After the 17-10 loss to the Ohio Bobcats last Saturday, there were plenty of negative things to look at regarding where WVU football is at. But let’s move our attention away from the negative and look at the positives that we can take away from this game. Here we name an offensive and defensive standout from the Week 2 matchup against Ohio.
Offensive Standout: Jaden Bray
In a messy offensive game with little to no momentum, there is not much to highlight on the offensive side of the ball. However, one player did stand out slightly in the limited impact he had on the game before leaving due to an injury. Unfortunately, WVU fans will not be able to see Comeback Player of the Year candidate Jaden Bray the rest of the season, as it was announced on Monday that he would miss the remainder of the season with his foot injury.
Before leaving the game with an injury, Bray did leave his mark on the game. He ended the game with four receptions for 69 yards (17.25 yards per catch). Including his long catch of 45 yards on a completion on WVU’s first possession of the second half, early in the third quarter. In just under two full games, left the Ohio game early with his foot injury, the former Oklahoma State Cowboy, Bray, has seven receptions for 95 yards, averaging 13.6 yards per catch.
Outside of Bray, there was not much going on for the WVU offense. Star running back Jahiem White left the game early with an injury as well. Nicco Marchiol did not look the best in his outing against the Bobcats. Wide receiver Cam Vaughn did not have a bad game, but with a struggling offense, he did not see too many opportunities to make a difference.
Defensive Standout: Fred Perry
This selection for the defensive standout in the WVU versus Ohio game was a difficult pick to make. This was a two-horse race and honestly could have been picked either way. Both players were flying around on the field and making plays on defense. Ultimately, the selection was safety Fred Perry. Perry, a Vienna, Georgia, native, was just about everywhere on the field. Mountaineers fans expected to see that high-level, high-energy, fast-playing Perry to make an impact on this defense when he transferred from Jacksonville State, following his head coach, Rich Rodriguez, to WVU.
The former Jacksonville State Gamecock recorded 10 total tackles (six solo tackles), two tackles for loss, one sack, and two pass breakups in the 17-10 loss to Ohio on Saturday. Perry was a heavy contributor to the Mountaineer defense on Saturday. On the season, Perry has recorded 15 total tackles (nine solo tackles), two tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hit, and two pass breakups. Perry was relatively quiet in WVU’s first game of the season against Robert Morris, but had his first breakout game wearing a WVU uniform in Saturday’s loss.
Honorable Mention: Chase Wilson
Chase Wilson accumulated seven total tackles (five solo tackles), two tackles for loss, two sacks, and one interception. Wilson did a little bit of everything for Zac Alley’s defense on Saturday. Getting several tackles in the backfield for a tackle for loss or a sack, as well as getting an interception on Ohio’s quarterback, Parker Navarro. Wilson was very deserving to be named defensive standout as well as Perry, as both of them had great games in the loss.