MORGANTOWN, West Virginia — Following West Virginia´s 31-24 victory at Cincinnati, head coach Neal Brown was asked about Garrett Greene´s status today and for next week. Brown said, ¨Well, he was cleared late in the week and was able to play today, but he hasn´t gotten many reps in a while. He hasn´t had any 11 on 11 work, but he will when we get back to work on Monday and we´ll figure it out from there.¨
Our poll on X has Nicco Marchiol as the fan favorite to start next week against Baylor with 77% of the votes. Greene has 23%.
Who would you start at quarterback next weekend against Baylor? #WVU
— The Voice of Morgantown (@voicemorgantown) November 9, 2024
There is a Quarterback Controversy Whether Neal Brown will admit it or not
That certainly leaves the door open for either Greene or today´s starter, Nicco Marchiol, to start next weekend against the Baylor Bears. While Marchiol has not been as productive as Greene statistically, he has led the Mountaineers to two consecutive tough Big 12 road wins. Nicco Marchiol is a winner. He was a winner in high school and he´s now 3-0 as the starting quarterback at West Virginia. Garrett Greene only has 3 regular season games of eligiblity remaining, but the reality is that the Mountaineers were 3-4 with him as the starter. Can Neal Brown really pull Marchiol after 2 big road wins and with the momentum on his side?
Preparing for the Future
Remember, Marchiol has two years of eligiblity remaining and will be the team´s starting quarterback for the next two seasons. Taking him out will only stunt his progress and not prepare him for the future. Playing important, significant snaps for the remainder of the season would have a profound positive impact on his future as the on-field leader of the Mountaineers. In addition, rumors have leaked out from the West Virginia locker room that suggests Marchiol is the preferred starter of the players, particularly the younger guys on the team. If the players want Marchiol in the game and feel more comfortable with him under center, could pulling him for Greene cause internal issues for the Mountaineers?
Comparing Greene and Marchiol Statistically
In 5 appearances, 2 of which were starts, Nicco Marchiol is 28/40 (70%) for 278 yards, 4 touchdowns and 1 interception. He´s also rushed 37 times for 100 yards. Greene on the other hand is 99/176 (56.3%) for 1,352 yards, 9 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. Greene has also rushed 59 times for 398 yards. Marchiol has been more efficient, but not nearly as productive as Greene in terms of yardage.
Neal Brown Has a Tough Decision to Make
This is a decision that can not only affect the season but also his job security at West Virginia, and so this has to be treated very carefully. If he goes with the wrong quarterback to end the season, the team could very easily fall apart and the Mountaineers could lose the remainder of their games. If he chooses correctly, West Virginia could win out and potentially compete for a shot at the Big 12 Championship game. Neal Brown is loyal to a fault and recently said the following: ¨I guess the best way to answer that is I really can’t give you an answer until Garrett is healthy … and Garrett is not healthy right now. I think it’s hard to lose jobs when you are injured. I don’t think that’s a good practice.¨ If that holds true, we could see Nicco Marchiol back on the sidelines and Garrett Greene back leading the Mountaineers next weekend against Baylor.
