Penn State Travels Country Roads, Endures Delay to Beat WVU

© Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

West Virginia seemed to pull out all the stops for their first visit from No. 8 Penn State since 1992. When ESPN’s "The Pat McAfee Show" made an appearance at West Virginia University, Mountaineer faithful got ratcheted up. If that wasn’t enough, the school brought out the 1984 team to commemorate the 40th anniversary of their team ending Penn State’s 28-game unbeaten streak against West Virginia.

The only thing was West Virginia (0-1) wasn’t able to stop Penn State (1-0). Whether it was through their means or Mother Nature’s two-hour and 19 minute weather delay, the Nittany Lions were able to achieve their 50th win in the series by the final score of 34-12 on Aug. 31.

Game Summary

As the game kicked off, it seemed Penn State and West Virginia would be evenly matched. The Mountaineers would end the first half with a near 2-1 advantage in time of possession. After the Nittany Lions were able to stonewall Mountaineer quarterback Garrett Greene on a fourth-and-1 keeper on the Penn State 16-yard line, not being able to capitalize on a 13-play 64-yard drive that erased nearly eight minutes off the clock, Penn State’s explosive offense arrived. On the ensuing series, Penn State quarterback Drew Allar connected with wide receiver Harrison Wallace III for a 50-yard touchdown strike to put Penn State up 6-0.

The Nittany Lions would go for a two-point conversation and be denied. It was the start to a 20-point second quarter that would put Penn State in control. After ending the first half up by two scores, Mother Nature inserted herself into the day's festivities causing a near two-and-half-hour weather delay. As the lightning seemed to exit Morgantown, W.Va. via Interstate-79, Penn State’s offense continued to strike thunder and lightning against the Mountaineers defense. As Penn State got the ball to start the second half, the Nittany Lions asserted themselves on the ground with timely runs by running back Kaytron Allen and even Allar got into the action, who would finish the day with 44 yards rushing (averaging nearly 8 yards per rush). The drive was highlighted by a 40-yard Nicholas Singleton touchdown that saw the running back cut through a Mountaineers defense with ease. 

With a three-possession lead, Penn State began to attack Greene and the West Virginia offense at will. The Nittany Lion defense surrendered only 128 total yards of offense in the second half, with 70 coming on a West Virginia touchdown drive that was capped off by Mountaineer running back C.J. Donaldson, and forcing two Mountaineer turnovers. Penn State capped  the scoring on the day when backup quarterback Beau Pribula connected with tight end Tyler Warren on a 19-yard touchdown halfway through the fourth quarter.

Turning Point for Penn State

Some might point to the weather delay, but prior to the delay, it seemed the West Virginia offense was going to force the issue. Leading up to the end of the first half, Penn State’s defense began to show some fatigue in the second quarter during a 13-play Mountaineer drive.

To Penn State’s credit, the defense bent but didn’t break. With under a minute to go in the first half, Allar had his signature splash play when he connected with wide receiver Omari Evans on a 55-yard pass to get the Nittany Lions to the Mountaineer 18-yard line with 10 seconds to go.

© Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

After a West Virginia timeout, Allar had a highlight pitch and catch to Wallace for his second touchdown of the first half. Wallace would finish the day with 117 yards receiving on 5 receptions. 

It was truly one of Penn State’s best end-of-a-half drives in some time.

The Upshot

Despite the obstacles, Penn State was able to overcome them all. The Nittany Lions overcame a hostile environment, the weather and early threats from West Virginia. In the past, games like this would have been closer and would have been a nailbiter. The offensive line for Penn State played one of its best games since the Iowa game last year in the White Out. There were very few mistakes and Allar was able to maneuver well in the pocket. 

Singleton found his groove against a Mountaineer defense by averaging nearly 9 yards per carry and finishing the day with 114 yards rushing and a touchdown.

While all seemed good, the questions about Penn State’s receivers weren’t fully answered. While Penn State didn’t go to air often, it was hard to deduce whether the strategy was to win on the ground or if Penn State’s receivers simply weren’t getting good separation.

Outside of the splash plays from Wallace and Evans, the duo combined for five receptions for 67 yards. Not necessarily good, but not explosive. Even more noticeable was Penn State’s biggest import, wide receiver Julian Fleming, who had zero receptions on the day. Maybe there is more to come, but the first impressions of Fleming was not stellar.

Ultimately, Penn State left West Virginia—a dark-horse favorite to win the Big 12 Conference—with a three-touchdown victory on the road. This win heightens the expectations that the Nittany Lions might finally deliver a College Football Playoff berth for the first time in 2024.