The West Virginia football team fell at home to No. 8 Penn State to the tune of 34-12.
The Mountaineers fell to 0-1 on the season and WVSports.com takes a look back at what unfolded in our weekly feature The Day After.
HOT:
Special teams. It's the only area of this game where West Virginia wasn't soundly beaten. The Mountaineers covered kickoffs well, did not allow a punt return, and booted the ball well in the punt game with two down inside the 20-yard line. Michael Hayes also made both of his field goals and the unit handled their business on a day when so many other parts of the team simply did not. It wasn't the best but on a day like this, it was one of the bright spots for West Virginia.
The crowd. West Virginia showed out all weekend but the game day atmosphere definitely delivered on a hot day where there truly wasn't a lot to cheer about. There was a big-time game energy in the stadium and while it didn't end the way that fans wanted it to, the atmosphere certainly did with a large crowd in-tact.
Josiah Trotter and Anthony Wilson. The two combined for 19 tackles and both stood out during the course of the game. Trotter made his presence felt and was constantly around the football, while Wilson flashed the improvement that has been discussed the entire off-season after a year in the program. On a day where not a lot of players stood out those two made enough plays to warrant some attention.
Wyatt Milum. Yes, he left the game at halftime due to body cramping but he played very well in the first half and kept the impressive Penn State defensive ends at bay. There was a noticeable drop-off when Milum left the game.
NOT:
West Virginia's offense. The Mountaineers turned the ball over three times including one where the pre-snap shifting and motions directly led to the miscue. The offense mustered just 246 yards, the lowest since beating Pitt last year, and the Mountaineers managed just 85 yards on the ground. West Virginia had 12 possessions and managed just 12 total points and this is almost a top to bottom deal.
The final defensive series of the first half. Trailing 13-6 with 37 seconds left in the half, the Mountaineers just had to make a stand and would go into the locker room with some momentum after a first half where they struggled to get much going. That wouldn't be the case as after stuffing a run on first down, Drew Allar would complete a 55-yard pass to Omari Evans thanks to a push-off on the play. Then on the ensuing snap, Allar would drop in an 18-yard touchdown toss. It put the score at 20-6 and really seemed to be a deflating moment entering the half.
The second half. Even after that gut punch entering the locker room, West Virginia still only trailed by 14 points. But it never got any closer as Penn State would outscore the Mountaineers 14-6 in the second half and kept them from ever making the game interesting. West Virginia mustered just 83 yards and 11 rushing yards.
The delay. There was a 2:19 weather delay due to lightning that really sapped what was left of the crowd with a lot of rain and strong winds. Once that had ended there was a sizeable chunk that stuck around, but the stadium certainly wasn't full.
DEFINING MOMENTS:
3rd and 6 at WVU 41. West Virginia was facing their first third down of the game after taking the ball after the toss. The Mountaineers decided to go conservative with a screen pass to Kole Taylor that didn't net any yards and left the opening possession empty.
1st and 10 from PSU 33. After The Nittany Lions picked up a first down, Drew Allar was unable to collect the snap, and the ball was pounced on by TJ Jackson for the first turnover of the game.
1st and 10 from PSU 28. On the next snap, West Virginia had their own mistake with the snap hitting Jaden Bray coming across in motion and the ball was recovered by Penn State near midfield giving the Nittany Lions the ball right back and letting that turnover go to waste.
3rd and 6 from WVU 24. After a bad snap once again put the offense in a difficult situation at 2nd and 21, the Mountaineers were able to get it into a manageable situation. Greene would connect with Hudson Clement for 20 yards to move the sticks.
4th and 1 from PSU 26. West Virginia rolled the dice on fourth down and Greene was able to take the ball to the left side and will himself to a first down when it seemed as if it was walled off to continue the drive in a scoreless game.
4th and 1 from PSU 15. The Mountaineers once again rolled the dice and lined up for it on fourth down but this time Greene was stuffed by the Nittany Lions short to give the ball back.
1st and 10 from PSU 49. At the start of the second quarter, Penn State was able to strike on a 50-yard touchdown toss to Harrison Wallace to give the Nittany Lions a 6-0 lead. But Penn State elected to go for two and was unable to convert keeping the score the way it was.
