MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — Penn State opens the 2024 season -- its first in the newly expanded Big Ten -- with a non-conference road matchup at West Virginia Saturday at noon.
The game will be televised on FOX43 as part of FOX's Big Noon Kickoff.
Here's what you need to know about the matchup, courtesy of pregame notes from both programs.
THE BETTING LINE: Penn State is between an 7.5- to 9.5-point favorite over the Mountaineers, depending on which sportsbook you consult.
FAMILIAR FOES: Saturday's matchup will be the 61st time the Nittany Lions and the Mountaineers have squared off. Penn State holds a commanding 49-9-2 advantage in the series, and has won the last five meetings -- including a 38-15 triumph in Happy Valley last year.
In that game, Penn State QB Drew Allar threw for a season-high 325 yards and three touchdowns in his first college start. Both teams' offenses had it going; Penn State outgained WVU 478-308 in total yards, but the Mountaineers managed just 162 passing yards and averaged 3.7 yards per carry on the ground.
ABOUT PENN STATE: The Lions are ranked in the Top 10 in both major college football polls' preseason rankings, and are looking to add to their impressive record in season openers at West Virginia. Penn State has won 19 of its last 22 opening games, including seven of its last eight. Overall, the Lions have a 113-22-2 record in season openers and are 21-11 when they open on the road.
This is the second-straight year Penn State will open a season against West Virginia. The Lions went 10-3 last year.
In addition to Allar, who passed for 2,631 yards and 25 touchdowns as a sophomore, Penn State brings back the running back duo of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen, both of whom have more than 1,500 yards in their careers. Singleton, a junior from Governor Mifflin High School in Berks County, has 1,813 career rush yards, while Allen, also a junior, has 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.
The Lions will mark the debut of two new coordinators against West Virginia Saturday. The task of running the offense falls to Andy Kotelnicki, who joined the program after spending the last three years developing an innovative attack at the University of Kansas.
Defensively, the Lions turn to Tom Allen, the former head coach at the University of Indiana. Allen takes over for Manny Diaz, who put together one of the top units in college football last year. The 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).
ABOUT WEST VIRGINIA: The Mountaineers are coming off a 9-4 season last year, which they wrapped up with a 30-10 win over North Carolina in the Duke's Mayo Bowl.
West Virginia went 6-3 last year 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.
Head coach Neal Brown is 31-29 in five seasons in Morgantown. In his 10-year coaching career, he's 66-45. Brown has led WVU to bowl appearances in three of the last four years.
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. Central PA football fans should remember White, one of the most dynamic players in the York-Adams Interscholastic Athletic Association during his time at York High, where his team engaged in some epic battles with a Central York squad piloted by current Penn State backup QB Beau Pribula.
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.