MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — West Virginia head coach Neal Brown has noted his appreciation for straying from the norm in a spring football game.
On Saturday, the Mountaineers did just that during their annual Gold-Blue Game at Milan Puskar Stadium, which the Gold Team won, 34-24.
It wasn’t a quirky point system, multiple players in guardian caps throughout the scrimmage or a lack of live tackling that was abnormal as those have become custom in spring games.
Rather, it was a pair of players from the Golden Era of WVU football returning to help coach in the contest. Former quarterback Pat White worked with the Blue Team, while ex-Mountaineer punter/kicker Pat McAfee coached Gold. White and McAfee played at West Virginia from 2005-08 and the Mountaineers won 42 of 51 games over that time, including 4-0 in bowl games and a 22-6 mark in the Big East Conference.
Both were 2009 selections in the NFL Draft, and White has coached in college and the NFL since his brief professional career ended, while McAfee played for the Indianapolis Colts through 2016 and now hosts one of the more well-known sports talk shows nationally, The Pat McAfee Show.
“We have an open door for guys to come back. The thing that happens is life,” Brown said. “Pat White has four kids. There’s a lot going on, and for him to come, meant a lot. It shows what West Virginia means to him. Pat McAfee was just at the draft yesterday and then comes here.”
A dual-threat throughout three-plus seasons as a starting quarterback at WVU, White is on the short list of the program’s all-time greats and considered by some to be the Mountaineers’ most accomplished player. McAfee handled punting, kicking and kickoff duties during his college career and is among the top specialists to ever play at West Virginia.
Both White and McAfee played their final season at West Virginia under then-head coach Bill Stewart, the father of current WVU tight ends coach Blaine Stewart.
“I’m very thankful for Pate White and Pat McAfee for coming back. Blaine definitely played a role in getting them back,” Brown said. “Wanted to do something where they could be around our players. Pat White’s been coaching and tied up so he hasn’t had an opportunity to get back. It was neat to get him back here and kind of reintroduce him to our players and getting them to understand what a special talent he was. And then Pat McAfee is probably the most recognizable face today from West Virginia. I’m very appreciative of them and it added something.”
As for the game itself, wideout Hudson Clement produced the first of two touchdowns on a 7-yard pass from Nicco Marchiol for the Blue Team. Marchiol’s two-point pass intended for Rodney Gallagher III was then intercepted by true freshman Zae Jennings.
Redshirt freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter intercepted starting quarterback Garrett Greene late in the first half to help position the Blue Team at the Gold 10-yard line, but three plays later on third-and-goal from the 11, Marchiol was picked off by cornerback Ayden Garnes, a recent addition to the program after transferring from Duquesne.
Marchiol was otherwise solid and finished 10-for-19 for 82 yards.
“He’d like to have that throw back. Those are great teaching moments,” Brown said. “You have six seconds and want to make sure you throw it in the end zone or kill the clock and have a chance at three points. He didn’t see him. That’s a teachable moment. He’s very much-improved and one of our most improved players on our entire team.”
The lone Gold touchdown came in the fourth quarter when reserve quarterback Jackson Crist found wideout Preston Fox for an 11-yard scoring strike, with Fox making a high-level catch in the back corner of the end zone while working against cornerback Montre Miller.
Other natural scoring plays included a 44-yard field goal from Michael Hayes for Gold and a 54-yard field goal from RJ Kocan for Gold.
“Going later, we didn’t tackle much, and I wanted to put pressure on our specialists and where they had to perform with all eyes on them,” Brown said. “It’s kind of that first tee mentality. Michael came out and piped one, and RJ made one from 54. He’s had a great spring and that was impressive. [Punter/long snapper] Leighton Bechdel is a phenomenal holder and he hit some big balls in front of Pat McAfee, so that was cool.”
The event, which had an attendance of 18,540, featured a competition kickoff challenge, 1-on-1 competition in route-running and coverage from the 15-yard line, a punt and punt catch competition and a field goal challenge.
