West Virginia

I've Got Five On It: Cincinnati

Published

1 month ago

November 10, 2024

Press Room

I’ve Got Five On It: Cincinnati

West Virginia bounced back, earning a 31-24 win over Cincinnati on Saturday, earning their second win in a row.

Staff writer Wesley Shoemaker picks out five things from the game yesterday that stood out and dives into each.

Koonz’s Krew

The main storyline surrounding WVU the last two weeks has been there is a new defensive coordinator in Jeff Koonz.

Koonz’s group showed up in a big way, forcing three total turnovers as they were able to get after Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby all night long. They had seven tackles for loss, three sacks, and three quarterback pressures.

There is not much that can change structurally for a defense through two-thirds of the season. However, they can change tendencies, and that seemed to be apparent. Pressure was a priority throughout the game, and they also went into some man coverage in spots. Koonz’s group forced three turnovers, and he passed his first test as defensive coordinator.

Special Teams Shows Up

All season long, head coach Neal Brown had high praise for his special teams unit.

For the first time all season, it seemed as though their special teams unit made a significant impact on the game.

WVU had three punts downed inside the 20-yard line, compared to just one for Cincinnati. On returns, WVU totaled 141 yards on kick and punt returns, compared to 55 total return yards from the Bearcats.

Preston Fox was really good on returns, and the Mountaineers were able to control field position. In a game where the offense did not have its best showing, West Virginia showed up big time on special teams, helping them in the win.

Managing Momentum

For the second game in a row, things seemed to be in complete control for West Virginia before the sky looked to be falling.

This time, it was an interception thrown by WVU, followed by an 80-yard touchdown on the very next play. Then, the offense went quiet for the Mountaineers while Cincinnati moved the ball down the field and cut WVU’s 17-point to just three.

West Virginia would then give the ball back to the Bearcats but made the biggest play of the game when they pressured UC QB Brendan Sorsby before they were able to force a backward pass which they picked up for a fumble recovery score.

Marchiol takes a step back

It was Nicco Marchiol’s second consecutive start, but it wasn’t his best game, especially considering how he played against Arizona State.

Marchiol had 156 yards passing, completing nine of his 15 pass attempts. Marchiol — and the offense as a whole — did not have their best game. This begs the question of what WVU should do if Garrett Greene is fully cleared and able to come back next week against Baylor.

It seems like a simple answer with how Marchiol played today, but Marchiol has done everything this staff has asked of him, and he’s just won games. He’s 3-0 as a starter and 2-0 this year, and his development from 2023 to 2024 is good for West Virginia going forward.

Starting November with a win

While it seems somewhat far-fetched, WVU did what it had to do. Start November with a win.

They are 5-4 with three games to go and are one win away from bowl eligibility. Even that seemed questionable a few weeks ago.

This team has fought with their backs against the wall, and all things considered, with a new coordinator, backup quarterback, and a road game, this was probably WVU’s best win of the year.

Everything is still in front of this Mountaineer team, and what matters most is what they seem to have — belief.

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West Virginia

Transfer WR Singleton commits to West Virginia

Published

1 hour ago

December 23, 2024

Press Room

Transfer WR Singleton commits to West Virginia

West Virginia has added a commitment from Eastern Michigan wide receiver transfer Oran Singleton.

Singleton is coming off a season where he hauled in 64 catches for 639 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He also had 23 rushing yards on 6 carries.

The Florida native started his career at Akron but transferred to Hutchinson C.C.

He has one year of eligibility remaining in his career.

WVSports.com will have more with Singleton in the near future.

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West Virginia

West Virginia Wraps up Nonconference Slate with a Win Over Mercyhurst

Published

9 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

West Virginia Wraps up Nonconference Slate with a Win Over Mercyhurst

Morgantown, WV – West Virginia senior guard Javon Small scored a game-high 19 points while senior center Eduardo Andre put in a Mountaineer career-best 14 points and senior guard Tobi Okani recorded a double double with 13 points and 12 rebounds as the Mountaineers (9-2) extended their winning streak to five with a 67-4 win over the Mercyhurst Lakers (6-9) Sunday afternoon.

Mercyhurst took the early lead, but West Virginia responded with a 7-0 run, ignited with a three from freshman guard Jonathan Powell, and forced Lakers head coach Gary Manchel to take a timeout.

Lakers senior forward Jeff Planutis buried a three out of the break to get back within two. The Mountaineers answered with another 7-0 run with Javon Small opening the run with a midrange jumper and Toby Okani finishing with a backdoor to cut to the rim to cap it off for the 16-7 lead at the 12:27 mark of the first half.

West Virginia struggled to pull away from a Mercyhurst program that jumped up to the Division I level over the summer and did not grab a double-digit lead until 5:50 left in the half after a jumper from senior guard Joseph Yesufu.

Eduardo Andre gave the Mountaineers their largest first half lead of 14, and the final field goal of the half, for his nine first half points with 3:32 remaining until halftime as the Mountaineers took a 35-22 lead into the break.

After West Virginia went up 16 to begin the second half, Mercyhurst dwindled the Mountaineers lead to nine with a 7-0 run, led by Aidan Reichert putting in the final five consecutive points.

West Virginia broke the game open with a 15-0 run midway through the second half with Toby Okani lead the way with six points as the Mountaineers took a 54-32 lead and coasted to a 67-46 victory.

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West Virginia

Humanities Council’s traveling exhibition, ‘Born of Rebellion: West Virginia’s Statehood and the Civil War,’ on display in Bluefield

Published

17 hours ago

December 22, 2024

Press Room

Humanities Council’s traveling exhibition, ‘Born of Rebellion: West Virginia’s Statehood and the Civil War,’ on display in Bluefield

PRESS RELEASE:

CHARLESTON, W.Va. – The West Virginia Humanities Council’s flagship traveling exhibition, Born of Rebellion: West Virginia Statehood and the Civil War, is now on display at the Paine Gallery at the Bluefield Arts Center from now until February 3. Hours and information are available at www.barcwv.org.

This comprehensive, large-scale experience covers sectional tensions within Virginia preceding the Civil War, the violence and chaos of the war surrounding West Virginia’s formation and the difficult aftermath as the new state struggled to forge its destiny during Reconstruction. Born of Rebellion explores this tumultuous and complex era from a wide range of perspectives, including politicians, common soldiers, women and African Americans. Not simply a story of war and politics, Born of Rebellion conveys the complexities and pitfalls that accompanied West Virginia’s arduous journey to separation from Virginia.

“It has been such a pleasure working with Bluefield Arts and Revitalization Corporation to get Born of Rebellion in Mercer County for the holidays,” said Council Program Officer Kyle Warmack. “The Paine Gallery is a perfect display space for the exhibit, and we hope its time here provokes discussion about this part of West Virginia’s experience during the war and our journey to statehood.”

For more information about Born of Rebellion, visit wvhumanities.org and click “Traveling Exhibits” under the Programs menu. For more about the Paine Gallery, its hours of operation and other visitor information, please contact the Bluefield Arts & Revitalization Corporation at (304) 589-0239.

The West Virginia Humanities Council, an independent nonpartisan nonprofit, is the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities. The Council is supported by the NEH, the State of West Virginia and contributions from the private sector. The purposes of the West Virginia Humanities Council are educational, and its mission is to support a vigorous program in the humanities statewide in West Virginia.

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