Penn State Football: Keys to Victory Vs. West Virginia

It's prove-it time for the Nittany Lions, who bring three new coordinators, plenty of talent and some pressure to Morgantown.

Penn State running back Nicholas Singleton is tackled while carrying the ball against West Virginia at Beaver Stadium in 2023. / Dan Rainville / USA TODAY NETWORK

As Penn State enters 2024 with a clean slate, the period of unrelenting hope and anticipation is coming to a close. The offseason questions, speculation and expectations for the Nittany Lions can be answered only on the field now. And what better way to figure things out in Week 1 than on the road against a West Virginia team that ended last season on a 5-1 streak?

Much remains to be seen regarding how the Nittany Lions’ new coordinators use their weapons, how effectively they replaced lost talent and which players step up at key positions. Even for a 10-3 team that brought back most of its starters, there’s a lot to prove in the 2024 road opener. 

Here are the keys to the Penn State-West Virginia matchup. Kickoff is scheduled for noon ET on FOX.

RELATED: Penn State vs. West Virginia preview, predictions

Finding a new offensive rhythm

Saturday afternoon is the first in-game look against a true opponent for Andy Kotelnicki’s offense. It may be a tough Mountaineers team to open against, especially on the road, but the Week 1 challenge should help the unit figure out things early this season instead of waiting around to face better competition. 

Under Kotelnicki, expect to see more craftiness in play calling, pre-snap motion and a willingness to take shots downfield, especially against a West Virginia secondary that’s been one of the team’s weaknesses. 

Of course, the Nittany Lions once again will lean heavily on their dual-threat run game of Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Penn State coach James Franklin has emphasized maintaining a split workload to keep the running backs “fresh and healthy” for now and the future/ He even has teased more two-back sets.

However, already knowing what Penn State’s run game is capable of, we should learn more in Week 1 about how Franklin and Kotelnicki will use a more seasoned Drew Allar — both with his arm and with his legs. 

RELATED: Drew Allar is confident, comfortable and ready to lead

Who’s the leading wide receiver?

The wide receiver position, and WR1 in particular, has been a concern for Penn State for years now — essentially since Jahan Dotson departed for the NFL. Having tight ends who consistently produce has helped, the same way it's expected to with Tyler Warren in 2024. But Allar is simply going to need more reliable targets on the outside for the Nittany Lions to improve offensively.

Julian Fleming, the veteran in the room, seemed a likely candidate to emerge when he transferred from Ohio State but hasn’t generated much buzz since. Liam Clifford provided solid depth for Penn State last season but is unproven as a primary target even with Allar noting his improved size and Franklin speaking to his maturity and consistency. 

“He's faster than I think people give him credit for. Got a big catch radius. I think he's got a chance to be a playmaker for us this year," Franklin said of Clifford.

Harrison Wallace III is the leading WR1 candidate given his career-high 72 yards in Week 1 vs. West Virginia last season. But injuries have hampered his development, and health remains his primary storyline. Omari Evans and Kaden Saunders are in the mix as well. 

The wide receiver room still holds many questions heading into another season, and Saturday’s matchup will begin to answer some of them.  

Tom Allen’s defensive line vs. West Virginia’s top-tier rushing attack

Facing the Mountaineers’ run game in Week 1 is baptism by fire for any defensive line. West Virginia led the FBS in rushing yards per game (228.92) last season while running for 32 touchdowns.

The Mountaineers return multi-threat quarterback Garrett Greene, co-star running backs Jahiem White and CJ Donaldson and 6-6 left tackle Wyatt Milum, all key players in the dominant ground game. That’s the group Penn State defensive coordinator Tom Allen and his veteran defensive line are tasked with stopping one in Week 1, even while adjusting to their own changes.

All-Big Ten linebacker Abdul Carter’s transition to defensive end has been a focal point of the offseason, but Franklin said he’ll still see time at both positions based on matchups. Where will he line up against Greene? What impact will Dani Dennis-Sutton make beginning his junior season? And how can the rest of Penn State’s veteran line, notable tackles Dvon J-Thomas and Zane Durant, slow down the Mountaineers’ rushing attack? 

Week 1 always comes with “prove-it” metrics for virtually any team. But Penn State faces an abundance of questions this season sparked by its high expectations, new coordinators and more-experienced stars. Against West Virginia, there won’t be a buffer period. The Nittany Lions will have an immediate sense of urgency to answer those questions on the road.

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Daniel Mader, a May 2024 graduate of Penn State, is an Editorial Intern with The Sporting News. As a student journalist with The Daily Collegian, he served as a sports editor and covered Nittany Lions women’s basketball, men’s volleyball and more. He has also covered Penn State football for NBC Sports and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, with additional work in the Centre Daily Times, Lancaster Online and more. Follow him on X @DanielMader_ or Instagram @dmadersports.