West Virginia Preview
West Virginia began Big 12 play 0-5, but now rides a two-game winning streak thanks to an impressive ground attack and a stout run defense. Here’s a closer look at the Mountaineers and the challenges they can pose for the Sun Devils.
West Virginia Offense
To start the year, former Chandler Hamilton High School star Nicco Marchiol was the team’s QB1, but an injury ended his season at an early point, and Marchiol reportedly might transfer out of the program at year’s end.
Most recently, true freshman Scotty Fox, a dual-threat standout, has taken control as the starting quarterback for West Virginia.
Fox, one of four players this year to earn at least one start at quarterback for WVU, has started the past four games and, barring injury, presumes to be the starter for the Mountaineers’ final games of the 2025 season.
In his four starts, Fox averages 176.8 passing yards per game with four touchdowns and two interceptions, along with 111 net rushing yards in those four starts with two touchdown runs.
On a per-game basis, as can be expected of a true freshman, Fox’s statistics have been a bit erratic as he had 47 passing yards in his starting debut against UCF, then a college career-high 301 against TCU, 157 against Houston, and 202 against Colorado. Fox also has three games this year with at least 50 net rushing yards.
At running back, returning starter Jaheim White suffered a season-ending injury within the first month of the season, and since then, Diore Hubbard has taken over the bulk of the workload.
Hubbard leads the team with 94 carries for 328 yards with four touchdowns, along with 15 receptions for 153 yards, and Cyncir Bowers has 204 yards with two touchdowns on 45 carries, added to five receptions for 41 yards.
In WVU’s upset win over a ranked Houston team, Hubbard had his first collegiate 100-yard day as he carried 29 times for 108 yards with a score. On the year, however, Hubbard only has three games of more than 32 net rushing yards – though two of them have occurred in the past two weeks.
In the pass game, Cam Vaughn is the head-and-shoulders team leader with 30 receptions for 461 yards and four touchdown catches – more than double the receiving yardage total of WVU’s second-leading pass-catcher.
One of several transfers who followed head coach Rich Rodriguez from Jacksonville State to West Virginia this offseason, Vaughn had his best game in his Mountaineer debut as he recorded seven catches for 127 yards with a touchdown in the season opener against Robert Morris. Vaughn also had six receptions for 85 yards against TCU, but outside those two games, he hasn’t exceeded three catches in any other games this year and has five games with under 35 total receiving yards.
Jeff Weimer has 216 receiving yards on 12 receptions with a score, while Rodney Gallagher III has 21 receptions for 212 yards.
Tight end Grayson Barnes ranks second on the team with two touchdown catches and has 17 total receptions for 177 yards on the year.
The West Virginia offensive line figures to start Nick Krahe at left tackle, Walter Young Bear or Donovan Haslem at left guard, Landen Livingston at center, Kimo Makane’ole at right guard, and either Ty’Kieast Crawford or Malik Agbo at right tackle.
West Virginia Offense Summary
Ultimately, it has been an offensive struggle for WVU this season – largely due to injuries – as there are only a small few categories where the Mountaineers rank inside the better half of the FBS.
On a national scale, West Virginia ranks 39th in rush offense (182.2 per game) and ties for 39th in red zone offense (.893), clearly the two offensive statistical strengths of the team.
WVU is also tied for 77th in team tackles for loss allowed (5.5 per game), ranks 87th in total offense (359.3 per game), 94th in scoring offense (23.8 per game), is tied for 100th in team sacks allowed per game (2.40), tied for 101st in turnovers lost (15), while also ranking 111th in team passing efficiency (119.76), 112nd in pass offense (177.1 per game) and 126th in the country in time of possession.
Lastly, West Virginia ranks last in the Big-12 and 130th out of 134 FBS teams in third down offense (.300)
WVU has shown good-but-not great talent at running back and wide receiver and though Fox has notable dual threat abilities and has shown flashes of high tier potential, freshman moments have also surfaced during his first collegiate season.
West Virginia Defense
The WVU defensive line figures to feature Edward Vesterinen at defensive tackle and Asani Redwood at nose guard, with either Devin Grant or Eddie Kelly, Jr. at defensive end.
Kelly leads all West Virginia linemen with 23 tackles, including 1.5 for loss with half a sack, along with three pass breakups. Grant has totaled 20 tackles, including 4.5 for loss, with 3.0 sacks, along with one pass breakup and one fumble recovery. Vesterinen has also posted 20 tackles with 4.0 coming for loss with 2.0 sacks and two quarterback hurries. Redwood is credited with 17 tackles, one pass breakup, and two quarterback hurries.
