that the unit isn’t performing at its expected level.

“We’re talented enough to be a lot better than we are,” he said, taking responsibility alongside the coaching staff. “We’re not playing to what the talent level is.”

West Virginia better get itself straight quickly. Arizona comes to Morgantown with a 4-1 record and an offense that has scored at least 34 points in three consecutive games. The Mountaineers need more than a few adjustments. They need a performance that shows the previous two weeks were a temporary hitch rather than a preview of the season ahead.