It’s that time of the year again. No. 8 Penn State (-8) will begin its 2024 season at unranked West Virginia on Saturday, the first game of a campaign filled with plentiful opportunities for both programs. The contest is set to kickoff at noon EDT and will be broadcast on FOX.
The storylines are endless. This matchup could serve as a potential dictating factor in the College Football Playoff hopes for both programs. With the playoff field expanded to 12 teams, both the Nittany Lions and Mountaineers have a shot at qualification and beyond.
Penn State is coming off a second consecutive season with a double-digit win tally. Meanwhile, West Virginia finished with a 9-4 record in the most successful year under head coach Neal Brown.
James Franklin was still a quarterback at East Stroudsburg the last time the two teams played in Morgantown in 1988, a 21-point win for the Mountaineers. More recently, the Nittany Lions have held the edge in the once-historic rivalry, winning each of the past five matchups, including a 38-15 victory to open last season.
Here’s a preview and prediction for Saturday’s season opener in Morgantown.
PREVIEW: There are three new coordinators in town for Penn State, but players and coaches do not appear concerned with the novelty. Andy Kotelnicki could be a major difference maker in his first year as the team’s offensive coordinator, and Saturday will be the first opportunity for him to show the Penn State fan base what made him so successful at Kansas.
Kotelnicki is no stranger to playing against the Mountaineers, and neither is quarterback Drew Allar, who threw for a career-high 325 yards and three touchdowns when he faced them in his first collegiate start. Allar has said he feels more confident and comfortable under Kotelnicki’s system, and Saturday will be his chance to prove it.
Penn State’s defense should remain solid under defensive coordinator Tom Allen, however questions do still remain with a cornerback room that experienced serious turnover from 2023.
But West Virginia’s pass game shouldn’t be much of a threat. It’s stopping the running back tandem of CJ Donaldson and Jaheim White and dual-threat quarterback Garrett Greene that should be the focus. And given the strength of Allen’s defensive line and linebackers, that shouldn’t be too difficult.
This game will be decided by Kotelnicki’s offense and whether it finds consistent explosiveness despite lacking a true top wide receiver. The Nittany Lions have weapons in running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen, as well as tight end. It’s just a matter of Kotelnicki utilizing them and Allar finding a connection with his best players early and often.
PLAYER TO WATCH: Nick Singleton broke 100 rushing yards in just one game last season. Expect him to reach the mark on Saturday against a defense that allowed him to rush for 70 in 2023 and would likely be among the worst in the Big Ten. Singleton should be heavily involved in both the run and pass game, and could be in store for a monster performance.
PREDICTION: Penn State 31, West Virginia 21.
