Monday Morning Quarterback (on a Tuesday): Drilling down the numbers

(Football News – Photo Illustration/MetroCreative)

The West Virginia Mountaineers are 4-4 through the first two-thirds of the season, far from where fans thought they would be given preseason expectations. With no games played this past weekend, this is an opportunity to take a deep look at the standings and stats to focus on the quality of performance so far.

With a number of key players returning, offense was going to be the strength of this WVU team. But the Mountaineers rank just 56th in total offense and 62nd in scoring per game, which, while middle of the pack among FBS teams, falls short of where fans hoped we’d be. Quarterback Garrett Greene has engineered many late-game drives over the past two years and is clearly a team leader, but he has yet to improve his passing efficiency. He completed just over 50 percent against FBS opposition with as many interceptions as touchdown passes. His running ability is exceptional, but backup Nicco Marchiol may be the most effective passer, completing 70 percent of his passes with one interception. WVU ranks 22nd in rushing yards per game, but keep in mind they were fourth in the nation in 2023.

While the offense has been a mixed bag, unfortunately that’s the good news. A close look at the defensive metrics makes it clear why this 2024 version of West Virginia football has failed.

The Mountaineers were actually effective stopping opponents from running the ball, ranking 38th, but the pass defense was atrocious.

West Virginia ranks 114th in passing yards per game given up and is worst among all FBS teams in opposing yards per pass attempt (9.28) and average yards per completion (15). With these glaring numbers, defensive coordinator Jordan Lesley was relieved of his duties.

And just to make your morning coffee taste a little more bitter, West Virginia also ranks 92nd in turnover margin (minu-6)

The end result is that the climbers were not without quality opponents. And while they sit 3-2 in Big 12 play, their wins have come against bottom-ranked teams with a combined 2-15 conference record.

There are four games left, and with the competitive balance of the Big 12, every one is winnable. Opportunities remain, but achieving a winning season will be an uphill climb.

This Saturday: The Mountaineers travel to play Cincinnati in a noon game. The Bearcats were picked near the end of the league preseason, but exceeded expectations with a 5-3 record and played well at home. Speaking of bad stats, this column is only 3-5 in picking the results of WVU games this season, so maybe a bummer is in order. CINCINNATI 24 WEST VIRGINIA 23.