The WVU football team participated in its annual spring game on Saturday, April 5th, with a new format and event name to tote. Much like the bipolar weather on Saturday afternoon, the team scrimmage offered some bright spots in all three phases of the game, but not without the clouds of persistent penalties and missed assignments looming large. Here are some of the ups and downs that were apparent from the stands. Read more Ups and Downs from the 2025 Gold-Blue Spring Showcase.
Ups
Prior to the scrimmage portion of the showcase, dozens of former WVU football players and staff were recognized on the field. The support that has flowed back into the program over the past three months should be seen as a positive. Notable names in the bunch included the likes of Owen Schmitt and Adam “Pac-Man” Jones, among other Mountaineer greats.
The atmosphere was also a palpable one, all things considered. While no official statbook was posted, the recorded attendance was 10,160. A large crowd also gathered before the Milan Puskar Stadium gates were opened, with the pregame concert and activities drawing in the Mountaineer faithful several hours before “kickoff.”
SEE PHOTOS FROM SPRING GAME HERE
The first portion of the on-field action was a field goal period, where the coaching staff assessed several place-kickers and their ability to kick from increasingly longer distances. Other than two or three misses throughout the entire period, every kicker that got an opportunity hit from at least 40 yards out, with the competition stalling out near the 45-yard line. Overall, an extremely efficient performance from all participants.
Proper scrimmage action got underway with a bang. Returning quarterback Nicco Marchiol launched a 40-yard pass on the second play. Naturally, Marchiol did not get as much playing time as lower-string members of the quarterback room, but he made the most of his reps.
Other standout players on Saturday afternoon include quarterback Max Brown, receiver ManMan Singleton, and safety Fred Perry. Brown transferred in from UNC-Charlotte, Singleton from Eastern Michigan, and Perry from Jacksonville State. Other players made some good plays, but Brown, Singleton, and Perry had their names called time and time again over the loudspeakers.
Downs
While there was plenty for the Mountaineers to hang their hats on after Saturday’s showcase, there were also some glaring issues. The biggest problem of the afternoon was a consistent stream of penalties almost every single drive. Countless false starts, encroachment penalties, and several personal fouls put a damper on many drives that would’ve otherwise been productive. These problems did not go unnoticed by head coach Rich Rodriguez, who made his return to the WVU sidelines after over 17 years.
“I was a little disappointed today at some of the penalties, I mean we had some not very smart penalties at times and that hadn’t shown up too much, you know procedure, you know pre-snap penalties, we should have none of those. I mean we take great pride in not having self mistakes, self-made mistakes, so we’ll get that fixed.” – Coach Rodriguez
Another concern that was apparent from the stands was the defensive secondary. There were multiple plays where the scout team players were getting past the corners and getting wide-open looks downfield. On the bright side, it was just a spring practice. That said, it remains an area in need of substantial improvement before the regular season gets underway. The secondary was a giant liability in the 2024 season, so keep an eye out for that to be a refined group come August 30th when WVU plays host to Robert Morris University in the opening contest.
Final Consensus
The 2025 Gold-Blue Spring Showcase offered plenty for fans to enjoy and remains the momentous event that signals the end of the spring practice season. The 10,160 fans in attendance were delivered an afternoon of fun and football, which is always a recipe for success. There are some areas of the game that need to be polished up, but coach Rodriguez and the rest of the WVU football staff have a solid foundation to build upon heading into the 2025 season.
