No. 8 Penn State at West Virginia quick-hitting bullet-point game preview (2024)

Who: No. 8 Penn State @ West Virginia

When: Saturday, Noon Eastern

Where: Mountaineer Field, Morgantown, W.Va.

Series: 61st meeting; Penn State leads 49-9-2

Watch/Listen: TV, streaming, radio information

Caesars Sportsbook Line: Penn State -8.5 (Aug. 27)

Caesars Sportsbook Over/Under: 51.5 (Aug. 27)

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MH: On paper, Penn State has a schedule that seems to line up well. In the new-look Big Ten, PSU will have UCLA and Washington at home and heads out west to face USC. This opener is the opportunity to pick up early momentum with the latest in a line of opening games on the road (four out of the last five). At No. 8, there is seemingly a lot of national confidence in the Lions coming out of the preseason, so this game is an opportunity to show that it is deserved.

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ND: West Virginia finished last season strong and capped it with a decisive win over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. Sixth-year coach Neal Brown is looking to challenge for a conference title in the new-look Big 12. He has the pieces in place to make a run at it, but getting off to a strong start at home is the confidence-builder that the Mountaineers really need.

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MH: We're right back to where we ended last season with all eyes on quarterback Drew Allar. Has he improved in his game execution? And what does new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki's revamped offense do to elevate Allar? While fans will undoubtedly be interested in the third edition of the Kaytron Allen/Nick Singleton duo at running back, a major key for this offense will be on the wideouts with Harrison Wallace, Liam Clifford, Omari Evans and transfer Julian Fleming. Are they able to create separation, run crisp routes and provide target opportunities for Allar?

Defensively, with Dominick DeLuca, Kobe King and Tony Rojas battening down the linebacker unit, it will be worthwhile to see how they fare in early run support and coverages. And how does new coordinator Tom Allen use their abilities to create chaos for opposing offenses?

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ND: West Virginia had the third-best rushing attack in the nation last season (228.9 ypg) and all three primary ball-carriers are back. Jahiem White has the jets, CJ Donaldson is physical between the tackles and QB Garrett Greene is a better runner than he is a thrower. These three runners give The Mountaineers a chance to win just about every game.

Defensively, Sean Martin is a speed end rusher, but I really like this secondary. They return Aubrey Bucks and Anthony Wilson at safety and add a couple of good looking transfers in TJ Crandall and Ayden Garnes. If the PSU passing game is not sharp, these guys can give Allar trouble.

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MH: This type of early game largely comes down to the line play on both sides of the ball. If Penn State's eight-man offensive line rotation can keep the pass rush atbay, give Allar adequate time to make decisions and open up marginal holes for the Singleton/Allen duo, it will take the pressure off Allar and not force him to make rash decisions. It will be interesting to see if Penn State's tradition of heavily rotating defensive linemen continues under Allen. The Lions certainly have the horses up front to do it.

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ND: The Mountaineers have to be productive on first down. The name of their game is to dominate the time of possession and to slowly, methodically move down the field. As I mentioned, Greene is a better runner than passer, and they do not want to be in obvious passing situations — especially against what will likely be another strong PSU pass rush.

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MH: Despite question marks around the passing game, I suspect that Kotelnicki will have Allar and the wideouts working early on to settle them in and build comfort. Given this, I am going to predict that the unit, along with TE Tyler Warren, go for 250+ yards through the air and a pair of scores. Defensively, watch for a score from Tom Allen's crew.

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ND: West Virginia will exit the first quarter with a lead and that will be the only points that the Mountaineers score in this game. PSU being on the road with new coordinators will have the Lions trying to figure things out while West Virginia will just run the ball right down PSU's throat until the new DC Allen figures out how to stop it starting in the second quarter.

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MH: It should be interesting and fun to see what the fresh offensive and defensive coordinators can do with Penn State's level of depth and talent. I expect it to take a few drives for both sides to settle in against a rowdy WVU crowd, but this should be a game the Lions manage well once they get into a groove and get a variety of weapons on both sides into the mix.

PREDICTION: Penn State 27, West Virginia 13 (PSU -14, 40 total)

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ND: The Mountaineers had one of the best rushing attacks last year and they have all the pieces back this year to be dangerous. The PSU defense will be strong and will prevent WVU from really rolling. The WVU secondary is good with two strong safeties and a couple of transfers, so look for PSU to lean on the run game to control the clock and take the crowd out of the game. Slow and steady win.

PREDICTION: Penn State 24, West Virginia 10 (PSU -14, 34 total)

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