MORGANTOWN - Few West Virginia football fans know safety Franchot Allen.

Many, however, know him if you spot them the nickname: Boogie.

These days, he's still looking for rhythm.

In a Mountaineer secondary that's been almost completely overhauled because of graduation, Allen is trying to lead. But it's tough, he said, when the partners keep getting switched.

"I'm trying to get there,'' Allen said when asked if he's comfortable as a starting safety. "I thought I was there and then [the coaches] came and switched the coverages up. It's like starting over.

"I look and I see we have some good corners, but they aren't set. You might come out one series and Ellis Lankster is there. In the next, there's Guesly Dervil. So it's hard to get that little rhythm. Once we find set the corners, we'll be all right.''

So hopes WVU secondary coach David Lockwood, who has now worked with defensive backs at eight schools, including Notre Dame, Minnesota and, last season, Kentucky.

Ask Lockwood his early assessment of the Mountaineer secondary and he simply shakes his head.

"We've got to get better,'' said the assistant coach. "In a hurry.''

Lockwood said his top three safeties right now are Quinton Andrews, the lone returning starter, Allen and Charles Pugh. Sidney Glover, the listed No. 1 at spur, was not mentioned.

Also, for much of the Wednesday practice, Lankster was at one cornerback position and Tony Wood, a 6-0, 196-pound redshirt junior, was at the other. Wood sat out last season after transferring to WVU from Lackawanna Junior College.

"I wasn't focused enough,'' Wood said of last season. "And we had seniors, good seniors. So I was redshirted.''

Wood saw time Wednesday and made a nice breakup of a pass across the middle headed toward Wes Lyons.

Maybe Lockwood was trying to shake up the other cornerbacks. The coach says his top three corners right now are Lankster, Dervil and Kent Richardson. Richardson missed some of the practice because of class.

MORGANTOWN - Few West Virginia football fans know safety Franchot Allen.

Many, however, know him if you spot them the nickname: Boogie.

"When I was little,'' Allen said, "I used to dance a lot at family functions. And in the 1980s all the songs had 'boogie' in it. So my family started calling me that.''

These days, he's still looking for rhythm.

In a Mountaineer secondary that's been almost completely overhauled because of graduation, Allen is trying to lead. But it's tough, he said, when the partners keep getting switched.

"I'm trying to get there,'' Allen said when asked if he's comfortable as a starting safety. "I thought I was there and then [the coaches] came and switched the coverages up. It's like starting over.

"I look and I see we have some good corners, but they aren't set. You might come out one series and Ellis Lankster is there. In the next, there's Guesly Dervil. So it's hard to get that little rhythm. Once we find set the corners, we'll be all right.''

So hopes WVU secondary coach David Lockwood, who has now worked with defensive backs at eight schools, including Notre Dame, Minnesota and, last season, Kentucky.

Ask Lockwood his early assessment of the Mountaineer secondary and he simply shakes his head.

"We've got to get better,'' said the assistant coach. "In a hurry.''

Lockwood said his top three safeties right now are Quinton Andrews, the lone returning starter, Allen and Charles Pugh. Sidney Glover, the listed No. 1 at spur, was not mentioned.

Also, for much of the Wednesday practice, Lankster was at one cornerback position and Tony Wood, a 6-0, 196-pound redshirt junior, was at the other. Wood sat out last season after transferring to WVU from Lackawanna Junior College.

"I wasn't focused enough,'' Wood said of last season. "And we had seniors, good seniors. So I was redshirted.''

Wood saw time Wednesday and made a nice breakup of a pass across the middle headed toward Wes Lyons.

Maybe Lockwood was trying to shake up the other cornerbacks. The coach says his top three corners right now are Lankster, Dervil and Kent Richardson. Richardson missed some of the practice because of class.

Then again, it could be a reward.

"[Wood] is working at it,'' Lockwood said. "He's doing the extra things. I walk through the weight room after practice and he's punching on the bag. He watches film and takes notes. He's trying and, little by little, he's having more success and feeling comfortable. That's because he's walking the extra mile. That's what the others need to do.''

"Energy,'' Wood said. "I always hustle. One hundred and ten percent. Every time. I want to bring leadership to the team.''

It's the work ethic Lockwood and head coach Bill Stewart, who called a 6 a.m. Thursday practice after Wednesday's snoozefest, are seeking.

The coaches are looking for improvement there and, well, in about every other area in regard to the secondary.

Go ahead. Ask Lockwood where his unit needs to improve.

His answer?

"Everywhere,'' he said. "In technique, for one. Fundamentally, we're not very good right now.

"It's a situation where we're undisciplined. We're trying to cover everything. We're trying to play everything - instead of playing the assignment.

"We want these guys to, first and foremost, take care of their responsibility. Everything else will fall into place.''

Allen said it will help when everyone has a place.

"I've been moving all around,'' he said. "Bandit last spring. Then I played the whole [2007] season as a backup free [safety] and bandit in slot packages.''

Now he's at free.

Lockwood just hopes Allen - and his secondary teammates - are soon free to boogie.

To contact sports editor Mitch Vingle, send e-mail to mitchvin...@wvgazette.com or call 348-4827.