It is just under a week before WVU football kicks off their season at home against number eight ranked Penn State in front of a sold out Milan Puskar Stadium. In leading up to the game redshirt senior and Pennsylvania native, Ja’Quay Hubbard spoke to the media.
Hubbard will be a starting guard for the Mountaineers in the upcoming season and had a decent bit to say about the team coming into town, Penn State.
A lot of Hubbard’s time was spent complimenting talking about the dangers of the Nittany Lions pass rush specifically through the edge rushers. Hubbard also added that the Penn State defensive line will be very good with their hands and are super strong, making them very good at getting off blocks and also stopping the run.
It will be a challenge for WVU to contain the Penn State defensive line. Considered one of the better groups in the country, the WVU offensive line was great last year at keeping quarterback Garrett Greene on his feet in the pocket. They were also one of the best rushing attacking in the country but Penn State will serve as a completely different challenge.
During the press conference, Hubbard brought up how he was from the state of Pennsylvania and knows a lot of guys on Penn State. However, for the redshirt senior it will be personal. Despite being a two-time all-state offensive lineman, a finalist for Pennsylvania’s ‘Mr. Football, and one of the state’s top ranked lineman, Hubbard did not get a scholarship offer from State College.
“I have a lot of respect for what they do up there. Great program, great culture. They do a lot of great things up there at Penn State, but I never had the opportunity to play there. On paper I was the number one offensive lineman in the state of Pennsylvania so I thought that was a little bit different. So I am looking forward to Saturday and seeing what I can do against those guys.”
The theme of the press conference from all who spoke was to get the stadium rocking. Every player and coach knows the national spotlight will be on Morgantown and a sold-out crowd will be at hand. Hubbard expects nothing less than leading up to the game.
“I think the build up will be great. The Blue Lot will be rocking, a lot of anticipation behind the game but I think once the ball is snapped and it’s time to play, it’s time to play.”
WVU will play host to Penn State on Saturday, Aug. 31 at noon E.T. Fox’s Big Noon Kickoff will run their pregame show from Morgantown two hours before kickoff.
