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WVU Football Inches Closer to Respectability in ESPN FPI Following Arizona Win

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WVU Football Head Coach Neal Brown and Sean Martin
Kelsie LeRose / WVSN

WVU enters their second and final bye week of the regular season back inside the top 5o of the ESPN FPI (Football Power Index). The Mountaineers improved five spots after plummeting to their worst placement of the season last week following their 45-18 loss to Kansas State.

Traveling across the country and returning with a 31-26 win over Arizona has West Virginia at No. 48, sitting just behind Army and just in front of fellow Big 12 school Arizona State.

Despite being banged up and without several key starters, WVU managed to control most of the game and then hold on for a victory in Tucson on Saturday night. Nicco Marchiol, who was experiencing a homecoming having played high school football in Arizona, was composed and played well throughout the game. Marchiol completed 18-of-22 for 198 yards and a couple touchdown passes in the game. He also added 39 yards on the ground.

Head coach Neal Brown was fired up about the type of character his team demonstrated in the win.

“Over 2,000 miles traveled after a really tough stretch and our guys’ backs against the wall. A lot of negativity, a lot of adversity, we come out here without three of our four captains, three of our four captains don’t make the trip, but we come and just fight. And I think it’s a credit to our guys. Y’all have heard me talk about the character of our team. Our character of our team is really good,” said Brown.

WVU HC Neal Brown Fired Up in Support of Team After Win at Arizona

“We wanted to be better than 2-2, but we went 2-2, and now it sets us up for a November stretch. We need some time to heal up, we got to get away and rest and recover for a few days, but then we get back, and that November stretch is going to be critical. How we finish is going to really matter. We’ve got to continue to win, stay in the conference race, I think that’s the big picture of it.”

Brown and West Virginia advanced to 4-4 (3-2, Big 12) as they are in their final bye week of the season. Following the bye is a winnable slate of four games to close out the regular season.

For a related story, Mike Asti talked with WVU fans during a postgame show after the Arizona game.

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