
Welcome to The Shotgun/Throwdown, your daily West Virginia sports roundup (that we didn’t already talk about in another article) with some sophomoric humor and daily distractions thrown in for good measure. And if there’s something we missed, be sure to talk about it in the comments.
FOUNDATION FIRST
Wren Baker isn’t measuring success by the scoreboard this fall. WVU’s athletic director says his evaluation of Rich Rod goes well beyond wins and losses, especially in a year where more than 70 new players and an entire
staff reset the program. What he wants to see is culture, momentum, and buy-in. Are fans showing up? Are donors energized? Are players pulling in the same direction? That’s what he’ll will be watching.
The schedule plays into it, too. Wren’s not shy about saying the last few years were too much. Eleven power conference games might look good on paper, but it isn’t sustainable. His philosophy moving forward is clear — ten power conference games a year, with one non-Big 12 opponent as the anchor. That’s tough enough to prove WVU belongs without running a gauntlet that drains the team and the fanbase.
That philosophy matters even more now with the SEC moving to nine league games starting in 2026. WVU is set to play Alabama and Tennessee in the coming years, but he’s has already said he doesn’t want the Mountaineers facing 11 P4 teams again. It could also crack the door back open for the Backyard Brawl. Pitt coach Pat Narduzzi has made it clear he wants the rivalry every year, and Wren confirmed he’s already had conversations with Pitt’s new AD about keeping it going. If the Big 12 ever went to eight league games, Baker says he’d love nothing more than an annual series with both Pitt and Virginia Tech.
It’s not just football strategy, either. Baker said keeps coming back to the impact WVU athletics has on West Virginia itself. Football weekends fill hotels, fuel restaurants, and turn Morgantown into a tourism hub. He’s selling a program that can compete on the field and drive the state’s economy at the same time. Wren’s message is pretty simple — wins matter, but the foundation matters more. Build the right culture, build the right schedule, and the rest will come.
MOUNTAINEER ROUNDUP
- Nicco Marchiol says Rich Rodriguez’s offense fits him better than anything he’s run before. He’s played in 19 games, started three, and already has shown he can run the ball with some power. Now it’s about proving he can run this tempo offense at full speed — sprinting back to the line and stacking plays the way Rich Rod demands.
- WVU freshman guard Amir Jenkins is already on campus, and he’s coming in with momentum. Jenkins was named first-team All-Circuit on the Adidas 3SSB 17U circuit after averaging 17.7 points, 4.2 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game. He turned it up in the championships, scoring over 24 a night against some of the top prep talent in the country.
- Former Mountaineer diver Matt O’Neill has been hired as the program’s new head diving coach after a successful run at Harvard, where he coached NCAA qualifiers, All-Americans, and multiple Ivy League champions. O’Neill dived for WVU from 2008-12 and still holds program records on the boards.
- Joe Staffileno is starting his 38th straight season without missing a home game. The Wellsburg native hasn’t missed a kick in Morgantown since 1987 — including the two COVID games when the stands were basically empty. He’s logged 172 home games in a row and still makes the trip from Michigan. His streak rolls on Saturday against Robert Morris.
MOUNTAINEER PROS
- Garrett Greene had his best game yet with Tampa Bay, catching all three of his targets for 18 yards and scoring a late tiptoe touchdown in the Bucs’ third preseason game. He looks like a good bet to make the 53-man roster, but if Tampa lets him go, somebody else will be getting a steal.
- David Sills is making a push to stick with the Falcons. The former WVU All-American has been one of Kirk Cousins’ go-to targets with the second-team offense this summer, and coaches like his versatility and special teams work. Sills hasn’t caught a pass in a regular-season game since 2022 with the Giants, but he’s put himself in position to make Atlanta’s 53-man roster.
- Wyatt Milum is holding his own in Jacksonville. The rookie played 37 snaps in the preseason opener, gave up just one pressure, and even drew praise from coaches for the way he finished blocks. He’s being worked at both guard and tackle, and his versatility is giving him a real shot to stick.
- Will Grier’s name isn’t on ESPN’s 53-man projection for Dallas, but that doesn’t mean he’s out. The Cowboys can cut the veteran QB on paper and then bring him back to the practice squad — just like they once did with Cooper Rush — knowing he’ll be on the Week 1 roster against Philly.
- The Rams released linebacker Tony Fields in their first round of cuts on Sunday. Fields spent four years with the Browns before joining Los Angeles’ practice squad last fall, then signed a futures deal in January. He’s played in 45 career games with 10 starts and 88 tackles.
- Former Mountaineer defensive tackle Fatorma Mullbah was among the Jets’ first wave of cuts. He signed with New York as an undrafted free agent in May and made three tackles in preseason action.
- Doug Nester was among the Steelers’ first preseason cuts. The Kenova native started 36 games in Morgantown, then spent camp with the Vikings before landing on Pittsburgh’s practice squad late last year. He re-signed in January on a futures deal, but that only guaranteed a shot at camp, not a roster spot.
- JJ Quinerly’s rookie season is over. Quinerly sprained her ACL last week against the Sparks and will miss the rest of the year. She averaged 7.6 points per game for Dallas before the injury.
- Ryan Bergert struck out five in 5 2/3 innings for the Royals and left with a 3-1 lead in Detroit on Friday night. The bullpen couldn’t hold it, and the Tigers came back to win 7-5. Bergert is still looking for his first big league win in his debut season.
- JJ Wetherholt stayed hot at the plate for Triple-A Memphis on Sunday, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs in the Redbirds’ win over Gwinnett. That’s back-to-back three-hit games for the Cardinals’ top prospect.
- The Blue Jays have extended Alek Manoah’s rehab assignment as he works back from Tommy John surgery. The former WVU ace has struggled overall in Triple-A Buffalo (7.71 ERA in five starts) but looked sharper in his last outing, giving up just one run in 4.2 innings with four strikeouts. Toronto can use up to two more 10-day extensions, which would keep him on rehab through Sept. 12 before a final decision has to be made.
- Victor Scott II isn’t just locking down center field for the Cardinals — he’s making music, too. The former Mountaineer dropped his sixth album, Not Your Average Rapper 2, on Aug. 14 while putting together one of his best seasons at the plate and grading out as one of the top defensive outfielders in baseball.
AROUND THE LEAGUE (AND BEYOND)
- No. 22 Iowa State spoiled No 17 Kansas State’s trip to Dublin, handing the Wildcats a 24-21 loss on Saturday. Rocco Becht accounted for three touchdowns and sealed the win with a late fourth-down conversion, while Avery Johnson’s 273 yards and three scores couldn’t save K-State. That’s five wins in the last six meetings for the Cyclones.
- ESPN pulled back the curtain on just how expensive it’s gotten to build a roster in the Power 4. Quarterbacks are running $1–2 million a year — with the best pushing closer to $3–4 million — while offensive tackles, edge rushers, and even DBs are commanding seven-figure offers in the portal. Running backs and linebackers still trail behind, but across the board, the price tag for starters has never been higher.
- ESPN put out a list of the their favorite traditions in college football and somehow managed to leave Country Roads off it. Florida State’s horse, Wisconsin’s Jump Around, and worst of all, Sweet Caroline made the cut — but the entire stadium singing Country Roads after a win didn’t?
VIDEO OF INTEREST
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