Four things to know about TCU’s next opponent, the West Virginia Mountaineers
TCU’s next Big 12 matchup could be more challenging than originally anticipated.
West Virginia was voted to finish in last place in the preseason Big 12 media poll for understandable reasons. But with the way Texas Tech and Baylor have played, the Mountaineers have been able to climb out of the cellar.
The Mountaineers (3-1, 1-0) have won three games in a row including a 20-13 win over Texas Tech and a 17-6 win over Pittsburgh in Morgantown. The Horned Frogs (3-1, 1-0) are in the midst of their own three-game winning streak so something must give.
The winner will be able to keep pace with the likes of Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 race. Here are four things to know about TCU’s next opponent:
Monster offensive line
The strength of the West Virginia roster is on the offensive line led by center Zach Frazier. Frazier was a first team all-conference selection last season and he landed on numerous All-American lists in the preseason. Left tackle Wyatt Milum is young, but looks to be the next star offensive linemen after being named a Freshman All-American by multiple outlets.
Doug Nester is another experienced star upfront that is viewed as one of the top offensive linemen in the country. In total, West Virginia has more than 100 combined starts up front and have a rushing offense that is ranked top 50 in the country. This could be the best offensive line TCU will see until the Texas game in November.
Shaky quarterback situation?
It’s the Garrett Greene show now for the Mountaineers after J.T. Daniels transferred to Rice in the off-season. Greene is a dual-threat signal caller and currently averaging five yards per carry when he tucks and runs. As a passer Greene has struggled. He’s only completing 55% of his passes and now is dealing with an injury that’s kept him out of the last two games.
The Mountaineers have turned to Nicco Marchiol in his absence and while the team has two games in a row, it’s been in spite of Marchiol and not because of him. He hasn’t thrown over 100 yards yet in three games and was 12-of-21 for 78 yards and two interceptions against the Red Raiders. Clearly the Mountaineers’ offense is limited with him under center.
His quarterback rating of 34.7 is one of the worst in the country. Marchiol also adds value as a runner and had 15 carries against Texas Tech. Pay attention to the line in this one, it could be a good indication of who will be starting.
Quality defense?
The Mountaineers’ defense has been a big reason for the 3-1 start. West Virginia is holding opponents under 19 points per game and limited Pittsburgh to six points and Texas Tech to 13 points. Opponents are only rushing for 3.2 yards per carry and opposing quarterbacks are completing less than 50% of their passes against this defense.
West Virginia isn’t great at getting after the passer, but the Mountaineers are exceptional on third down. Teams are only converting 25% of their third down attempts. West Virginia is stingy in the red zone with teams scoring touchdowns on less than half of their trips. That’s been one of the biggest issues for TCU’s offense and could be a key stat to watch.
Lee Kpogba leads the team with 29 tackles and Beanie Bishop is the top playmaker in the secondary. He’s third on the team in tackles and leads the team in interceptions and passes defended.
How Penn State beat WVU
This story was originally published September 25, 2023 at 12:12 PM.
