In back-to-back weeks, WVU was handed a 21-point drubbing at East Carolina, which was promptly followed by a three-point crushing defeat against the Buffaloes. The feelings from the heartwarming 20-point Fiesta Bowl win were all but gone.
Stewart’s glum facial expression on the sidelines, captured by ESPN TV cameras, said it best. The Mountaineers were struggling on both sides of the football and were going through a near identity crisis as they tried to find their niche. Considering the doom and gloom surrounding the program after the two losses, questions abounded about whether or not Stewart and his staff had what it would take to keep WVU achieving up to expectations.
It is hard to pinpoint how a football team can get better after a loss, but in terms of team chemistry and coming together like a band of brothers, Stewart admitted he saw positive strides post Colorado. And perhaps the most positive part of that loss was the progression of the youthful Mountaineer defense, a unit that returned only three starters.
“At that point, we got to gel,” said safety Robert Sands. “We had that bye week after the game. We got to focus more and the team just came together. Everybody bought into the plan.”
But progress is only possible with time. Against Villanova, the WVU defense gave up 399 total yards and 21 points. Against ECU, WVU’s defense was gashed for 386 yards and 24 points.
At the start of the Colorado game, it didn’t appear the tide was turning for the better -- Buffalo quarterback Cody Hawkins threw two first quarter touchdown passes, putting his team up 14-0 in the game’s opening five minutes. 
History tells us the only constant is change and change things did that night. WVU’s defense did not surrender a touchdown for the remaining 55 minutes of regulation; Aric Goodman’s game-winning field goal was set-up after WVU placekicker Pat McAfee bounced a 23-yard go ahead field goal attempt off the left upright.
As the Mountaineer offense continued to experiment with different schemes, the defense quietly put together a solid year. WVU’s opponents were held under 20 points eight times in 2008 and the unit finished the season ranked No. 11 in scoring defense and an eye-opening No. 1 in red zone defense. Moreover, seven times opposing teams were held scoreless in the second half of games.
Stewart thinks one unique part of the WVU defense, from a strategic stand point, gives the team an advantage.
“It’s the 3-3 stack. I love it,” he said of the rare-used 3-3-5 odd stack. “Nobody sees the 3-3 stack until they play us.
“It’s like playing in the wishbone or the triple-option on the other side of the ball. You come against our 3-3 stack, you better have ducks in a row, all of you I’s dotted and T’s crossed because [coordinator] Jeff Casteel and these guys are going to give you fits.”
Though effective at times, a similar Jekyll and Hyde trend just might be developing with the WVU defense. The Mountaineers (2-1) are a mirrored improvement from last year’s start, however, the defense, this time a veteran group, gave up 20 points each to Liberty and ECU.
At Auburn, the final score read 41-30 in favor of the Tigers, but 24 of those points came from WVU turning the ball over six times. The last Auburn touchdown was scored off of Jarrett Brown interception that was returned to the end zone. Despite the disparity in the statistics, Auburn did post 400 total yards of offense in the win.
Keeping with the fickle characteristics of the defense, WVU has not yet allowed a rusher to gain 100 yards in a game and ranks No. 14 in rush defense (83-yard average), No. 12 in sacks (nine for 46 yards) and No. 25 in tackles for loss (21 for 80 yards).
So the good part was holding ECU quarterback Patrick Pinkney to 175 yards, a touchdown and an interception, then holding Auburn running backs Ben Tate and Onterio McCalebb both under 100 yards and scoreless.
“It’s still early in the season,” said defensive end Julian Miller. “We’re coming along great, I think. If we have anything we need to work on, it’s just turnovers, trying to get the ball back more to help out the offense.” For the record, WVU has just three turnovers this year.
The bad part was watching Liberty receiver Mike Brown run wild with 11 catches for 157 yards a touchdown. The ugly was seeing Auburn’s Mario Fannin catch a pass and run 82 yards untouched through more than half of WVU’s defense, tying the game up in the third quarter.
It remains to be seen if the Mountaineer defense will again use a game against Colorado as a springboard for another banner year.
“We’re going to go for a goose egg,” Sands said. “We’re going to try to shut them out basically. That’s what I want us to do.
“Some of the defensive players probably feel the same way,” Sands continued. “We want to shut the team out and show that we are a good defense and that the 40 points the other teams score on us was a mistake.”
Returning a healthy middle linebacker Reed Williams, who sat out the Auburn game with a foot injury suffered against ECU, will most likely change the complexion of the defense.
“It will definitely change it,“ Sands said. “Not to take anything away from the other players that played that position last week, but it’s just a different vibe with Reed in the middle.”
To Sands, Williams, along with nose tackle Chris Neild, form a NBA-like duo of superstars for the Mountaineers defense.
“He’s Kobe [Bryant] and Neild is Shaq [Shaquille O‘Neal]. With them both in together, there’s nothing we can’t do.”