Observations: West Virginia football vs. Pittsburgh
Each week WVSports.com Managing Editor Keenan Cummings provides a look at some of the things that stood out to him during the course of the game and on the stat sheet.
These observations are a snapshot of what unfolded in the West Virginia 17-6 win over Pittsburgh and what could happen next for the Mountaineers.
--It was like a bad dream at first with a three and out and then Pittsburgh driving basically the length of the field to take an early 3-0 lead. Followed by Garrett Greene getting injured, but credit to Nicco Marchiol in this game. He wasn't asked to do a lot but really settled in and did what he was asked to do completing 6-9 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. He started 0-3, but completed his final 6 passes and did what he was asked to move the football in critical situations. Obviously this offense is going to need to expand if he's asked to take on a bigger role moving forward but this is the second time he's been called upon to fill in for Greene after an injury and has won them both. That zone read pull he had for a first down and the throws to Devin Carter and Preston Fox were throws that he wouldn't have been able to make earlier in the game but he settled in and got comfortable.
--The 6 points allowed by West Virginia is the fewest they've given up to Pittsburgh since 1996 when the Mountaineers shut them out. Yes, Pittsburgh's quarterback Phil Jurkovec was bad. Really, bad. But credit West Virginia for responding and holding the Panthers to 211 yards while recording 3 interceptions. West Virginia held the Panthers to 4-15 on third and fourth down and the program really kept them in check over and over outside that first drive which spanned 67 yards and netted 3 points but they only mustered 144 yards and 3 points the rest of the way on 10 more drives. Jurkovec completed just 8 passes in this game and the Panthers were held to 3.6 per carry. Credit to West Virginia for affecting Jurkovec with pressure, too.
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