Braden Siders fills the “Bandit” position, and he has posted 19 tackles on the year with one pass breakup, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery.
Reid Carrico and Chase Wilson figure to start at Mike and Will linebacker, respectively.
Carrico has been one of the team’s leading defenders in 2025 as he leads WVU with 3.5 sacks and five quarterback hurries, while ranking third on the team with 50 tackles, along with 5.5 TFLs, one pass breakup, and one fumble recovery. Wilson has 38 tackles on the year, including 4.5 for loss with 3.0 sacks, a share of the team lead with two interceptions, along with one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble.
In the secondary, Michael Coats, Jr. and Jason Chambers are expected to be the starting cornerbacks with Fred Perry at the nickel defensive back.
Perry has likely been the team’s Defensive MVP in 2025 as he has posted team highs in tackles (70), tackles for loss (9.0), and forced fumbles (two), while ranking second on the team in sacks (3.0) and sharing the team lead with one fumble recovery.
Coats has posted 26 tackles, including 2.0 for loss, with a team-best six pass breakups, while Chambers has 30 tackles on the year, including 3.0 for loss, with an interception and four pass breakups.
The starting free safety spot will be manned by either Derek Carter, Jr., Kekoura Tarnue, or Nick Taylor, with boundary safety occupied by either Darrian Lewis or Israel Boyce.
Lewis ranks second on the team with 57 tackles, with one coming for a loss, a share of the team-high two interceptions, one quarterback hurry, and one forced fumble.
Carter has registered 30 tackles with 2.0 for loss, with one interception, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble, and Tarnue has 30 tackles as well, with 2.5 for loss, two pass breakups, and a forced fumble. Boyce has chipped in 20 tackles with a pass breakup and a blocked kick, while Taylor has collected 19 tackles with one interception.
West Virginia Defense Summary
Statistically, the Mountaineers are better on defense than offense, though some major pain points still exist on the defensive side.
The most notable strength for WVU is that it is tied for 15th nationally in forced turnovers (17), a statistic that could be vital in Saturday’s game, which could feature bad weather and, as is known, for all his dynamic skills, ASU quarterback Jeff Sims has historically had issues with turnovers.
Elsewhere on defense, WVU has respectable national rankings: 30th in third-down defense (.342), tied for 36th in team tackles for loss (6.3 per game), and tied for 37th in team sacks (2.40 per game).
The Mountaineers also rank 58th nationally in rushing defense (141.4 per game) and 65th in red zone defense (.841).
The areas of general struggle are the team’s national rankings of 100th in scoring defense (29.60 per game), 100th in total defense (400.8 per game), 106th in team passing efficiency defense (145.62), and 117th in pass defense (259.4 yards per game).
West Virginia Special Teams
Kicker Kade Hensley only kicks about once a game on average, but has excelled this season as he’s connected on 9-of-11 field goal attempts with a long of 50 yards.
Punter Oliver Straw averages 42.98 yards on 54 punts on the year.
In the return game, wide receiver Preston Fox is the primary specialist in both categories as he averages 21.86 yards on seven kickoff returns with a long of 36 and 8.9 yards on 10 punt returns with a long of 28.
Overall Summary
ASU and West Virginia have only met on the gridiron twice – first, an ASU win in the late portion of the 1979 season and most recently, a deflating loss in the Cactus Bowl in Phoenix following the 2015 season – but WVU’s head coach certainly is a familiar face with quite a bit of unsavory experience in Tempe, as Rich Rodriguez returned to the helm of the Mountaineer football program last offseason.
Rodriguez, as Sun Devil fans know, leapt and hooted and hollered and punt flagged his way to three losses in three tries playing ASU in Tempe as head coach of the Arizona Wildcats, most recently coaching his final regular season game with Arizona in a loss to ASU in 2017.
Rich Rod’s return to WVU has been a rough road so far, though the team faced an absolutely massive roster turnover from 2024 to this season with the coaching change. The Mountaineers started 0-5 in Big-12 play in 2025 but have found some momentum of late as West Virginia enters the weekend following back-to-back wins, first over a ranked Houston team, then over Colorado. At 4-6, Bowl eligibility remains on the table for WVU, but to get there, the Mountaineers will have to sweep the final two games, which come against ASU and Texas Tech.
Despite a highly atypical 11 a.m. Tempe kickoff, ASU has advantages at virtually every position, despite the injury issues the Sun Devils have battled. If ASU is rested and ready after the bye week and takes proper care of the ball, the Sun Devils should be a steady favorite, but if turnovers occur by ASU – an issue potentially exacerbated by weather conditions in Tempe this weekend – the door could swing open for WVU to extend its winning streak to three.
