The defense has a three-a-day fixation on turnovers. Get three today, it’s a good day. Get two today and four tomorrow, well, tomorrow is a good day, but today was not. WVU truly believes it will win any time the defense gives the offense three extra possessions.

The Mountaineers accomplished the goal throughout the spring — averaged better than three a day, but had days without three — and they’ve subsequently developed this quick, feisty defense that hurries to the ball and then tries to take it.

Think about this: WVU’s newish, youngish defense is taking the ball from a team that doesn’t often give it away, which certainly has something to do with the constant combativeness between the two sides and may be to credit for whatever advanced strides the defense is making, if not in development, than in confidence.

You’ve heard this before, but I wonder if you’ve seen this before. Not the words of Mr. Isaiah Bruce, but the words in action …

Yes, every team wants to create and accept turnovers and the previous staff talked and talked and talked about it, especially when it wasn’t getting them quite as often as desired — like last season, when the first turnover came in the third game.

This staff seems a little, shall we say, different.

“There’s obviously a technique,” he said of causing fumbles. “The first guy in makes the tackle, next guy in strips the ball. If you are coming from behind a guy, you punch it out or strip it out. You run alongside the guy and he has the ball, you put your helmet on his helmet and try to break his elbow.”

Either way, there is one rule his players must never forget.

“You must be violent on the football,” he said, not pushing for violence on the ball carrier, simply on the ball he is carrying, the one he has borrowed from the offense.

One thing to talk about it. Another thing to do it. WVU does it in practice.