The first Penn State football game week of 2024 is here! The Nittany Lions last took the field 240 days ago in Atlanta for the Peach Bowl. Now, they are just five days away from opening a new slate of games at West Virginia on Saturday afternoon in front of a sold-out Milan Puskar Stadium in Morgantown.
Get ready for kickoff with our early look ahead to the contest below.
Time and TV info
Kickoff is set for Noon ET. FOX will air the game in its staple ‘B1G Noon Kickoff’ slot. Gus Johnson (play-by-play), Joel Klatt (color analyst), and Jenny Taft (sideline reporter) will call the contest.
Those wishing to stream the matchup can do so on subscription service FOX Sports Live .
What is the Penn State-West Virginia spread?
Sportsbooks opened the line at Penn State -12.5 back in June. It now sits at -8.5 entering game week. For those unaware, that means anyone backing the Lions needs them to win by 9 points or more to win their wager. If the Mountaineers win or lose by eight or less, anyone backing the Big 12 side would cash.
Game week schedule for the Lions
A new schedule, one that took effect late in the 2023 season, is now set for all of 2024. On Monday, head coach James Franklin will hold his first news conference of the week around lunchtime. He will also speak after Wednesday’s practice and during the second half hour of the Penn State Coaches Show on Thursday, which runs from 6-7 p.m. ET. Select players will be made available to reporters on ZOOM or after practice in person Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. And, an assistant coach will chat with the media Thursday morning.
What’s up with West Virginia?
Senior quarterback Garrett Greene returns to lead the Mountaineers in 2024. Like Penn State, the Mountaineers want their offense to run through their talented running backs. CJ Donaldson and Jaheim White are the team’s backfield bellcows, and they will hear their number called plenty on game day. Stalwart offensive linemen Zach Frazier and Doug Nester are no longer with the team. But, standout left tackle Wyatt Milum does return, center Brandon Yates is an all-conference pick, and guard Tomas Rimic is solid, as well. Bill Connelly’s SP+ ratings project the Mountaineers to have a top 25 offense but the defense sits outside of the top 50 in his rankings. If head coach Neal Brown’s team is to win, it will likely need to do so in a high-scoring affair.
West Virginia sits at No. 7 in the preseason Big 12 media poll .
Weather report
The latest weather report “rain showers in the morning with scattered thunderstorms arriving in the afternoon. High 81F. Winds SW at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 40%.”
Early Penn State-West Virginia storylines
–What will the Penn State offense look like on its first series? That’s arguably what Nittany Lion fans care about most at this point. Beyond the obvious of wanting to see Andy Kotelnicki’s attack in action, personnel groupings will be closely monitored, too. Which receivers will take the field first? Who will start at right tackle? And how does second-year starting quarterback Drew Allar look in a hostile road environment? Both teams’ opening drives should be indicative of how this game should play out.
–Who will the Lions go with on their first extra point or field goal try? The placement kicker battle continues. We know Sander Sahaydak and Ryan Barker were outpacing Chase Meyer . Sahaydak will likely be the pick. But, time will tell.
–How will West Virginia players familiar to Penn State fans impact the game? Former top recruiting target Rodney Gallagher should see plenty of action at receiver. And, one-time Nittany Lion Fatorma Mulbah should start at defensive tackle.
–Will Penn State be ready to fire out of the gate? It is a double-digit favorite. But, this is a big road test. If things snowball early, will the Lions be able to handle it?
The post It’s Penn State-West Virginia week: Time, TV channel, early storylines, point spread, more appeared first on On3 .
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