It was a tough task for West Virginia to have to go to Happy Valley for week one. Even with the loss, it was not all a negative. Let’s look at what went down with the first game of the season for West Virginia University vs. # 7 Penn State. The Nittany Lions upended the Mountaineers 38-15.
Moving Down the Field
Five minutes into the first quarter, it was clear that WVU’s secondary needs some work. With 10:13 left in the first quarter, the Penn State Nittany Lions made their way down the field. After a consistent drive down the field, Drew Allar threw for 72 yards. KeAndre Lambert-Smith hauled it in for the game’s first touchdown.
PSU’s defensive line constantly stunted WVU’s ability to move down the field. And then there was Garrett Greene’s struggle with pass completion. He was 16-27 for 162 yards total, which doesn’t look good for the junior quarterback. However, you can see some diversity in his management of the position. Greene’s 15 rushing attempts that resulted in 71 yards is a good start to the season. Unfortunately, three sacks and no touchdowns to show for it needs improvement. Some of it is in the offensive line, and some of it is how long he is taking in the pocket.
The Mountaineers had 31:16 possession time, while Penn State managed 28:44. When you win the battle of time of possession, you generally expect better results. So why did the Mountaineers not get more out of their possessions? Some of this lack of forward movement could be play-calling and some could be the offensive line. For all of the advantage on the clock, The Mountaineers were outgained by 168 total yards, (478-310). There were also five penalties for 55 yards, making the offense operate from behind the chains too many times.
While this was by no means a blowout, it begs the question of what changes must be made sooner rather than later. Second, you wonder where priorities will lie when making corrections before next Saturday’s game against Duquesne.
Defensive Struggles
PSU managed 27 first downs and 478 yards against WVU’s defense. Allar finished the game 21 of 29 passing for 325 yards and three touchdowns. The Nittany Lions also averaged seven-and-a-half yards per play. That is far too big of a number for the defense to live with over the course of an entire game. There’s no doubt the defense struggled. But facing a highly ranked Penn State team, it needs to be out there that it’s only the first game.
But as the defense has steadily declined in recent seasons, something must change. The lack of ability to stop the ball is evident in how Allar excelled. He averaged 11 yards per attempt.
WVU has a wealth of options to choose from, including several transfers and freshmen. We could see some new faces among those we saw taking the field last night.
Playing Time
The ball was spread well among those on the receiving end of Greene last night. Receivers Preston Fox, Donaldson Jr., Treylan Davis, and Jeremiah Aaron worked to move the ball. Eight different receivers had catches for WVU.
Freshman Traylon Ray saw time on the field. With two receptions for seven yards, it’s not a bad start. He probably needs to see more action.
A healthy mix of returners, transfers, and a freshman took the field on the defense last night. Linebacker Lee Kpogba led the team with 13 total tackles, (seven solo). Transfer Beanie Bishop Jr. recorded seven tackles and five solo.
The Bright Side
Despite the loss, some players stood out on the field. CJ Donaldson Jr. had 18 carries for 81 rushing yards and one touchdown. There is an upside down the road to be found.
Along with him, Devin Carter had six receptions for 90 yards, Kole Taylor had two receptions for 31 yards, and Jaylen Anderson had two for 15 yards.
Building on these positives is the next step for WVU as they move into week two of the 2023 season.
Photo courtesy: Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK
