West Virginia will open the 2024 season at home against a longtime regional rival in No. 8 Penn State at high noon. WVSports.com offers a look at some key elements of the matchup to get you ready for kick off.
In our game preview, we explore key stats and insights, provide a depth chart, share our video breakdown, and offer details on where to watch the game.
Series: Penn State 49-9-2
Last meeting: 2023 WVU 15 PSU 38
Television: 12 p.m. FOX, Gus Johnson (PBP), Joel Klatt (analyst) Jenny Taft (sideline)
COACHES:
James Franklin:
PENN STATE RECORD: 88-39, 11th Year
OVERALL RECORD: 112-54, 14th Year
VS. WEST VIRGINIA: 1-0
Neal Brown:
WEST VIRGINIA RECORD: 31-29, 6th Year
OVERALL RECORD: 66-45, 10th Year
VS. PENN STATE: 0-1
NOTES:
--West Virginia head coach Neal Brown is in his sixth season atop the Mountaineers football program and has gone 31-29 in Morgantown during that time. Overall, Brown is 66-45 as a head coach in his tenth season in that role.
--The Mountaineers are 4-1 all-time in games played on Aug. 31 including 3-1 at home. Neal Brown is 1-0 on that date in Morgantown beating James Madison 20-13 in 2019.
--The 2024 season marks West Virginia’s 132nd season of football. The Mountaineers are the 15th-winningest program in college football.
--The Penn State series is West Virginia’s third longest-played rivalry, with the 2024 game being the 61st meeting between the two schools. WVU’s longest series are against Pitt (106), Syracuse (60), Penn State (60), Virginia Tech (54) and Maryland (53). This is the first time the Nittany Lions have played in Morgantown since 1992.
--No. 8/9 Penn State enters the year as the highest-ranked opponent the Mountaineers have faced in a home season opener since No. 1 Ohio State on Sept. 5, 1998.
--West Virginia is 91-36-4 all-time in season openers (17-7 since 2000/31-12-1 since 1980). The Mountaineers have won 19 of their last 20 home openers.
--WVU is 38-16 in nonconference games since 2010, including 26-1 at home. The Mountaineers are 73- 31 since 2000, including 50-7 at home.
--On West Virginia's roster, the Mountaineers have 45 players who have played in 20 or more games, including 23 on defense and 22 on offense.
--West Virginia is one of four Power Four teams to open against another in the last four years and the only school to play 11 Power Four teams during that span.
--This is the 324th network television game for West Virginia. All time, the Mountaineers are 171-152-1 in nationally televised games.
--West Virginia is 76-100-6 all-time against current members of the Big Ten Conference.
--The 2024 roster consists of 125 players from 24 different states and three foreign countries: Australia (1), Finland (1) and Liberia (1). Leading the way are West Virginia (28), Ohio (17), Pennsylvania (14), Florida (13), Georgia (8), Maryland (7), Virginia (5), South Carolina (4), Kentucky (3), New Jersey (3), New York (3), Alabama (2), Delaware (2), Illinois (2), Oklahoma (2), Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah and Washington.
--Coaching assignments: AHC-OL Matt Moore (Field), OC-RB Chad Scott (Field), DC-OLB Jordan Lesley (Field), Co-DC-Secondary ShaDon Brown (Press Box), ST Coordinator-ILB Jeff Koonz (Press Box), QB Tyler Allen (Press Box), DL Andrew Jackson (Field), WR Bilal Marshall (Field), TE Blaine Stewart (Field) and OLB Victor Cabral (Field).
--Since 1980, West Virginia is 213-29-1 when scoring 30 or more points in a game. Since 2000, the Mountaineers are 70-7 when hitting the 40-point plateau. WVU is 200-7 all-time when scoring 40 or more points in a game.
--In the Neal Brown era, the Mountaineers are 27-8 when rushing for at least 100 yards. West Virginia has rushed for over 140 yards in 16 consecutive games.
--Dating back to the 2002 Continental Tire Bowl in Charlotte, North Carolina, West Virginia has made 19 bowl appearances in the last 22 years, missing only the 2013, 2019, and 2022 seasons.
--Over the last nine years, West Virginia has produced 166 takeaways, No. 38 among Power 5 schools. During that span, West Virginia’s defense tied for No. 25 nationally in interceptions (106) among FBS schools and is tied for No. 16 among Power Five schools.
DEPTH CHART:
Neither team has released a depth chart prior to kickoff.
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