“How do you tell who’s the bride in West Virginia? She’s the one with the clean t-shirt.”
–Unknown
Game Details
- Kickoff: Saturday, November 8, 10 a.m. MT
- Venue: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, West Virginia
- TV: TNT / HBO Max
- Weather: Partly cloudy, chance of rain, mid-50s
Vegas Odds and Betting Lines
- Spread: West Virginia –6.5
- Moneyline: West Virginia –230
- Total Points: 55.5
History
The Buffs and Mountaineers have met twice, splitting the series. In 2008, CU won a thriller in overtime, 17–14, behind QB Cody Hawkins and RB Rodney Stewart. The next year, Noel Devine gashed the Buffs for more than 200 yards as West Virginia won by 11. This marks the first matchup between the two in the new Big 12 era.
About West Virginia
The Mountaineers are 3–6 (1–2 Big 12) but are fresh off their best performance of the season—a 45–35 upset over #22 Houston. Head Coach Rich Rodriguez found new life in freshman QB Scotty Fox Jr., pressed into duty after veteran Nicco Marchiol opted for a medical redshirt. Marchiol has a lot of Colorado connections — he is a Colorado native that played his sophomore year of high school football at Regis High School before he transferred to high school in Chandler, Arizona. There are some funny recruiting stories about Marchiol and Colorado — buy me a beer one day and I might tell you those stories.
Alas, Nicco won’t be playing on Saturday.
Fox threw for 157 yards and a TD while rushing for 65 yards and two scores. Fox is a below average thrower and doesn’t scare many opponents.
The Offense
Rodriguez’s offense spreads defenses sideline to sideline, creating creases for the run game and big-play chances through the air. Last week, Fox accounted for three touchdowns, while RB Diore Hubbard added 108 yards and a score. On the year, Hubbard’s totaled 264 yards and four touchdowns on 78 carries (3.4 YPC). Diore’s PFF grade on the season is 69.8, and film study confirms that he’s a slightly above average college running back. Given the lack of a real passing threat from Fox, however, CU needs to put 7+ players in the box and force West Virginia to throw the football.
The top target is Cam Vaughn, a long, smooth Georgia native who transferred from Rich Rod’s old program, Jacksonville State, to play in Morgantown. Vaughn leads the team with 28 catches for 444 yards and four touchdowns. Vaughn is good, but he’s not a gamebreaker.
The Defense
West Virginia’s defense has been leaky all year—ranking 117th nationally in pass defense (255 YPG), 43rd against the run (184 YPG), and 132nd on third down (28.6%). Still, they made timely plays against Houston, forcing four turnovers (two picks, two fumbles).
The best player on West Virginia’s defense may be defensive end Devin Grant. Yes, that Devin Grant — Grant played for CU in 2021 and 2022 under Karl Dorrell. Grant has a 73.5 PFF score on the season. The 6’2″ 265 pound Grant transferred to Incarnate Word and played there for 2 seasons before transferring to West Virginia for his final year of eligibility.
Other leaders on the defense are safety Fred Perry (63 tackles, 2 sacks, 2 forced fumbles). Chase Wilson, an Arvada native and Wyoming transfer, paces the team in both sacks (3) and interceptions (2).
Special Teams
Kicker Kade Hensley has hit 78% of his field goals with a long of 50 yards—steady, not spectacular.
Final Thoughts
We at BuffsBlog are eternal optimists. Despite the last two weeks, we’re believers in Juju—or maybe just in denial. Either way, the Buffs are too proud, too stubborn, and too fed up to fold again. In a gritty bounce-back, they take down the Mountaineers in Morgantown, 27–23.
Or not.
For more news and notes about the CU team and the offensive shake-up in Boulder, check out:
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OK, spill the tea on the Nicco Marchiol stories.
And I lol’d on the quote.