(Football News – Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)
The West Virginia Mountaineers are 4-4 after the first two-thirds of the season, falling short of fans’ preseason expectations. With no games played this past weekend, it’s an opportunity to take a deep dive into the rankings and stats to focus on the quality of performance so far.
With many key players returning, offense was supposed to be a strength for this WVU team. However, the Mountaineers rank just 56th in total offense and 62nd in points per game, which is mid-ranked among FBS teams but falls short of where fans had hoped. do not have. Quarterback Garrett Green has devised many late-game drives over the past two years and is clearly the team’s leader, but his passing efficiency has yet to improve. He had as many interceptions as touchdown passes, completing just over 50% against FBS opponents. His running ability is exceptional, but backup Nikko Marchiol may be a more effective passer, completing 70% of his passes with just one interception. WVU ranks 22nd in rushing yards per game, but it’s worth noting that they were 4th in the nation in 2023.
Despite the pros and cons on the offensive side, that’s unfortunately good news. A closer look at the defensive metrics makes it clear why this 2024 version of West Virginia football falls short.
In fact, the Mountaineers rank 38th in effectively stopping opponents from running the ball, but their pass defense is nothing short of terrible.
West Virginia ranks 114th in passing yards per game, worst among all FBS teams in opponent yards per pass attempt (9.28 yards) and average yards per completion (15 yards). It becomes. These clear numbers led to defensive coordinator Jordan Leslie being relieved of his duties.
And to make your morning coffee taste a little more bitter, West Virginia also ranks 92nd in sales margin (-6).
The end result is that the Mountaineers fell short against a quality opponent. And while they have a 3-2 record in the Big 12, their wins came against the team at the bottom of the standings with a combined conference record of 2-15.
There are four games remaining, and given the competitive balance of the Big 12, any one of them is winnable. There is still a chance, but it will be an uphill climb to achieve a winning season.
This Saturday: The Mountaineers travel to take on Cincinnati in a noon game. The Bearcats were picked near the bottom of the preseason league table, but exceeded expectations with a 5-3 record and played well at home. Speaking of bad stats, this column only picks WVU’s games this season with a 3-5 record, so maybe there’s a jinx. Cincinnati 24 West Virginia 23.
