Penn State Defeats West Virginia in 2024 Season Opener

MORGANTOWN, W.Va.- No. 8-ranked Penn State used a 27-point flurry within the second and third quarters to defeat West Virginia 34-12 earlier than a sellout crowd of 62,084 Saturday afternoon at Milan Puskar Stadium.
 
The Nittany Lions, making their first look right here since 1992, seemed identical to these outdated Penn State groups that used to return all the way down to Morgantown and beat the Mountaineers on an annual foundation.

“Backside line is we performed poorly, however credit score Penn State,” mentioned West Virginia coach Neal Brown. “Right this moment was simply not adequate to beat a workforce like Penn State.”
 
Quarterback Drew Allar as soon as once more demonstrated his passing acumen towards the Mountaineers by finishing 11 of his 17 makes an attempt for 216 yards and three touchdowns whereas additionally including 44 essential yards six scrambles.
 
Allar, as he did in final 12 months’s win in State School, took benefit of West Virginia’s secondary to toss three first half landing passes, two to Harrison Wallace III.
 
Wallace was the primary participant to cross the objective line this afternoon when he took an Allar cross in stride and raced 50 yards into the top zone seven seconds into the second quarter. Backup quarterback Beau Pribula’s two-point conversion cross was unsuccessful.
 
5 minutes later, Allar situated working again Kaytron Allen popping out of the backfield for a 20-yard landing hookup, boosting Penn State’s result in 13-0.
 
After getting stopped at Penn State’s 16 on downs earlier within the recreation, West Virginia’s second foray into the purple zone concluded with factors as Michael Hayes II punched by means of a 38-yard discipline objective, culminating a 10-play, 55-yard drive.
 
The WVU protection pressured a Penn State punt, and the Mountaineers regained possession of the soccer at their very own 36 with 5:13 left within the half and all three timeouts remaining.
 
Conversion runs on third and 1 and fourth and 1 by CJ Donaldson Jr. put the soccer on the Penn State 29 with the clock winding down inside 1:30 till halftime. Two extra Donaldson carries moved the ball to the 21 with 45 seconds left and WVU content material to try to burn off as a lot time as potential.
 
Greene missed his brief third-down cross to Preston Fox, which left 37 seconds on the clock for Hayes to attempt one other discipline objective from the 21. His 39-yard try was good, trimming Penn State’s benefit to 13-6.
 
That is the place West Virginia hoped the rating would stay at halftime.
 
The Lions jumped on Hayes’ squib kick at their 27 with 32 seconds left and possessing only one timeout. Nicholas Singleton’s first-down run was stuffed on the line of scrimmage, however quite than sit on the ball and go into halftime with a landing lead, Allar took benefit of extra man protection on exterior receiver Omari Evans and lofted a high-arching cross down the far facet of the sector.
 
Evans outfought WVU security Aubrey Burks for the soccer on the PSU 18 for a 55-yard gainer. The Lions shortly known as their ultimate timeout with 10 seconds left and when play resumed, took another shot into the top zone to Wallace with Garnett Hollis Jr. in protection. Brown thought afterward that the play ought to have been reviewed by replay officers after watching it at halftime and was unsure why it wasn’t.

“Someone above me goes to have to offer me a proof on that,” Brown mentioned.
 
Allar put it on the cash and Wallace got here down with the soccer within the nook of the top zone, getting a foot in bounds with possession of the ball for an 18-yard landing. Sander Sahaydak’s conversion kick expanded Penn State’s result in 20-6.
 
Quickly after Wallace’s landing, a heavy band of thunderstorms rolled by means of the realm at halftime, requiring followers to depart their seats for the concourse space with a lot of them persevering with to their vehicles. 
 
When play resumed two hours, 19 minutes later, issues had cooled off considerably contained in the stadium, however not the Lion offense, which acquired two first-down scrambles from Allar earlier than Singleton broke free for a 40-yard landing scamper.
 
Singleton was untouched on the play, placing the Lions forward 27-6.
 
West Virginia scored its first landing of 2024 with 12:49 left when Donaldson acquired the ball over the objective line following two unsuccessful performs from the 1.
 
Greene passes of 25 yards to Traylon Ray and Preston Fox, and a fourth-and-10 hookup to Hudson Clement for 14 yards, had been the large performs through the drive.
 
Greene was sacked making an attempt to flee the pocket on the two-point conversion attempt, making the rating 27-12, Nittany Lions.
 
However the landing solely served to awaken Penn State’s offense, stymied on its ultimate two possessions of the third quarter. Singleton took a first-down carry 40 yards to the WVU 30, after which 5 performs later, Pribula flipped a cross down the center to wide-open tight finish Tyler Warren for a 19-yard landing.
 
Penn State’s scoring drive consumed 76 yards in simply six performs, accounting for 3:46 of the clock.
 
Following a Greene fumble, Penn State moved the ball to the West Virginia 29 earlier than the drive stalled and Sahaydak’s 47-yard discipline objective try was no good.
 
Singleton led all rushers for 114 yards on simply 13 makes an attempt because the Lions accounted for 222 yards on the bottom.
 
General, Penn State gained 457 yards to West Virginia’s 246. Two poor snaps resulted in minus-19 yards yards, reducing WVU’s workforce dashing whole to 85 yards.
 
Greene ended the afternoon finishing 15 of his 28 cross makes an attempt for 161 yards earlier than giving strategy to backup Nicco Marchiol late within the fourth quarter. Marchiol’s lone cross try of the day was intercepted by Penn State’s Elliot Washington II.

“Not adequate,” Brown mentioned of Greene’s play right this moment, “however he’ll bounce again subsequent week.”
 
Donaldson was West Virginia’s main rusher with 42 yards on 12 makes an attempt.

Freshman linebacker Josiah Trotter led the Mountaineer protection with 10 tackles in his school debut. Brown counseled his play afterward.

Preseason All-Large 12 left sort out Wyatt Milum was affected by cramps and didn’t return to the sector at halftime. 
 
Right this moment’s recreation concluded a two-game collection with the Nittany Lions, which was as soon as performed on an annual foundation till after the 1992 season when Penn State joined the Large Ten Convention.
 
The Lions now personal a 50-9-2 collection document in 61 conferences towards West Virginia.
 
West Virginia (0-1) returns to Milan Puskar Stadium subsequent Saturday to play Albany, whereas Penn State opens its season at house towards Bowling Inexperienced subsequent weekend.