Arizona Wildcats vs West Virginia Mountaineers Picks and Predictions October 26th 2024

Injuries Hamper West Virginia, Arizona in Big 12 Matchup

West Virginia and Arizona will square off for the first time in a pivotal Big 12 matchup on Saturday in Tucson, Ariz., but both teams enter the contest facing significant injury concerns and pressure from their fan bases.

Key Players Missing for Both Teams

West Virginia (3-4, 2-2 Big 12) faces uncertainty at quarterback after Garrett Greene suffered an upper-body injury during the Mountaineers’ 45-18 loss to then-No. 17 Kansas State last week. Greene didn’t play in the second half, and his availability for Saturday’s game remains unclear. If Greene is unable to go, backup Nicco Marchiol, a native of Chandler, Ariz., will step in under center.

“(Marchiol) is going to get a bunch of reps, so if his number’s called, he’ll be ready, and I expect him to play at a high level,” West Virginia coach Neal Brown said earlier this week.

Meanwhile, Arizona (3-4, 1-3 Big 12) has been hit even harder by the injury bug. The Wildcats will be without linebacker Jacob Manu and offensive tackle Rhino Tapa’atoutai for the rest of the season. Manu, one of the team’s captains, sustained a non-contact knee injury, while Tapa’atoutai went down with a leg injury during Arizona’s 34-7 loss to Colorado last week. These injuries come on the heels of the Wildcats losing starting safeties Gunner Maldonado and Treydan Stukes, both likely out for the season with knee injuries.

Arizona head coach Brent Brennan emphasized the importance of players stepping up to fill the gaps.

“It’s unfortunate how those things happen, but this is a situation where you always say, ‘Next guy up,’ Brennan said. “Somebody has to pick up the flag, and somebody has to get ready to go.”

Fan Base Frustrations

Adding to the challenges for both teams are growing frustrations from their respective fan bases over the current direction of the programs. Arizona’s offense, despite having talented quarterback Noah Fifita and All-America receiver Tetairoa McMillan, has come under fire after scoring just seven points in last week’s loss to Colorado. Questions about offensive production have led some fans to call for mid-season coaching changes, a topic Brennan addressed during his weekly press conference.

“If I dropped a pass on third down 30 years ago, it was in the paper. No one read it, not college kids,” Brennan said. “But now on social media if he drops a pass, he might get 10,000 people telling him that he’s trash.”

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West Virginia fans have also grown increasingly vocal about their dissatisfaction. A group of fans calling themselves the “Wolfpack” has launched a website advocating for the firing of Neal Brown, who is 34-33 in six seasons with the Mountaineers. Despite his longevity, West Virginia has yet to crack the AP Top 25 during Brown’s tenure.

High Stakes for Both Teams

Saturday’s game presents an important opportunity for both programs to reset their seasons and move closer to bowl eligibility. For West Virginia, a win could provide momentum ahead of the final stretch of the season, while Arizona looks to regain form after losing four of its last five games.

Both teams are grappling with depleted rosters and frustrated fan bases, making this game a crucial point in their seasons. Whether it’s West Virginia rallying behind a backup quarterback or Arizona patching up its defense after key losses, Saturday’s matchup is a must-win for both programs as they search for answers to right their respective ships.