West Virginia plays host to Duquesne Saturday night in Morgantown.
Our staff predicts the game and gives their take on why they think that team will win.
Ashley O’Brien: West Virginia gets their much-needed first win and first home win of the season. It’s not perfect and it’s not pretty at times, but the song will be sung Saturday night in Morgantown. Garrett Greene will hopefully continue to look more confident and comfortable, and Nicco Marchiol will likely see some fourth quarter snaps. A much-needed win for the Mountaineers as they kick off a three-game home stretch.
West Virginia 42, Duquesne 21
Wesley Shoemaker: The Mountaineers are going to win, it’s just by how much. FCS get-right game ahead of a tough three-game stretch to close September. Things I’m going to look for is this offense getting in rhythm. The defense battled against a top tier offense in Penn State last week, but now it’s time for the offense to figure things out and against Duquesne is the perfect time to do it.
West Virginia 45, Duquesne, 7
Aaron Parker: For the first time since 1935, Duquesne will make the 75-mile trip down from Pittsburgh to challenge the Mountaineers. After a tough challenge against the No.7 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions, West Virginia will need to build some confidence before big games against Pitt and Texas Tech at home. West Virginia needs to get out in front early and assert their dominance against the FCS opponent, as the rest of the schedule will prove to be deep. I think Garrett Greene needs to establish some more connections with his wide receivers, as every receiver besides Devin Carter combined for 72 yards against the Nittany Lions. I also think getting running backs Justin Johnson and Jaylen Anderson going will help in the long run when Big 12 defenses focus their game plan towards slowing down CJ Donaldson. I think WVU jumps out early, and seizes the opportunity to get into the win column against the FCS opponent.
West Virginia 52, Duquesne 17
Patrick Reneau: I think West Virginia bounces back this week and gets past some of those Week 1 issues. I see the offense being able to flow much smoother throughout the game. I think the defense will get some stops early on to gain some confidence for the rest of the game.
West Virginia 48, Duquesne 10
Mark Wratchford: After falling at Penn State last week, West Virginia has their home opener this week against FCS foe Duquesne. Given that it is a Power Five team going against an FCS opponent, this should be beating a team you’re supposed to beat. However, Duquesne has been competitive against FBS competition in recent years, with a notable highlight being an upset win over Ohio in 2021. But I think West Virginia will remain undefeated against FCS competition.
West Virginia 45, Duquesne 7
Korey Moore: After their 49-7 dismantling of Edinboro last week, Duquesne will expect to make noise in this game, but there’s no reason for this to be the case. WVU should take advantage of the Dukes’ offensive inconsistencies and stay strong on the other end to make this a convincing victory. I am uncertain of the Mountaineers’ ability to keep heavy offensive momentum throughout the game, so my score is not as high as others may predict.
West Virginia 34, Duquesne 6
Bryce Cohen: West Virginia finally gets to kickoff at home against Duquesne. After a lackluster showing at Beaver Stadium against Penn State, expect Garrett Greene to settle in against the Dukes’ defense. Penn State quarterback Drew Allar exposed the Mountaineer secondary, which will be a factor to watch out for as they try to patch up any issues from the season opener. Despite the embarrassing show for the Mountaineers last weekend, this will be a fun one for all West Virginia fans.
West Virginia 45, Duquesne 3
RJ Rice: West Virginia gets a much-needed bounce back after a tough loss in Happy Valley. The pass game will also finally start to form and we will see what some of these receivers are made of. The rushing attack will still power West Virginia through led by CJ and Jaylen. Garrett Greene’s dual threat ability will be too much for the Dukes in a blowout for the Mountaineers.
West Virginia 56, Duquesne 14
