MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — Garrett Greene went down with an ankle injury in the 1st quarter of the Backyard Brawl against Pitt, leaving Neal Brown no other choice but to turn to redshirt freshman Nicco Marchiol to lead the Mountaineers.
In Greene’s stead, Marchiol has beaten West Virginia’s top rival, Pitt, and defeated a really talented Texas Tech team. Although Marchiol hasn’t put up incredible (or even average) numbers, he’s very clearly a winner and has found ways to get the job done.
Against Pitt, Marchiol was 6/9 for 60 yards and 1 touchdown as the offense relied heavily on the running game. Against Texas Tech, it was more of the same, but Marchiol did show flashes of brilliance, particularly on the ground, leading the team with 72 yards on 15 carries. Marchiol did make a few errors throwing and finished 12/21 for 78 yards, 1 touchdown and 2 interceptions. Again, these numbers are nothing to write home about, but it’s important to remember that Neal Brown called an exceptionally conservative game offensively and Marchiol showed a lot of maturity in the game.
With that said, Garrett Greene was seen before and during the game on the sidelines with his ankle heavily wrapped and a slight limp. If he’s unable to fully practice again this week, one has to wonder if Neal Brown won’t go with Marchiol at TCU. Marchiol has proven that he can lead the team to big victories and Brown is ultra-conservative in all facets but especially when it comes to the health of his players.
If Marchiol plays and goes on to beat TCU, winning his 3rd consecutive big game in a row, it would almost certainly cause a quarterback controversy, at least within the fanbase. Garrett Greene has been a very patient and supportive teammate during his time at West Virginia and he was clearly way ahead of Marchiol in terms of being ready to lead the team during the preseason, but winning trumps all and Nicco Marchiol wins football games.
Who should start at quarterback for the Mountaineers next weekend at TCU? Vote in our poll below:
Who should start at quarterback for the Mountaineers next weekend at TCU? #HAILWV
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) September 24, 2023
