The West Virginia Mountaineers will cross over the border into the state of Ohio for a matchup with the Ohio Bobcats on Saturday, September 6th at 4pm ET on ESPNU. Though the details might indicate that it is a trap game for WVU football, don’t tell Rich Rodriguez that. So let's set the scene for Week 2 with some over-under totals to look for in the game between the Mountaineers and Bobcats.
1. 21.5 - Carries for Jahiem White
Undoubtedly, Jahiem White is the featured back in the WVU offense. The impressive junior, who has already spent two seasons at WVU, has a lot of responsibility carrying the workload in Rich Rodriguez’s offense. The line for White’s carries against Ohio is set at 21.5. In the 45-3 victory over Robert Morris, White had 18 carries for 93 yards and 2 touchdowns. White’s career-high in carries came during his freshman campaign in 2023 when he carried the rock 21 times, exploding for 204 yards on the ground against Cincinnati. He also caught one pass and took it the house for a 75-yard score.
It is too early in the season to tell just how many carries the rest of the running back room may get on a weekly basis. Rodriguez referred to the running back situation (as far as who will be getting in-game reps) as “to be determined” in his Tuesday press conference. Expect White to get a heavy dose of carries, especially if this one is as close as Vegas indicates that it may be. I'm taking the over here, and predict Jahiem White to see a career-high in carries.
2. 15.5 - Carries for Nicco Marchiol
Starting quarterback Nicco Marchiol had 13 carries for 56 yards and one touchdown against Robert Morris in Week 1. The 6’2”, 235-pound quarterback believes he is up to the challenge of running the ball consistently in Rich Rod’s offense. In 2024, Jacksonville State's QB had totaled 1,344 yards under Rodriguez. He had 12 or more carries in 12 of 14 games for the Gamecocks last season.
While Marchiol certainly isn’t expected to meet those numbers for the Mountaineers, he does play the same position in the same offensive system. If Marchiol is the primary (if not only) quarterback again on Saturday, take the over for Marchiol on this one.
3. 1.5 - Touchdown Receptions for WVU Wide Receivers
Marchiol was efficient in Week 1 by completing 85% of his passes; but he had just one touchdown pass, and it was to Cam Vaughn on a deep ball. WVU had five touchdowns on the ground, and you might argue that that is just the way Rich Rodriguez likes it. Take the under here. This isn’t to say that Marchiol won’t find running backs or tight ends for touchdowns. This line is only for West Virginia wide receivers. Against the defending MAC Champions, expect Rodriguez’s offense to seek to establish the running game early and often. If they have success, they won’t drift away from it.
4. 332 - Total Yards for Ohio QB Parker Navarro
Navarro, the Ohio Bobcats' signal caller, has captured the attention of the West Virginia Defensive Coordinator, Zac Alley. During Tuesday’s press conference, Alley spoke to a desire to keep Navarro in the pocket.
"He's a top five quarterback in the country when he’s outside of the pocket. He’s unbelievable when he’s on the move," Alley said.
That is high praise for a senior quarterback who ran for 18 touchdowns in 2024. In Ohio’s upset bid that came up short against Rutgers, Navarro passed for 239 yards and ran it for 93 yards, good for a total of 332 yards. The question is, will West Virginia’s defense, led by Zac Alley, hold Navarro to less total yardage than the Scarlet Knights did? Take the under here with the hope that Alley will have his defense ready to roll against Navarro and company.