CHARLESTON, WV (AP) -- Entering the season Keith Tandy's name may have been the least mentioned - or respected - among West Virginia's nine returning starters on defense.
Halfway through the 2010 schedule, the junior cornerback is arguably having the most impact. He's even earned a new nickname.
"That's 'Tip Drill!"' proclaimed safety Robert Sands. "He's just around the ball. Good things happen when you're around the ball, and that's what Tandy is doing right now."
After a sour start to the season, Tandy has four interceptions in his last three games. His play is one reason the Mountaineers (5-1, 1-0 Big East) have statistically become one of the nation's top defenses.
If not for West Virginia's steady supply of quarterbacks, Tandy may have ended up on the other side of the ball. He threw for 8,600 yards in high school in Kentucky, including 528 yards in one game.
Then again, he's done well in every sport he's played.
Tandy led his basketball team to the state tournament at Rupp Arena and he was a standout outfielder on the baseball team. He played either left or center field, depending on who was pitching.
"I kind of had a knack for finding the ball in the air," he said.
That's been especially true this year. All four of Tandy's interceptions have come on tipped passes.
He won't take all the credit. He believes interceptions start with the defensive line.
"They're getting to the quarterback and making him make bad throws," Tandy said. "The linebackers, who are really like safeties with the way they move around, they're getting hands on balls. And then the defensive backs are catching them when they're in the air."
West Virginia will look for more takeaway opportunities on Saturday against Syracuse (4-2, 1-1). The Orange had four turnovers last week in a 45-14 loss to Pittsburgh, including two interceptions thrown by quarterback Ryan Nassib.
Syracuse coach Doug Marrone knows about Tandy's recent picks and also pointed to his teammates in the secondary.
"They can read the eyes of the quarterback, come off and make plays," Marrone said. "That's speed and range. When you watch the tape, they're tight-window throws. Very rarely do you see someone just wide open. There's always someone trailing him, in front of him. When they're reading the eyes and they have range, it becomes very difficult."
West Virginia's defense typically uses three linemen, three linebackers and five defensive backs, some of whom serve in hybrid roles.
Tandy, who gave up two long passes last year at South Florida, added to that reputation by allowing a 96-yard TD reception in the second game against Marshall. Pat Miller, a one-game replacement after cornerback Brandon Hogan was suspended, was beaten on two long scoring pass plays against Maryland.
Things started to turn around for Tandy with his first interception Sept. 25 at LSU. He got two more the next game against UNLV and another last week against South Florida. He also led the Mountaineers with 10 tackles against the Bulls, doubling his total for the season.
Tandy isn't the only pleasant surprise on the defense.
First-year starters Terrence Garvin at safety and Anthony Leonard at linebacker are 1-2 in team tackles. Speed rusher Bruce Irvin, a junior college transfer, has a team-high five sacks.
The Mountaineers are in the top 5 nationally in scoring, rush and total defense and also rank high in pass defense and sacks.
Coach Bill Stewart said the success is based on speed, getting more players involved on the line and not tipping the other side to what's going on. He compares what's happening now to the 2007 version that helped win the Fiesta Bowl over Oklahoma.
"To me, the thing that really goofs offenses is disguise," Stewart said. "You're moving like the '07 team. That's what we're doing right now that we weren't doing in '08 and '09. They're disguising very, very well what secondary coverages we're using."
It helps that the offense has scored first in four of West Virginia's five wins.
"Once we got ahead, it seems our defense has responded pretty well," Stewart said.
That includes Tandy.
"The coaches keep putting us in good situations by calling good plays," he said. "Everybody's flying to the ball and playing with confidence."
(Copyright ©2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
