UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. - No. 8/9 Penn State begins the 2024 season with a road matchup at West Virginia. Kickoff is set for noon on FOX at Milan Puskar Stadium.
BIG NOON KICKOFF: Penn State will appear as FOX's Big Noon Kickoff in week one. Penn State was the featured game three times in 2023.
SERIES HISTORY: Penn State meets West Virginia for the 61st time in program history. The Nittany Lions own a 49-9-2 advantage in the series, including five-straight wins. Penn State is 17-6-1 in road games and has won 33 of the last 35 matchups. In last year's contest, Penn State cruised to a 38-15 victory. Drew Allar threw for 325 yards and three touchdowns, while Nicholas Singleton rushed for 70 yards and a score. Penn State held the Mountaineers to 162 passing yards, while collecting three sacks.
STARTING OFF RIGHT: Penn State has won 19 of its last 22 season-opening contests and seven of its last eight. The Nittany Lions are 113-22-2 all-time in season openers and 21-11 in season openers on the road, including an 18-10 mark against non-Big Ten opponents. This is the second-straight year Penn State will open a season against West Virginia.
DYNAMIC DUO: The Nittany Lions return two career 1,700 yard rushers in juniors Nicholas Singleton (1,813) and Kaytron Allen (1,763). Penn State is one of eight FBS teams entering the 2024 season with at least two career 1,700-yard rushers on its roster.
LIVING IN THE BACKFIELD: Penn State boasted one of the top defenses in college football in 2023. The Nittany Lions registered a program-best 49 sacks, while leading the country in total sacks (49), sacks per game (3.77), tackles for loss per game (8.5), rushing defense (75.5), yards per rush (2.26) and first downs allowed (181), while sitting second in total defense (246.7) and yards per play (4.16).
THE OPPOSITION: West Virginia went 9-4 in 2023, finishing the year with a 30-10 win over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl. The Mountaineers were 6-3 in Big 12 play, including wins over Texas Tech, TCU, UCF, BYU, Cincinnati and Baylor. WVU is receiving votes in the AP and Coaches Polls to begin the season.
BY THE NUMBERS
- 138th: Penn State opens its 138th football season
- 49: PSU set a program record and led the nation with 49 sacks last season.
- 1,700 x 2: PSU and UCF are the only FBS teams entering 2024 with two 1,700-yard rushers who played their whole career at one school.
- 15: The Nittany Lions return 15 All-Big Ten selections.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
- Neal Brown enters his sixth season as head coach at West Virginia.
- He holds a 31-29 record at West Virginia and a 66-45 career mark in his 10th year as a head coach.
- Brown led the Mountaineers to the AutoZone Liberty Bowl in 2020, the Guaranteed Rate Bowl in 2021 and the Duke's Mayo Bowl in 2023.
- West Virginia went 9-4 in 2023, including a 6-3 mark in Big 12 play.
- WVU earned regular season wins over Duquesne (56-17), Pitt (17-6), Texas Tech (20-13), TCU (24-21), UCF (41-28), BYU (37-7), Cincinnati (42-21) and Baylor (34-31).
- The Mountaineers finished the 2023 campaign with a 30-10 win over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
- WVU ranked among the FBS Top 10 last season in rushing offense (228.9; 3rd), sacks allowed (0.77; 3rd), yards per completion (15.02; 5th), punt return defense (0.23; 5th) and time of possession (32:41; 9th), while also leading the Big 12 in sacks per game (2.54) and fewest interceptions thrown (7).
- QB Garrett Greene returns after throwing for 2,406 yards and 16 touchdowns, while rushing for 772 yards and 13 scores.
- Greene ranked second in the nation in yards per completion (16.37) last season, while leading the Big 12 in yards per carry (6.43; 9th nationally) and ranking fourth in rushing touchdowns (13).
- RB Jaheim White (842 rushing yards, 4 TD) and RB CJ Donaldson Jr. (798 rushing yards, 11 TD) also return in the backfield.
- WR Hudson Clement held third in the country in yards per reception (21.82) in 2023.
- WVU's defense featured nine players with 5 or more tackles for loss in 2023. Among that group, LB Ben Cutter (6.0 TFL), DL Sean Martin (5.0) and SPUR Tyrin Bradley (5.0) return.
- Punter Oliver Straw averaged 43 yards per punt a year ago.
SEASON OPENERS ON THE ROAD
- Penn State is 113-22-2 all-time in season openers.
- PSU has won 19 of the last 22 season openers and seven of the last eight season-opening contests.
- The Nittany Lions are 21-11 when opening the season on the road, including an 18-10 mark against non-Big Ten teams.
- Penn State is set to open the season on the road against a non-conference opponent for the first time since 2015 at Temple.
- The Nittany Lions have won their last two season-opening road games (35-31 at Purdue, 2022; 16-10 at No. 12 Wisconsin, 2021).
- This is the first time Penn State has opened a season against West Virginia.
WATCH LISTS
- Several Nittany Lions were named to preseason watch lists.
- Junior QB Drew Allar was tabbed to the Davey O'Brien, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Manning Award and Maxwell Award watch lists.
- Junior RB Kaytron Allen was named to the Doak Walker Award watch list.
- Junior LB Abdul Carter landed on the Bednarik Award, Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Nagurski Trophy and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award watch lists.
- Redshirt senior OL Nick Dawkins was placed on the Wuerffel Trophy watch list.
- Junior DE Dani Dennis-Sutton is on the Lott IMPACT Trophy watch list.
- Redshirt junior LS Tyler Duzansky is a member of the Mannelly Award watch list.
- Junior WR Omari Evans is on the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award watch list.
- Redshirt sophomore OL Olaivavega Ioane and redshirt senior+ DT Dvon J-Thomas are on the Polynesian Player of the Year Award watch list.
- Redshirt junior LB Kobe King landed on the Butkus Award watch list.
- Junior K Chase Meyer was selected for the Lou Groza Award watch list.
- Junior RB Nicholas Singleton was tabbed to the Doak Walker Award, Maxwell Award, Paul Hornung Award and Walter Camp Player of the Year Award watch lists.
- Junior P Riley Thompson is on the Ray Guy Award watch list.
- Senior TE Tyler Warren was named to the Mackey Award watch list.
- Junior S Kevin Winston Jr. was selected for the Bednarik Award watch list.
- Redshirt senior+ OL Sal Wormley was tabbed to the Outland Trophy watch list.
- Allar, Allen, Carter, Dennis-Sutton, WR Julian Fleming, King, OL JB Nelson, S Jaylen Reed, OL Nolan Rucci, Singleton, Warren, Winston and Wormley are on the Reese's Senior Bowl watch list.
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICANS
- Junior DE Abdul Carter was tabbed a preseason first-team All-American by Action Network.
- Carter was named preseason second-team All-America by Associated Press, CBS, ESPN and The Athletic.
- Carter was also a preseason All-American selection by the Walter Camp Award.
- Redshirt senior+ OL Sal Wormley was selected preseason All-America second-team by Action Network.
- Freshman OL Cooper Cousins was named a preseason True Freshman All-American by 247Sports, On3 and ESPN.