West Virginia Mountaineers Preview 2024
Head coach Neal Brown finally had his breakthrough campaign after four seasons of battling. The pieces were in place, the formula started to work, and it should all keep on going even if the schedule is a tad tougher overall.
2023 was the first season with more than eight wins since 2016 and just the third since 2007, but they caught a break that Pitt, TCU, UCF, Cincinnati, and Baylor were all down.
They can’t count on that this time around, but everyone else can’t count on the Mountaineers going back to just being average.
This is a good, sound veteran team with a terrific backfield, strong enough receivers, and one of the best offensive lines in the new Big 12 this side of Utah.
If that all works again, and the defense can simply hold serve - West Virginia was 9-0 when allowing fewer than 38 points, 0-4 when it didn’t - it’ll be another great season, even if the record doesn’t quite reflect it.
NOTE: The previews were published early this summer. We tried to catch the changes, but if we missed anything, please let us know at @ColFootballNews and we'll fix it right away.
West Virginia Preview 2024: Offense
- Offensive line, offensive line, offensive line. Why did West Virginia start to turn it around last year? The O line was terrific. It allowed just ten sacks, the ground game finished third in the nation, and the team usually dominated the time of possession battle. Around LT Wyatt Milum and C Brandon Yates, the front five should be a force again for …
- The running backs - they’re going to shine. Smallish speed back Jaheim White turned into a find late in his freshman year - finishing with 842 yards and four scores - but it’s 6-2, 238-pound CJ Donaldson who’s the tone-setter. He’s a basher with 19 touchdown runs in his first two seasons, and …
- QB Garrett Greene can move. Leading receiver Devin Carter is gone, but the passing game should be good enough with Oklahoma State transfer Jaden Bray coming in and tight end Kole Taylor - who led the team with 35 catches - back. Greene ran for 772 yards and three scores, and as long as he’s keeping the mistakes to a minimum - he threw just four picks - the O will go.
West Virginia Preview 2024: Defense
- Pass rush, pass rush, pass rush. It came from everywhere. There wasn’t any one dangerous pass rusher, but the constant pressure - the D led the Big 12 in sacks - worked. There’s an underappreciated group of defensive tackles to work around, but it’s end Sean Martin who should be the standout leader as the season goes on.
- Leading tackler and top playmaker Lee Kpogba is done, but the linebacking corps has a good one in Ben Cutter in the middle with a few transfers helping to bolster the depth. This group’s job is to help get behind the line because …
- The defensive backs are all over the place. Six of the top nine tacklers were defensive backs, and it should be close to that again. The safety combination of Aubrey Burks and Anthony Wilson should be as good as any in the Big 12, and transfer corners TJ Crandall (Colorado State) and Ayden Garnes (Duquesne) fill in the gaps.
West Virginia Key To The Season
Complete more passes. The ground game stirs the drink, and Greene can be a big play passer at times, but the 54% completion percentage was a killer. The Mountaineers were 3-0 when they hit at least 60% of their throws. Just be okay at hitting the midrange passes and the O will crank it up that much more.
West Virginia Key Player
CBs Ayden Garnes, Jr. and TJ Crandall, Soph. Considering how much pressure the defensive front put on the quarterback the pass defense should’ve been a bit better. The Mountaineers allowed 237 yards per game and were hit-or-miss on the big plays - 10 of the 11 picks came in four games. The new transfer corners need to shine right away.
West Virginia Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: CB Ayden Garnes
The 6-0, 175-pound veteran can do it all. Solid at getting into the backfield and strong against the run, he’s most dangerous when the ball is in the air with two picks and 11 broken up passes last season at Duquesne.
Top Transfer Out: DT Tomiwa Durojaiye
Losing defensive tackle Mike Lockhart to SMU hurts the depth a bit, but Durojaiye had big potential after making 23 tackles, 3.5 sacks, and six tackles for loss as a freshman. That’s why Florida State grabbed him.
West Virginia Key Game
Kansas, Sept. 21
It’s the Big 12 opener at home before getting a week off. Coming off games against Penn State and Pitt, and with a date at Oklahoma State to follow, lose this and it’ll almost certainly be a rocky start to the season. The Mountaineers have won eight of the last nine in the series.
- 2024 West Virginia Schedule: 3 Things To Know
West Virginia 10 Best Players
1. Wyatt Milum, OT Sr.
2. CJ Donaldson, RB Jr.
3. Garrett Greene, QB Sr.
4. Aubrey Burks, S Sr.
5. Jaheim White, RB Soph.
6. Sean Martin, DE Sr.
7. Ben Cutter, LB Soph.
8. Anthony Wilson, S Sr.
9. Brandon Yates, C Sr.
10. Jaden Bray, WR Jr.
West Virginia 2023 Fun Stats
- Time of Possession: WVU 32:41 - Opponents 27:19
- Penalties: Opponents 82 for 737 yards - WVU 67 for 604
- Punt Return Average: WVU 10.2 - Opponents 0.2
West Virginia 2024 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
The Mountaineers might not hit the nine-win mark of last year, but they’ll be a tough out each and every week.
They’ll struggle early with Penn State to kick things off and brawl at Pitt a few weeks later, but they should settle in with a few good home wins early on - Kansas and Iowa State - to offset the battles on the road.
The offense will once again control games on the ground, the rested defense should be okay - even if it doesn’t dominate - and the kicking game should be among the best in the Big 12.
Don’t be disappointed by the step back in wins. The teams on the slate that were pushovers last year won’t be so easy this time, but the team will go bowling without much of a sweat for the fourth time in five years.
Set The West Virginia Win Total At … 6.5
Likely Wins: Albany, Baylor
50/50 Games: at Pitt, Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, at Cincinnati, UCF, at Texas Tech Likely
Losses: Penn State, at Oklahoma State, at Arizona
2024 West Virginia Football Schedule
Aug 31 Penn State
Sept 7 Albany
Sept 14 at Pitt
Sept 21 Kansas
Sept 28 OPEN DATE
Oct 5 at Oklahoma State
Oct 12 Iowa State
Oct 19 Kansas State
Oct 26 at Arizona
Nov 2 OPEN DATE
Nov 8 at Cincinnati
Nov 16 Baylor
Nov 23 UCF
Nov 30 at Texas Tech
Missing: Arizona State, BYU, Colorado, Houston, TCU, Utah
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