This, more or less, is what Josh Francis was known for when he was a junior college All-American in Scranton, Pa., and his office was Lackawanna College. He made 95 tackles and had a greater reputation for sacks. I’d show you one, but he hasn’t had one yet at WVU.

Still, what he exhibits on this play — the straight-line speed, the pursuit off the edge — gives you an idea of what he’s capable of in WVU’s net 3-4’ish defense.

And so far, Francis has been good for these Mountaineers. Last week, he was, in the estimation of the coaches, the defense’s best player.

A year ago, he barely played for the defense.

The 3-3-5 and all the nuanced techniques were new to him. Even with a spring practice to help him get a head start, he didn’t get the defense and all the things he had to do to be successful before and during game.

He nevertheless started once against LSU, presumably because he could hand with the Tigers speed and handle himself better than could Jared Barber, but Francis basically vanished after that. He made a limited living on special teams — where he’s still a factor today.

He’s more important on defense, though, and he got his second start against JMU so that he might disrupt their passing plans.

No sacks, again, but some pressure, and some misses, to go with  five tackles, 1 1/2 for a loss, and a little more trust from the coaches.

For a guy who admits he didn’t know how to play last year, Francis has generated remarkable praise for how much he gets it this season.

What impresses Slaughter most is that once the ball is snapped, Francis arrives at conclusions quicker than he arrives at the quarterback.

“There are situations he’s got to play fast and situations where he has to slow down and see things and process them and he’s got to do both at that buck position,” Slaughter said. “He’s done both well. When he’s put in a position to go, he’s gone. When he’s put in a situation where he has to see things and let them develop, he’s done that as well.”

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