Between The Eers: West Virginia Has Major Issues at Quarterback

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West Virginia quarterback Nicco Marchiol really struggled in the loss to the Ohio Bobcats, and yes, there's enough blame to go around, but the Mountaineers must have more mobility at quarterback.
Just about every time things were covered up by Ohio in pass coverage, the play was dead. Marchiol wasn't going to beat the Bobcats with his legs. The Ohio defense also sent numbers toward the back in read option plays, inviting Marchiol to pull it and keep it.
Marchiol can be successful in this offense. It's not a square peg in a round hole type of deal. He just needs the pieces around him to do their part for him to even have a chance. If the offensive line continues to be subpar and there is no run game, continuing to roll Marchiol out there is not going to work.
WVU needs to have a quarterback that can escape out of the pocket and extend plays or tuck it and pick up some yardage with their legs. Is that Jaylen Henderson? Max Brown? Scotty Fox Jr.? Khalil Wilkins? I'm not going to pretend as if I know the answer, but you simply cannot have a pocket passer when there is no clean pocket to work from.
On this morning's episode of Between The Eers, I discuss what I believe head coach Rich Rodriguez needs to consider at the quarterback position, along with what we may see him do starting this week against Pitt in the Backyard Brawl.
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Recent Between The Eers episodes:
How West Virginia Can Survive on the Road vs. Ohio
Will We See More of Freshman QB Scotty Fox in 2025?
Dismissing the Overreactions from West Virginia's Season Opener
Wren Baker Finally Cleans Up Shane Lyons' Scheduling Mess for WVU Football
MORE STORIES FROM WEST VIRGINIA ON SI
Pat McAfee, Bruce Irvin React to West Virginia's Shocking Loss to Ohio
Three Reasons West Virginia Can Bounce Back and Beat Pitt
Ohio Trolls WVU Hard After Win Using Tavon Austin Song and Country Roads
How to Watch West Virginia vs. Pitt: Kickoff time, TV Channel, and Odds
Sunday Morning Thoughts: Transfer Portal Whiffs Could Alter Rebuild Timeline

Schuyler Callihan is the publisher of West Virginia On SI and has been a trusted source covering the Mountaineers since 2016. He is the host of Between The Eers, The Walk Thru Game Day Show, and In the Gun Podcast. The Wheeling, WV native moved to Charlotte, North Carolina in 2020 to cover the Charlotte Hornets and Carolina Panthers.
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