Greene finished 8-of-13 for 79 yards, and Gold’s Traylon Ray, a sophomore wideout, was the game’s leading receiver with four receptions for 55 yards.
“I had a good pulse on the team and how they were, but this spring showed me is a good group that just loves ball,” Greene said. “We could tee it up again in 30 minutes or tomorrow and guys would be fired up.”
Linebacker Obinna Onwuka and defensive lineman Elijah Kinsler, both of Blue, were credited with one sack apiece for the only sacks in a game that did not allow contact to the quarterbacks.
“It’s hard to evaluate on defense, just because you’re not bringing guys all the way down to the ground,” Brown said. “It’s a little harder on offense, because you’re not giving guys the opportunity to break tackles. It is what it is. Health is the No. 1 thing. It’s not that tackling gets you hurt — it’s all the bodies on the ground and guys rolled up. This late, I wanted to stay away from it.”
Defensive back Aden Tagaloa-Nelson of Gold intercepted quarterback Scott Kean on the game’s final play.
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During halftime, West Virginia named its 2024 Nickolich Award winner in safety Avery Wilcox.
The award is presented to a walk-on team member to distinguish himself through attitude and work ethic.
Wilcox, a native of Fort Mill, S.C., joins his father Ray Wilcox in winning the Nickolich Award. Ray Wilcox was one of two players to garner the distinction in 1992 — the second year of its existence.
“Knowing my dad went through a similar struggle, it was easier to confide in him and talk to him,” Wilcox said. “He offered me advice throughout the process and other walk-ons, too.”
Wilcox played 120 snaps across all 13 games last season, with all but 23 of those snaps coming on special teams. He also had an interception in a win over Duquesne.
“He really struggled here year 1 from a football playing perspective. Unbelievable work and he’s made himself into a really good special teams player,” Brown said. “He stayed with it. He’s a great teammate and highly intelligent.”
Other active members of the WVU team to have previously won the Nickolich Award include Graeson Malashevich, Nick Malone and C.J. Cole.
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Also during halftime, West Virginia named its 2024 Iron Mountaineer Award winners as Austin Brinkman, Preston Fox, Greene, Sean Martin and Wyatt Milum.
Winners are chosen based on the best testing after winter conditioning measuring the broad jump, vertical jump, bench, squad, power clean lift, 225-pound bench, 40-yard sprint, pro shuttle, three cone, 60-yard shuttle and the 10/20-yard sprint. Winners come from three groups: Offensive line/defensive line, quarterback/running back/wide receiver/defensive back and fullback/tight end/linebacker and specialist. The top performers in each category are selected by teammates.
Eighty-two players have been named an Iron Mountaineer winner since 1996, including 18 recipients of the award more than once.
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West Virginia unveiled new jerseys to be worn during the 2024 season.
The Mountaineers will once again have blue, gold and white jerseys and pants in their regular weekly uniform repertoire. West Virginia becomes the latest team to sport Nike’s Vapor F.U.S.E. uniform chassis, which focuses on zoned breathability, lightweight stretch fabric, shaped collars and mobility sleeves for comfort and range of motion along with thermal regulation for moisture wicking.
“In developing our new uniforms, it was important for us to incorporate our rich history and tradition with modern technology. We also wanted people instantly to recognize that the West Virginia Mountaineers were playing,” Vice President and Director of Athletics Wren Baker said. “I believe our design team and equipment staff along with our partners at Nike did a great job with these uniforms.”
WVU’s new uniform sets will continue to showcase the number and lettering font designed by Nike for the school’s rebranding effort in 2019. Not including the helmets, all jerseys and pants were designed so that they can be matched and worn together, giving West Virginia nine different pant/jersey combinations. The Mountaineers will retain their classic and fan-favorite blue helmet with a gold Flying WV along with a white and gold helmet choice, giving the team endless combinations for game days when you account for the helmet colors.