No. 7 Penn State Hunting for 1-0 Start Versus West Virginia

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – No. 7 Penn State hosts West Virginia under the Beaver Stadium lights on Saturday to launch a highly-anticipated 2023 season.

This 60th meeting between the two Power 5 programs awakens the series from a 31-year nap. Penn State holds a substantial 48-9-2 all-time record against the Mountaineers, who finished 5-7 overall last season under Head Coach Neal Brown.

Now entering his fifth season with West Virginia, Brown is preparing his players to face an avalanche of sound in Happy Valley. In preparation for Saturday, Brown pumped crowd noise from several stadium-grade speakers stationed in Caperton Indoor Facility.

For Penn State, all eyes will be on the Nittany Lions to silence program critics. Since Head Coach James Franklin’s tenure began 10 years ago, concerns swirled around Penn State’s ability to consistently challenge Big Ten powerhouses Michigan and Ohio State.

A Rose Bowl victory over No. 8/7/10 Utah 35-21 and a flurry of transfer portal commits like wide receivers Dante Cephas and Malik McClain generated buzz for the Nittany Lions over the offseason and camp.

On the offense, Penn State looks to solidify its leader at the helm with presumed starter Drew Allar.

Scouting the Offense

Franklin did not confirm a starting quarterback ahead of Saturday’s matchup, but Allar is poised to lead the offense on the ground and in the air. His weapons include running backs Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton, who combined for almost 2,000 yards last season.

Wide receiver KeAndre Lambert-Smith looks to take a big step forward at the starting position. The departures of now-NFL wideouts Mitchell Tinsley and Parker Washington leave prime opportunities for wide receivers like Malick Meiga, Harrison Wallace and Cephas to make their presence known.

The sudden retirement of projected starting left guard Landon Tengwall was the biggest news to hit the offensive line questions for Penn State. Franklin shared his sentiment on Wednesday about Tengwall always being part of the blue and white on and off the field,

“At the end of the day, he is a part of our family – always has been, always will be – that will never change based on the circumstances.”

JB Nelson is projected to take the field in the starting slot. The redshirt junior from Pittsburgh transferred from Lackawanna Community College, which linked NFL safeties Jaquan Brisker and Ji’Ayir Brown before their time in the blue and white.

Nelson appeared in four games in his sophomore season and is looking to make a statement for the offensive scheme.

For West Virginia, junior quarterback Garrett Greene has two starts in 22 career games with the Mountaineers. He leads a relatively young squad that faces a Penn State defense fueled by the pass rush.

Greene completed 55 percent of his passes and has running back CJ Donaldson, who looks to bounce back and make explosive plays after missing much of the 2022 season.

Wide receiver and former Penn State commit Devin Carter should be on the Nittany Lions’ radar. The redshirt junior transfer from N.C. State averaged 16.2 yards per catch and could be a threat to Kalen King and other Nittany Lion cornerbacks.

Scouting the Defense

Under the watchful eye of Manny Diaz, defensive coordinator and linebackers coach, the Penn State defense thrives on disruption. In addition to holding opponents to 21 points or fewer in its last five games of the season, top defensemen return this season ready to prove themselves under the lights.

Linebacker Abdul Carter ranks among the top prospects this year. Totaling 56 tackles with 36 of them unassisted, Carter looks to continue a string of consistent performances beginning with West Virginia in his sights.

Linebacker Curtis Jacobs had only four fewer tackles last season and now returns alongside Carter and Kobe King, ready to turn up the pressure on Greene and West Virginia’s offense.

The Mountaineers lost a major threat in defensive lineman Dante Stills, who was drafted by the Arizona Cardinals in Round 6 of the 2023 NFL Draft. Stills’ departure leaves a gap that West Virginia could fill with Sean Martin.

Recording 34 tackles in 2022, Martin learned under Stills and understands the Mountaineers’ strategy in 12 games played.

Sophomore safety Aubrey Burks looks to increase his production after a successful 2022 season that included 66 total tackles and a sack for nine yards against Texas Tech.

Penn State versus West Virginia kicks off at 7:30 p.m. ET on NBC.

Emma Holtz is a fourth-year majoring in public relations. To contact her, email emma.holtz01@gmail.com