WVSports.com looks at the weekly press conference from West Virginia head coach Neal Brown and determines the five most interesting discussion topics.
We examine what was said as well as what it means for the football team both this week and moving ahead as the Mountaineers navigate the 2024 schedule.
Next up is a home matchup against Baylor.
1—No decision expected to be announced at quarterback. Redshirt sophomore Nicco Marchiol has played the past ten quarters for the Mountaineers after taking over for an injured Garrett Greene at halftime of the Kansas State game and leading the program to back-to-back road wins over Arizona and Cincinnati.
Marchiol played very well on the road at Arizona but wasn’t as sharp against the Bearcats completing just 9-15 passes for 156 yards with a touchdown and an interception as the offense struggled to move the football. But it’s important to note that the most important aspect is the fact that the Mountaineers won both games.
Still, Greene participated in some 7-on-7 last week and did so again Monday and is expected to jump back into practice against full 11-on-11 Tuesday for the first time since he was injured. That could go a long way toward determining his status for the game and who is going to be called upon to start against Baylor.
West Virginia head coach Neal Brown has made it clear that he doesn’t anticipate any sort of announcement in terms of who will get the call under center for the game and there is some gamesmanship to that on top of not truly knowing where Greene is at after being off for so long.
The plan is to get both of the quarterbacks ready, but ultimately the decision will be made as the week goes.
2—Other injuries. West Virginia is again going to be without spear Aubrey Burks and cornerback Ayden Garnes on the defensive side of the ball and Brown made it clear that both are highly questionable at this point to even make it back onto the field at any point during the regular season.
Both have already hit the threshold for games played to be able to recapture a season which means that Burks’ career will be over when the season ends and Garnes will still have one year left. Another player that has been ruled out for another week is wide receiver Jaden Bray. The Oklahoma State transfer injured his lower leg at the end of the game against the Cowboys and has yet to make his way back.
Another wide receiver in Hudson Clement was dealing with a hamstring injury that sidelined him against Cincinnati, but he was working off to the side in practice Monday and the hope is he will return this weekend.
However, outside of those four and of course what is unfolding with the quarterback position the program should be close to full strength with what is on the table.
3—Baylor playing their best football. The Bears have won three consecutive games to push their record to 5-4 on the season and in the process are one of the hottest teams in the country. Baylor is fresh off a bye week and the Bears have been able to rally under head coach Dave Aranda after a difficult start to the season.
The Baylor special teams are going to be a major challenge for the Mountaineers after returning a pair of kickoffs for touchdowns last year, while they also present difficulties with their punt return team. Offensively, new coordinator Jake Spavital has the group hitting their strides at the right time and quarterback Sawyer Roberston has become more comfortable in his role. He has demonstrated the ability to use his collection of speed on the outside as well as using his legs more to make the attack more difficult to defend.
However, the biggest jump has been with the run game as the Bears have been balanced and will use tempo to put together one of the better offensive attacks in the league of late.
On defense, the Bears will mix up coverages and have answers under Aranda and it’s going to be a difficult task for the offense as it’s a group that is playing with more and more confidence.
4—Defense plays physical. The Mountaineers scored 17 points off turnovers, including a pair of defensive touchdowns in the game, and that helped the unit to play confidently in the win over Cincinnati. It was a physical effort up front with the defensive linemen using their hands well and striking with their hands, while the linebackers were physical in the run game. Both Tyrin Bradley and Ty French were physical in setting the edge of the defense and safety Anthony Wilson was very physical when it came to fitting the run.
One of the focuses to help the unit improve was simply getting lined up quickly and playing with that physical edge and it was encouraging to see that occur. The game was admittedly a little strange in terms of the possessions and snaps that the unit had to face with two defensive touchdowns, but it was a strong effort.
In coverage, the corners played tight in the back end and Brown believed that it was likely their best effort of the season after some struggles at that spot. Brown also felt that the spears also did a good job in coverage.
5—Eliminating distractions. West Virginia is 3-0 in the Big 12 on the road this year and 1-2 at home which isn’t typically what you would expect in those circumstances. Now, granted some of that is tied into the competition level playing Kansas, Iowa State and Kansas State at home compared to Oklahoma State, Arizona and Cincinnati on the road but the point remains the same. This football team, at least in league play, has gotten it done on the road at this junction of the season. So, how do you capture that at home?
Well, simply put West Virginia has to do a better job eliminating distractions with people coming into town and all the other things that come with playing a game at home, although those aren’t necessarily negatives. Still, the focus has to be on navigating those things and tuning those things out to focus on the main thing.
The Mountaineers are excited they have two consecutive games at home and are excited to put together a better product than what they displayed in the two prior to the recent break.
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