Penn State Football vs. West Virginia: 3 Key Matchups Nittany Lions Must Win to Beat Mountaineers

Penn State Football vs. West Virginia is one of the marquee matchups on tap for Week 1 of the College Football season.

The Nittany Lions kick off the 2024 campaign in just three days on the road against a formidable WVU squad in Morgantown, West Virginia.

One year removed from Penn State besting the Mountaineers 38-15 in State College to begin the 2023 season, the Nittany Lions bout with the Mountaineers is projected to be much closer this season, with the line steadily falling toward the Mountaineers as kickoff approaches.

If Penn State Football wants to start the season unblemished, here are three key matchups Penn State must win:

Penn State offensive line vs. WVU defensive line

Penn State Football is retooling its offensive line in 2024 after the Nittany Lions lost three starters to the NFL draft last season, including elite left tackle Olu Fashanu.

With three new starters projected along the offensive line, and Penn State planning on rotating as many as eight players along the line early this season, Penn State will need the offensive line to get comfortable in a hurry Saturday to both allow the Nittany Lions to set up the running game and give Drew Allar an early boost of confidence in the pocket.

WVU’s defensive line was among the worst in college football last season, boasting a staggeringly low 29 percent pass-rush win rate. The Mountaineers also lost two starting defensive linemen to the transfer portal this offseason.

However, WVU brought in a talented interior defensive lineman TJ Jackson from Troy to bolster the interior of their defensive line in 2024.  If Penn State’s offensive line can dominate the line of scrimmage with a retooled lineup Saturday, it would go a long way toward Penn State controlling the time of possession and the game itself.

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Drew Allar vs. WVU Secondary

In 2023, WVU ranked in the bottom half of the Big 12 in passing defense. Heading into 2024, the Mountaineers reloaded their defensive secondary in the transfer portal, bringing in two former Northwestern Wildcats safety Jaheem Joseph and cornerback Garnett Hollis Jr..

In order for Penn State to stay balanced and open up lanes in the running game, Drew Allar must exploit the WVU secondary early and force the Mountaineers to respect the Nittany Lions’ passing game.

If Penn State struggles early in the passing game, Saturday could be a long game for Penn State’s running game if WVU can stack the box and force the Nittany Lions to be one-dimensional on offense.

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Penn State interior defensive line and linebackers vs. Garrett Greene and WVU run game

Its no secret that WVU’s strength heading into the 2024 season is its running game.

With a top running back unit that saw two players rush for over 800 yards last season returning and a quarterback that tied for the national lead in rushing touchdowns for quarterbacks, WVU’s running game could give Penn State plenty of headaches Saturday. Penn State is returning all five of its primary playmakers at defensive tackle from a year ago in 2024, but the Nittany Lions are replacing two top linebackers (Curtis Jacobs to the NFL and Abdul Carter to the defensive line).

The Nittany Lions will need Kobe King to continue his progression from last season and Tony Rojas to step up in his ascension to the starting lineup in the running game Saturday.

Penn State has plenty of playmakers on the defensive side of the football to contain Garrett Greene and the Mountaineers’ running game, but the defense will have to be gap sound and play to their assignments without mistake to keep the WVU running game from controlling the game on the ground.

If Penn State can win these three key matchups, the Nittany Lions should be well on their way to beginning the season with an important win on the road.

MORE: Will Penn State Make the College Football Playoff? Our Staff Makes its Season Predictions

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