WVU Insider Previews BYU's Friday Night Matchup Against the Mountaineers

Nov 4, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Brigham Young Cougars wide receiver Parker Kingston (82) catches a pass and runs for extra yards during the second quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images | Ben Queen-Imagn Images

The BYU Cougars and the West Virginia Mountaineers are getting set to kickoff under the Friday Night Lights of LaVell Edwards Stadium. We caught up with WVU insider and WVU On SI publisher Schuyler Callihan to get the Mountaineers' perspective ont his matchup.

1. Perhaps no QB room in the country has been more difficult to track than WVU's. What can you tell us about the WVU QB situation heading into this game?

It’s been one of those situations where every player in that room is talented, but none of them (to this point) have done enough to take firm control of the job. Nicco Marchiol, who was the starter, is expected to miss the rest of the season, medically redshirt, and transfer at season’s end. He’s a great leader and has been loyal to the program, but his playing style isn’t a perfect fit for Rich Rod’s offense. He could have been successful, but for him to have found success in this scheme, he needed, at a bare minimum, average o-line play, which just hasn’t been there. Jaylen Henderson would have likely started this game, but he is also banged up, so they’ll almost certainly turn to redshirt freshman Khalil Wilkins, who showed some promising things last week. He’s the most dynamic runner of the group and can make all of the throws. But don’t be surprised if you see Charlotte transfer Max Brown or true freshman Scotty Fox Jr. rotate into the game at some point. WVU has played multiple quarterbacks in every game this season, in large part to try and find a spark — not necessarily where guys have certain packages. Fox flashed earlier this season, but has had minimal action since tossing two picks against Pitt. Rich Rod says he has the quickest release of any quarterback he’s ever coached.

2. Tye Edwards is listed as "probable" for this matchup. What would his return mean to the WVU offense?

Edwards’ return would be massive. The running back room has been banged up to the extreme since the start of fall camp. Clay Ash is more of a steady eddy presence than anything, and Diore Hubbard is still getting his feet wet after finally getting extended playing time last week. Cyncir Bowers will be back for this one, too, so for the first time this season, the Mountaineers will have a mobile quarterback and a healthy running back room. Edwards runs extremely hard and will use his physicality to gain extra yardage rather than running away from defenders. This offense needs a workhorse, and he fits that definition perfectly. Considering he’s still working through this hip pointer, I’d expect him to be on some sort of pitch count with Hubbard playing the role of lead back.

3. Who are a few players on the WVU defense that BYU fans should be aware of in this game?

Cornerback Michael Coats Jr. is one of the most underrated corners in football. He was highly coveted in the transfer portal, and WVU was able to beat out Ole Miss. Teams don’t like to throw his way, and it’s easy to see why. The crazy part about his story is that he didn’t play football in high school at all. He played when he was younger and then drifted away from it until college. The other, for me, would have to be Nickel/Sam Fred Perry. In a lot of ways, he reminds West Virginia fans of Karl Joseph, who was a heat-seeking missile that constantly delivered big hits. The only problem with Perry is that sometimes he leads with his head too much or comes in a bit out of control, trying to make the big hit. When he’s settled in, he’s one of the best players on the field.

4. What does WVU need to do to overcome the spread in this game and make it close in the fourth quarter?

On offense, they’ve just got to find a way to stay on the field and sustain drives. They haven’t won on first down very much and constantly find themselves behind the sticks on third down. With Wilkins at QB, his mobility could help change that. It doesn’t help that BYU has one of the best third-down defenses in the country, either. Defensively, it’s all about neutralizing the run game. In the first three games combined, WVU’s defense allowed just 282 rushing yards. Against Kansas, they allowed 242. Against Utah… also 242. If they can limit BYU on the ground and force the freshman QB to drop back 30+ times, Zac Alley’s complex defensive scheme will trick him into some bad decisions/throws, giving West Virginia a chance. If the poor tackling continues (34 missed tackles last week), they stand no chance.