<body><div><figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1BvsJp_0wCjG1bS00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1BvsJp_0wCjG1bS00" width="2048" height="1365" ></figure>MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Garrett Greene hasn’t been at or near his best for much of the 2024 season.After West Virginia’s quarterback threw all of four interceptions on 277 passes a season ago, he has matched that interception total this year over the first three games in Big 12 play on 77 attempts.Add in the two interceptions Greene threw in the final non-conference game at Pitt, and WVU’s senior signal-caller has been picked off six times on his last 95 attempts ahead of Saturday’s 7:30 p.m. home matchup with No. 17 Kansas State.Despite throwing two interceptions in three of the team’s last four games, Greene remains West Virginia’s starter and will appear in his 41st career contest when the Mountaineers (3-3, 2-1) meet the Wildcats (5-1, 2-1) for the right to maintain a winning record in conference play.In the only game Greene wasn’t intercepted over the last four contests, West Virginia had its way in a 38-14 victory at Oklahoma State — a contest that Greene was injured in on a 39-yard run, forcing backup quarterback Nicco Marchiol into action. Marchiol’s only pass that day went for a 10-yard touchdown to wideout Traylon Ray, and the southpaw also rushed seven times for 46 yards against the Cowboys.“If you go across the country, everybody is enamored with the backup quarterback,” WVU head coach Neal Brown said. “We’re very fortunate here because we have one that can play. Are there scenarios where he can play? Yes, there are definitely scenarios where he can play. Has Garrett done enough to lose a job? No. Did he play as well as he needed to [last] Saturday for us to win? No to that as well.“But Garrett’s our starter. Nicco’s a really good player and I really believe that he’s going to be the starter at some point. Garrett’s played well enough. He has to make better decisions. One of the interceptions was clearly pass interference, so I don’t really blame him. The second one was a really poor decision. Nicco has a bright future. We can win games with him. Are there scenarios where he can play and packages? Yes.”Greene was intercepted twice in the second half of last week’s 28-16 loss to unbeaten Iowa State.The first instance came late in the third quarter with the Mountaineers trailing 14-10 when a throw intended for tight end Kole Taylor instead wound up in the hands of the Cyclones’ Jamison Patton. While Brown was adamant Taylor was interfered with on the play, there was no penalty, and after the Mountaineers got the ball back trailing by 11 in the fourth quarter, Greene was intercepted on the second play of the series when his ill-advised throw was caught by Iowa State’s Jontez Williams.Five of Greene’s six interceptions have been thrown with West Virginia trailing, and while the quarterback remains a more than capable runner, his accuracy remains a work in progress.Greene completed 147-of-277 passes last season, and there hasn’t been the significant increase in completion percentage that he’d hoped for.Greene has hit on 90-of-158 passes this year and the completion percentage drops more than 2 percentage points within conference play, where the quarterback has completed 42-of-77 passes.A native of Tallahassee, Florida, Greene has continued to display the running ability that often is a primary focus for opposing defenses. He’s rushed for 382 yards and thre touchdowns on 65 attempts in six games, bringing his career rushing total to 1,776 yards and 25 TDs on 283 carries. Greene scored on 13 runs a season ago while rushing for 772 yards with an average of 6.4 per carry.<figure><img src="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?type=thumbnail_580x000&amp;url=1aMRQi_0wCjG1bS00" alt="https://img.particlenews.com/image.php?url=1aMRQi_0wCjG1bS00" width="2048" height="1365" ><figcaption>Oct 12, 2024; Boulder, Colorado, USA; Kansas State Wildcats head coach Chris Klieman looks on from the sideline during the first half against the Colorado Buffaloes at Folsom Field. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure>“It definitely changes the approach as far as your choice or early down thoughts as far as defensive ends,” Kansas State head coach Chris Klieman said. “You can’t upfield as much because of the quarterback pure run game and the designed runs that they have to be more disciplined on. Last week, we were able to rush the passer more on early down and try to keep [Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders] in the pocket. This guy is going to scramble to run and he scrambles to throw it just as well, but the designed run is the big difference this week and the amount of designed runs they have for him.“He’s really productive with the runs and you can see why, because the tailbacks are productive. When you have three guys that can beat you rushing the football, t’s hard to take one away and not get hurt by the other ones. We have to be really balanced in our techniques up front as well as linebackers.”Kansas State’s rush defense ranks as the Big 12’s best with the Wildcats surrendering less than 72 yards on the ground on average. However, they’ve been vulnerable through the air, and the 268.2 passing yards allowed on average ranks ahead of only Texas Tech among 16 Big 12 squads.Klieman is well aware that regardless of Greene’s struggles recently, the KSU defense faces a significant challenge Saturday in Morgantown against a quarterback whose first career start came against the Wildcats back in 2022 when the Mountaineers made the shift to a more run-oriented approach.“Greene is one of my favorite kids to watch play. I don’t know if I’m going to really like watching him Saturday night,” Klieman said. “He’s a competitor. He makes plays with his arm and makes plays with his legs. Not afraid to run inside. He’ll cut back. He’s not going to run out of bounds or slide very often. Been impressed with him. His first start was against us in 2022, and I was impressed with him then. He’s taken probably about every snap since then. I know Neal has been really impressed with him and you can tell his energy sparks their team.”</div></body>

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As Mountaineers look for better play from Greene, Wildcats’ Klieman knows what WVU quarterback is capable of

MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Garrett Greene hasn’t been at or near his best for much of the 2024 season. After West Virginia’s quarterback threw all of four interceptions on 277 passes a season ago, he has matched that interception total this year over the first three games in Big 12 play on 77 attempts.

As Mountaineers look for better play from Greene, Wildcats’ Klieman knows what WVU quarterback is capable of

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