Another Penn State football season is less than a week away.
There have been plenty of instances over the years where Penn State has opened the season with a “cupcake” opponent that presented no threat.
This is not one of those year’s.
Penn State will start 2024 by taking on what should be a solid Power Five squad on the road in a hostile environment.
Here are five things to know about the West Virginia Mountaineers.
PENN STATE OPPONENT HAS INCREASED EXPECTATIONS
Last season, many wondered if WVU would fire coach Neal Brown afterward. Now, West Virginia is thought by some to be a Big 12 sleeper. Going 9-4 will do that to a program’s vibe, and West Virginia knows that a win over Penn State could propel the programs to heights it hasn’t reached in more than 15 years, when Pat White was running the show. If West Virginia is to beat Penn State, it will need a big performance from its quarterback. Fortunately for WVU, it has a good one.
PENN STATE VS. GREENE ACRES
Not too many Penn State fans had heard of Garrett Greene before last year’s matchup under the Beaver Stadium lights. Although his team lost by 23, Greene showed toughness, ending the night with 71 yards rushing and a touchdown on 15 carries and going 16-27 for 162 yards passing. This proved to be the beginning of a solid season for Greene. Greene ended the year with a 15-4 touchdown-interception ratio and a QBR of 75.8 that ranked 20th in the country. He added 708 yards and 23 touchdowns on the ground, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. Greene is one of America’s best dual-threat quarterbacks and will be a handful for Penn State. But a big key to Grenee’s success was the offensive line, of which WVU will have to replace some muscle.
PENN STATE OPPONENT HAS BIG SHOES TO FILL (LITERALLY)
West Virginia’s bread and butter last season was its offensive line. Two of the line’s most important members— center Zach Frazier and tackle Doug Nester— have moved onto the NFL. Frazier went to the Steelers in the second round and now is the team’s starting center. Nester went to the Vikings as an un-drafted free agent.
But West Virginia returns five players that started games on the OL last season, including veteran Wyatt Milum, a 6-foot-6, 317-pound tackle who was a second-team All-Big 12 selection last season. West Virginia also returns Brandon Yates, a 6-foot-4, 311-pounder who’s started 33 games for WVU at multiple positions and now is succeeding Frazier at center. Penn State’s defensive line, led by defensive ends Dani Dennis-Sutton and Abdul Carter, is one of the team’s strengths, so this will be a good battle.
DYNAMIC DUO
The best two running backs in Milan Puskar Stadium Saturday afternoon will be wearing white. Penn State’s Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen could be the best duo in America by season’s end, and there won’t be many games, if any, where Penn State doesn’t have the edge on the ground. But don’t sell West Virginia short, either. Jahim White (842 yards, four touchdowns, 7.7 YPC in 2023) and CJ Donaldson Jr. (798 yards, 11 touchdowns, 4.7 YPC) are back from last year and would be dangerous enough without Greene’s capabilities as a dual-threat. Last year in Happy Valley, Donaldson and Greene combined for 162 yards and two touchdowns on 33 carries. The fact that White didn’t get any carries in that game should be concerning for Penn State fans. But as mentioned above, PSU has one what could be one of America’s best defensive lines. We’ll see if they’re up to the challenge.
‘A HORNET’S NEST’
West Virginia has long been known to have one of college football’s rowdiest environments. Although James Franklin hasn’t coached Penn State in that environment, but coached there three times as an assistant with Maryland.
So he has an idea of what to expect.
It’s a hornet’s nest,” said Franklin when asked about starting the season on the road against West Virginia at Big Ten Media Days on Wednesday.
“They take a lot of pride in their football team. They’ve got no pro team, so it’s all about West Virginia, all about Morgantown. So it will be a great environment to play in.”
