In their season opener, West Virginia lost big to No. 8 Penn State, 34-12.

The Mountaineers start the 2024 campaign 0-1 as there are some big questions moving forward.

Can’t Rely Too Heavily on Run Game

This was also one of my takeaways from the Mayo Bowl. Although Penn State will be arguably the best defensive front and defense overall West Virginia plays all season, the run game simply wasn’t effective Saturday.

West Virginia rushed for just 85 yards after rushing for over 225 yards a game last season. Quarterback Garrett Greene rushed for just half a yard an attempt as Penn State kept a heavy eye on him, finishing with five rushing yards. Jahiem White looked good running the ball in the first half before walking off the field with trainers, dealing with what appeared to be a hand injury, but he was not nearly as effective in the second half when he returned.

CJ Donaldson scored the lone touchdown for West Virginia. However, he did get stuffed a couple of times when the Mountaineers needed a short gain. West Virginia’s offensive line is not at the same level as it was last season, so their pound-the-rock identity from 2023 may have to shift this year if they are unable to improve against tougher opponents and in conference play.

Josiah Trotter

A silver lining in WVU’s brutal loss was that linebacker Josiah Trotter looked really good against a top team in the nation. Trotter took a redshirt year last season and saw his first game action of his collegiate career Saturday.

That being said, it looked like he’d been there before. The redshirt freshman finished as the leading tackler for the Mountaineers with 10 total, five solo and he also picked up a pass defended.

Trotter ultimately just looked the part. Coming from a football family, coaches have said that Trotter’s body is one of the most NFL-ready on the team. It will be interesting to see how he continues to perform this season and how much of an impact he makes on the defense.

Greene’s Favorite Targets

Saturday also showed us who Greene will most likely look to the most in the passing game going forward. Preston Fox and Traylon Ray were the most targeted receivers.

Fox was targeted six times, pulling in two receptions for 41 yards, the most among any Mountaineer. Ray caught the most passes, four, on five targets for 37 yards. Hudson Clement and Kole Taylor were not far behind.

All four of the pass catchers I just mentioned finished in the top five in receiving yards last year for WVU, with the top receiver, Devin Carter, now in the pros. Looking forward, it’s safe to assume that Greene will continue to look for these guys the most in the passing game, especially Fox and Ray.

Looking Forward

After Saturday’s performance, West Virginia can only look to improve. They cannot dwell on a week one loss to a non-conference opponent ranked in the top 10 in the nation for long.

They have a game coming up against an FCS opponent at home and then they play in the Backyard Brawl. These two games can be seen as very winnable for the Mountaineers before they take on the Big 12 gauntlet.

While Neal Brown’s squad’s performance was undoubtedly disappointing, there is major room for improvement. The team should hammer out weaknesses in film and in practice.

Heavy expectations were placed on WVU heading into this game, with an exponential buildup and it may not have been the outcome some expected. However, this does not tarnish the entire season. This could show the Mountaineers the level they need to be at if they want to compete against top opponents on bigger stages. I believe that West Virginia would much rather have this game happen at the beginning of the season than at the end.