No. 8 Penn State rolls into Morgantown on Saturday for a highly anticipated matchup to kick off the 2024 season against West Virginia.
The Mountaineers look to play behind their fans and start the season on a high note, while the Nittany Lions are looking to take care of business and avoid the upset.
Our staff gives their prediction:
Ashley O’Brien: This will be West Virginia’s biggest home/season opener since 1998. Penn State has also not played in Morgantown since 1992. Building on last season, WVU returns a lot of experience and production while adding depth in key areas. I predict that this game will be very close with the Mountaineers taking the lead late and holding on to it for an upset win in front of their home crowd. A Michael Hayes field goal is the decider, while the defense makes a crucial stop.
West Virginia 38, Penn State 35
Ryan Roddy: The buildup for this week one matchup has been monumental. The Mountaineer faithful will be loud and proud as they look to play a factor in the outcome. However, defeating Penn State isn’t just a walk in the park. West Virginia will need to be firing on all cylinders with very little room for error. Yet, the Nittany Lions are dealing with three new coordinators, that may cause need for adjustment in real-game scenarios. I don’t expect WVU to walk all over Penn State, but I do predict that in the end they find a way putting the rest of the nation on notice, while sending their fans home extremly happy.
West Virginia 30, Penn State 28
Tanner Mountz: The game will feature many of the same pieces from a season before with WVU’s Garrett Greene and CJ Donaldson. Jahiem White did not play in the game as a true freshman last season and could be the x-factor if the Mountaineers want to pull an upset week one. The Morgantown faithful is going to show up better than they have in recent history to help get behind their Mountaineers and keep them in the game. WVU is faster, stronger, and more athletic than they were a year ago. With the crowd behind their back, the Mountaineers pull off the upset in the rain.
West Virginia 28, Penn State 27
Korey Moore: West Virginia absolutely can win this game. The Mountaineers have the experience, the skillset, and, on paper, the depth, to make things happen, but at the end of the day, Penn State has a top five defense in the country returning a lot of players from last year. For much of last year’s away matchup at State College, scoring came on occasion, not regularly, and there is no reason for me to believe that will change this year. Garrett Greene has the pressure on him to become more of a passing threat, and with that in mind, I would not be surprised if tight end Kole Taylor is used a lot early on for some significant gains before a semi-long throw to a Traylon Ray for the first touchdown of the game. Afterwards, though, Penn State will put on the pressure to minimize the passing game as well while still limiting the running back duo of Donaldson and White, which I expect to be handled well throughout the year but appear confusing in a scrutinized first matchup. If energy alone can win any game, though, West Virginia would be crazy to lose this one, and with a solid mindset going in, the Mountaineers could go for an upset win in Week 1.
Penn State 27, West Virginia 17
