High tempo, no-huddle offenses. A fleet of fast players. Combines with stopwatches. Star systems linked to 40-yard dash times. On and on it goes.

And for years and years, WVU has been riding that wave, hair on fire, ball spotted, air raided.

That’s been on offense, though. Maybe the defense is a little new to this whole thing, not quite as accustom to the way things go, because the plan seems a bit misguided.

Those Mountaineers, the ones who had so much trouble keeping up with opposing offenses last season, want to slow down in 2013.

“Coach emphasizes being patient,” said linebacker Isaiah Bruce, whose speed had a lot to do with his 90 tackles last season. “A lot of times we tend to try to react too fast and that puts us out of position. He tries to emphasize getting more depth from the line of scrimmage so we can see everything before we react.”

Consider that using the sort of patience Patterson requests. Space is a valuable commodity with the amount of playmakers in the Big 12. Speed and immediacy are keys to shutting down a lot of plays before they can get started and find that space. The Mountaineers, it would seem, are conceding both, but with a purpose.

“It’s not like we’re trying to play slow, but coach says he wants us to be patient and right instead of fast and wrong,” Bruce said. “I can get anywhere really fast, but if I’m not in the proper position to make a play, it’s just a waste of a person. If you key correctly and you’re in the right spot and everyone does the same as far as their position goes, we should be able to stop any play the offense throws at us.”