Mountaineers decided underdogs in Penn State’s mammoth Beaver Stadium

Linebacker Lee Kpogba graduated last May with a degree in integrated studies. Courtesy photo
SHEPHERDSTOWN — As always under the direction of coach James Franklin, Penn State will feature a confident look and man its positions with quality starters and effective depth.
When West Virginia “visits” the oft cauldron-like Beaver Stadium the crowd will be loud and then louder with cheers for the home team, Nittany Lions.
Penn State will have its usual role of favorite when it plays a non-conference game. West Virginia will be given the role of spoiler and need to show it has improved over last season’s 5-7 record.
The place holds 106,572 people — most thinking this will be an opener spiced with the football ingredients needed to prepare for later slugfests with Ohio State, Michigan and Maryland.
West Virginia hasn’t played Penn State in over 30 years. Those with the long memories honed with the nostalgia of Major Harris dashing the Nittanies with his stellar play, keep that game locked securely in their memory banks.
Penn State owns a lopsided edge in the wins versus losses it has from the series past games.
In the last few decades, Penn State has become a Big 10 Conference mainstay, joining with Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin and Michigan State to become the nastiest teams in the now-shifting league.
The Mountaineers leaped into the Big 12 Conference and have not done any real damage to the likes of many of the league’s title contenders.
Penn State will have to come to Morgantown next year.
What can the Mountaineers do to win? Play an opener that features a greedy ground offense that wants to be selfish in keeping Penn State’s offensive possessions to a minimum. And then have the usual combination of fewer turnovers, fewer penalties and fewer in-game injuries.
Penn State has more useful depth, A game of attrition favors the Nittany Lions.
Linebacker Lee Kpogba is West Virginia’s All-American candidate. He registered three 10-plus tackles in games last season. His 92 tackles led the team and had 13 tackles against both Oklahoma State and Kansas State.
Kpogba graduated last May with a degree in integrated studies, while making the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll as well the Garrett Ford Honor Roll.
The Penn State game is one of three non-conference games the Mountaineers have. Duquesne is next and then the attention-getting Pittsburgh Panthers rumble into Morgantown. West Virginia has a real chance to be the “2023 champions of the city of Pittsburgh.”
But first comes Penn State and what it hopes will be an inhospitable welcoming of the still-to-prove-themselves Mountaineers.