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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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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