The Man in the Middle

If you sat through the rain this past Saturday, you witnessed one of the best individual performances ever at Mountaineer Field. And no it wasn't on the offense

If you sat through the rain this past Saturday, you witnessed one of the best individual performances ever at Mountaineer Field. And no it wasn't on the offense side of the ball. Redshirt Sophomore Line Backer David Long finished the game with 18 tackles - 7 of those being tackles for a loss - a new WVU record. Long also had his first career fumble recovery.

Since his return from injury, Long has recorded 36 tackles with four-game an average of 9 a game. The other thing that stands out about Long is his leadership and ability to be around the ball on every play. It seems at times #11 has a magnet attached to the ball carrier. Late in the game, it was noticeable that Long wasn't 100%, however, on each play the Mountaineer defense got every ounce of effort from the man in the middle.

Grant Wiley currently holds the WVU record for career tackles at 492. For anyone who watched Wiley play, you saw a man who was always attacking the ball. Those same traits can be seen in Long, as well. Through a season and 4 games, Long shows a total of 135 tackles. If he can stay healthy, the sophomore from Cincinnati may rewrite the record books at West Virginia.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the man in the middle.