West Virginia football held their annual Gold-Blue Spring Game on Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
The Mountaineers scrimmaged for four abbreviated quarters, with the Gold Team winning, 34-24, with scores from different events included.
Traylon Ray + Preston Fox
Traylon Ray and Preston Fox are two names in the WVU wide receiver room that are going to have to continue to improve. Both guys also had a productive Saturday, as Ray caught a game-high four receptions of 55 yards. Ray showed his size and speed, making multiple cuts in open space.
Preston Fox is a familiar name for WVU, and the Morgantown native had multiple good plays on Saturday. In a 1-on-1 drill, Fox was able to easily beat his defender, and then in the scrimmage work he had a catch in the back corner of the end zone. Fox finished with two catches for 19 yards and a score.
Josiah Trotter
This time last season, Josiah Trotter was sidelined due to being hurt. This time this season, Trotter is showing his potential.
Trotter was a big time recruit for Neal Brown and he’s going to be counted on to produce this season for the Mountaineers. Trotter had an interception today, showing his versatility on defense. Trotter probably could have returned it for a pick-six, but the play was blown dead.
Trotter finished the afternoon with three total tackles to go along with his interception. Trotter redshirted last year due to the injury and will be in his second year with WVU, but his first year playing.
Ayden Garnes
The transfer portal was quite kind to WVU last season, and Ayden Garnes hopes to be a good transfer portal addition this season.
Garnes, who was at Duquesne, showed his ability in the secondary, getting an interception right before halftime. While the interception stemmed from a poor decision from Nicco Marchiol, finishing interceptions were a problem for WVU last season, and Garnes hopes to help solidify a spot in the secondary.
Nicco Marchiol
Marchiol was tabbed one of WVU’s most improved players this offseason and he’s been able to take advantage of that opportunity.
Marchiol threw the one interception, but besides that he was pretty good for WVU. He had 82 yards passing and a touchdown, completing 10 of his 19 pass attempts. Marchiol was used last year and is quite important as the backup quarterback. His development gives WVU a big insurance policy behind Garrett Greene.
