West Virginia’s injury list keeps growing as the Mountaineers head into Saturday’s home game against Cincinnati, with six players already ruled out and cornerback Nick Taylor considered doubtful.
The availability report submitted Wednesday night to the Big 12 showed the wear of an eight-game stretch without an open date is beginning to show up in the roster picture. Along with Taylor, five other WVU players are listed as probable but still working through issues.
The Mountaineers who are out are RB Andre Devine, RB Chris Talley, WR Armoni Weaver-Bomar, DL Darius Wiley, N/S Emory Snyder and S Da’Mare Williams.
On the Cincinnati side, RB Lawrence Autry, WR John Neider, EDGE Harper Holloman, LB Ashton Woods and S Matt Sieg are listed as probable.
Taylor’s status is the one to watch most closely on defense. West Virginia was already preparing to adjust in the secondary, and if he misses a second straight game, the cornerback spot opposite him becomes a real question.
Jason Chambers has struggled since returning, while Chams Diagne has not held up well in coverage and has allowed more than 14 yards per catch. There’s also the possibility that WVU shifts someone into the role who has played corner at a previous stop but not this season.
Chris Talley’s absence is another setback for the backfield. Head coach Rich Rodriguez said earlier in the week that the freshman running back was dealing with a hamstring issue, the same problem that had kept him out early in the year.
Talley did get a few snaps last week, but now he’s back on the shelf. With him unavailable, Cam Cook is set to handle a major share of the workload, while Amari Latimer’s role should keep growing and NaQuari Rogers is expected to enter the mix soon.
Da’Mare Williams will also miss the game, matching what Rodriguez had hinted earlier. Williams has logged 76 defensive snaps this season, mostly at free safety. With him out, Matt Sieg and JaCorey Thomas are expected to absorb those reps, and Thomas could also see work at box safety behind Kamari Wilson.
In Other News...
West Virginia Gets A Crucial Shot To Stop Its Big 12 Slide
West Virginia heads into its meeting with Cincinnati still trying to steady itself after a rough stretch in Big 12 play, and the matchup offers a familiar kind of pressure for a team searching for traction. The Mountaineers have shown enough on offense to believe they can hang around, but their recent defensive issues have made every conference game feel a little more volatile than the last.
Cincinnati brings a rushing attack that can test that defense in a hurry, which only raises the importance of clean possession football for both sides. Turnovers loom as the swing point in a game that feels close on paper, and while West Virginia has enough to make a case for pulling it out, there is still plenty of uncertainty around whether it can finally stop the slide. [Read more 🡒]
Baylor Heads Into Rivalry Week With One Big QB Question
Rivalry week is arriving with the Big 12 quarterback picture as unsettled as ever, and the latest round of conference film has only sharpened the conversation. Week 6 featured a few standout performances that helped reshape the hierarchy, including Bear Bachmeiers strong showing for BYU and Noah Fifitas 300-yard passing day for Arizona, both of which reminded the league how quickly the pecking order can change from one Saturday to the next.
Now the focus shifts to Week 7, where ranked matchups and quarterback duels are set to test who belongs near the top of the conference conversation. With the top eight Big 12 passers being ranked based on recent play, every snap in the coming slate carries extra weight, and Baylor enters the week with the kind of quarterback question that could define not just the rivalry stage, but the bigger race unfolding around it. [Read more 🡒]
WVU Basketball Hype Is Building Fast Before Ross Hodges First Test
The early buzz around West Virginias mens basketball team is building quickly, and the preseason metrics are doing their part. KenPom has the Mountaineers at No. 41 in its preseason ratings, a jump of 26 spots from a year ago, and there are reasons beyond the numbers to think this group could be more complete than last seasons version.
Ross Hodge has pointed to depth and versatility as the biggest selling points, with three true point guards giving the backcourt a different look and a stronger frontcourt adding more balance. The first real chance to see how it all fits together comes Sunday in an exhibition against Maryland, which should offer an early read on how far this roster can go under its new coach. [Read more 🡒]