West Virginia
Multitude of injuries leave Mountaineers reeling following latest setback – WV MetroNews
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia had relatively good injury luck through the first half of the 2024 regular season.
That changed Saturday night in the Mountaineers’ seventh game, with quarterback Garrett Greene, running back Jahiem White and left tackle Wyatt Milum all being forced to sit out the second half of a 45-18 loss to 17th-ranked Kansas State.
“A rash of head injuries really,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “Four of them in total. I didn’t talk to [Vincent Blankenship], our trainer, because he was so busy after the game. I try to talk to him usually before I come up here, but he was tied up.”
Milum, widely regarded as the team’s top player and a potential first or second-round selection in next year’s NFL Draft, missed West Virginia’s final first-half series and was replaced by Johnny Williams from that point forward. White did not touch the ball on the final first-half series after his three carries one possession before.
Greene lasted through the first half, but Brown suggested his injury occurred on the team’s last possession of the opening half, which ended with West Virginia’s senior signal-caller throwing an incomplete pass in the direction of tight end Kole Taylor on fourth-and-1 from the Wildcats’ 3-yard line. The Wildcats led 17-10 at that point, and went on to score 21 unanswered points to start the second half.
“They pressured us, but kind of dropped. Kole’s open. I don’t know if Garrett didn’t see him,” Brown said. “I don’t know when Garrett got hurt during that drive either, because he missed a couple things that were uncharacteristic. I don’t know when he was hurt. Obviously I can’t find out tonight, but I’ll find out. That was a pivotal play, but even if we tie that up, I’m not sure we have enough in the tank in the second half even if it’s 17-17 going in.”
Had the trio of key offensive players been able to play in the second half, they would have faced a 14-point deficit for the first series of the third quarter after Kansas State marched 74 yards and generated a touchdown to start the third quarter.
Instead, the Mountaineers were forced to try and play catch-up with backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol, without their most productive offensive lineman and minus White, who entered the contest with a team-high 398 rushing yards.
WVU’s first two second-half series generated 26 yards on 11 plays and no points. The first ended with a punt, while the second concluded with Marchiol’s incomplete pass on fourth-and-5 from the Wildcats’ 37.
When the Mountaineers (3-4, 2-2) produced their only second-half touchdown, it was much too little, too late, as they faced a 28-point fourth-quarter deficit to start that series.
Marchiol did not practice Tuesday due to injury, though he returned to the field Wednesday.
“We weren’t real productive in the second half,” Brown said. “Some of that was on him and some of it wasn’t.”
WVU’s defense also endured several notable injuries after entering the contest short-handed.
Safety Aubrey Burks and cornerback Ayden Garnes, two starters in the secondary, did not dress.
Defensive lineman T.J. Jackson, the team leader in sacks and tackles for loss, was limited to 12 snaps after battling through injury to play at all, and left the game for good in the second half due to injury.
Defensive lineman Hammond Russell also entered the matchup battling injury and was forced to exit in the second half.
“We played K-State, which is really physical and Iowa State, which is really physical,” Brown said. “Two of the more physical teams in the country.
“It’s not like we’re playing a bunch of these space games. It’s tough man. I’m real careful to ever criticize our players. This is a tough game. I’d be real careful criticizing 17 to 22-and-23-year-olds that put their body on the line. You can criticize me. That’s fine. I’m not backing down from that. I’m in charge of this. We underperformed, but I’d be really careful of challenging them, just because of how physical the game is. These guys are putting their bodies at risk and we had some damage done tonight.”
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.
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.
West Virginia
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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