Former West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol is set for a new opportunity Saturday night, as Northwestern hands him the start against No. 19 Iowa.
It will be his first meaningful run of action since his final game as a Mountaineer last season against Kansas. Marchiol has seen the field twice this season for the Wildcats, against Colorado and Ball State, but he’s only 0-for-1 passing and has added two carries for 22 yards.
Marchiol’s time in Morgantown didn’t end the way anyone expected, but his name still carries weight with WVU fans because of what he did in the Backyard Brawl. He helped deliver two wins over Pitt, including one game where he was never supposed to be the one steering the ship.
That night, Marchiol was the backup to Garrett Greene, who went down on the opening drive. Neal Brown had to turn to the redshirt freshman in a tense spot, and the plan was simple: lean on the defense, keep the ground game moving, and make life as manageable as possible for the young quarterback.
Marchiol answered with a clean outing, completing 6 of 9 passes for 60 yards and a touchdown. The only real blemish was a botched handoff inside the red zone, and otherwise he gave Brown exactly what was needed.
The week before, though, Marchiol had struggled in a loss to Ohio, and he needed a statement game to establish himself. The first half didn’t go smoothly, and Rich Rodriguez cycled through quarterbacks before returning to Marchiol.
That move paid off. West Virginia was down 24-14 midway through the fourth quarter, and Marchiol helped spark two scoring drives, finishing the comeback with a game-tying touchdown pass to tight end Grayson Barnes with 11 seconds left.
The Mountaineers then leaned on the run game in overtime, scored again, and got a stop on defense to complete the rally.
Marchiol arrived at West Virginia with plenty of buzz. He had a reputation as a winner and drew heavy recruiting interest from Florida State, Michigan State, Arizona State, and others.
But he never quite fit Rich Rod’s system, a square peg in a round hole. If Neal Brown had remained in charge, the source says Marchiol likely would have stayed on as the starter and produced better results in an offense that suited him more.
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Ross Hodge Just Teased A Nonconference Opportunity WVU Fans Will Love
Ross Hodge is already looking ahead to next seasons nonconference slate, and he dropped a hint on a radio show that should catch the attention of West Virginia fans. The Mountaineers new coach said he will try to line up a game at Madison Square Garden next year, a setting that would give his program a marquee stage and a chance to test itself in one of college basketballs most recognizable arenas.
A matchup there would also fit the kind of East Coast opponent Hodge seemed to have in mind, with St. Johns mentioned as a possible fit. West Virginia and St. Johns have met before, which only adds to the appeal, but nothing is scheduled yet. For now, it is just a promising idea with plenty of intrigue for a fan base that likes the sound of big-stage basketball. [Read more 🡒]
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The challenge is obvious, though, because ESPNs Bill Connellys SP+ model leans toward the Red Raiders in this one. With Mike Hawkins Jr. and Texas Techs Thomas Castellanos among the players to watch, the matchup has the feel of a late-night test that could tell a lot about where West Virginia stands, and the 9:30 p.m. ET kickoff on ESPN should make it a national showcase for a team trying to quiet plenty of outside skepticism. [Read more 🡒]
West Virginia Is Rolling But One Bigger Test Is Already Looming
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The bigger question now is how much of that can carry into a more demanding stretch, because this was the sort of game where West Virginia could settle in early and control the tone. The offense looked comfortable, the shots were falling, and the defense never let Stetson find much rhythm, but the next tests will tell more about how real this early roll is and whether the Mountaineers can keep the same edge when the margin for error shrinks. [Read more 🡒]