Phil Steele Predicts WVU vs. Arizona & How the Mountaineers Finish the Season

Getting some insight from one of the best minds in college football.

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It's another big-time showdown this week for the West Virginia Mountaineers but under different circumstances. They won't be facing a ranked opponent this Saturday, but they are taking on a team that is just as desperate as them to get back in the win column.

WVU can't afford to enter the bye week with a 3-5 record and on a three-game losing streak. The vibes around the program will be at an all-time low and there's always the fear of some guys checking out with most of the team goals being out of reach.

This morning on In the Gun, we asked college football expert Phil Steele for his opinion on this week's game and if the Mountaineers can bounce back with a strong finish to the season or if this is just who they are at this point.

Thoughts and prediction on West Virginia at Arizona

“I’m disappointed in the outcome last week for West Virginia. I liked West Virginia over Kansas State and I thought they played a really good first half. 12-5 first downs. They got banged up and beaten in the second half, so it was very disappointing for me. If you look at the quarterback situation, I don’t know if Garrett Greene is going to play or not. I do like what I saw out of Nicco (Marchiol) against Texas Tech last year. I used West Virginia in that game and they delivered the win. He’s going back to Arizona, that’s a nice plus for him.

"And I’ve just been not impressed with Arizona all year. You go back to the opening game against New Mexico, they gave up 305 yards in the first half and only led by three. They trailed Northern Arizona at the half. The Kansas State game, Kansas State obliterated them after the first drive. Arizona scored on the first drive, after that it was all Kansas State. You look at the Utah game, Utah had three long drives and that was really the key to them winning on the road. Texas Tech beat ‘em, BYU crushed them, Colorado crushed them.

"Everybody expected big things out of Noah Fifita, he’s got nine touchdown passes, ten interceptions this year. It has been pretty much a one-dimensional offense of late. I think West Virginia is the better team, even banged up. I think West Virginia can go on the road and get the win here.”

Are the last two weeks a sign of things to come for WVU?

“No, I think they just took on two of the best teams in the Big 12. No doubt about it. As mentioned, they showed in the first half. You don’t give up the interception for a touchdown, you score on the goal line at the end of the half, it’s a completely different game. I think they go into the locker room with some momentum. They had a 12-5 first-down edge, a 230-152-yard edge, so they proved that they belonged with the big boys.

"They just played two of the big ones and didn’t have the breaks go their way, especially injury-wise in the second half against Kansas State. I think West Virginia is very capable of finishing off this season strong.”

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