Score Predictions for West Virginia vs. Arizona

Picking this week's game between the Mountaineers and Wildcats.

West Virginia University tight end Kole Taylor. / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

For the first time ever, the West Virginia Mountaineers and Arizona Wildcats will meet on the gridiron this Saturday in a battle between a pair of desperate 3-4 football teams.

Who gets off the schneid and gets back in the win column? It's time to make our picks.

Schuyler Callihan: West Virginia 20, Arizona 17

I don't know for sure who is going to start at quarterback for West Virginia, but I sense that it will be Nicco Marchiol. Even with Marchiol running the offense, I believe the Mountaineers can win this football game.

Marchiol didn't look sharp last week, but he missed a practice earlier in the week due to injury and didn't receive a lot of reps leading up to the game. With Greene's status clearly in question, he'll receive a bigger workload throughout the week and be more prepared to run the offense.

Also, it feels like this is a good opportunity to get Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson going again. The duo combined for 2.7 yards per carry last week and weren't all that impressive against Iowa State either. Arizona is vulnerable against the run and a big day from those two will lessen the load for Marchiol through the air.

Defensively, the Mountaineers will have their hands full with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, there's no doubt about it. But McMillan has gone six straight games without reaching the end zone and has been up and down this season, much like his quarterback, Noah Fifita.

Arizona will be without starting left tackle Rhino Tapa'atoutai for the remainder of the season, which is a major loss for them. His replacement, Michael Wooten, has played really poorly in all 16 of his pass sets. WVU's defensive front should give Wooten and the rest of the Wildcats' o-line some issues, just as they have against some of the best units in the league.

West Virginia wins a rock fight.

Prediction record: 4-3.

Christopher Hall: West Virginia 34, Arizona 30

West Virginia head coach Neal Brown will likely not announce the starting quarterback until game day after Garrett Greene left the game last week in the loss to Kansas State. However, backup Nicco Marchiol is more than capable of running the offense, and it would be a homecoming for the former Arizona Gatorade Player of the Year.

Arizona has struggled in its inaugural season in the Big 12 Conference with the only win coming at Utah, which at the time, looked like a solid win for the first official league game. Since then, the Wildcats have lost three-straight, and like WVU, they have suffered back-to-back lopsided losses.

Arizona allows 147.1 yards rushing per game and I suspect the Mountaineer rushing attack will have success in the desert, eating up the play clock and adding pressure to the Arizona offense, particularly quarterback Noah Fifita, who has 10 interceptions this season.

West Virginia holds off a Wildcat team desperate for a win 34-30.

Prediction record: 4-3.

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