4th and 4 from WVU 27. West Virginia had a chance to get off the field deep in their own territory, but Tyler Warren caught a seven-yard pass and on the next play, a dump-off to Kaytron Allen would put the Nittany Lions ahead 13-0 with 9:46 left in the first half.
4th and 6 from PSU 20. After driving 55 yards, West Virginia had to settle for a 38-yard field goal to make the score 13-3 with 6:15 remaining in the half.
3rd and 9 from PSU 22. After the score, West Virginia was able to force the Nittany Lions into a three-and-out with an incompletion that gave the Mountaineers the ball back at their own 36.
4th and 1 from PSU 30. The Mountaineers lined up for it yet again and this time CJ Donaldson was able to churn out just enough to move the sticks and keep the football with 1:12 remaining.
4th and 2 from PSU 21. After the offense couldn’t convert, Hughes booted through his second field goal of the quarter to cut the deficit to 13-6 with 37 seconds in the half.
2nd and 10 from PSU 22. After a run for no gain, Penn State quickly lined up and threw the football down the field for a 55-yard gain to set them up at the Mountaineers 18 with just 10 seconds left. The Nittany Lions would then score on the next play, an 18-yard touchdown toss to take a 20-6 lead.
3rd and 7 from PSU 25. After the over two-hour delay, West Virginia held the Nittany Lions to third and long but allowed Allar to step up in the pocket and get a first down. He would do it again on the same drive rushing for ten yards in a third and 8 situation. From there, Penn State would score on a 40-yard touchdown run by Nick Singleton to take a 27-6 lead.
3rd and 7 from WVU 21. After the Mountaineers got the ball back it was yet another three and out as Zane Durant would get to Greene to record a sack and force a punt trailing 27-6.
4th and 10 from the PSU 15. After driving the ball down into Penn State territory, West Virginia’s offense once again rolled the dice trailing 27-6 and was able to hit Hudson Clement for a 14-yard gain to move the ball to the one-yard line. Donaldson would score three plays later to make it 27-12 after the two-point conversion attempt was unsuccessful.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS:
-19. Yards lost on the first fumble of the game which resulted in a turnover.
0 - Points off three West Virginia turnovers for Penn State.
2.3 - Lowest yards per carry for West Virginia since the Texas game in 2022.
3-15 - Neal Brown's record against ranked teams since arriving at West Virginia. He has lost seven of his last eight.
4 - Consecutive seasons that West Virginia has started 0-1.
4-14. West Virginia on third down.
7.6 - Yards per play for Penn State. West Virginia was at 3.7.
8 - Average yards gained on first down for Penn State.
16 - Consecutive games that West Virginia had rushed for 140+ yards until Penn State held the Mountaineers to just 85 yards Saturday.
13,090 - Days since West Virginia last beat Penn State in 1988.
62,084 - The most attended home game of the Neal Brown era.
GAME BALL:
Josiah Trotter. The redshirt freshman was the best defensive player on the field for West Virginia and finished with 10 total tackles and one of two pass breakups. Trotter was active and around the football showcasing some of the traits that made him such a popular breakout candidate in the pre-season. This honor could have gone to Wyatt Milum but he was only able to finish half of the game.
BIGGEST QUESTION/CONCERN MOVING FORWARD:
Where does this team go from here? This team isn't as bad as they played against Penn State and that's perhaps the most shocking part about the result. The Mountaineers came into this game riding a wave of momentum with the eyes of the college football world centered around Morgantown and the Mountaineers simply couldn't get it done.
West Virginia struggled in almost every facet of the game and head coach Neal Brown made it clear that the effort simply wasn't good enough, especially against a team that caliber. But it's not that West Virginia lost that is going to bother people, it's the fact that the Mountaineers really didn't even give themselves a chance.
The focus now has to be to regroup and make the necessary improvements in order for this team to try to get to where they want to be at the end of the season. This team has to prove it moving forward, but it starts with better all-around efforts than what just unfolded as the Mountaineers were soundly beaten in at least two phases on the field.
This team still has all their goals ahead of them but it starts with responding.
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