Penn State Nittany Lions vs. West Virginia Mountaineers Preview

Tomorrow afternoon, college football will have fully started up, and with the schedule beginning, Penn State will be facing off against West Virginia.

Last season, Penn State ended with a record of 7-2 in the Big 10 East conference and a 10-3 record overall. They finished in third. Their starting Quarterback will be Junior Drew Allar, and their backup will be Beau Pribula. Rushing yards leader Kaytron Allen will be returning, and tackle leader Kevin Winston Jr. will also be back in action. However, Wide Receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith will be playing for Auburn this season.

West Virginia was 6-3 in the Big 12 Conference last season and went 9-4 overall. They finished in fourth place. Senior Garrett Greene will be leading the Mountaineers as the starting QB. Sophomore Nicco Marchiol will fall behind him as the backup. Rushing yards leader Jahiem White will be making a return this season, and so will tackle leader Lee Kpogba.

Who will start this season off with a win?

Photo byAlex KorolkoffonUnsplash

Game Details

Fixture: Penn State Nittany Lions @ West Virginia Mountaineers

Date and Time: August 31st, 2024 @ 12:00 pm EST

Location: Milan Puskar Stadium, Morgantown, WV

Where to Watch: Fox Sports – Fubo

Penn State Team Review

As mentioned, the Nittany Lions finished third in their conference last season. QB Drew Allar threw 2,631 yards and rushed for 210 yards. He had a completion rate of 59.9% and threw for an average of 6.8 yards. His longest pass of the season was 75 yards, he had 25 TDs, two interceptions, and was sacked 15 times. RB Allen rushed for 902 yards with an average of 5.2 yards per rush, and his longest was 50 yards.

Sander Sahaydak is expected to be the team's starting Kicker. He was 0-2 in field goals last season but 7-7 in extra points. The team’s defense was very solid last year, coming in second in total defense and third in scoring defense for 2023. They ranked ninth nationally. The team will most likely continue to be one of the strongest defenses in their conference.

West Virginia Team Review

Garrett Greene threw for 2,406 passing yards last season. Also, he had 772 rushing yards last season, averaging 6.4 yards per carry. His completion rate was 52.9%, and he threw for an average of 8.7 yards, with his longest being 75. He was also sacked five times, threw four interceptions, and 16 touchdowns. RB Jahiem White ran for 842 yards, his longest being 53.

Starting Kicker Michael Hayes II was 81% on field goals and 100% on extra points. His longest kick was 49 yards, and he had 97 points that season. Nationally, the Mountaineers were ranked 34^th in defense, which is a huge leap from 2022.

Who to Watch

Penn State

With Lambert-Smith heading to Auburn, one will most likely see a boost in senior Tyler Warren’s receiving yards as he fell second to the new Tiger Wide Receiver. However, with this being the start of the season all eyes will most likely be on the QB. Drew Allar has a great shot at being drafted into the NFL, as he’s a solid guy. There’s also the fact that he’s 6’5”, which makes him a tanker at the position. A solid 2024 season could help boost his spot in the draft.

West Virginia

Once again, the eyes are going to be on the Quarterback for this one as senior Garrett Greene looks to start off strong in his first game. One of the most noticeable things about Greene’s last season is his fantastic running ability. He was just a few yards back from Running Back CJ Donaldson Jr., which is very impressive. If he can keep his running game strong, he could be a very good pick in the draft.

Article originally written by Elizabeth Della Piana