MORGANTOWN — WVU beginning quarterback Garrett Greene didn’t follow Monday and won’t follow Tuesday as he recovers from the ankle harm that saved him out of all however 5 performs Saturday evening towards Pitt.
Head coach Neal Brown mentioned it’s too early to inform if the junior will be capable to begin this Saturday towards Texas Tech.
“It’s an ankle harm and quite a lot of it has to do with how he responds over the following few days,” Brown mentioned throughout his press convention Monday. “We received’t play him except he can make the most of his greatest ability set, which is his athleticism.”
Brown mentioned that Greene received’t play except he’s totally wholesome and capable of transfer round like regular.
“If he can transfer round and play like himself, then he’ll play. If he can’t, then he received’t,” Brown mentioned. “I believe it’s too early within the week to say. Some folks bounce again from these a bit faster than others, however I believe time will inform.”
Within the meantime, redshirt freshman Nicco Marchiol, who performed the remainder of the sport towards the Panthers after Greene went out, will likely be getting nearly all of reps in follow till Greene’s standing is decided.
“If he can’t go, then Nicco will play and there’s quite a lot of belief with him within the locker room, guys imagine in him,” Brown mentioned. “Garrett didn’t follow (Monday) and he obtained each rep, Garrett received’t follow (Tuesday) and he’ll get each rep. You’ll see much-improved play by Nicco when he will get nearly all of the reps (in follow).”
WVU’s playbook shrunk significantly when Marchiol went into the sport on Saturday, with Brown saying he put his name sheet to the aspect and went with hand-written notes to name performs. With a full week of follow, nonetheless, Marchiol could be anticipated to deal with all the pieces.
“Our expectation is that if he performs, we’ll be actually good on offense,” Brown mentioned. “That’s the expectation for the workers and for the gamers on the offensive aspect of the ball.”
Marchiol accomplished 6 of 9 passes for 60 yards and a landing towards Pitt. He fumbled a snap, however in any other case prevented any main errors and led the crew to victory.
“He’s going to proceed to get higher,” Brown mentioned. “The opposite evening he did some issues rather well, however he additionally did some issues the place you may inform he’s a redshirt freshman and hasn’t performed a complete lot.”
It was the second time Marchiol had performed nearly all of a recreation as an harm substitute and helped the Mountaineers win. He performed all the second half of the 2022 season finale at Oklahoma State, a 24-19 WVU victory.
“The final two alternatives he’s needed to are available in when Garrett’s been out, he’s performed nicely and it’s been sudden,” offensive coordinator Chad Scott mentioned. “This would be the first alternative he has the place he has to organize for it and give it some thought. The most important factor for us is to calm him down and preserve the sport plan easy for him, get him some straightforward completion and get his confidence going.
“It’s totally different in a way the place he’ll be capable to execute a bit bit extra of the gameplan than he’s been capable of do within the two occasions he’s had the chance to enter the sport. He’ll be capable to do much more than he has.”
Marchiol was thought to be a four-star recruit when he signed with WVU within the 2022 recruiting class.
“He has obtained actually high-end means,” Brown mentioned. “He’s extra of an in-between-the-tackles sort of runner, he’s actual bodily. He’s actually good with the ball in between the hashes, he’s obtained good velocity on it. He throws the deep ball nicely. He didn’t throw the ball as nicely down the sphere as he can.”
Backup’s Backup
If Greene isn’t obtainable on Saturday, true freshman Sean Boyle would be the second-string possibility behind Marchiol. Boyle enrolled at WVU early this spring out of Charlotte, NC, and has not but seen the sphere as he’s anticipated to redshirt this season.
“He was a bit nervous on Saturday evening,” Brown mentioned. “I sort of checked out him like, ‘You understand you’re subsequent, proper?’ and he gave me the large eyes. I don’t suppose he had actually thought of that.”
Brown mentioned Boyle will get about 25% of the reps in follow this week behind Marchiol.
“He’ll be prepared if known as upon,” Brown mentioned. “It’s actually on us as coaches to get him ready but additionally to place him in a state of affairs the place he can have success.”
WVU solely has three scholarship quarterbacks on its roster. Behind Boyle are walk-ons Scott Kean, Jackson Crist and Grant Cochran.
Accidents
The opposite harm announcement made Monday was that cornerback Montre Miller is finished for the season.
“He’s going to have surgical procedure and he’s going to overlook the rest of the 12 months,” Brown mentioned.
Miller, who transferred from Kent State this offseason, solely performed within the season-opener at Penn State. As a redshirt senior, he will likely be out of eligibility following this season except granted a medical redshirt.
“He’s going to have to hunt an enchantment,” Brown mentioned. “I believe he’s obtained a very good case, however these issues go to committee for it’s onerous to inform.”
Operating again Justin Johnson has additionally been out for the reason that Penn State recreation however is nearing a return.
“Justin tried to go (final week) and continues to be not 100%,” Brown mentioned. “We’ll have a greater thought (Tuesday) on him. That’s the way in which we deal with it most occasions, if they’ll’t go by Wednesday it’s actually onerous (to play). That’s not essentially a rule in ink, however basically, that’s what we go by.”
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