Jordan Lesley Explains WVU Allowing a Touchdown on 2nd & 30

The story behind the score that made it a three-point game in the Backyard Brawl.

Schuyler Callihan | Sep 17, 2024

Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

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West Virginia Mountaineers

Leading 34-24 with a little over three minutes left in the game and Pitt playing well behind the stick in a 2nd & 30 situation, it felt like everything was starting to swing in West Virginia's direction. But once again, the Mountaineer secondary allowed an explosive play in the pass game that not only went beyond the stick but for a touchdown to make it a three-point game.

West Virginia ran a twist up front with TJ Jackson and Sean Martin while having Aubrey Burks blitz from his spear position. Burks would have had a clear path to QB Eli Holstein but ran into Martin off that twist action. This allowed Holstein to get off a good throw to Daejon Reynolds deep down the field who was covered by Dontez Fagan, who had help over the top from safety Anthony Wilson. Somehow, the ball was caught and only defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley can explain what happened.

Daejon Reynolds ladies and gentlemen‼️

And the Panther defense follows up the TD with a STOP 🛑

📺 ESPN2#H2P » #WeNotMe pic.twitter.com/q8sMaPxknO
— Pitt Football (@Pitt_FB) September 14, 2024

“You go back to what you see on tape and they hit a 60 or 70-yard touchdown against Cincinnati. Cincinnati is in a drop eight and they dump it to the back and let it go," Lesley said. "No matter what the situation was I wasn’t going to let that happen. It happened once in that game I think for 20 in the first half, we missed a tackle on him. (Desmond) Reid’s a good player. I wasn’t going to let them dink it to the back in that situation. Whether that’s right, wrong, or indifferent, hindsight is 20/20 and the Monday morning quarterback is always right. But I’ll take ownership of that. That was the gameplan going in and we stuck by it. In a temp situation, you got to give them a call, get them lined up and that’s what I chose and probably would have done it different if I had to do it again, but you don’t get those chances.

“There’s certain things in tight coverage that you’re taught to do and you have to execute them at all times. Again, you based it off what you’ve watched up to that point during the season and that was not a throw that he had made. I mean, he missed four or five of them in the Cincinnati game. What he didn’t miss was the high dynamic checkdown was to the back."

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