The off-season is at its end and West Virginia won’t be easing into the 2024 campaign with No. 8 Penn State coming to Morgantown for the season opener.
But now all that’s left is the waiting and that’s the hardest part.
“I wouldn’t say anxiety is the right word. I would say just anticipation, ready to roll. It’s been a long off-season, long fall camp, a lot of preparation and hard work has gone into this,” senior offensive lineman Ja’Quay Hubbard said. “So really just trying to display everything we’ve worked on over the last couple months.”
As part of that, the Mountaineers will focus on being relaxed heading into the game and keeping emotions in check even with the backdrop of everything unfolding in Morgantown leading up to the game.
For senior quarterback Garrett Greene admits that it’s different playing at night compared to noon where you don’t have to wait as long after walkthroughs which gives you more time to think about it. But you’ll always have those butterflies a few hours before the game.
“You’d be crazy not to have butterflies going out into that environment but a lot of the calming of my anxiety over the last two years has gone back to my faith,” he said.
But Greene relies on the preparation to get through it.
“Not really, anxiety only comes when you're not prepared I think we’ve done a good job this whole week of preparing well,” Greene said.
Given the fact that the Mountaineers have been squaring off against each other throughout camp, they’re excited for the opportunity to finally square off against a different opponent. Even
Now, all of that will dissipate once the game is underway, but the buildup is something that sometimes is difficult to manage for all involved. Both teams understood who was on the schedule to open the season and the stakes of the biggest home opener in terms of a ranked opponent since 1998.
“The man trip will have thousands of people there. The Blue Lot will be rocking. A lot of anticipation is behind the game but once the ball is snapped it’s time to play,” Hubbard said. “That goes over people’s heads a little but, but once the first play gets underway you’re just playing football.”
The Nittany Lions will present plenty of challenges, especially up front with a defensive line that is well-disciplined, twitchy and has good hand placement. That is again where preparation comes into effect and will be a focus for the Mountaineers heading into this meeting.
“I’ll be fired up like I would any game but when it’s time to hone in on my technique and fundamentals I will be in the right head space,” Hubbard said.
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